Train abroad - how to use international PKP connections? | PolishTrains

At a glance

• PKP Intercity's 2025/2026 timetable includes 57 pairs of international trains - 17 more than the previous season
• Berlin is served up to 7 times daily from Warsaw, with trains running every 2 hours
• Prague connections run from Warsaw and Cracow up to seven times a day
• Vienna can be reached from Cracow every 4 hours; new IC Prater service also operates this route
• International tickets on PolishTrains go on sale up to 60 days before departure
• Payment options include BLIK, card, online transfer and 30-day deferred payment

International trains from Poland run to many European countries. PKP Intercity's route network in the 2025/2026 timetable includes as many as 57 pairs of international trainsets - 17 more than in the previous season.

Importantly, the trains run at equal intervals, which makes it easier to plan your journey. Using PKP Intercity connections, you can travel to, among others:

Germany - you will reach Berlin by train from Warsaw (7 pairs a day, every 2 hours), Poznań, Gdynia, Wrocław, Kraków and Katowice. Also new in the timetable is a connection to Leipzig via Wrocław.

Czech Republic - you can travel by train to Prague from Warsaw, Cracow, Katowice, Gdańsk, Gdynia, Wrocław, Poznań, as well as Rzeszów and Przemyśl. Connections run up to seven times a day from Warsaw and Cracow.

Austria - you can get to Vienna by train from Katowice, Cracow, Wrocław, Gliwice, as well as Poznań. Trains run every 4 hours from Kraków. A new connection is IC Prater on the Kraków-Vienna route.

Slovakia - you can take a train to Bratislava from Warsaw and Cracow (carriages are switched at Breclav station).

Hungary - trains to Budapest will take you from Warsaw and Cracow (carriages switch at Breclav station).

Lithuania - you can travel by train to Vilnius from Cracow, Warsaw, Białystok and Suwalki. The number of connections has increased from 1 to 3 pairs per day (IC Hańcza, IC Wigry and a new connection from Warsaw).

Ukraine - the number of connections has increased to 13 pairs per day, including new routes from Przemyśl and Chełm to Kharkiv.

PKP InterCity international connections - 3 popular routes:

IC Chopin - night train from Warsaw East to München Hbf

PKP Intercity's flagship international night train, from the 2024/2025 timetable running on an extended route all the way to Munich.

Departure: daily, Warsaw East at 19:44.

Journey time: approximately 14 hours (full route).

Route: Warsaw - Bohumin - Ostrava - Vienna - Salzburg - Munich.

Coach groups: to Prague (switched at Bohumin), to Budapest (switched at Breclav).

Facilities: couchette and sleeping cars with bathroom and shower.

IC Wawel - morning train from Przemyśl to Berlin

A daily train connecting eastern Poland with the German capital.

Departure: every day, Przemyśl Główny at 05:07.

Journey time: just over 10 hours.

Route: passes through 6 Polish provinces - stops in Rzeszów, Kraków, Katowice, Gliwice, Opole, Wrocław, Zielona Góra and Frankfurt, among others.

Facilities: 2 seats for wheelchair users, a carriage with seats for travellers with children under 6 (6 seats in Class 2).

IC Polonia - morning train from Warsaw East to Wien Hbf

Fast morning connection from the Polish capital to Vienna.

Departure: every day, Warsaw East at 05:59.

Journey time: approximately 4 hours 30 minutes.

Route: at Bohumin, the carriages change trains for the onward journey to Vienna. Arrival at Wien Hbf at approximately 13:49.

Facilities: 2 seats for wheelchair users, bicycle carriage (8 seats).

Necessary documents

International rail connections are governed by slightly different rules than domestic journeys. It is advisable to familiarise yourself with the requirements before travelling.

Train tickets

In some cases, you will need to bring a paper ticket with you for journeys across borders. **Information on the required form of ticket is provided at the time of purchase. **

You can buy your ticket online and print it out yourself. The printable version will be sent to you by e-mail in PDF format and as a link in the text message. If you are using the PolishTrains website, you will also find the ticket file in your account and in the PolishTrains app.

Identity document

You must take your passport or identity card with you when travelling abroad on a PKP train. **Identity cannot be used in the mCitizen app. **

Although mCitizen does not replace your ID at the border, on the train itself (while still in Poland), PKP Intercity conductors accept mIdentity to confirm your details on your online ticket. However, when you cross the border and are checked by a foreign conductor or border guard, you must have a plastic document.

Children and young people should also have a passport or identity card. A school or student ID card with a photo will not be recognised at border controls.

Is there a check-in desk on PKP international trains?

On PKP Intercity there is no classic check-in known from airports. On foreign routes, only a check of documents and train tickets is carried out.

During the journey, the conductor will carry out a standard check. However, it may happen that additional passport and customs checks are carried out by the border authorities after crossing the border.

Carriages and amenities

On international routes, PKP Intercity offers comfortable travel conditions - from spacious seats and air conditioning to Wi-Fi access. Trains may include:

Class 1 - comfort and convenience, often with refreshments for passengers (drinks or snacks).

Class 2 - a cheaper option with standard seats; 6-seat compartment cars and compartmentless cars.

Sleeper cars - available on night routes (e.g. IC Chopin). Compartments with beds for 1 to 3 persons. Bathroom with shower in some compartments, and a public bathroom with shower at the end/end of the carriage.

Couchette - a slightly cheaper alternative than sleeping cars. Compartments of 4 or 6 persons with sleeping accommodation.

Diningcarriages - operated by WARS, with seating for dining.

PKP international travel and discounts

Wondering whether the same discounts apply to international journeys as within the country? Typical statutory discounts do not apply for international connections .

Discounts that do NOT apply to international journeys:

For students - discounts with a Polish student card only apply within the country.

For schoolchildren - the discount applies only up to the age of 7; older children will not receive the discount with a Polish card.

For pensioners - a discount of 37% on two journeys per year applies to domestic journeys only. For travel abroad, the senior citizen ticket is an alternative.

For persons with disabilities - documents entitling to discounts are usually only valid within Poland.

Special discounts ONLY for international travel:

Super Promo International offer - ticket prices set dynamically, depending on the date of travel, availability of seats and popularity of the route. Discounts of up to 70% off the base price. European journeys from as little as € 14.90.

Valid on selected PKP journeys abroad - from Poland to the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia.

In addition, a concession for persons up to 26 years of age is available on Berlin-Warszawa-Express trains - you do not have to be a pupil or student to use it.

Tickets for international connections can be purchased in several ways:

Online - via the PolishTrains website, where you can buy tickets for all available international connections, including Deutsche Bahn tickets in Polish.

PolishTrains mobile app - allows you to purchase, download your ticket and check your booking in real time.

Ticket offices at railway stations - traditional method with help from ticket office staff.

Buying a ticket online - step by step

• Go to the PolishTrains website and start searching for your train connection. You will find the search engine at the top of the page.
• Enter your travel details: departure and destination stations, date and time of departure and number of passengers.
• Select your preferred connection from the list of results.
• Select the carriage class, enter your details and choose your ticket type. If you have an account with EuroJourney, your passenger details will be entered automatically.
• Make your payment - available ways: BLIK transfer, payment card, online transfer or deferred payment.

Tips for those using EuroJourney

Create an account on the platform - this is a way to book further connections instantly. The data stored on your profile eliminates the need to repeat personal details.

Download the PolishTrains app - it will make it easier to search for connections, purchase tickets and view your travel history.

Buy tickets in advance - tickets bought inadvance can be significantly cheaper. DB tickets are available for purchase as early as 120 days in advance.

Use the helpline - PolishTrains helpline: +48 12 345 16 61. PKP Intercity helpline (24/7): +48 22 322 22 22.

We provide constant access to support in Polish, where qualified consultants will help you choose the most favourable solutions, update your booking or clarify any doubts. This support makes travelling in Europe and around the world stress-free. This is the new standard of convenience in planning international rail travel.

However, if for any reason you wish to return this ticket, please check the exchange and return policy for international tickets depending on the carrier.

International trains from Poland are fast and comfortable means of transport. On routes to other countries, the carrier uses modern trainsets to ensure comfort even on longer journeys.

Travelling across Europe by train? Why not! Here are the 3 most convenient international connections:

IC Baltic Express - overnight train from Gdynia to Prague

A comfortable overnight journey from the north of Poland to the Czech capital.

Departure: every day, Gdynia Główna at 23:12.

Journey time: less than 10 hours.

Route: crossing 4 Polish provinces - Gdańsk, Bydgoszcz, Toruń (new stop in the 2025/2026 timetable), Iława, Gniezno, Poznań, Wrocław, Kłodzko, Czech Pardubice and Prague. Read more in the guide: Baltic Express - timetable, tickets for connections to Prague.

Price: from ~80 PLN.

Important: after reaching Wrocław, some carriages are disconnected - passengers going further to Prague do not need to change.

Facilities: lift for wheelchair users, seats for travellers with children under 6, 20 seats for travellers with bicycles.

Check the full timetable for the Gdynia - Prague route .

EIC Berlin-Warszawa-Express - morning train from Warsaw to Berlin

One of the most popular connections between Poland and Germany.

Departure: daily, Warsaw East at 04:44.

Journey time: less than 5 hours 30 minutes.

Route: Warsaw - Poznań (2 h 36 min to Berlin) - Berlin Hbf.

Price: from ~50 PLN.

Timetable 2025/2026: Warsaw and Berlin are connected by as many as 7 pairs of daily trains running every 2 hours, from 5:00 to 17:00.

Facilities: seats for people with disabilities, seats for travellers with children under 6 years of age.

Check the full timetable on the Warsaw - Berlin route .

IC Moravia - morning train from Katowice to Vienna

Comfortable access from Silesia to the Austrian capital.

Departure: every day, Katowice at 04:51.

Journey time: less than 5 hours.

Route: Katowice - Bohumin (2 h) - Prague (3 h from Katowice) - Vienna.

Price: from ~100 PL.

Important: upon arrival in Bohumin, the service is taken over by the Czech carrier České dráhy; the carriages continue on to Vienna.

Facilities: seats for wheelchair users, seats for travellers with children under 6 years of age, a carriage with 8 seats for people with bicycles.

Check the detailed timetable for the Katowice-Vienna route .

The PKP Intercity timetable for the 2025/2026 season (from 14 December 2025) is a revolution in the international offer. The number of pairs of connections has increased from 40 to 57. The most important novelties:

IC Prater - new connection Kraków Główny - Vienna via Trzebinia, Oświęcim, Czechowice-Dziedzice and Ostrava.

IC Carpatia - overnight train from Przemyśl with direct access to Munich, Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Bratislava and Budapest.

IC Via Regia and IC Saxonia - direct services to Leipzig with carriages switched in Wrocław.

IC Wigry + new course from Warsaw - number of connections to Vilnius increased from 1 to 3 pairs per day.

IC Olza (from June 2026) - new connection Cracow - Prague via Oświęcim and Bohumin.

3 new connections to Ukraine - from Przemyśl and Chelm to Kharkiv (total of 13 pairs per day).

IC Ursa - new night connection to Berlin via western Poland, Katowice, Kraków and Rzeszów.

Taking the train abroad is a convenient, fast and increasingly accessible form of travel across Europe. PKP Intercity is consistently expanding its network of international connections - in the 2025/2026 timetable, passengers have a record 57 pairs of trains running abroad.

Regular intervals, modern trainsets and attractive price offers (such as Super Promo International) make rail a viable alternative to the plane or car.

When planning an international trip:

• bring your passport or identity card,
• check your ticket requirements,
• book your journey in advance.

Buy tickets for all international connections conveniently via the PolishTrains platform - online, in the mobile app or by calling the helpline.