Which roads in Poland charge tolls for cars?
Poland mixes state-run and privately run motorways, and the difference decides whether you pay.
| Section | Operator | Car toll | How to pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 Kraków-Katowice | Stalexport (concession) | PLN 36 end to end | At the plazas or by app |
| A4 Gliwice-Wrocław | State (GDDKiA) | Free since 1 July 2023 | Nothing to do |
| A2 Konin-Stryków | State (GDDKiA) | Free since 1 July 2023 | Nothing to do |
| A2 west of Konin, A1 Gdańsk-Toruń | Other concession companies | Tolled | At their own plazas |
The e-TOLL service confirms that light vehicles, meaning cars and combinations up to 3.5 tonnes, travel free on the state sections. A car towing a trailer that takes the combination over 3.5 tonnes is reclassified as heavy and pays. e-TOLL's changes from 1 February 2026 extended the network and raised rates for heavy vehicles only.
Expressways (S roads) and ordinary national roads are also free for cars. The concession sections are a different matter: Autostrada Wielkopolska, for example, charges cars on the A2 between Świecko and Konin at its own plazas, and its rates change periodically, so check the operator's calculator before a trip toward Poznań or Berlin.
How do you pay the A4 Kraków-Katowice toll?
Stalexport's toll page lists these rates, in force from 1 April 2026. Each plaza charges half the toll for the whole section.
| Vehicle | Mysłowice plaza | Balice plaza | Full section |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle | PLN 9 | PLN 9 | PLN 18 |
| Car, two axles | PLN 18 | PLN 18 | PLN 36 |
| Car with trailer (category 2) | PLN 32 | PLN 32 | PLN 64 |
Accepted at both plazas:
- Visa, Mastercard and Maestro cards.
- Cash in złoty, euro or US dollars. For euro and dollars only notes are taken, and change is given in złoty.
- Plate-reading apps (videotolling): Autopay, SkyCash, IKO and Yanosik.
- A4Go and Telepass electronic tags. Telepass users should check with Telepass first.
Stalexport collects tolls only at these two plazas, Balice on the Kraków side and Mysłowice on the Katowice side, so a full Kraków-Katowice trip means paying twice.
Using a plate-reading app in a rental car
The videotolling option works with rental cars because it is linked to the number plate, not to a device. The price is the same as at the booth: PLN 18 per plaza for a car. The gain is speed through dedicated lanes.
If the barrier stays down, the collector takes payment by card or cash. Stalexport says to check that the card in the app has funds and that the plate is clean and undamaged.
Worked example: Kraków to Wrocław
A rental car collected at Kraków Airport drives to Wrocław on the A4.
| Stretch | Toll |
|---|---|
| Balice plaza | PLN 18 |
| Mysłowice plaza | PLN 18 |
| Onward to Gliwice (Sośnica) | No toll plaza |
| Sośnica to Wrocław, state A4 | Free for cars |
| Total | PLN 36 |
Kraków to Katowice alone costs the same PLN 36. Before July 2023 the Gliwice-Wrocław section was also tolled for cars, so older route guides overstate the cost.
Can a rental car enter Kraków's clean transport zone?
Since 1 January 2026, a clean transport zone (Strefa Czystego Transportu) has covered about 60% of the city, inside the IV ring road, according to the City of Kraków. Cameras read plates and compare them with the SCT database.
Entry standards for cars up to 3.5 tonnes, per ZDMK:
| Fuel | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Petrol, including LPG | Euro 4, or made in 2005 or later |
| Diesel | Euro 6, or made in 2014 or later |
| Your car | What to do |
|---|---|
| Polish plates, meets the standard | Nothing; it is added to the system automatically |
| Foreign plates, meets the standard | Register it online at sct.zdmk.krakow.pl before entering, with a copy of the registration document |
| Non-compliant, non-resident | Pay an entry fee during the 2026-2028 transition |
The city stresses that foreign-registered vehicles must be registered whether or not they meet the standards. During the transition, non-compliant cars of non-residents pay PLN 2.50 per hour; in 2026, paying for two consecutive hours covers the rest of that day.
Radio Kraków reported a PLN 500 fine for entering without permission, enforced from April 2026 after a three-month warning period.
For the airport and old-town approach without a car, see Kraków Airport to the city centre.
How much are speeding fines in Poland?
Polish Police guidance for foreigners and GDDKiA give these default limits for cars:
| Road | Limit |
|---|---|
| Motorway | 140 km/h |
| Dual-carriageway expressway | 120 km/h |
| Single-carriageway expressway, or other dual carriageway | 100 km/h |
| Other roads outside built-up areas | 90 km/h |
| Built-up area | 50 km/h |
The police guidance also requires headlights on while driving at any time of day, seat belts front and rear, hands-free phones only, a fire extinguisher and a warning triangle. The drink-drive threshold is 0.02% blood alcohol.
Fines for speeding follow a fixed tariff in force since 1 January 2022, published by the police:
| Over the limit | Fine |
|---|---|
| Up to 10 km/h | PLN 50 |
| 11-15 km/h | PLN 100 |
| 16-20 km/h | PLN 200 |
| 21-25 km/h | PLN 300 |
| 26-30 km/h | PLN 400 |
| 31-40 km/h | PLN 800 |
| 41-50 km/h | PLN 1,000 |
| 51-60 km/h | PLN 1,500 |
| 61-70 km/h | PLN 2,000 |
| 71 km/h or more | PLN 2,500 |
Penalty points are added to the driver's record as well.
How a camera fine reaches a renter
Fixed cameras, average-speed sections, mobile units and red-light cameras are run by CANARD, part of the General Inspectorate of Road Transport. After a camera records an offence, CANARD sends the registered owner a summons to name the driver, its procedure page explains. For a rental car, the owner is the rental company.
The company names you, and CANARD then sends a statement to you to complete. According to CANARD's cross-border page, once the form is returned, the penalty ticket goes to the postal address of the person who committed the offence. Expect the letter at home weeks after the trip.
Worked example: a village on the way to Oświęcim
On the drive to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial, a camera in a village with a 50 km/h limit records a rental car at 73 km/h: 23 km/h over, in the PLN 300 band. With the Avis handling fee, the renter pays PLN 398.40. At 81 km/h, 31 km/h over, the fine alone jumps to PLN 800. The 50 km/h limit applies from the built-up area sign, so watch for the village name board.
Renting: what to check at the desk
Avis Poland requires every driver to be at least 21 and to have held a licence for at least a year. Drivers under 25 pay a young driver fee of PLN 30.75 to 153.75 per day depending on the location. A driver needs an International Driving Permit or a sworn English translation if the licence was issued outside Europe and the car is rented outside that country, or if the licence is in a non-Latin script. Digital licences are not accepted, except Poland's own mPrawo Jazdy for Polish licence holders.
Taking the car abroad needs the company's approval. Avis charges a cross-border fee of PLN 55.35 per day, capped at PLN 553.50 per rental.
The Polish Police note that a foreign licence is valid in Poland for six months after the first border crossing.