© Tomasz Tomal・Unsplash License

Poland

Kraków

A medieval old town preserved whole, with trams circling just outside it. There are no ticket gates anywhere.

Bus (autobus)

No tap-to-ride here - a card only buys a ticket. On-board machines take no cash and print nothing - the ticket binds to the card you paid with, shown again at inspection. With cash, buy at a stop machine or kiosk first.

Updated on August 19, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Buy before boarding, at a machine or a kiosk
    The machines at the stops take cash as well as cards - but not every stop has one, so with cash in hand, buy in a kiosk.
  2. 2
    On board it is cards only
    The machines on board take cards only - the ones that took cash have been withdrawn from buses and trams.
  3. 3
    Pick the ticket, then tap
    A phone or watch works too. A green message means it went through - and nothing prints.
  4. 4
    Stamp a paper ticket as you board
    Push it into the on-board validator; tickets from the machine or an app come already stamped.
  5. 5
    Signal your own stop
    At a stop marked "na zadanie" press the button by the door to get off; to be picked up, wait inside the stop area.
  6. 6
    Show the same card at inspection
    If you bought on board, hold the card or device you actually paid with to the inspector's reader.

Fares

Single fares5

15-minute ticket
15 minutes from validation, valid in all three zones; 2.00 zl at the reduced rate
4 PLN ≈ $1
30-minute ticket (single ride)
One row, two roles - 30 minutes or one ride; 3.00 zl at the reduced rate
6 PLN ≈ $2
60-minute ticket
Valid in all three zones; 4.00 zl at the reduced rate
8 PLN ≈ $2
90-minute ticket
Valid in all three zones; 4.50 zl at the reduced rate
9 PLN ≈ $2
Group single ticket (up to 20)
50 zl for zone I, 60 zl for all three - the higher one if you are heading to the airport
50〜60 PLN ≈ $13–15

Passes & multi-ride5

24-hour ticket
20 zl for zone I, 25 zl for all three - the cheap one does not leave the city
20〜25 PLN ≈ $5–6
48-hour ticket
Valid in all three zones; there is no zone I version of this one
40 PLN ≈ $10
72-hour ticket
Valid in all three zones; there is no zone I version of this one
55 PLN ≈ $14
7-day ticket
65 zl for zone I, 80 zl for all three, running to 23:59 on the seventh day
65〜80 PLN ≈ $16–20
Weekend family ticket
Saturday and Sunday only, and only for 1-2 adults with children under 16, up to 7 people
25 PLN ≈ $6

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 4, 2026

Payment

Card payment at machines
Works for paying at the machines by the stops
Card payment on board
The operator does not name the brands it accepts
Tap the on-board machine to buy; a phone or watch with payment also works
IC card
The KKM and MKA cards only carry season tickets - there is no stored value
App tickets
iMKA
In the wallet: Buy in an approved app; you must enter the vehicle number or scan its QR code
Paper tickets
Paper from a machine or a shop, stamped as soon as you board
Cash
At machines: Machines at stops take cash - but not every stop has one; shops take cash too On board: Cards only on board - the cash machines have been removed

Quick facts

Fares from
4 PLN+

Heads-up

  • Zone I tickets do not take you outside the city

    The zone I versions of the 24-hour, 7-day and group tickets do not leave the city. If the leg between two stops crosses a zone boundary, you need a ticket valid in both zones at once.

  • The three airport buses handle zones differently

    The buses to the airport are 209 and 300, plus night line 902. All three are classed as agglomeration lines, so zones work differently on them than on the city lines.

  • A broken on-board machine is no excuse for no ticket

    A broken on-board machine is not an excuse for riding without a ticket. On-board sales are only a supplementary channel, so the rule is to buy before you board.

  • In-app sales need the fleet number and stop at inspection

    If you buy in an app, do it the moment you board. You must enter the fleet number posted inside the vehicle (two letters and three digits) or scan its QR code, and sales for that vehicle are blocked once an inspection starts.

Timetable

Typical duration The network that covers what the trams do not reach, plus the airport - split into miejskie lines that stay inside the city and aglomeracyjne lines that cross zones
Check the official site for the latest times and service status
Editor Naotaka