The Łódź bus station took up the eastern part Lódź Fabryczna train station, and since it’s under renovation buses have been scattered around town. Express buses depart from Łódź-Kaliska (there is parking in front of the post office) and tickets can be purchased from the booking office, which is open daily from 05:30 - 20:00. There is no left luggage, but you will find ATMs, toilets and kiosks for transport tickets and mobile phone needs. Regular buses and the express buses to Lublin and to Warsaw Airport depart from the square at Węglowa/Knychalskiego street, and as you can imagine there’s no such amenities there.
Getting to town
If you arrive at Łódź-Kaliska you have your choice of taking a taxi from the rank outside or cheaping out and taking the tram. Take trams 8, 10, 12 or 14 to get to the neighbourhood of Piotrkowska. If you’re dropped at the square at Węglowa/Knychalskiego street you can hail a cab; walk up to Narutowicza and catch a 9, 12 or 13 tram at the Hotel Centrum stop going east and get off at Piotrkowska; or walk to the main drag yourself.
Getting to town
If you arrive at Łódź-Kaliska you have your choice of taking a taxi from the rank outside or cheaping out and taking the tram. Take trams 8, 10, 12 or 14 to get to the neighbourhood of Piotrkowska. If you’re dropped at the square at Węglowa/Knychalskiego street you can hail a cab; walk up to Narutowicza and catch a 9, 12 or 13 tram at the Hotel Centrum stop going east and get off at Piotrkowska; or walk to the main drag yourself.
"The station is full of shops cafés and kiosks providing sustenance mobile phone SIM and top-up cards and little else." NOT TRUE!There is only few very small shops and sellers don't speak English!This is dirty terrible place where living homeless people!
The easiest way I have found to deal with the complexities of the Lodz tram and bus network (tickets are time based and need to be combined for longer times) and fare structure is to buy a 24 hour ticket (9.60 pln dobowy from kiosks selling MPK Bilety - ie tickets). This entitles you to all trams and buses within the City boundaries. To venture further afield eg Zgierz you will need to buy additional tickets depending on the length of your journey. You need to stamp your ticket on first use and then its good for the whole 24 hours including night services marked Nocne N. Riding without a ticket leaves you open to an on the spot fine (100 pln I think. A ticket is also required for a suitcase over 60 litres. Bizarre but those are the rules.