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Athens is among the European capitals with the most accessible public transport: according to a new study by Greenpeace, the Greek capital took sixth place, and A monthly pass here costs only €27.
The study, published September 17 and presented euronewscompares the cost and availability of long-term passes in 30 European countries and their capitals.
– Athens occupied 6th place among the most accessible capitals in Europe;
— a 30-day pass costs €27;
– annual – €300;
— single 90-minute ticket — €1.20;
– in London, monthly transport costs approximately €162;
– in Amsterdam – approx. €107in Paris – approx. €77.
Athens is sixth in Europe
Greenpeace assessed not only the absolute cost of tickets, but also the availability of long-term passes, the number of modes of transport they cover, benefits for different categories of passengers and the tax burden.
Based on the combination of these criteria, Tallinn, Luxembourg and Valletta became the best cities in Europe. Next came Prague, Rome and Athens, ranked sixth. Next come Sofia and Vienna.
This is a fairly strong result, especially given the fact that in other European capitals the cost of transport has increased significantly over the past three years.
€27 per month
According to current tariffs OASAordinary A 30-day pass costs €27preferential – €13.50.
The pass is valid for buses, trolleybuses, trams, metro lines 1, 2 and 3 to Koropi, as well as the corresponding section of the suburban railway. Airport routes are not included in the regular pass.
Annual pass costs €30090-day – €78, and 180-day – €155. A separate 30-day pass, including airport travel, costs €45.
Regular ticket – €1.20
A single ticket in Athens costs €1.20 and is valid for 90 minutes on the metro, buses, trolleybuses and trams, except for special routes to the airport.
24 hour ticket costs €4.10five-day – €8.20. A trip to the airport by metro costs €9, and an Express bus costs €5.50.
In addition, OASA already allows you to pay for trips directly with a bank card, phone or watch through the system Tap2Ridewithout prior purchase of ATH.ENA Ticket. The daily deduction for such trips is limited to the cost of a day ticket – €4.10.
London – €162 per month
At the opposite end of the ranking are the largest and most expensive capitals in Western Europe.
According to the study, monthly expenses for public transport are approximately:
- London – €162;
- Amsterdam – €107;
- Paris – €77.
That is, a monthly city pass in Athens costs approximately six times cheaper than London and almost four times cheaper than Amsterdam.
Where transport prices have risen the most
Greenpeace research shows that since 2023, fares for long-term passes have increased in 14 European capitals.
The sharpest growth was recorded in Nicosia – by 67%. In Amsterdam, prices rose by 55%, in Madrid by 50%, in Bratislava by 32%, in Berlin by 29%, and in Vienna by 26%.
Against this background, Athens looks especially unusual: the current 30-day tariff of €27 remains one of the lowest among major European capitals.
But for Greece as a whole the picture is worse
There is, however, an important paradox. If Athens itself received high praise, then Greece as a country is among the outsiders on the availability of available national or interregional long-term travel passes.
According to this indicator, Finland, Greece and Norway look worst in the study. These countries do not have a full-fledged low-cost national subscription system, and the tax burden on public transport is above the EU average.
By comparison, Luxembourg has made public transport free altogether, while Spain and Slovenia have introduced different versions of national passes.
Cheap doesn’t mean perfect
Price, of course, is only one side of the issue. Residents of Athens regularly face overcrowded buses, shortages of rolling stock, delays and problems on certain lines.
Therefore, the sixth place of Athens means first of all that the price of the trip remains relatively lownot that the Greek capital has the sixth best transport system in Europe.
However, compared to the overall cost of living, this is a significant advantage. As rent, groceries, electricity, petrol and taxis continue to rise in price, €27 for unlimited travel for 30 days remains one of the few cost items where Athens is still noticeably cheaper than most Western European capitals.
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