Advance railway tickets: the best time to buy train tickets

Published: 2024/06/19

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Traveling by train is one of the most convenient and fastest ways to travel, but sometimes train tickets can be a significant expense, especially if you book tickets at the last minute. Making train reservations in advance offers numerous benefits. This is a great way to save money, having a guaranteed seat on the train and flexibility in choosing it, access to better deals, and planning the rest of your trip with peace of mind.

Is it worth buying railway tickets in advance?

Firstly, purchasing your ticket in advance will allow you to get the most attractive price. Carriers offer special promotions and discounts for passengers who make reservations in advance. Booking train tickets just a few days ahead means you have fewer options and more expensive fares.

Sales on train tickets around Poland opens 30 days before the departure date, and the price varies depending on how much days left from the current date to the train departure date:

21-30 days before departure – price is the lowest
14-21 days before departure – estimated increase from the original price is 10-20%
7-14 days before departure – the ticket price will increase by approximately 30%
1-7 days before departure – the price is the highest, the increase from the initial price is approximately 40%

Additionally, by booking your ticket in advance, you can be sure that you will find a free seat on your preferred train or even carriage. Especially during periods of high demand, such as weekends or holidays, train seats on popular routes can sell out quickly.

What’s more, purchasing a ticket in advance gives you the opportunity to plan your entire trip and book additional services, such as a place in a sleeper car, a seat in a compartmentless carriage or a seat in a bicycle carriage. You can also easily book seats next to each other when traveling with friends or family.

How early in advance can I buy train tickets in Poland?

Tickets and reservations can be booked in advance for trips inside Poland starting no later than 30 days from the current date.

In the case of international trips (from Poland to other countries), reservations, depending on the carrier, are only possible for trips starting no later than 30, 60 or 120 days from the current date.

Domestic connections in Poland on PKP Intercity trains – 30 days before trip.

The offer includes trains:

Express InterCity Premium (EIP)
Express InterCity (EIC)
InterCity (IC)
Your Railway Lines (TLK).

International connections offered by PKP Intercity from Poland to other European Union countries – 60 days before trip.

You could travel from Poland to:

Germany
Austria
Hungary
Czech Republic
Slovakia

How far in advance can you buy international train tickets?

Railway carrier	Time range from the current date	Travel destinations
PKP Intercity	30 day	Domestic connections in Poland
PKP Intercity	60 day	International trains from Poland to Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia.
DB (Deutsche Bahn)	6 months	State railways in Germany
Eurostar	6 months	Trains to Paris, London, Amsterdam and Brussels via Eurotunnel.
OEBB (Österreichische Bundesbahnen)	6 months	Austrian state railways
SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français)	3 months	French national railways
RegioJet	30 day	Czech railway company offers connections to Poland, Germany, Slovenia and Austria.
TGV	3 months	High-speed railway in France. The offer includes connections to Luxembourg, Belgium, Austria and Italy.

When is it worth buying tickets for PKP Intercity trains in Poland?

Ticket sales for PKP Intercity trains usually start 30 days before the departure date. During this time, passengers can book seats on selected trains and purchase tickets at the best prices. The cheapest offers are available 12-30 days before the travel date. The closer to the departure date, the prices of train tickets gradually increase.

It is worth remembering that the sale of PKP Intercity train tickets for international connections starts 60 days before the trip. Traveling by train around Europe is becoming more and more popular, so it’s worth knowing how to buy tickets in advance to get the best prices.

How far in advance do PKP tickets appear?

Ticket sales (via the Internet) for domestic trains in Poland start at 0:30 am 30 days before departure date. The exception is the first night of the month, then the service time ends at 1:00 am and only then you can make a reservation.

How can I travel cheaper by train? Some useful tips for travelers

Buy train tickets in advance

Railway carriers offer special promotions and discounts for those passengers who make reservations well in advance. In the case of tickets for PKP Intercity trains, tickets could be purchased 30 days before the planned trip. Booking just a few days or weeks ahead will mean you have fewer options and more expensive fares. Seats can get reserved quickly for busy times, such as weekends and holidays, so try to book ahead to have the lowest price and wide choice of trains.

What day of the week are train tickets cheapest?

There is one more trick to buying a train ticket cheaper. Most people have heard of it for plane tickets, but it also works for trains, especially if you are looking for tickets for international routes such as Warsaw – Vienna, Krakow – Berlin, Przemyśl – Prague, etc. Prices vary depending on the day of the week. So there is a chance that you will be able to buy a ticket by planning your trip on Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday.

You can try this method because these are less busy days, so you will not only save on tickets, but also have a more comfortable trip.

Check prices on trains with transfers

If you’re planning to travel by train, check out the different connection options. Before booking, check the different options, it will most likely turn out that the trip with a transfer will be cheaper.

Search and book train tickets online

On the PolishTrains website you can check the current timetable, compare prices and choose the most comfortable journey for you.

Use discounts offered by rail carriers

Check what discounts are offered by the carrier you plan to use. These may be statutory discounts or special offers. When purchasing a PKP Intercity ticket in Poland, you can get a discount if you are traveling in a group of 2 to 6 people – “Taniej z bliskimi” (means “Cheaper with loved ones”). This discount can be used by all interested parties, including foreigners, and not only family members but also friends can benefit from the discount.

Remember that this discount can be used by purchasing tickets at least 3 days in advance from the current date to the planned departure date.

Business trip? Explore the benefits of booking in advance

If you are planning a business trip, the best solution when planning a trip is to book a train ticket in advance. What you get:

A wider selection of available connections

Tickets for popular connections such as Krakow – Warsaw sell out quickly, especially during peak traffic periods (morning and evening flights). By booking in advance you have a wide selection of available connections and convenient departure time.

Minimizing stress

Planning your trip in advance reduces the risk of being late or having to make last-minute changes, which can be stressful.

More efficient planning

You can better plan your meeting schedule by knowing the exact departure and arrival times at your destination.

Zone of Silence

By purchasing tickets in advance, you can choose any seat on the train, preferably in the Zone of Silence, to enjoy a calm and quiet journey before the meeting and catch up.

Lower prices for Pendolino tickets

If you care about short travel times and prefer traveling by Pendolino trains, you can definitely count on a lower price by booking your ticket in advance.

Find Pendolino trains on these routes:

Warszawa ↔ Gdańsk	from 25 EUR	travel time 2:25 h	Select
Kraków ↔ Warszawa	from 19 EUR	travel time 2:25 h	Select
Warszawa ↔ Wrocław	from 45 EUR	travel time 3:41 h	Select
Rzeszów ↔ Warszawa	from 28 EUR	travel time 3:48 h	Select
Katowice ↔ Warszawa	from 25 EUR	travel time 2:30 h	Select

Why is it worth booking a train ticket in advance when traveling with your family?

When planning a family trip, the best solution is to make reservations in advance. Check what the advantages are:

More comfort

Families traveling with children or the elderly can book seats with more space or amenities, making the trip more comfortable.

Cheaper tickets

Tickets purchased in advance are usually cheaper than those purchased at the last minute.

A seat in a family compartment

When traveling with a small child, you can choose a seat in a carriage with a family compartment, the number of seats in such carriages is very limited and sells out quickly on popular routes.

Available tickets on popular routes

By planning a family holiday and buying a ticket as early as possible, you reduce the risk that tickets for a given connection will be completely sold out. This applies to seaside destinations and other popular holiday destinations.

Vacation destinations by train:

Warszawa ↔ Gdańsk	from 17 EUR	Select
Kraków ↔ Zakopane	from 6 EUR	Select
Wrocław ↔ Gdynia	from 22 EUR	Select
Warszawa ↔ Berlin	from 41 EUR	Select
Katowice ↔ Kołobrzeg	from 22 EUR	Select

Guaranteed seat

It is not worth postponing ticket reservation until the last minute because of the risk of being left without an assigned seat in the carriage, which means you have to travel standing for several hours. These are particularly uncomfortable conditions for traveling with a child.

Explore Poland by train with friends

Are you planning a trip with friends? Here are some reasons why it is worth buying a train ticket in Poland in advance:

Save on tickets

By purchasing group tickets in advance, you can get significantly lower prices compared to purchasing individual tickets at the last minute. This saves you money on your entire trip.

Guaranteed seats next to each other

Booking tickets in advance ensures that your entire group will be able to sit together on a train. You can avoid the unpleasant situation when you should have to separate during a train trip.

“Cheaper with Closest” discount

When booking tickets for a group of 2-6 people, remember to select the “Cheaper with closest” discount. The discount is available when booking tickets for a minimum of 3 days from the current date to the planned departure date.

Better organization

Planning your trip in advance allows you to precisely set your schedule, take into account all the needs of the group and plan visits to interesting attractions.

Search for a train

From

No connection from the selected city. Change the place of departure.

Change the departure or arrival station.

No connection to the selected city. Change the place of arrival.

Departing

Return +

Return date cannot be earlier than departure date.

Passengers / Discounts

1 passenger

Choose
Select at least one passenger.

Select the child's age.

Also choose another type of passenger.
Infants can not travel alone.

A single ticket can be issued for up to 6 passengers . For larger groups, we recommend dividing them into two or more tickets or in the case of groups of at least 11 people choosing a group ticket

Change the number of passengers. It cannot be greater than 5 in Europe.

The selected tariff is valid only for trains within Poland. For the student, select the tariff "Children/Teenagers" (4-23 years) or Normal tariff

The selected tariff is valid only for trains within Poland.For the PhD student, select the Normal tariff

The selected tariff is valid only for trains within Poland. For a disabled traveler, choose one of the following tariffs by choosing the age of "Normal Tariff" (24-60 years), "Children/Teenagers" (4-23 years), "Children under 4" (0-3 years), respectively or "Senior" (60+ years)

The selected tariff is valid only for trains within Poland. For a disabled's guardians, choose one of the following tariffs by choosing the age of "Normal Tariff" (24-60 years), "Children/Teenagers" (4-23 years), "Children under 4" (0-3 years), respectively or "Senior" (60+ years)

Change the number of passengers. To take advantage of the Family Ticket offer, choose between 2 and 5 passengers, including one child under 16 years of age. If the child does not have a student ticket needed to choose a discount fare, please choose an adult fare.

Change the number of passengers. To take advantage of the Large Family Card offer, a minimum of 2 people with a Large Family Card offer must be present during the journey.

For one ticket, you can choose up to 3 different discounts.

For a family ticket, you can choose up to 2 different discounts.

The number of passengers must be the same.

Change the date. The purchase of a ticket under the discount "Cheaper with Closest" is possible at least 7 days before departure.

Change the number of people. To take advantage of the offer "Cheaper with Closest", select from 2 to 6 people.

In the case of the "Cheaper with Closest" promotion, you can choose up to 3 types of discounts.

Change the number of people. To take advantage of the "A war veteran`s guide of the severely disabled person" discount, select an additional discounted ticket: "War or army-disabled men" or "Combatants"

Change the number of people. To take advantage of the "Guide / Guardian of a person with an inability to independent existence" discount, select an additional ticket with a discount: "Blind victims of war activites (civilians)", "Blind capable of independent existence", "Persons with an inability to independent existence "or" Blind people with an inability to independent existence "

Children under the age of 12 cannot travel alone. Select at least 1 adult with a regular ticket.
Normal fares

Travelers without upgrades

–

1

+
Child / Youth

DISCOUNT 37% Children and youth aged 4 to 24 with a Polish school ID Read more

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0

+
- For a concessionary fare for children and young people, a document confirming entitlement to a discount is required - Polish school ID
- Adolescents and children over 7 years of age who do not have an appropriate document during travel must travel with a standard adult ticket
- Discounts for children and adolescents on express trains (EIC, EC, and EIP) are valid only in second class (II)
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Students

DISCOUNT 51%Students up to the age of 26 with a Polish student card or international ISIC student card, together with a document confirming the right to permanent residence in Poland Read more

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0

+
For a concessionary fare for students, a document confirming entitlement to a discount is required:
- Polish citizens - student ID issued by a Polish university, together with a personal ID or other document confirming their age
- UE citizens - a student card issued by a Polish university or an ISIC international student card, together with a document confirming the right of permanent residence in Poland and a personal ID card.
Hide
Seniors

DISCOUNT 30% Seniors over 60 years old Read more

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0

+

The system may allocate a more advantageous offer if available at the time of booking

Hide
Children up to 4 years old

DISCOUNT 100% Infants and children up to 4 years of age Read more

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0

+
- Maximum of three tickets per transaction.
- The seat for a ticket with this discount is automatically allocated in the vicinity of the previously purchased basic ticket. Reservations cannot be made if there is no space available nearby.
Hide
Normal fares

Travelers without discounts

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1

+
Child / Youth

Children and teenagers up to 25 years old

–

0

+
Add new discount
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Big Family - valid for all types of trains
The presence of at least 2 passengers is required. Each passenger needs to show their own Large Family Card during the ticket inspection. The "Large Family Card" discount is combinable with other legal benefits.
Cheaper with Closest - valid on Intercity and TLK trains
To take advantage of the discount, 2 to 6 people should be present during the trip. The "Cheaper with Family" offer can be combined with 33%, 37%, 51%, 78%, 95% or 100% discounts.
Family Ticket - valid on EIP (Pendolino) and EIC trains
There should be from 2 to 5 travelers, including one child under the age of 16, in order to apply the discount. The "Family Ticket" offer cannot be combined with other statutory discounts.
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Advance railway tickets: the best time to buy train tickets

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