In Greece, the fine for traveling without a ticket has increased to 100 euros

From May 30, 2026 fine for ticketless travel on public transport Athens And Thessaloniki increased to 100 euros.

Fines for ticketless travel have been tightened in Greece in city public transport Athens And Thessaloniki. WITH May 30, 2026 Passengers without a valid ticket will have to pay 100 euros. Previously the fine was 72 euros. For passengers entitled to a reduced fare, the fine has been increased from 30 to 50 euros.

New rules are provided by law 5290/2026published in the government gazette May 28, 2026. According to Greek media, the changes came into force from May 30 and relate to urban transport networks Athens And Thessaloniki. Athens Voice

The purpose of increasing fines is to combat ticketless travel. The authorities expect a fixed fine of 100 euros will become a more effective deterrent than the previous system, under which in Athens the fine was calculated as 60 times the ticket price and compiled 72 euros.

At the same time, the opportunity is left for violators to reduce the amount. If the passenger within 10 days will issue a travel card for an unlimited number of trips for a period of at least 30 dayshe will be able to pay half the fine – 50 euros. That is, the state seems to be saying: “Since you’re caught, at least start driving legally.” The tenderness of bureaucracy is, of course, peculiar.

Recently, ticket checks have become more frequent, especially in places with high passenger traffic and on routes actively used by tourists. For Athens These are the metro, tram, buses, trolleybuses and urban sections of the suburban railway. For Thessaloniki – buses and metro.

How much does a regular ticket cost?

IN Athens a basic single ticket for public transport costs 1.20 euroand preferential – 0.50 euro. He acts 90 minutes and allows you to make an unlimited number of transfers within the city network, with the exception of special airport routes and individual lines. These tariffs are indicated in the official information ΟΑΣΑ.

IN Thessaloniki a basic single ticket for metro and city buses costs 0.60 euroand preferential – 0.30 euro. Against this background, a fine of 100 euros looks especially painful: in Athens it costs more than 80 regular tripsand in Thessaloniki – more than 160. The mathematics is simple, unpleasant and, oddly enough, convincing.

Editorial comment

The fight against ticketless travel is understandable in itself: public transport cannot operate normally if some passengers systematically travel for free. But the increase in fines should go along with the normal quality of services: regular flights, safety, cleanliness, working validators and an understandable payment system.

When a passenger is fined 100 euros per ticket cost 1.20 eurothe state must be sure that, on its part, it has also fulfilled its obligations. Otherwise, fighting “hares” quickly turns into another way replenish the cash register at the expense of those who already every day face delays, overcrowded carriages and a transport reality that can hardly be called European even with a very big imagination.

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