The city of Katowice is very well-connected with other parts of the Silesian region, and traveling by public transport across the city and region is fast and convenient within one system. Get to know how it works!

Katowice, together with over 40 nearby cities and municipalities, is part of The Metropolitan Association of Upper Silesia and the Dąbrowa Basin, also called Silesian Metropolitan Area. It’s super easy and convenient to travel across the entire region by public transport. If you want to know more about the Silesia region, check our video on YouTube. Meanwhile, get to know the most important things about all the possible means of transport.

The public transport in Katowice consists of

• buses
• trams 
• trains

Metropolitan bikes are also available (in a separate system).

Buses and trams

The operator of the public buses and trams is ZTM company, with its characteristic black and yellow logo on every means of transport. 

The bus and tram network is widely spread, so you’ll surely have a stop nearby, no matter which city you live in. Even in small villages in the Metropolitan Area, there is at least one bus stop.   

The fleet of vehicles is constantly upgraded for more ecological and comfortable buses and trams.

Paper tickets

Paper tickets can be bought in the ticket machine at the bus stop. Unfortunately, non all the stops have them, so it’s better to have a plan B. Tickets are also available at the post office, in kiosks, and directly from the driver.

Remember! To validate the paper ticket in the bus or tram, you must insert it in the ticket counter slot, and the ticket will be overprinted with a date and hour stamp.

Apps

Short-term and medium-term tickets can be bought in a paper version and in an electronic version. The electronic version is cheaper than the paper one.

There are various apps where you can get a ticket. We recommend these: Skycash, Jakdojadę, mPay, moBilet. All of them can be downloaded on both Android and iOS devices. There’s also a dedicated Transport GZM App that has replaced a previous ŚKUP card. The app is available on both Android and iOS mobile devices. We talk about it in details below.

Transport GZM System

Starting from October 2023, there’s a new public transport system available. It’s called Transport GZM. There’s an app and an official website, both available in Polish and English versions. Here you can check the details: https://transportgzm.pl/.

To log in to the system, you have to provide e-mail and create a password. Then on the app and website, you can:

• check the timetable,
• plan your route,
• buy short-term tickets (these in-app only),
• buy medium and long-term tickets, including the Metroticket.

Types of tickets

Within the new Transport GZM system you can choose from several types of tickets:

• short-term tickets
• medium-term tickets
• long-term tickets

Short-Term Tickets

They are valid for all lines with the possibility of transfer, except express lines to the airport. The prices are the following:

• 5 minutes – 2 PLN (1 PLN till end of March 2024)
• 10 minutes – 3 PLN
• 15 minutes – 3.5 PLN
• 20 minutes – 4 PLN
• 40 minutes – 5 PLN
• 90 minutes – 6 PLN

IMPORTANT! To get a short-term ticket after you get on a bus or tram:
– open the app on your mobile device
– scan the QR code displayed on board of bus/tram
– choose a ticket you want to purchase and validate it

Medium-term Tickets

This type of ticket is best when you plan to commute a lot during the next 24 hours. Available tickets are the following:

• daily ticket – valid from the activation time till 11:59 PM of the same day (not valid in express airport lines). Price: 12 PLN
• Metroticket 24h – ticket is valid for 24 hours from the moment of activation, on all lines, Silesian Railway trains included. Price: 24 PLN

Long-term Tickets

You can purchase various long-term tickets: from 7-day tickets to even 90-day ones. To get more information and current prices, check the GZM website (it’s in English, too).

Start/Stop Ticket

You can also select a “Start/Stop” option if you know that you travel a few times a day. How to do that? You can start a trip, then stop it and start again later. The travels will accumulate, and you’ll pay according to how much you’ll ride. You won’t pay more than 12 PLN, as it’s the daily ticket cost.

Free And Reduced Tickets

Children and youth up to 16 years of age and living in the area of Metropolis and people over 70 years old can use public transport free of charge. The only requirement is to have a personalized account in the Transport GZM app.

Youths over 16 and students up to 26 years old receive a 50% discount (reduced tickets). 

During the ticket inspection, students should provide their student’s card. Seniors should provide a valid ID card.

Koleje Śląskie Railways

Kolejne Śląskie [Silesian Railways] is a train operator within only (or rather mostly) our Silesia province. The company has its own ticket system and ticket offices.

The Railway Network

The northernmost train stop in the Koleje Śląskie network in Silesia is Częstochowa (S1 line). On the other hand, the southernmost train stop is Zwardoń (S5 line), right next to the border with Slovakia.

S8 line connects Kluczbork (in the Opolskie Voivodeship) with Oświęcim (Małopolskie Voivodship), but most of the lines go through Silesia and Katowice. On Koleje Śląskie board you can also travel to Kraków and Zakopane as well. Here you can find the map of all lines.

Tickets

You can buy a ticket:

• online, 
• at the train station,
  • in ticket machines with Koleje Śląskie logo, 
  • at a counter,
• on the train from the ticket inspector (here the ticket can be more expensive).

Prices vary based on the length of travel.

Koleje Śląskie offers many types of tickets:

• one way tickets for a chosen route
• round-trip tickets
• monthly tickets
• for a chosen train line

and many more. Tickets are verified by the inspector on board the train.
To know all the possibilities and get the ticket, visit the official Koleje Śląskie site.
You can also get the train ticket in Skycash App.

Metroticket

Do you plan to commute on regular basis, and need a hassle-free solution? Get a Metroticket! It’s one ticket for all means of public transport, including express airport lines and Koleje Śląskie trains. 

It’s probably the best option if you want to freely travel across the Metropolis with public transport.

Types of Metroticket

Monthly metrotickets can be acquired for a chosen area: 

• One city – Metrobilet Miasto 30 – buses and trams by ZTM available in the whole Metropolis and Koleje Śląskie and POLREGIO trains in one chosen city – 119 PLN
• Two cities – Metrobilet 2 Miasta 30 – buses and trams by ZTM available in the whole Metropolis and Koleje Śląskie and POLREGIO trains in two bordering chosen cities – 149 PLN
• Three to six cities – Metrobilet Obszarowy 30 – buses and trams by ZTM available in the whole Metropolis and Koleje Śląskie and POLREGIO trains in three to six bordering, chosen cities – 189 PLN
• Whole Metropolis – Metrobilet Sieć 30 – covers the entire Metropolitan Area for both buses and trains – 249 PLN

To buy a Metroticket, you can open Transport GZM app or website, or go to the information point. Then choose an option and city or cities that you need. They are listed, no need to type them, and you can choose from different options.

City Bikes – Metrorower

In 2024, the Silesian Metropolitan Area launched a brand new Metrorower system that allows you to use the city bike in the entire region. It’s fast, convenient, and cheap, so we highly recommend you to use it! Here is the detailed guide on Metrorower system. Enjoy!

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We wish you many safe and convenient trips across the entire Metropolitan Area! We hope you liked this post. Do you want to stay up to date with all Katowice news? Join our expat community on Facebook. See you around!