A report released in May 2023 from Greenpeace ranked 30 European countries, and their respective capital cities, by the quality of their public transport ticket offerings. The report covered the EU27, plus Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The study used four criteria for its analysis: the simplicity of the ticketing system, the full price of long-term tickets, discounts for socially disadvantaged groups and the VAT rate on public transport tickets. The report weighed these criteria differently for the purpose of the national and city rankings.
The report puts Luxembourg at the top of the national ranking with a full score of 100 out of 100 points, followed by Malta, Austria and Germany. The three cities that topped the capital city ranking were Tallinn (EE), Luxembourg (LU) and Valletta (MT), followed by Prague (CZ), Bratislava (SK) and Madrid (ES).
The report emphasises that only 3 of the 30 countries offer relatively affordable tickets covering the entire county, these being Austria, Germany and Hungary. At the city level, public transport is free in Luxembourg, Tallinn and Valletta. Cheap monthly or annual tickets are available in Prague, Bratislava, Vienna (AT) and Rome (IT), although the latter is considering a price increase in 2023. Out of the 30 countries, 6 tax public transport tickets using the standard VAT rate, which is typically applied to a luxury good.
Greenpeace calls for the creation of a “European ticket”, modelled on the “Germany ticket”. The latter provides passengers with access to regional train and bus services, as well as local public transport services nationwide, at a cost of €49 per month. The report argues that the cost of the European ticket should be covered by ending the tax exemptions for international flights.
You can find the full report here.