2024:Travel/fr
Traveller's cheatsheet
![]() | |
---|---|
Timezone | UTC+2 (Convert 9:00 AM to your timezone) |
Monnaie | Złoty polonais (PLN / zł)
USD 1 = PLN 3,96 |
Driving side | right |
Phone country code | +48 |
Religion dominante | Christianity (Roman Catholicism) |
Électricité | 230V / 50Hz |
Contact en cas d'urgence | 112 |
Main mobile carriers | Orange, Play, Plus, T-Mobile |
Ride hailing | Uber, Bolt, Free Now |
Applications utiles
- Billets et horaires
- Ride hailing
Argent
La Pologne utilise le złoty. Pas l'euro!
Les paiements sans numéraire sont très populaires en Pologne. Vous pouvez payer par carte dans presque tous les endroits, qu'il s'agisse de petits magasins ou de supermarchés. Si vous souhaitez échanger de l'argent après votre arrivée en Pologne, vous trouverez des points de change (appelés kantor en polonais) dans les aéroports ainsi que dans le centre-ville.
Les devises étrangères les plus courantes acceptées pour le change sont : l'euro (EUR), la livre sterling (GBP) et le dollar américain (USD). En général, vous pouvez également trouver d'autres devises dans les bureaux de change, en particulier les bureaux européens.
Climat
La Pologne se trouve dans une zone de climat continental humide. La température moyenne en août est de 25°C (76°F) le jour et de 13°C (55°F) la nuit, bien qu'il puisse parfois faire plus chaud, atteignant jusqu'à 30°C (86°F). Il faut s'attendre à une certaine variabilité des conditions météorologiques, y compris la possibilité de pluies occasionnelles. En moyenne, il y a 12 jours de pluie en août, avec environ 75 mm de précipitations sur l'ensemble du mois. Les personnes à la peau sensible devraient envisager de se munir d'un écran solaire. En août, la journée commence vers 4h40 du matin, et il fait clair jusqu'à 21h.
Il est conseillé d'emporter des vêtements légers tels que des t-shirts, des shorts et des robes d'été pour les journées chaudes, mais aussi une veste légère ou un pull pour les soirées plus fraîches ou si le temps se rafraîchit de manière inattendue.
Transports locaux


Les transports locaux sont organisés de manière indépendante par les communes polonaises. Par conséquent, les types de billets, les prix et les réglementations spécifiques varient d'une ville à l'autre. La plupart des types de billets sont valables pour des durées spécifiques (par exemple, 20 minutes, 1 heure, 24 heures, etc.), il est donc conseillé de vérifier à l'avance la durée de votre voyage.
Jakdojade (pronounced yahk-doh-YAH-deh) is a useful app for planning mass transit trips in Katowice (and Poland in general). It can consult transit schedules and also purchase transit e-tickets. Download for Android or iOS.
It's available on web at jakdojade.pl as well, but purchasing tickets is possible only in mobile apps. Jakdojade supports over 30 Polish cities and allows to buy tickets in many of them.
Please note: Tickets in Polish local transport are valid only after you validate them. After getting on the bus, please go to a stamping machine (usually orange) and put your ticket there. (Do it only once per ticket—don't repeat it once you transfer to another vehicle during the original ticket's validity period). In order to validate tickets bought with an app, scan a QR inside the vehicle (usually on a window near a door; other cities may have different policies regarding e-ticket validation).
Tous les billets permettent de changer de ligne tant qu'ils sont valables.
Type de ticket | Prix (PLN) | Prix approximatif (USD) |
---|---|---|
20 minutes | 4,00 | 1,00 |
40 minutes | 5,00 | 1,25 |
90 minutes | 6,00 | 1,50 |
quotidien[1] | 12,00 | 3,00 |
24-hour[2] | 24,00 | 6,00 |
Prices laid above apply when buying a ticket with an app (any app). Paper tickets cost PLN 0.60 (USD 0.15) more.
Please note: There are tram track repairs going on near the Katowice market square (which is between the venue and the railway station). Some routes are served by replacement buses. Up-to-date schedule is available in Jakdojade app.
Communications mobiles et cartes SIM
La Pologne fait partie de l'Union européenne, les résidents de l'UE/EEE peuvent donc utiliser les services cellulaires conformément aux principes de l'Itinérance dans l'Union européenne sans frais supplémentaires ou presque (veuillez consulter votre opérateur pour connaître les limitations concernant la politique d'utilisation équitable, etc.)
Autres options :
- Si vous souhaitez acheter une carte SIM physique après votre arrivée, vous pouvez le faire dans un magasin situé dans le terminal des arrivées de l'aéroport de Katowice. Il est obligatoire de présenter un passeport ou une carte d'identité pour enregistrer la carte SIM. Vous pouvez le faire dans les stands des opérateurs, par exemple dans les centres commerciaux, ou dans les magasins qui les vendent.
- Vous devez être prêt à voir des offres telles que 5000 GB d'internet sur les couvertures des cartes SIM, elles se réfèrent généralement à la quantité de données que vous obtiendrez pendant une année entière. Lors de l'achat de la carte SIM, vérifiez si vous devez effectuer une action pour obtenir le paquet de données indiqué. Tous les principaux opérateurs proposent une application mobile pour Android et iOS que vous pouvez utiliser pour gérer le service.
- Si vous souhaitez acheter la carte plus tard, elle est disponible dans les magasins de proximité de la ville. En cas de problème, les quatre opérateurs ont un stand dans le centre commercial situé à côté de la gare de Katowice.
- Envisagez une eSIM virtuelle à l'aide d'une application mobile si votre téléphone la prend en charge et si vous n'êtes intéressé que par un plan de données. Cette carte est généralement moins chère qu'une carte SIM physique et beaucoup plus facile à acheter, car elle ne nécessite pas de pièce d'identité ni de passeport. Si vous voyagez dans d'autres régions d'Europe, les eSIM offrent de bonnes affaires qui couvrent de vastes régions. Les options eSIM les plus populaires comprennent des marques telles que Airalo, Holafly, Ubigi ou Maya. Attention : les options eSIM sont généralement réservées aux données et ne permettent pas d'obtenir un nouveau numéro de téléphone.
Assurance maladie

Les personnes qui ont besoin d'un visa pour venir en Pologne doivent avoir une assurance comme l'une des conditions de la demande de visa. Les coûts des services médicaux doivent être réglés entre l'établissement médical et votre assureur. Veuillez vous munir d'une preuve d'assurance - sans elle, vous serez facturé et vous pourrez alors demander à votre assureur de vous rembourser.
People, who have their health insurance in EU/EFTA countries, are entitled to receive free medical help in case of accidents and emergencies. You have to present a European Health Insurance Card, or you'll be charged for the services (in the latter case, you may then ask your insurer for a refund). EHIC cardholders are eligible for drug reimbursements under the same rules as Polish citizens. (see more).
Katowice and its surroundings
Voir aussi Katowice sur Wikivoyage.
Katowice is a large city in the Silesian Voivodeship in the south of Poland. Is has a population of over 300,000; it's the central city of GZM metropolis (population 2.3 million) which in turn is part of Upper Silesian-Moravian metropolitan area sprawling across the Czech border. It's not scenic, but has a rich industrial heritage—especially coal mining and heavy industry.
Apart from Katowice, the agglomeration consists of 40 towns, including Chorzów, Bytom, Zabrze, Ruda Śląska, Tychy, Gliwice and Tarnowskie Góry (see the linked Wikivoyage pages for more information). They all have a unified local transport systems with the same tickets. Some towns may be easier reachable by train and some by bus or tram. For such a trip, consider buying a 24 hour ticket, as it's valid in both local transport and regional trains in the Katowice agglomeration.
Other places that we invite you to visit, but outside of the agglomeration are:
- Auschwitz-Birkenau (30km / 20mi) – a cluster of Nazi concentration, labor and extermination camps in Oświęcim and Brzezinka,
- Częstochowa (60km / 40mi) – major pilgrimage site in Poland, best known for the Jasna Góra shrine, holding the Black Madonna icon,
- Kraków (70km / 45mi) – former capital of Poland, one of most-visited Polish cities,
- Wieliczka (12km / 7.5mi from Kraków) – famous of ancient salt mine.
Accommodation
Seuls les bénéficiaires d'une bourse et le personnel de la Wikimedia Foundation seront logés par les organisateurs. Tous les autres participants devront trouver une solution d'hébergement par leurs propres moyens.
Nous avons préparé une liste de liens où vous pourrez trouver un endroit où séjourner qui répondra à vos besoins :
- Hotels sur HotelMap.com
- Ce lien indique les chambres disponibles et leur coût auprès de notre fournisseur officiel d'hôtels dans une variété d'hôtels en ville pour les dates du 7 au 10 août. Tous sont raisonnablement proches du centre de conférence. Vous pouvez utiliser ce site pour réserver directement avec nos tarifs de groupe.
- D'autres sites de recherche d'hôtels incluent :
Please pay attention to the dates and number of guests. We've preselected Aug 7–10 and one adult guest.
Il existe de nombreuses possibilités de logement au sud du site de la Wikimania, près de la place du marché de Katowice, à environ 15 minutes de marche. Il y a également un arrêt de tramway pour Katowice Rondo qui se trouve à côté du site.
Inbound and domestic transportation
Conditions d'entrée en Pologne

Toute personne arrivant en Pologne avec un passeport provenant d'un pays situé en dehors de l'espace Schengen doit se préparer à avoir les éléments suivants à portée de main :
- Un passeport valide. Il ne doit pas avoir plus de dix ans et doit être valable pendant au moins trois mois supplémentaires, de préférence six mois, après la date prévue de sortie de l'espace Schengen.
- Pages vierges du passeport. Votre passeport doit comporter au moins deux pages vierges pour le cachet d'entrée.
- 'Un Visa Schengen en cours de validité. Vous devez avoir votre visa Schengen sur vous lorsque vous voyagez dans l'espace Schengen. En général, votre visa est apposé sur votre passeport, et les deux vont donc de pair. (Pour plus d'informations sur les demandes de visa, voir une page séparée).
- Evidence on the purpose of entry. While not required for all non-visa holders, attendees should carry documentation explaining that they will be attending Wikimania. Wikimania attendees can request invitation letters from the Wikimedia Foundation and Wikimedia Poland by emailing wikimania
wikimedia.org with the subject line “Wikimania Invitation Letter Request”.
- Proof of sufficient financial means. Documentation that proves you have enough financial means to visit the Schengen Area. For Poland, this amount is a minimum bank balance of PLN 300[3] for three days plus PLN 75 for each additional day, provable by a printed bank statement. You can also provide proof of employment or sponsorship, which the Wikimedia Foundation will provide to scholarship recipients.
- Preuve du vol de retour. Imprimez votre itinéraire de voyage pour indiquer la date de votre départ.
Venir à Katowice

Les moyens recommandés pour se rendre à Katowice sont l'avion et le train.
Voyage en avion
Katowice est desservie par un aéroport international Aéroport de Katowice-Pyrzowice (KTW / EPKT). C'est le quatrième aéroport le plus fréquenté de Pologne et il est situé à environ 30 km de Katowice. La liaison entre l'aéroport et la ville est assurée par des bus de transport public et des taxis.
Varsovie ou Cracovie. Vous pouvez également réserver un vol pour Varsovie ou Cracovie (les plus grands aéroports polonais) et vous rendre ensuite à Katowice en train. Le trajet depuis l'aéroport de Varsovie prend 3 à 4 heures et celui depuis Cracovie environ 90 minutes. Les deux trajets nécessitent un transfert dans l'une des gares principales de Varsovie ou de Cracovie.
Les règles et réglementations qui s'appliquent aux voyages aériens ne diffèrent pas beaucoup de celles des autres pays, en particulier de la zone Schengen. La quantité de liquides que vous pouvez avoir dans votre bagage à main lors du contrôle de sécurité est limitée à 100 ml par bouteille (et pas plus d'un litre au total) - il n'y a pas encore de scanner dans les aéroports polonais.
Les voyages intérieurs en avion en Pologne ne sont pas très populaires. Pour la plupart des gens, ils constituent la première ou la dernière étape d'un voyage international. La plupart des vols intérieurs proposés en Pologne sont au départ ou à destination de Varsovie.
Katowice airport (KTW / EPKT)
Katowice is served by the airport located 25 km / 15 mi north of the city center. At the airport, there is frequent bus service. (There is a train station but there are no direct trains to Katowice at the time of writing).
Bus line "AP" is the recommended way of getting to Katowice from the airport. It departs every 30 minutes (at night: every hour) from the airport and stops at several locations in Katowice (see diagram). This trip takes around 40 minutes. Airport bus lines takes regular tariff tickets (see Local transit for full ticket buying options).

You should buy a "90 minute" ticket for the airport bus trip, with two possible options:
- Paper ticket – It costs 6.60 PLN if you buy a paper ticket from the machine at the airport bus stop. Remember to validate/stamp your ticket in the bright orange machine when you board the bus.
- E-ticket – Better yet, it costs 6 PLN if you use the highly recommended Jakdojade app for tickets and planning your trips (download for Android or iOS; webapp). You will need to install the app, load the virtual wallet using your preferred payment method (debit/credit card, Google Pay, Apple Pay), and when on the bus, scan one of the QR codes on the windows. The "AP" buses offer free WiFi.
For taking a car or taxi – There are also taxi stops by the terminal, or the ride hailing apps BOLT, Uber or Free Now can be used.
Warsaw airport (WAW / EPWA)
Voir aussi Warsaw sur Wikivoyage.
Main Polish airport, situated in Warsaw (crow's flight distance to the city center: 7.5 km / 5 mi). Next to the airport terminal, there's an underground train station from where trains to Warsaw depart every 15–20 minutes (except for nights). You can use city buses as well (it's served by 4 day lines and one night line).
From Warsaw you can book a LOT flight to Katowice (there are 5 flights a day). If you're arriving at Warsaw and wish to go directly to Katowice by train, the recommended way is:
- Go to the airport train station Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina and take any train, get off at Warszawa Zachodnia station—the trip takes ca. 15 minutes and is served by two carriers: Szybka Kolej Miejska (SKM) and Koleje Mazowieckie (KM); regular Warsaw public transport tickets apply (see above).
- Take express train (TLK, IC, EIC, EIP) from Warszawa Zachodnia to Katowice—there are around 15 direct connections every day and the trip takes between 2h 30min and 3h 30min, depending on the train you pick. We encourage to buy tickets a few days in advance. Polish Railways allow to buy tickets a maximum of one month in advance (two months for international trains), and they are the cheapest in the earliest days of availability.
The main train stations in Warsaw are: Warszawa Centralna, Warszawa Wschodnia, Warszawa Zachodnia, Warszawa Gdańska.
Kraków airport (KRK / EPKK)
Voir aussi Kraków sur Wikivoyage.
Kraków airport is the second largest Polish airport. It's located 10 km / 6 mi from the city center and—like in Warsaw—there are direct train connections from the airport to the city (departing every 30 minutes for most of the day). There is a bus stop as well, but we recommend train for travelling to Kraków center.
Since Kraków is 70 km from Katowice, there are no plane connections between these cities. In order to get from Kraków airport to Katowice, we recommend the following:
- Go to the airport train station Kraków Lotnisko and take any train, get off at Kraków Główny station—the trip takes 17 minutes and is served by Koleje Małopolskie.
- Take a train from Kraków Główny to Katowice, there are over 30 direct connections a day (either regional or express); the trip takes 50–80 minutes, depending on which train you take.
For both parts of the trip you'll need a regular train ticket (contrary to what is the case for Warsaw). We recommend taking an express train (TLK, IC, EIC, EIP) for the second part as you'll get a seat reservation there.
The main train station in Kraków is Kraków Główny, which is a kilometer away from the historic old town.
Train travel
Trains are the preferred means of public transport for domestic travel in Poland. Every Polish major city has a train station somewhere near the city center. The Katowice train station is located 1.5 km from the Wikimania 2024 venue, and even closer to numerous hotels, and the accommodation arranged for scholarship recipients.
There's a good number of trains coming from both within Poland (including Warsaw, Kraków and Wrocław), as well as trains crossing Poland's western and southern borders. There are direct connections with e.g. Berlin, Ostrava, Prague, Budapest and Vienna. More international routes are possible with transfers.
There are two main categories of trains: regional and express ones. Regional trains stop at every station along the route, making them significantly slower but they are also cheaper. There are some quick regional connections that cover longer distances and skip some stops. On the contrary, express trains skip many smaller villages and towns and allow to quickly cover longer distances (this is not a high-speed railway, though—these usually run no faster than 160 km/h).
Please note, that (due to how train numbers are assigned) the actual number of the train you're boarding and the one you might have on your ticket can differ by one (eg. IC 7322 and IC 7323 refer to the same train).
Express trains


Express trains in Poland are operated by PKP Intercity. In order to ride such a train, you'll have to buy a ticket in advance. The sales open 30 days (for international trains: 60 days) before departure and close 5 minutes before scheduled departure time. Tickets are sold for a specific relation and specific time. This means that you have to know precisely when you'll be travelling.
Express trains can be divided into subtypes:
- TLK (Twoje Linie Kolejowe), IC (Intercity) – cheaper ones, they stop in main and medium cities along the route,
- EIC (Express Intercity), EIP (Express Intercity Premium) – more expensive ones, they stop only on most important stations (and thus are slightly faster).
Tickets for express trains generally include a seat reservation (which in itself is free, but tied to a ticket). If a train is fully-booked, it's still possible to buy some amount of tickets without seat guarantee. In such a case you can sit on any free seat, but you have to give it up to the person that has booked it.
Both compartment and compartmentless cars are available. Compartments of first and second class have 6 seats, except for TLK trains where second class has usually 8 seats per compartment.
Please note, that if you want to book two seats next to each other, they will not have consecutive numbers. A general rule is that the following seat numbers make pairs: _1 and _3, _2 and _8, _4 and _6, _5 and _7, see more (in Polish).
Regional trains


Regional trains are operated by Polregio and other regional companies, e.g. Koleje Śląskie (you might assume that every carrier with Koleje in their name is a regional one).
Contrary to express trains, tickets for regional trains are sold for a relation and not a specific trip from a schedule. This means that you can use the ticket for another train on the same route (provided that it's during the ticket's validity time). Regional train tickets are valid for at least 3 hours from the time printed on the ticket (actual validity time can be longer and is decided on by the carrier and may depend on the trip length, check here—in Polish).
Some of the regional carriers honor tickets issued by other regional carrier (there can be some limitations still). Cross-honoring between Polregio and Koleje Śląskie (two main carriers in the Katowice region) applies to the following segments (more information—in Polish):
- Katowice – Katowice Szopienice Południowe,
- Katowice Szopienice Południowe – Mysłowice,
- Częstochowa – Częstochowa Raków,
- Nędza – Racibórz,
- Kalety – Tarnowskie Góry,
- Herby Stare – Częstochowa,
- Herby Stare – Lubliniec.
Booking tickets

Train tickets are available for purchase is ticket offices at many stations. They can also be bought on-line, for example on Koleo or Jakdojade app (Jakdojade offers only express trains). Regional train tickets can be bought from the Skycash app that also allows to buy other kinds of transport tickets.
In all trains except EIP it's possible to buy tickets on board. In order to do so, immediately after getting on the train or while still at the platform you'll have to find the train conductor and ask for a ticket. An additional fee of PLN 5–20 (ca. USD 1–5) will be incurred, except if you're getting on at a station without a ticket office.
Tickets bought at stations are printed without the passenger's name. On the other hand, online platforms require the buyer to provide the passenger name and you might be asked by a train conductor to show your document (ID card, passport, driver's licence etc.) along with the ticket.
Please note that if you want to cancel your ticket, you have to do it through the same channel you bought it (ticket office or on-line platform). You'll usually get 85% of the ticket's price back in such a case. It's also possible to change the time or destination point of travel once. You'll have to pay the price difference between the new and old ticket then.
Train delays

It's not that unusual to experience a train delay of a few minutes. Therefore we don't recommend booking travels with less that 10–15 minutes for a transfer between trains. In case of hardware failures or excessive heat, more delays can occur.
If you planned to transfer between express trains and because of the first one's delay you might miss the second one, go find a train conductor and tell them about the situation. Express trains can be held on a station for up to 10–15 minutes in such cases (it's not guaranteed, though). If—due to the delay—you can't get to your second train, ask the train crew or a person at the ticket office to print a confirmation of the delay for you. It will allow you to take the next train without additional costs.
If you're experiencing a serious delay—don't panic. The carrier is still obliged to bring you to the destination point. You can as well decide to take another train or to cancel your further trip and go back to the departure place. If you want to change your plans due to the delay, go to the ticket office or the train conductor to get a confirmation. It will enable you to use the ticket on a different train or you will be entitled for a refund.
In case of doubts, feel free to ask train crew or at the ticket office what to do.
Streets and crosswalks
Polish streets (like other European ones) are rather ordered. Almost all of them have pavements along. Cycle lanes in city centres and along main routes are also quite easy to find.
In Poland it's illegal to cross the street when you have a red light (even if there are no cars coming). The fine is 100 PLN (approx. 25 USD) but it's rather uncommon to get it—crosswalks are not often supervised by the police. If there are no traffic lights at a crosswalk, pedestrians have a right of way over cars (but, importantly, not over trams). It applies only to marked crosswalks; if you try to cross a street in other places, don't expect drivers to yield to you. Please note that stepping in front of a fast-going car is not really a good idea and even though you might have the right of way, it's impossible to break the laws of physics.