Cities
Renting a car for Uber and Bolt in Szczecin: rates, demand and a port city
25.08.2026 · 7 min read
Renting a car for ride-hailing in Szczecin typically costs 500–800 PLN a week for an economy car and 800–1200 PLN for Comfort class. It is a smaller market than the Tricity but similar in character: the port and industry produce demand independent of tourism, and the nearby western border creates its own stream of longer trips.
What a car costs
| Class | Rate / week | Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Economy (hybrid, LPG) | 500–800 PLN | 500–1500 PLN |
| Standard | 700–950 PLN | 1000–2500 PLN |
| Comfort / XL | 800–1200 PLN | 2000–5000 PLN |
Szczecin sits close to Łódź — clearly below Warsaw and slightly cheaper than the Tricity despite a similar market character.
What makes this market different
A port rather than tourism
This is the key difference from the Tricity, with which Szczecin is sometimes compared because of the water.
In the Tricity, summer is a distinct tourist peak. In Szczecin demand comes chiefly from the port, industry, administration and universities. The effect cuts both ways: the summer peak is weaker, but there is no off-season collapse either. Work is simply spread more evenly across the year.
For a driver that means predictability. A multi-month agreement carries less risk here than in a city where half the demand vanishes in September.
A star-shaped street plan
Szczecin's centre was laid out on the model of Parisian boulevards: broad avenues converging on large roundabouts. For a driver that is a concrete advantage — crossing the centre is quicker than in a city of winding streets.
The flip side: when one roundabout closes, the diversion can be long, because the alternatives run through neighbouring spokes.
The western border
Proximity to the border creates a separate segment: longer out-of-town trips and transfers. They pay well and are predictable, but they consume the mileage cap faster than city work. If you are counting on that traffic, check the cap first — exactly as in the Tricity and Lublin.
→ Mileage caps: how much you actually need
What remains
On an economy car at 650 PLN a week and around 1,900 km driven:
| Item | Per week |
|---|---|
| Rental | 650 PLN |
| Fuel | 520–600 PLN |
| Washing | 40 PLN |
| Total | ~1,230 PLN |
Mileage runs higher than in Łódź because the city is more spread out, but the lower rental rates largely offset that.
→ What Bolt and Uber drivers earn in Poland
Paperwork
No exceptions: since 17 June 2024 a Polish driving licence is required and foreign nationals must document at least 185 days of residence. The passenger transport licence comes from city hall, where the current fee is confirmed.
→ The Polish licence and the 185-day rule · The taxi licence: cost and requirements
What to check in the contract here
- The mileage cap and overage rate — with out-of-town trips this comes first.
- The excess on a claim.
- Whether driving abroad is permitted, and on what terms — in this location a real question, not a formality.
- Who pays for servicing and tyres.
→ The complete guide to renting for ride-hailing · What a rental includes and what it never does
In the ViroCars catalogue the mileage cap, weekly and monthly rate, deposit and excess are listing fields.
Sources: boltua.com (Bolt's Polish cities) · olx.pl (market rates, August 2026) · notesfrompoland.com
Frequently asked
Usually 500–800 PLN a week for an economy hybrid or LPG car and 800–1200 PLN for Comfort. One of the cheaper markets, close to Łódź.
Less than in tourist cities. The port, industry and administration provide steady demand year-round. The summer peak is weaker than the Tricity's, but there is no dead season either.
A separate stream of longer out-of-town trips and transfers. They pay well but consume the mileage cap faster than city work.
Full-time, usually 1,700–2,100 km. The city is spread out but its star-shaped street plan shortens journeys through the centre.
Both. Since 17 June 2024 an app driver needs a Polish driving licence, and a foreign national must document 185 days of residence. The city licence comes from city hall.