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Night bus 902
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Krakow airport to city center bus, and landing after dark
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The Krakow airport to city center bus is the cheapest ride into town, and the night line keeps running when the trains stop. Here is how the lines, tickets and late arrivals work.
Editorial team, krakowairporttransfer.click · Updated November 9, 2026 · Quick read: 7 min
The bus lines at the terminal
There is no dedicated airport express, and the Krakow airport to city center bus service is part of the ordinary city network. The lines to know are 209 and 300 by day and 902 overnight, each an agglomeration line in the city system.1 A private operator, Adam Tours, also runs a local route from the airport through Szczyglice and Mydlniki Wapiennik to Zabierzów Młyn.6
The city bus stop is near the terminal entrance, and the buses are adapted for passengers with disabilities.7 Indoors, the bus departures appear on a screen by the information point in the main hall, which tells you at a glance whether to hurry or to buy a coffee first.8 Long-distance coaches use a different stop, the central shelter number 2 by the footbridge; keep the stops apart in your mind.9
People often search for a shuttle bus from Krakow airport to the city center, expecting a branded coach that runs nonstop. The answer is that the city buses do that job, alongside the train. If what you want is a vehicle that waits for you and takes you to your hotel without stops, that is a private transfer, which is a different product with a different price, covered further down this page.
The lines
Buses at Kraków Airport
| Line | Runs | City end | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | Daytime | Podwawelskie estate via Rondo Grunwaldzkie | Wawel side, Dębniki |
| 209 | Daytime | Salwator | Salwator, Zwierzyniec |
| 902 | Night | Dworzec Główny Wschód | Main station, Old Town |
Lines as Kraków Airport and the city's public transport authority list them; confirm the current timetable on the day.1,13,14,11
Where each bus goes in the city
Line 300 is the main daytime choice.1 It leaves the airport through Balice, Budzyń and Kryspinów, follows Księcia Józefa along the river, and continues by Zielińskiego and Monte Cassino to Rondo Grunwaldzkie and the Podwawelskie estate.13 Rondo Grunwaldzkie lies just across the Vistula from Wawel Hill, which puts it within reach of the southern Old Town and of Kazimierz across the bridge.
Line 209 links the Salwator district, at the western end of the river boulevards, with Balice and villages further out to Mników.14 It is a useful line if you are staying in Salwator or Zwierzyniec, less so for the Old Town. Check the stop names on the timetable before you rely on it, because a local line through villages can take a winding way.
Line 902 is the night bus, and it is the line that matters after a late landing.1 It runs between the airport and Dworzec Główny Wschód, the stop on the east side of the main station, by way of Olszanicka, Królowej Jadwigi, Focha avenue, Piłsudskiego, Podwale, Basztowa and Lubicz.11 That route skirts the western and northern edges of the Old Town before ending by the station, with the Main Market Square a walk away.
Ticket prices
Standard bus tickets from the airport
- 15 minutes4.0
- Single or 30 minutes6.00
- 60 minutes8.00
- 90 minutes9.00
- 24 hours, zone I20.00
Standard agglomeration fares in zloty as Kraków Airport lists them; reduced fares are half.2
Tickets, zones and the machines
Tickets are time-based. The agglomeration fares listed by the airport are PLN 4.00 for 15 minutes, PLN 6.00 for a single trip or 30 minutes, PLN 8.00 for 60 minutes and PLN 9.00 for 90 minutes, with reduced fares for those entitled.2 The airport puts the bus ride into the center at about 45 minutes.4 Buy a ticket that lasts longer than your whole ride, with a margin for traffic.
Tickets come from a machine in the arrivals area or from the one at the stop, which takes cash as well as cards.3 The city also sells tickets in mobile apps, including mPay, iMKA, moBiLET, SkyCash and jakdojade.19 An app ticket must be bought as soon as you board, and it asks for the vehicle number shown inside the bus.20 Tickets at the airport are sold in PLN only.21
Validate a paper ticket in the machine on board the moment you get on.3 Inspectors check tickets around the clock, all week, and a broken ticket machine in the bus does not count as an excuse.22,23 Riding without a valid ticket brings an extra fee of PLN 400.00, halved if you pay the inspector straight away or within 7 days.24,25
Bus or not?
Which ride fits your landing time?
Choose by the clock and by your luggage.
If I land in the afternoon with a backpack
Bus 300 or the train
Line 300 runs by day; a 60-minute bus ticket costs PLN 8.00, and the train is quicker to the station.13,2,4
If I land after the last train
Night bus 902
Its last stop sits next to Kraków Główny.11
If I land late and want no walking
The airport taxi
The official taxi keeps flat zone fares at any hour.15
If We are a family with large cases
A private transfer
One price per booking, and the vehicle fits your group and luggage.
If I am a student under 26
Bus with a reduced ticket
A valid ISIC card gets reduced fares on city transport.18
Late arrival
Night bus, taxi or a waiting driver
Flat fares
Kraków Airport Taxi
Official airport taxi
Book your night transfer
Pre-booked
Private transfer
Name sign in arrivals
- Driver waits45 minutes after landing
- PricePer booking
- CancelFree up to 24 hours ahead
Who rides free or for less
Some travelers pay nothing. Young children ride Kraków's public transport free up to 30 September of the year they reach 7, and travelers over 70 ride free too with a photo document that shows their age.27,28 Families with young children should carry a passport or ID for each child. Inspectors can ask for proof, and a calm answer is easier with the document in hand.
Students from abroad get reduced fares until they turn 26, provided they hold a valid ISIC card.18 A reduced ticket costs half the standard fare, for example PLN 4.00 instead of PLN 8.00 for 60 minutes.2 The discount depends on carrying the card itself, not on being a student: keep it with your phone rather than in your checked bag.
Groups can buy a single-trip group ticket that covers up to 20 people.29 That makes sense for a school party or a club trip, less so for a small family, where individual tickets or a shared car may work out simpler. Luggage is part of every bus ride; plan for space: a large group with suitcases at rush hour fills a city bus fast.
Night landing
From a late flight to your hotel
Gate
Clear document control
Non-Schengen arrivals pass a document check before baggage claim.10
Arrivals hall
Check the departures screen
The next departures are listed on a screen near the information point.8
Ticket machine
Buy a 60-minute ticket
It costs PLN 8.00 at the machine in arrivals or at the stop.2,3
Night bus
Board line 902
Main station
Taxi or walk
Keep valuables out of sight around the station at night.12
Krakow airport to the city center at night
Getting from Krakow airport to the city center at night is easier than it sounds, because the airport never closes. The passenger terminal is open 24 hours a day, and the currency exchange works around the clock.5,30 After midnight two more trains depart, at 00:07 and 00:57, pulling into the main station at 00:24 and 01:14.31 After that, the public option is the night bus 902 to the main station.11
The official Kraków Airport Taxi charges the same flat zone fares at any hour, on any day of the week.15 Its phone line takes bookings daily from 06:00 to 22:00, and online booking is open too.17 Drivers take every type of payment card.16 If you prefer to sleep near the runway and travel in daylight, there is a Hilton Garden Inn next to the terminal.32
A transfer booked in advance takes the guesswork out of a late landing. Your name is on a sign by the exchange shop in arrivals, and the driver holds on for 45 minutes after touchdown. Send your flight number when you book, and tell the provider as soon as possible if the flight is delayed or cancelled, as the listing asks. You then walk out to a named driver, whatever the hour.
Video
Krakow Airport to the city center: the mistake to avoid
Carol & Max on YouTube · The video only starts loading on your tap.
Above the fares are flat rates regardless of duration of the ride, day of the week and time of the day.
Ride right
Bus and night arrival checklist
Ticket4
Staying safe on a late arrival
The usual traveler's caution applies after dark. The UK government's advice for Poland warns that unofficial taxi drivers often overcharge, and that passengers have been attacked in unofficial taxis and in cars booked through ride-share apps.26 At the airport, the official operator is Kraków Airport Taxi alone, and its rank is the safe default if you have not booked anything.17
In the city, an official taxi carries the company name and phone number on its door and roof, and a car with a crest but no company name is not an official taxi.33 Keep cash and valuables out of sight at the main station, where the night bus ends.12 Avoid walking through quiet, isolated streets alone late at night; a short taxi from the bus stop to the hotel is money well spent.34
Prepare before you board the plane. Charge your phone, download the offline map of Kraków, and save your hotel's address and night reception number. Tell the hotel your arrival time if you land after midnight, as a small guesthouse may lock the door overnight. With a ticket bought in an app, a known bus line and a hotel expecting you, a night arrival becomes routine.
When a pre-booked transfer is the better call
Arrivals from outside the Schengen area pass document control before the baggage hall, and queues there can stretch.10 A pre-booked transfer absorbs some of that uncertainty, though its 45-minute wait is counted from touchdown, not from the moment you clear the hall. If your flight lands late and the queue is long, the provider's request to hear about delays early is worth taking seriously.
The sums also change with group size. The bus is priced per person, the transfer per booking, with a car big enough for the group and its bags.2 For one traveler, the bus wins on price. For a family with sleepy children and large cases at one in the morning, a car that goes from the curb to the door is the gentler way to start a holiday.
Booking is flexible. You can book with nothing to pay upfront and still get every cent back if you cancel at least 24 hours beforehand. A sensible pattern is a transfer for a late arrival and the bus or train for a daytime departure. The calculator on this page shows the price for your group, and our guide to meeting the driver explains the arrivals hall step by step.
FAQ
Fast answers to common questions.
What bus should I take from Krakow airport into town?
How much is the bus ticket from Krakow airport?
PLN 8.00 for 60 minutes.
A 90-minute ticket costs PLN 9.00; reduced fares are half price for those entitled.2
How long does the bus take to the center?
About 45 minutes.
That is the airport's own estimate, and traffic can lengthen it.4
Where do I buy a bus ticket at Krakow airport?
At the machines.
Use the machine indoors in arrivals, or the one at the stop, which also takes coins and notes.3
Is there a shuttle bus from Krakow airport?
The city buses do the job.
The terminal is on the ordinary routes 209, 300 and 902; there is no separate city airport express.1
What happens if I ride without a valid ticket?
Is there public transport from Krakow airport after midnight?
Do children pay on Krakow buses?
Not under school age.
They ride free until 30 September of the year they turn 7.27
Sources
- Kraków Airport · Public buses ↩
- Kraków Airport · Public buses ↩
- Kraków Airport · Public buses ↩
- Kraków Airport · FAQ ↩
- Kraków Airport · FAQ ↩
- Kraków Airport · Public buses ↩
- Kraków Airport · Disabled passengers and persons with reduced mobility ↩
- Kraków Airport · Public buses ↩
- Kraków Airport · Private transport (buses and mini buses) ↩
- Kraków Airport · Passenger path ↩
- Public Transport Authority in Kraków (ZTP) · KMK lines ↩
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office · Poland travel advice: safety and security ↩
- Public Transport Authority in Kraków (ZTP) · KMK lines ↩
- Public Transport Authority in Kraków (ZTP) · KMK lines ↩
- Kraków Airport · Kraków Airport Taxi service ↩
- Kraków Airport · Kraków Airport Taxi service ↩
- Kraków Airport · Kraków Airport Taxi service ↩
- Public Transport Authority in Kraków (ZTP) · KMK ticket guide ↩
- Public Transport Authority in Kraków (ZTP) · Buy a KMK ticket ↩
- Public Transport Authority in Kraków (ZTP) · Buy a KMK ticket ↩
- Kraków Airport · FAQ ↩
- Public Transport Authority in Kraków (ZTP) · KMK ticket inspection ↩
- Public Transport Authority in Kraków (ZTP) · KMK ticket inspection ↩
- Public Transport Authority in Kraków (ZTP) · KMK ticket inspection ↩
- Public Transport Authority in Kraków (ZTP) · KMK ticket inspection ↩
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office · Poland travel advice: safety and security ↩
- Public Transport Authority in Kraków (ZTP) · KMK ticket guide ↩
- Public Transport Authority in Kraków (ZTP) · KMK ticket guide ↩
- Public Transport Authority in Kraków (ZTP) · KMK ticket guide ↩
- Kraków Airport · FAQ ↩
- Koleje Małopolskie (regional railway of Lesser Poland) · SKA1 timetable, valid 25 October to 12 December 2026 (PDF) ↩
- Kraków Airport · FAQ ↩
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office · Poland travel advice: safety and security ↩
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office · Poland travel advice: safety and security ↩
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