The prices and types of tickets are different for each city.
To read about tickets in a specific city, visit the city's article.
However, there are some universal truths about tickets in trams. And here they are:
buying the ticket
There are a few ways of buying a ticket, out of which three are viable for a tourist.
Firstly, you can buy a ticket in a newsstand. This is not a recommended option, but it is sometimes easier to find a newsstand than a ticket machine, which leads to...
pros: works in almost all cities;
cons: big language barrier; must know type of ticket needed beforehand; payment by card may not be possible;
Option number 2, buy a ticket at a ticket machine. This is not possible in every city, but it is in the vast majority. We strongly recommend this option.
pros: can be set to English; very easy to use; can pay by cash or card; all ticket types are presented;
cons: only in largest cities;
Option number 3, buy the ticket in the tram itself, right after you board it. Some (not all!) modern trams have built-in ticket machines. This is a bit risky, however - there might not be one.
In larger cities, such as Warsaw, Łódź, Cracow, Gdańsk, Wrocław, and Poznań, you have an approximately 50% chance of being able to buy a ticket inside of the tram. Remember to have cash - not all
in-tram machines accept credit card. Please note that
the ticket you buy may already be automatically validated - the machine will inform you whether you need to validate the ticket that is printed for you.
pros: can be set to English; very easy to use; all ticket types are presented;
cons: only in largest cities; even in largest cities not possible on all routes; card payment not always available;
ticket machine
in-tram ticket machine
validating your ticket
You may only travel with a validated ticket. This means that if you do not have a validated ticket, you must validate it as soon as you enter
the tram using in-tram validating machines. To validate a ticket using those machines, you must enter the ticket into the hole and remove the ticket
when it is released (it will be intuitive).
If you aready have a validated ticket when boarding the tram, you do not have to do anything. Most big cities in Poland have integrated public transport systems
in which you can freely switch between
metro,
buses, and trams for the duration of the ticket's validity. This means that if you have any valid ticket and it has
not yet expired, you may travel by tram until its expiration.
ticket validation machine
back of validated ticket
Please note that you must have a validated ticket for the entire duration of your journey and have it at your disposal to
present to a ticket controller if needed.