Getting Around In Łódź

The public transport system in Łódź is easy to navigate, well organised, and great value for money. Here is an overview of what you need to know.

One of the modern trams in Łódź

Łódź is a fairly walkable city, especially on and around semi-pedestrianised Piotrkowska Street. However, with an efficient mix of modern buses and trams, the public transport system in Łódź is also very good – and tickets can be used on every route, so there’s very little friction. Add taxis, bike and scooter hire, and even rickshaws into the mix, and you’ve always got a good chance of getting from A to B in a timely and cost-effective manner.

The 59 bus

Buses and Trams

The bulk of the Łódź transport system is a fully-integrated service of buses and trams. There are currently 10 tram routes and something like 80 bus lines. You’ll often find the fastest journey is split between both forms of transport, but you can use the same ticket on both, without paying twice – see below.

Interior of the airport bus

Most of the buses run between 4am and 11pm, with one or two services per hour. A more limited night bus timetable of 14 lines takes over from around 11pm until 4am. Trams are generally more frequent, with a service every 15 minutes, but these do not run at night. You’ll find timetables, along with a trip planner at the official MPK-Łódź website.

Each stop is assigned a number, which is helpful in making sure you don’t catch the bus in the wrong direction, for example, and stop names are largely descriptive. So, “Zachodnia – Manufaktura (2316)” is a stop outside the Manufaktura shopping mall on Zachodnia road. And, if you pay attention to the 2316 number, you won’t accidentally get on the bus at “Zachodnia – Manufaktura (2317)” on the other side of the road. This may not be something you ever have to think about, but it’s valuable information for clearing up any confusion.

Tram interior with information screens

The vehicles are modern and reasonably comfortable, with digital information updated onboard in real time. The insides are designed with a mix of seating, standing, and luggage space. They can get busy, so be prepared to stand up for the journey, particularly on certain routes and at certain times of day.

Both buses and trams have two or three entrances and there’s no need to show your ticket. Just get on and make sure you’ve validated at the start of your journey. With paper tickets, you just push it into one of the machines onboard, until you hear it punch. Otherwise, you can just validate the ticket when you’re ready if you’re using an app.

Public transport ticket machine

Tickets

If you’re used to the transport system in Warsaw or Kraków, you’d expect to see ticket machines at stops all over Łódź. But, they are much less frequent here and you’ll have to make greater use of the machines onboard buses and trams. Some people find it a bit stressful to work out how to use a ticket machine for the first time when there is a queue of people behind them also waiting to use it. What’s more, I’ve found that some of the newer tap-on-tap-off machines on Łódź trams are out of order and I’m not sure of the current status of this technology in the city.

Close-up of the ticket screen

All the same, the ticket machines are fairly simple to use and will almost always have an English language option. In the example above, you’ll see flags for Polish, English, German, and Ukrainian. You may still find a machine that accepts cash but it’s generally better to assume you’ll be paying by card.

Ticket-wise, you really only have four options: a 20- and 40-minute standard fare, and a 20- and 40-minute reduced fare. Due to extensive roadworks in the city, the 20-minute ticket is temporarily extended to 40 minutes, and this will cover nearly every journey nicely, even to the airport. Children under 18 (and students with an ISIC card) can travel on a reduced ticket. You can also buy travel cards, but you’re unlikely to get enough use out of them to make it worthwhile.

The fees are currently 4,40zł for 40 minutes (2,20zł reduced) and 5,60zł for 60 minutes
(2,80zł reduced). These are temporary extensions, from 20 and 40 minutes respectively, due to major roadworks across the city. They are due to revert to their former durations at the end of 2024, but it’s possible the deadline will be moved again.

Ticket machine onboard a vehicle

Use the buttons to select how many tickets you want and hit the BUY button. You can then pay with contactless, or insert your card and use your PIN, or use cash if it’s available.

Once you’ve validated your ticket in one of the onboard machines, it is valid for any bus or tram for the duration you have paid for. If you have paid for 40 minutes, you can go wherever you like until that ticket expires. This is great if you need to switch from a bus to a tram, for example. Beware, though, if you get stuck in traffic and your ticket expires, you’ll need to buy a new one. Ticket inspections do happen and you will get fined. The cost of public transport here is very reasonable, so you might as well pay up.

Ticket validation

As mentioned before, validation is very simple. Just push your paper ticket into the machine until you hear it pop. It is now date stamped with the start of your journey.

There are a number of apps available for buying tickets and planning journeys rather than relying on paper tickets and machines. Personally, I use Jakdojade, which has an excellent interface and took me minutes to set up. You can download for iOS and from Google Play.

Jakdojade can start the journey from your current location but is also intelligent with hotels and other key landmarks. It’ll work out the entire route, tell you which transport you need, and which ticket you need. Pay for the one they recommend and validate in the app once you get onboard. It’s really much easier than using the ticket machines.

The only snag is that you need to top up the app by a minimum account rather than pay for tickets as you need them. It’s annoying to add 30zł to your account when you’re only going to buy a few tickets. Still, the money stays on your account and the app works in other Polish cities, so I find it useful when I return later and find I already have plenty of credit to get me from the airport.

Łódź Fabryczna train station

Trains

For the moment, you are unlikely to use trains to move around Łódź, as they are more of a means to get in and away from the city. But this could all change within the next few years as a brand-new tunnel beneath the city connects the centre of Łódź with three fantastic looking subterranean stations.

The new underground train route

Though not a metro service, per se, this huge infrastructure project will connect the existing train stations (Fabryczna, Kaliska, and Żabieniec) with the new Śródmieście, Polesie, and Koziny stations, making the train service a key part of the city’s transport infrastructure.

Colourful signage at Fabryczna train station

Meanwhile, the main Fabryczna station is a wonderful piece of architecture and a really nice train station. See our Other Polish Cities You Can Visit From Łódź page or just visit the station to have a look around.

Taxi rank at Fabryczna train station

Taxis

Taxis in Łódź are plentiful and cost about 7zł to flag then an addition 2-3 zł per kilometer during the day and 3-4zł per kilometer during the night, weekends, or public holidays. Expect these amounts to rise if you get stuck in traffic and be aware that you may not get dropped off exactly where you want to go, due to zoning restrictions in the city. Similarly, direct A to B routes are not always possible – you’ll just have to trust the cabbie if you appear to be taking a somewhat roundabout route.

I’ve heard that it can be difficult to get an Uber at times. Bolt is a popular alternative.

Local services include Taxi 400400 – look for their apps on the Play and iOS App Store – and Rydwany Miasta Taxi (Google Play and iOS App Store). You’ll also find a list of phone numbers for local taxi companies on the Łódź Tourism Organization website.

If you pick up a cab from a rank or by the side of the road, make sure it has a meter, that it is turned on, and that it has been reset when you first get in.

Bike hire stand just off Piotrkowska Street

Bikes and Scooters

As with many cities these days, you can find rental bikes and electric scooters out in the streets. Łódź is fairly flat and the condition of the roads is increasingly smooth. There are a handful of wide and very busy roads that you probably avoid. Otherwise, cycling can be very pleasant, particularly in largely pedestrian areas such as Piotrkowska Street. You’ll also find cycle paths along some of the wider streets.

The rental system is citywide, with an app and online map to show you where the nearest bikes are waiting to be used. See the official Łódzki Rower Publiczny website for information, map, and links to the app download.

The first 20 minutes are free, followed by 4zł for the rest of the hour. The second hour costs 6zł, rising to 10zł per hour after that.

Two Bolt hire scooters

You’ll also see plenty of Bolt hire scooters whizzing around the city. Prices vary depending on use so find the app via the official Bolt scooter site and take it from there. A helmet is not compulsory but is recommended. The rules about riding on the pavement vs the road are contradictory. My advice is to behave as if you were a cyclist, and otherwise use common sense.

Rickshaw on Piotrkowska

Rickshaws

Even pedestrianised Piotrkowska, which is off-limits to normal public transport, has a means of getting you from one end to the other. You can jump into a human-powered rickshaw for 5zł per person.

Car hire stands at the airport

Car Hire

Broadly speaking, central Łódź is surrounded by a busy ring road, with another main road that cuts from west to east across the centre. The areas between can be restricted by pedestrianised zones, the constant building work, and heavy traffic. As such, you may be better off sticking to public transport. Parking can also be an issue.

All the same, there are a number of car rental companies at Łódź Airport, clustered in the corridor around the Arrivals gate. Quickly check availability and compare prices to hire a car using the search box below.

You must have the appropriate insurance to drive in Poland, so check with your provider before you travel and make sure you understand what it covers and the protocols in an emergency. The phone number of the National Emergency Road Service in Poland is 9637, but your insurance provider might insist you use a private contractor.

You’ll also need an international driving licence, ID (such as passport), car registration and ownership papers, and valid MOT. Familiarise yourself with the rules for driving in Poland as there are spot fines if you are caught. All vehicles must be equipped with a fire-extinguisher, warning triangle and first aid kit.