By Tram & Subway in Warsaw

By Tram & Subway

In Warsaw, a trip on a city bus costs zl 2.40. There are also timed tickets: zl 3.60 for up to 60 minutes, zl 4.50 for up to 90 minutes, and zl 6 for up to 120 minutes. A 1-day pass is zl 7.20, 3-day pass, zl 12, and a 7-day pass, zl 24. There are additional charges for large pieces of luggage. Purchase tickets from RUCH kiosks or directly from bus drivers (zl 0.60 surcharge), and validate one in the machine on the bus for each ride. Buses that halt at all stops along their route are numbered 100 and up. Express buses are numbered from E-1 and up. Buses numbered 500-599 stop at selected stops. You can check details on the bus stop's information board. Night buses (numbered 600 and up) operate between 11 PM and 5:30 AM; the fare is three tickets. Buses can be very crowded, and you should beware of pickpockets.

Trams are the fastest means of public transport since they are not affected by traffic holdups but are also often crowded. Purchase tickets from RUCH kiosks or tram operators, and cancel one ticket in the machine on the tram for each ride. Trams run on a north-south and east-west grid system along most of the main city routes, pulling up automatically at all stops. Each tram has a diagram of the system.

Warsaw's underground opened in spring 1995. Although it has only one line, which connects the southern suburbs (Kabaty) and northern suburbs (Marymont) to the city center, it is clean and fast and costs the same as the tram or bus. Use the same tickets, canceling them at the entrance to the station.

In Lódz, the public transportation network of trams and buses is well developed, and there is a system of timed tickets (zl 1.70 up to 10 minutes, zl 2.40 up to 30 minutes, zl 3.60 up to 60 minutes, zl 4.80 up to 120 minutes, and zl 9.60 for a 24-hour pass). If you buy your ticket on the tram or the bus, there is a zl 0.50 surcharge. You can also buy tickets from a ticket machine (though not yet at every stop and only in some trams/buses) or from most newspaper kiosks around town (probably the easiest option). As in Warsaw, remember to validate your ticket on entering a bus or a tram.

Information

ZTM Warszawa (022/94-84. www.ztm.waw.pl). MPK Lódz (042/672 -- 11-11. www.mpk.lodz.pl).