Business travel with PKP - a guide for employees | PolishTrains

At a glance

• A business trip is defined in Article 775 §1 of the Polish Labour Code as work performed outside the employee's regular workplace
• PKP Intercity meets employer demands for comfort and cost efficiency as fuel prices have risen
• Business travellers most often choose Express InterCity Premium (Pendolino) or the Convenience Zone in Class 1
• The Quiet Zone is located in carriage 7 of every Pendolino train for passengers requiring silence
• First class Pendolino passengers receive coffee, tea, water and a hot meal included in the fare
• Two types of conference carriages (507A and 508A) can be hired with audiovisual equipment for meetings

The definition of 'business trip' is set out in Article 775 § 1 of the Labour Code. It is the performance of a business task on the employer's instructions outside the town where the employee's permanent place of work or the company's registered office is located.

Decisions on transport are made by the employer.** Due to the huge increase in fuel prices, business travel by car has become less profitable. Employers are looking for savings everywhere, while at the same time taking care of the comfort of the trip. PKP InterCity meets these requirements.

Employees are increasingly - as a means of transport - choosing the train for their journeys. As it turns out, this is a sensible decision. They are attracted by, among other things, an attractive offer and a marked improvement in the comfort of the journey (including such amenities as access to free Wi-Fi, electric sockets).

Travellers who travel for business purposes most often choose to travel on Express InterCity Premium (Pendolino) trains or travel in the so-called Convenience Zone, found in Class 1 on Express InterCity (EIC) trains. In the Comfort Zone, you can count on air-conditioned compartments, equipped with electrical sockets, a spacious table and a wardrobe with extra luggage space. That's not all. There is also the so-called Quiet Zone, located in the 7th section of every Pendolino train - for those in need of peace and quiet. On the other hand, in the 1st class of Pendolino, we can count on coffee, tea, water and a hot meal being included in the price.

Business travellers on PKP Intercity trains can hire two types of modern air-conditioned carriages (carriages on request), adapted for the organisation of trainings, conferences and business meetings. They are either attached to trains from the timetable or treated as part of special trains on freely selectable routes. These are type 507A and 508A carriages. These compartments are equipped with audiovisual equipment (e.g. wireless microphones, sound system, 40-inch LCD screen), as well as conference equipment for 25-30 people. The carriages also have kitchen facilities where catering can be prepared in-house. Importantly, the Type 507A carriage has a separate bar area, and the Type 507A carriage is equipped with a separate, intimate room for 4 persons.

Such facilities allow you to make efficient use of your journey, especially if it lasts for many hours. Business customers who hire two carriages at the same time have the option of video, audio transmission between them.

One of the biggest advantages of business travel via train is the ability to work while on the move. Most trains have Wi-Fi and electrical sockets to which laptops can be plugged in. The traveller can make efficient and productive use of every moment - unlike travelling by car.

Business travel - time is of the essence

Travelling by train is also often the fastest way to reach a destination. Business travellers do not have to worry about searching for a free parking space or being stuck in rush hour traffic. In addition, Pendolino trains have priority over other types of trains, guaranteeing the fewest delays. Rail as a means of transport during business trips also offers the opportunity to plan professional activities (e.g. business meetings) carefully.

Trains - a less tiring means of transport

While short business trips may be more cost-effective, long distances are a different tale. Driving for hours by car will be tiring and difficult - especially if there is only one driver. For reasons of convenience and comfort, more and more people are opting for business travel by train.

Ecology and business travel by train

Business trips by train are environmentally friendly. Studies show that business travel accounts for 15-20% of a single company's total emissions. As a mode of transport, trains emit far less CO2 than a car, let alone a plane. They carry a significant number of passengers and fuel consumption is then divided between a smaller carbon footprint.

It is the employer who determines the means of transport for domestic and foreign business trips. The employee is entitled to reimbursement of the travel costs incurred by him (in this case: settlement of the PKP tickets on the business trip) - of course, he must document this with tickets or invoices specifying the ticket price. Additional charges (e.g. seat tickets) and discounts - including those held by the employee for rail transport, regardless of the reason for the discount.

Sometimes, however, it is not possible to provide a document confirming the cost for a business trip (e.g. lost, stolen, destroyed ticket). In such cases, the employee should submit a written statement of the situation and the reasons why the travel costs are not documented. This statement is a substitute for the document not provided to the employer. It is to include:

• the nature of the expense,
• the amount of the expense incurred,
• the reasons for the lack of document (ticket, invoice).

In any case, the employer may require the employee to provide him (if possible) with duplicate documents for the trip, e.g. invoices.

The text of the ordinance on entitlements due to an employee working in a state or local government unit of the budgetary sphere for a business tripwas published in 2022.

According to the regulation, the employer is obliged to cover the costs related to the business trip, i.e.: per diem, reimbursement for travel, accommodation, travel by means of local transport and for other necessary documented expenses determined or deemed reasonable by the employer.

From 2023, changes to business travel came into effect, which have increased the popularity of rail transport. Among other things, employers must apply higher per diems for domestic business travel. This is when the amount increased to PLN 45 (previously it was PLN 38). In addition, costs for overnight stays and local travel have increased. A full allowance is payable for a business trip that will last more than 12 hours. For shorter trips, it looks like this:

• For a business trip of between 8 and 12 hours, 50% of the allowance is payable,
• No allowance is payable for a business trip of less than 8 hours,
• An employee is not entitled to a subsistence allowance if he/she is posted to a place of permanent or temporary residence or if he/she is provided with free full board.