Warsaw - Post Report Question and Answers
Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Yes, all safe and affordable. - Oct 2021
All very cheap. Uber is popular and again super cheap ;) - Jan 2021
Yes, local public transit is very safe, reliable (timely) and affordable. ZTM offers single tickets for 3.40 PLN and monthly passes for 110 PLN (and 3-month tickets are even cheaper). The Warsaw transit system consists of 2 metro lines, trams, buses, and local trains. In the summer, "Veturilo" city bikes are extremely popular and cheap (free for the first 20 mins, 1 PLN for the next 20 mins, 2 PLN for the next 20 mins, and so on). The app "Jakdojade" is very handy for figuring out bus schedules/routes, and in 2018, ZTM GPS data was finally available in GoogleMaps. - Sep 2019
Very affordable and very safe! School-aged kids were generally fine riding buses/trams/metro alone. - May 2018
Best local transport I have ever seen in terms of safety, cost and efficiency. Uber is also available. - Apr 2018
Yes, all the above and safe. Warsaw is really spread out. It will take you 5.5 hours to drive from Warsaw to Krakow and only 2.5 hours by train. The highway system is still being built and not the best. However, Warsaw to Berlin is an easy drive. - Dec 2016
Yes, yes, yes. Very good public transit on the whole. I buy a 90-day pass which I never have to pull out again except to renew it. I just hop on and hop off wherever I want to go. It's a great and convenient system. - Mar 2016
Yes and yes. The metro, tram, and bus lines all run on the same system. Download an app called JakDoJade to route map. - Sep 2015
Local transportation is plentiful, excellent, safe and affordable. I allowed my teenage daughter to ride alone at night on public transportation and she never had a problem. They can be crowded at times but not like the Tube in London or the subway in Tokyo. Taxis are particularly affordable and easy to call from home or anywhere in the city. I've heard of some rip-off incidents but that usually happens late at night when a dishonest taxi driver posts are higher rate than what is normal. Also, taxis outside of major hotels are generally three times as expensive than regular taxis so don't get caught in that trick bag unless you have no other option. Learn which taxi companies are reliable, have them on speed dial, and you should be fine. - Nov 2014
Public transit is safe, reliable, efficient, and usually clean. But be prepared for your personal space to be invaded on a regular basis and sometimes body smells can be overpowering. It is expected that you give your seat to elderly. - Feb 2012
Yes, fantastic system within Warsaw of buses. You can find your way anywhere at any time using www.jakdojade.pl. Taxis are generally cheap, reliable, and prompt. Trains are a bit more dated and sometimes slow relative to those in Western Europe. - Nov 2011
Yes about 100.00 for a 3 month pass. - Aug 2011
Public transportation is busy and cheap. But get used to a few things: 1) Drivers are idiots - busses, especially, have poor drivers who think they are Michael Schumacher in Formula-1 race cars. They will speed like crazy to get from stop to stop and then slam on the brakes as they get to the stop. They tend to be impatient drivers, so they will take the busses on the tram tracks to move the bus into a turning lane if the straight lane blocks the turning lane. The drivers will also not utilize the proper turning lane if it is full. They will just go straight through a round-a-bout and make an illegal left hand turn into it. It is dangerous, but the Poles are as meek as sheep and never say anything...even when they are flung across the bus with the driver's antics. 2.) Get used to smelling other people's body odors (I wont say most...but there are some Poles who have not a clue what a soap bar is...they get on the bus and just stink to high heaven). 3.) Get used to smelling alcohol anytime you use the bus, be it morning, noon or night. There are a lot of Poles who believe it is their manifest destiny to be the Best Alcoholics in the World...they start young, they drink often and drink plenty... they get on the bus and you can usually smell them from 15 feet away - usually with the smell of cigarettes as well. 4) Cigarette smoking is encouraged in Poland...this is the country Marlboro/Camel should direct their ads to. They would have great success, as so many Poles smoke like it's going out of style. You have to get used to the overpowering stench when you are packed like sardines in the bus. Get used to NO PERSONAL space and people bumping into you constantly (beware of pickpockets). Also: When its very hot out and you are feeling the sweat bead off your head or neck, you get on the bus which tends to be crowded, and you notice that the locals will still be wearing heavy coats, long sleeves, etc., and they will refuse to open windows on the bus...so you get to enjoy the sauna atmosphere while you also get to enjoy the lovely body odors emanating from some, as well as the over-perfuming of others. Oh, just so you know, the stinkers are not just old people or just men, it can be anyone. Yesterday I was behind a very pretty 20-ish lady who stank like crazy. Just get used to it. Prices: The 1-3 month bus cards are the best way to travel around the city, and they also work for Tram and Metro. They are getting progressively more expensive, but on a whole its much cheaper than anything you would get in the USA. Taxis: Beware of taxis that do not display the taxi service signs on them with the numbers...if the taxi looks like a personal car (it may even be a very nice Mercedes, BMW, etc.), do not get in --- as you are taking a private hire and this will cost you anywhere from 5x to 20x the price you would pay for a regular taxi. Mostly these are at the Chopin International Airport. Regular taxis run anywhere from 1.60 to 3.0 PLN/km. A standard drive in the city is usually 20-30PLN, and later in the night the charges go up by 5-10PLN. - Aug 2011
All are safe, affordable and easy to use. Public transportation is great. - Mar 2011
The metro, train, and bus systems in this country are excellent and very affordable. - Jan 2011
Excellent, cheap, safe. Night buses go on a reduced schedule all night. If only we had such great public transport at home! - Dec 2010
Trains and buses are very cheap, clean, safe and fast. Taxis are affordable, but you usually have to call ahead. People don't really hail them on the street. - Feb 2010
Yes, yes, and yes. Local trains are great since they go all over the place. However, they tend to be crowded and are VERY slow with the exception of the 2 1/2 hour train to Krakow. Poland is supposedly upgrading its rail service, but who knows if they will follow through. - Aug 2009
You should use the taxis listed on the card the embassy gives you. Buses, trains, trams and the metro are all safe. - Jun 2008
Yes but be very careful when taking buses since bus drivers will slam on the brakes and gas/cut shartp turns for no known reason whatsoever. I was thrown from my seat one time when the bus went around a traffic circle-much to the delight of the on-looking Polish passengers. - Apr 2008
Safe. If you get a taxi from Old Town with a solid black sign one that says TAXI or a taxi from a hotel, they will charge you double. The local taxi services that you call are affordable and reliable but speak little English. They can be rude and it is frustrating. Around Christmas you might sometimes wait an hour for one (usually 5-7 minutes). I reccommend writing down addresses because cab drivers, as well as others, aren't flexible when it comes to pronunciation. - Feb 2008
