Hope International
Travel
Local transport
The student's campus can be reached from the downtown by bus (the bus stop is located in front of the dorms) the bus line that go straight to the city center is line no.12 it leaves every 10 minutes - single ticket is 3z 20gr (reduced fare with the valid student's ID is 1z 60gr).
Make sure you validate tickets when entering the tram or bus.
"Silesian trams" (Tramwaje ¦l±skie) is one of the largest streetcar systems in the World, in existence since 1894. The system spreads for more than 50 kilometres (east-west) and covers thirteen districts of the proposed Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union: Katowice, Będzin, Bytom, Chorzów, CzeladĽ, D±browa Górnicza, Gliwice, Mysłowice, Ruda ¦l±ska, Siemianowice ¦l±skie, Sosnowiec, ¦więtochłowice and Zabrze.
Tickets for public transportation may be purchased at news-stands, automatic machines and from drivers (no discount, exact amount of money).
If you are intending to use public transport more often other more advantageous possibilities are available. You can buy a buss pass (for 1 or 3 months) which is relatively cheap and enables you to travel in Katowice and/or other cities using all of the ZTM bus lines and/or trams. It is the solution for students who travel freqently by buses and/or trams. Buss pass is valid for one specified holder only.
In case of ticket inspection if you have a discount ticket you are obliged to show the valid student's id. Otherwise you will pay a fine. When you forget your student id. buy a regular ticket. Students must have a valid stamp on their students' id. Traveling without valid ticket result in fines: 150 PLN, 110 PLN (if paid within seven days), 90 PLN (if paid on the spot)
For more information visit www.metropoliaztm.pl
If you happen to miss the bus there are some mini-buses, which also go to the city center, they are faster and not that crowded and cost only 2,40 PLN (no discount available).
Peter and Leszek
Peter and Leszek cooperating with HMI and provide almost any kind of transportation services (in and outside the city, ride to the airports, moving, shopping and trips).
Peter +48 601 421 534 | Leszek +48 601 253 609 |
If you want to go to the airport, let us know, please come to HMI office or call Peter or Leszek and provide some details like:
- your name
- your room number
- how many people wants to go
- how many luggage do you have
- airport, airline, date and time of your flight
We need to know that to arrange your transportation.
If you arrange transportation be on time or earlier, otherwise you may miss your flight.
The time set by the driver is appropriate to reach the airport on time, considering weather condition and traffic jams.
It's better to be earlier than late.
When coming back to Poland you arranged transportation and missed your flight or if your flight is delayed or cancelled please call us.
Our time is also valuable as your's and you will save us an unnecessary trip to the airport.
Please notice the fact that reaching the Katowice (Pyrzowice) airport from Ligota takes about 40 minutes and Kraków (Balice) airport about 1 hour.
Please arrange your arrival few days earlier by e-mail or call us, because we may be unavailable when you coming and need to find replacement.
If you have any unusual luggage dimensions let us know earlier, the cars have limited capacity.
Cabs
The most comfortable and fastest means of transport is a cab. The price varies on the distance and on whether it is day or night. Taxi companies provide: cargo and passenger transportation,celebrations, minor purchases, road assistance, hire of Chauffeurs, couriers and many discounts. Tipping is not expected. Echo taxi and City Taxi Katowice offers special discounts for our students.
Echo Taxi | www.echotaxi.ppsi.pl | 32 201 42 00 |
CAR-BON Taxi | www.carbontaxi.pl | 666 227 266 |
Lider Taxi | www.lider-taxi.pl | 32 723 23 23 |
Taxi Rondo | www.taxirondo.com.pl | 32 205 26 26 |
Tele-taxi | www.tele-taxikatowice.pl | 32 209 09 09 |
Taxi 9191 | www.taxi919.katowice.pl | 32 91 91 |
City-Taxi Katowice | www.citytaxi.katowice.pl | 32 203 77 77 |
Trains
PKP Intercity
PKP Intercity was established to take care of upper standard trains like Eurocity, Intercity, Night Express and Express. PKP Intercity provides: payment by card in all trains , bicycle transportation, meal request, transportation of pets, conductor shipments, online ticket sales. Katowice has direct railway connections with such cities as: Berlin, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, Prague, Moscow, Hamburg. The journey by the InterCity train from Katowice to Warsaw takes less than 3 hours. For more information visit www.intercity.pl
PKP Regional Carriers
PKP Regional Carrier - provide nationwide connections only. It was established to take care of lower standard trains like Fast and Local. It doesn't have so sophisticated services as PKP Intercity. For more information visit www.pkp.pl. You can also call (22) 9436 then press 4 for information in English.
Polrail Service - The Polish Train Page
Polrail Service providing information for the traveller and promoting rail travel in Poland. It is an independent web site operated by Polrail Service and is not affiliated with the Polish railways. The Polish Train Page provide rail travel guide, information about discounts, rail travel FAQ, many useful links, english & polish railway dictionary and photo gallery. It is really worth to visit www.polrail.com.
Renting a car
Renting a car in Poland is rather expensive but there are a few car rental agencies in Katowice. Many of which are situated at the airport , near the hotels and in downtown.
AVIS RENT A CAR | www.avis.pl |
BUDGET RENT A CAR | www.budget.pl |
HERTZ | www.hertz.com |
JOKA | www.joka.com.pl |
JOLCAR RENT A CAR | www.jolcar.com.pl |
Silvercar rent a car | www.silvercar.pl |
Driving by car
Note that Poland has strong drink-driving laws: 0,2% is the maximum blood/alcohol limit. The speed limit is 50 km/hr in cities, 90 km/hr outside urban areas, 110 km/hr on dual carriageways and 130 km/hr on motorways. All cars are required to carry red warning triangle, first aid kit, replacement bulbs and fire extinguisher. The headlights have to be switched on at all times throughtout the year.
Towing Service
"MAWA" Towing Service looks forward to assisting you in all your roadside service and recovery needs. They can be reached 24/7 by phone at +48 602 772 416
Visit our website www.pomocdrogowa-katowice.pl
Airport
The Katowice International Airport in Pyrzowice is the most dynamically developing airport in Europe. Currently, the airport serves over one million passengers a year.
From the Katowice, one may directly reach: London, Rome, Paris, Dublin, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Rome, Stockholm, Oslo, Cologne, Munich, Düsseldorf, Milan, Liverpool, Glasgow, Barcelona, Athens, Brussels or Warsaw. Due to the engagement of such carriers as: Wizzair, Lufthansa, Ryanair, Centralwings, Air France or Lot, Silesia may be reached by air easily, cheap and comfortably from the whole Europe.
KTW | Katowice (Pyrzowice Airport) | www.katowice-airport.com | +48 32 392 73 85 |
KRK | Kraków (Balice Airport) | www.lotnisko-balice.pl | +48 12 295 58 00 |
WAW | Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport | www.lotnisko-chopina.pl | +48 22 650 42 20 |
How to get to Kraków or Wrocław -
We recommend that you take one of the mini buses from Katowice downtown.
UNIBUS | www.uni-bus.com.pl | +48 12 295 58 00 |
Lajkonik Bus | www.lajkonikbus.pl | +48 664 173 157 |
Travel Agents in Katowice
INT Travel | al. Korfantego 51 | www.inttravel.pl | +48 32 258 09 56 | |
GTL Travel | al. Korfantego 1a | www.gtltravel.com.pl | +48 32 257 21 00 | |
EKO-TOUR | ul. Kolejowa 57 B | www.ekotour.com.pl | +48 32 252 30 58 |
Travel safety
- Pay special attention in crowded places such as bus or railway stations, airports, bus or tram stops as well as public means of transport
- Be very careful when getting onto a crowded bus or train
- Do not to leave your luggage unattended when traveling
- Try to carry your handbags and backpack in front or under your arm with locks towards you
- Carry only a necessary amount of money when traveling
- If you have a substantial sum of money keep it in different places.
- On public transport take a seat near a driver or a group of people
- When traveling by regular train avoid empty compartments.
- Be especially careful in case of very attractive ofers of cooperation, trading or purchasing low priced goods.
- If your documents, credit cards, luggage have been stolen report the fact at the police station, HMI representative and your embassy(Passport), Bank(credit card).
- Do not wear ostentatiously your wealth, expensive clothes or jewelry.
- Do not provoke fights
- Do not behave loudly at any place at any time.
- Avoid walking in the city when there is a football match with local clubs