This article is a ready-to-use checklist for school trip organizers. You will learn how to move a class by tram or bus in Kraków as quickly and cheaply as possible, how to buy and show tickets without mistakes, and how to arrange the group at the stop and inside the vehicle. Tips are suitable for grades 1–3, 4–6 and 7–8 with small adjustments to pace and distance.
The guide aims to make travel smooth and safe so teachers can focus on the visit, not logistics. If you return with classes regularly, some steps below will save a lot of time.
Single short-duration timed tickets: 20 min, 60 min or 90 min. The most versatile for groups is 60 min — it covers one transfer and small delays. 20 min works for 2–4 stops, 90 min for longer journeys with transfers.
Short-term passes: 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 7 days. Ideal for 1–2 day city programmes — you avoid validating in crowds and the cost is often better than several 60‑minute tickets.
Family weekend ticket — outside typical school logistics, but useful to know for trips that include parents.
70‑minute combined ticket (KMK + regional train) — useful when combining tram/bus with a suburban train inside Kraków and nearby towns. Watch for airport exclusions in this offer.
Zones: Zone I covers Kraków city limits. Zones II and III cover surrounding municipalities. Most school routes within the centre and tight programmes stay in Zone I. Examples outside Zone I: Wieliczka and Kraków Airport (Balice) require expanding the zone coverage.
On board — newer ticket machines and contactless validators. Tap your payment card or phone with contactless payment, choose ticket type and zone, confirm. The ticket is stored electronically on the payment medium — nothing prints out.
Stationary vending machines — red KKM or MKA machines at stops and interchanges. You can buy most timed and short-term tickets and pay by card or cash depending on the machine.
Mobile apps — iMKA, moBiLET, SkyCash, Jakdojade, zBiletem. Choose the ticket, pay in the app; sometimes you activate it with a QR code or select a line. Note: some city integrations change over time — check on the day of the trip whether a given operator still sells KMK tickets.
Points of sale — selected kiosks and shops. Large packs of paper tickets for schools can be ordered at the Passenger Service Point (POP) at ul. Wielopole 1 — economical for purchases of several dozen pieces or more.
Season tickets and personalized tickets — for longer stays or teachers it can be cost-efficient to load a pass onto KKM or the Kraków Card. Not necessary for a single day visit but worth knowing if you bring classes to Kraków regularly.
Paper ticket — validate immediately on boarding. When transferring you do not re-validate if the ticket’s time is still valid.
Ticket in an app — activate according to the app’s instructions. Some apps require scanning a QR code or selecting a line, others work immediately after purchase. Show the inspector the active ticket screen with animation or code.
Contactless payment on board — the ticket is recorded on your card or virtual card in the phone. During an inspection present THE SAME card or phone you used to buy the ticket by tapping it to the inspector’s reader. If you paid with a phone or watch, keep using that same device — do not later present a plastic card from your wallet, which has a different technical number.
Changing device during the day — avoid it. If you start with Apple Pay or Google Pay, stick to the same device until the end of the day and keep battery above 20%.
One transaction — one passenger. Do not tap many students with one payment card. For groups use apps, a stationary machine or buy a packet of tickets at POP.
Timed single tickets in Zones I+II+III: 20 min — 4 PLN normal, 2 PLN reduced. 60 min — 6 PLN normal, 3 PLN reduced. 90 min — 8 PLN normal, 4 PLN reduced.
24 h tickets: Zone I — 17 PLN normal, 8.50 PLN reduced. Zones I+II+III — 22 PLN normal, 11 PLN reduced.
48 h and 72 h tickets: respectively 35 PLN and 50 PLN normal in Zones I+II+III, reduced fares half price.
7‑day ticket: Zone I — 56 PLN normal, Zones I+II+III — 68 PLN normal. Reduced fares half price.
When to pick 24 h instead of two 60 min tickets: if you plan more than two rides in a day or expect delays — choose 24 h. For a one-day school trip this is often the best cost‑convenience option.
Note: fares can change — before purchase check the current price table in the sales channel you use.
Zone I — entire city of Kraków. This includes the Old Town, Wawel, Kazimierz, Podgórze, Nowa Huta, most museums and programme points.
Zone II — selected adjacent municipalities. Example: some bus routes to the area around Kraków Airport (Balice) require tickets covering Zone II.
Zone III — farther parts of the agglomeration. Rarely needed for school programmes focused on Kraków proper.
If you go to Wieliczka — depending on the chosen route and vehicle, prepare a ticket covering the agglomeration zone or consider the 70‑minute combined ticket with regional rail.
At the stop — always stand to the outside, parallel to the platform edge. Pairs and backpacks on the ground. Designate a meeting point for after exiting — a gate, lamp post or corner of a wall.
Boarding — spread out: students enter in pairs at each open door, the lead supervisor goes in first, the closing supervisor last. Do not funnel the whole class through a single door.
Inside — take middle platforms and the rear of longer vehicles. Do not block wheelchair spaces. Backpacks between feet, one hand on a rail.
Getting off — prepare one stop earlier. The supervisor gives a short announcement: stop number, which side the doors will open on, meeting point. The first pair opens the door button only when the vehicle is fully stopped.
Plan journeys using official timetables and popular apps. Filter connections to avoid very short 2–3 minute transfers with a large group.
One-transfer rule — for programmes with 3–4 points in the centre, arrange routes so that you have at most one transfer during the day.
10‑minute buffer every 90 minutes — with groups of 25–50 people every vehicle change needs reserve time. Better to be 7 minutes early than rushing in a crowd.
Offline mode — take screenshots of the itinerary and transfer times. City networks can be overloaded in central areas.
Most Kraków vehicles are low‑floor. Plan boarding and alighting at middle platforms — it speeds up movement.
For strollers and assistance — use doors marked with a stroller pictogram, ask students to step back from handrails and lock stroller wheels.
In hot weather — shorten sun‑exposed walking sections, schedule more water breaks, and ensure standing students hold rails with both hands.
The inspector shows ID and asks to present the ticket. Show paper tickets for inspection, the app on screen, and for contactless payment present the same card or device used for purchase.
If the electronic ticket is on a phone and the battery died — do not hand the phone away; tap it if possible. If the battery is dead, go with the inspector to the nearest machine or explain the situation — that’s why keep chargers and a small powerbank.
The supervisor should carry the class list, information about reduced fares and 1–2 spare tickets to quickly validate if a paper ticket is lost.
Buying individual 60 min tickets for an entire class when you have four rides — choose 24 h, it’s usually faster and cheaper.
Tapping many students with one contactless card — causes confusion during inspection. Each student should have their own ticket, ideally paper or in an app.
Planning a 2‑minute transfer — allow 6–8 minutes minimum for a group, preferably 10.
Boarding the whole class through one door — spread across all open doors, the closing supervisor watches the last pair.
Old Town — Kazimierz — Podgórze loop: start at the Planty, tram to Kazimierz, walk, cross Bernatka footbridge, return to the centre on a different line. 24 h tickets or 60 min with tight timing.
Wawel and Underground at the Market Square: short tram one way, return on foot through the Planty. 60 min tickets for the group or 24 h if you plan additional travel to Nowa Huta.
Nowa Huta — architecture and green spaces: one longer tram line with no transfer, use 90 min or 24 h depending on the programme.
Wieliczka in the programme: consider an agglomeration ticket or the 70‑minute combined KMK + regional train ticket. Pay attention to airport exclusions in this fare.
STOP — ASSEMBLE — SILENCE. Count pairs and remind about the meeting point after exiting.
Roles: leader, timekeeper, recorder and spokesperson — rotate these roles each trip.
Tickets ready: paper tickets in hand, app open, phone unlocked, contactless device with NFC ON.
Boarding spread across all doors, exit by the doors closest to the meeting point.
Can you buy tickets for the whole class with one click: the fastest way is to buy a packet at a stationary vending machine or in advance at POP. In apps you usually buy individually because during an inspection each student shows their own medium.
Is it worth combining travel with a train: yes, when the route follows a rail line and you want to avoid traffic. Check the 70‑minute integrated offer that covers tram + regional rail.
Airport: when travelling to or from Balice, carry tickets that cover the agglomeration zone. An alternative is the regional train to the airport.
Reduced fares: pupils and teachers may be entitled to statutory reductions — carry student IDs and documents proving entitlement.
Can the same ticket be used for several students: no. One ticket per passenger. Exceptions only apply to specific tariff rules for entitled persons — for school trips follow 1 ticket = 1 student.
Where to eat quickly in the Old Town: for a relaxed bite consider Cafe Camelot, Mleczarnia or Charlotte; for a quick sandwich or soup try local milk bars and bakeries near the Market Square.
Ticket list: who has paper, who has the app, who uses contactless. Phone numbers for the supervisors and local contact.
Loop map with transfers and two backup stops in case of delays.
Announcements for the class: destination stop, meeting point and expected behaviour on the vehicle.
Plan B: alternative no‑transfer route, longer 90 min ticket instead of 60 min, extra water stop.
Powerbank x2, painter’s tape to mark subgroups, a marker to tick boarding and alighting.
A guide leads the group to optimally combine walking tours and transfers, chooses the most comfortable connections, knows the quietest platforms and helps with buying tickets in the correct zone. This lets the teacher and class representative be free of logistics. Book a guided visit with Małgorzata Kasprowicz — we will prepare tickets, transfer schemes, meeting points and a Plan B tailored to your class.
If you’d like, we can also suggest simple lunch stops, nearby toilets and quiet spots for groups between visits. Feel free to contact us to create a personalised plan for your class.
