PKP group tickets - a comprehensive guide for group travel organisers | PolishTrains

A school group travelling, for example, to Zakopane can check the route and departure times in the PolishTrains journey search in advance, to choose the best travel date outside the peak season. ### At a glance

• PKP group tickets require a minimum of 11 people to qualify for the group discount
• Discounts of up to 30% on TLK and IC services and up to 20% on EIC and EIP trains are available
• One free leader ticket is included for every 15 paying passengers in the group
• Applications must be submitted between 90 and 14 days before the travel date
• PKP Intercity begins formal processing of applications no earlier than 30 days before departure
• Completed group tickets are delivered by courier after the application is approved You can check the details for your selected connection in the PolishTrains baggage guide. You can find the current rules and the fee calculator on the PolishTrains help page.

PKP group tickets are a comfortable option for organisers of excursions, integration trips and school trips. First and foremost, there are significant financial savings thanks to discounts available for such journeys - 30% off the base price for TLK and IC (InterCity) connections or up to 20% for EIC (Express InterCity) and EIP (Express InterCity Premium) express trains. It is worth mentioning that all such discounts are combined with statutory discounts, but are not cumulative with promotions such as Ticket for Senior Citizen, Large Family, Cheaper with Relatives, Family Ticket.

In addition, it is possible to benefit from free travel for one group leader for every 16 persons (counted as 15 participants plus 1 leader with a free ticket) - this option will certainly appeal to teachers organising class trips.

What is more, by purchasing a train ticket for a group journey, you ensure a more comfortable journey. Among other things, this is because we are guaranteed seating for all group members, which eliminates the stress of the trip. Being able to travel together will also promote integration and allow you to use your time on the train more efficiently.

Easier ticket purchasing with PolishTrains

With the PolishTrains service, buying PKP group tickets is very easy. We take care of buying the tickets for the entire group, and the customer receives the tickets by courier to their door. Only the person in charge of the group has to go with the participants and provide us with the following details: name, surname, telephone, identity document number, information by whom the document was issued, address details: street, house number, flat number, postal code, town. We will take care of the rest!

You order PKP Intercity group tickets on PolishTrains, and the Customer Service Office contacts the carrier on your behalf and manages the entire process from quotation to delivery. It is worth checking the connections in advance in the PolishTrains journey search.

Stage 1. Agreeing the details and choosing the route

Complete the group ticket form on PolishTrains – provide the route, approximate travel date and number of participants. A group travelling, for example, to Karpacz enters the route to the nearest railway station, Jelenia Góra, in the form, and travels the remaining section by bus. You can submit the enquiry without creating an account. At this stage, only the group organiser’s details are required. To take full advantage of the savings potential of buying PKP group tickets, it is worth remembering to:

1.Planning well in advance so that all documents can be submitted on time. It is best to submit an application for e.g. PKP InterCity group tickets between 90 and 14 days before the planned date of travel. It is worth remembering that earlier booking also ensures greater availability of seats, allowing the whole group to sit together and enjoy the journey.

2.Choosing the best day of travel - it is worth considering a group journey from Monday to Thursday or on a Saturday, when the discount on group tickets will be more favourable. Admittedly, on TLK and IC category trains, there is a 30% discount on the base price regardless of the day. You can check the details for your selected connection in the PolishTrains baggage guide. PolishTrains submits an application to PKP Intercity on your behalf. However, EIC and EIP category trains on Monday to Thursday and Saturday will travel with a 20% discount on the base price. You can find the current rules and the fee calculator on the PolishTrains help page. On Friday and Sunday, the discount is 15% off the regular price.

3.A large enough group - if you want to benefit from the discount, you must form a group of at least 11 people, otherwise you cannot take advantage of the group travel. PolishTrains finalises the purchase after receiving payment.

Stage 4.

The purchase of PKP group tickets can be done online, which makes the whole process much easier. The PolishTrains service assists with the process in its entirety and contacts the ticket issuer on behalf of those interested. However, in order to ensure that everything runs smoothly, it is best to divide the activities into several stages, which will help avoid the stress of preparing for the journey.

Stage 1 Determining the details

Once the destination and approximate date of departure have been selected, it is a good idea to fill in the relevant form on the polishtrains.eu website straight away. If the delivery deadline has passed, call the PolishTrains Customer Service Office on 703 402 010 or write to kontakt@PolishTrains.pl. This will require information from the group leader only. In the event of a discrepancy, contact the Customer Service Office – you can find the ticket exchange procedure on the help page.

Changing the date or route after submitting an application – the exchange conditions depend on the stage of the process and the fare. Contact the Customer Service Office as soon as possible. The current exchange rules are described on the PolishTrains help page.

Cancelling a group trip – the conditions for refunding group tickets depend on the carrier and the fare. The earlier you report the cancellation, the greater the chance of more favourable conditions. You can find the refund fee calculator on the PolishTrains help page. You can also use the contact form on the PolishTrains website. At this stage, Customer Service prepares an offer with a detailed route from the departure station to the final destination, choosing either direct connections or the most optimal transfers. Finally, a quote will be sent to the group leader for acceptance.

Stage 2 - Application for group tickets

Once the group has accepted the quote, the Customer Service Office takes care of all the formalities involved in purchasing group tickets. All you need to do is provide complete details of your group chaperone, including: name, surname, home address, contact telephone number and identity document information. The PolishTrains service then submits the application to PKP on behalf of the client, which will save time and avoid unnecessary paperwork. With this support, the whole process will run smoothly and without problems, and the customer can fully focus on further trip organisation, e.g. attractions at the destination.

Stage 3 - Waiting for approval and payment processing

Once the application has been submitted, it is important to wait patiently for the carrier to process the application (processing takes place 30 days before the planned date of travel, regardless of when the application was submitted. This means that even if the formalities are completed 90 days before travel, the processing will start one month before departure). In the event of a positive decision, payment should be made immediately to the bank account number indicated by the Customer Service. Upon receipt of payment, the PolishTrains service finalises the purchase of the tickets, which are then sent directly to the address provided by the group leader.

Stage 4 - Receipt and verification of tickets

Group tickets will be delivered to the address indicated on the form via courier. Upon receipt, the first thing to do is to check that all the details on the tickets are correct, paying particular attention to the date, departure time and route.

Organising a business, school or team-building trip using PKP group tickets can be not only a cost-effective solution, but also a convenient and efficient way to organise transport. PolishTrains guides the organiser through the entire procedure – from quotation to delivery of the tickets by courier. Submit your application in advance to increase the chance of the whole group getting seats together. With careful planning and the use of available discounts, the group has the opportunity to travel by rail in comfort and safety while optimising costs.

This article was prepared by the PolishTrains editorial team. We follow the rail market in Poland and Europe, look for new connections and support you at every stage of your journey.