Warsaw Public Transit for Newbs

This is how I do public transit in Warsaw. I don't speak or understand polish.

1. Go to ztm.waw.pl/mapa/mapa_4.htm and print a full colour A3 sized copy on your works' over sized colour laser printer.

2. Go to ztm.waw.pl/mapa/mapa_5.htm and print a full colour A3 sized copy on your works' over sized colour laser printer.

3. Write this, "Prosze Bilet Dobowy miejski normalny" on a piece of paper. It means, "Normal priced all-day pass for city transit please.".

4. Find a Ruch Kiosk. They are green, found on sidewalks, the size of a bus shelter, have the words Ruch Kiosk on them, and have only 1 hole in 1 wall roughly the size of a cd-case.

5. Pass your note to the person in side along with some money.

6. You should receive a document identical to the one I have posted. It's okay if you don't get your piece of paper back because you now have a example of what you want. Tomorrow you can just hold up your little ticket and point at it as you hand the man money.

7. Use your maps to find your route and wait for a bus, tram or metro. The route number is clearly marked on them.

8. When you get on, there is a yellow box the size of a toaster at every entrance. Put your ticket it, the machine will suck it in, make a printing noise, beep, then return it. Put it in your wallet and leave it there for the next 24 hours. Ride the city transit to your heart's content.

• 
  tn_dobowynormalny.jp.jpg
  

If you're staying for a longer time in Warsaw and you are sure to use more than 10 (or actually 9) daily tickets within a 30 dyas period, it's better for you to buy a monthly pass (bilet miesięczny).

Bilet Dobowy miejski normalny costs 7,20 PLN, while
Bilet Miesięczny miejski normalny costs 66 PLN. It's in a form of card, with a chip, you buy this card once only, pay for a month (not a calender month, just 30/31 days, so buying it on for 16th April means it will be valid till 16th May), and it has to be activated when you first enter a bus/tram/metro/train (those "yellow boxes the size of a toaster" have a hole where you insert your tickets, but also a sensor - for monthly cards, you approach your card to the sensor (not insert in the hole) and you should notice when something happens, the card should be now activated).

The downside of the monthly cards is that they are in the name of the person who buys them (there's a place on it for your ID number, you should write it down after you bought the card and keep with you, always when travelling, the same ID - it can be a passport, driving licence, student's "legitymacja" and so on, simply some official identity document).

After a month (immediately or after a short break, if you're not using public transport for some time), you need to buy another monthly pass, you bring the very same card to a Kiosk and it's re-charged for another 30 days (needs to be activated again by approaching to the sensor in the "yellow boxes the size of a toaster", btw, this device is called "kasownik" in Polish). After a month cleanse and repeat.

Just don't forget to activate it again in a "kasownik" (and keep your ID with you).

There are three types of tickets "miejski" for the city limits, "liniowy" for one bus/tram/metro/train line (not sure, but I think it costs half the price of "miejski") and also a third type (twice as expensive as "miejski") for Warsaw and nearby towns (Milanówek, Pruszków, Ożarów etc.).

Of course when you're using trains (or WKD - special local trains), you may travel only accordingly to your ticket/pass (so with "bilet miejski" you can't go to Milanówek, just to Warszawa Ursus or Gołąbki, or whatever is the name of the last train station within the city limits).

If you're a student at some university (or school) you are probably entitled (I think it applies also to foreign citizens) to a 50% discount ("ulgowy 50%" instead of "normalny"), you need to present your "legitymacja studencka" when buying a ticket/pass (all sorts, monthly, daily, for one ride).

There is also a 90 days pass, working as the described monthly pass, the difference is that they are a little more cost-effective (66 PLN for a monthly pass, 160 PLN for a 90 days pass, still talking about "miejski, normalny" to avoid confusion)

Can you get the Public transport maps for All towns.. Ie Gdansk.?

Thank you for posting this. It will make me more independent with my summer travel.

zkm.pl/eng/

more on Warsaw tariff:

ztm.waw.pl/en/tariff-en.html

Thanks for the great advice.

Prosze Bilet Dobowy miejski normalny is a one day card. How would I ask for a three Day City Travelcard ??

Thanks

Three Day Network Travelcard - valid for 3 consecutive days from validation
ask for:
Proszę bilet trzydniowy normalny or Proszę bilet na 3 dni, normalny

Thank you.