Top cities in Europe for easy communiting and public transportation

Public transportation is one of the essential characteristics of every city. Many people rely on it while commuting to work, school, and more. That’s why it’s a very important factor to consider when you are moving somewhere. Therefore, if you are someone who’s using public transport daily, you’ll want to move to a place with well-established public transport. In Europe, about 49% of people in every city use it as a way of transportation, so European cities always make sure their transportation systems are on a high level. International moving expert is here to talk about top cities in Europe for easy commuting and public transportation.

Why should you use public transport?

The best thing about public transport in Europe is that Europeans are always working on improving and upgrading the systems. They aim to make them more eco-friendly, sustainable, and energy efficient. Not to mention that it’s very affordable and even free in the country of Luxembourg. But what other reasons are there?

It’s good for your health

This may seem like a weird statement, but let us explain. If you choose to drive your car wherever you go, you are not doing any physical activity as it’s always close to you. However, if you choose to use public transport, you can do your daily walks just by walking to the bus or train station. It might not be much, but it’s an important part of your day that will help you stay active. 

Fuel efficiency

Air pollution is one of the biggest world problems in today’s society. People using cars in their daily commutes causes about 85% of the greenhouse gasses emission. Therefore, having nearly as many cars on the planet as there are people doesn’t really help. Technically, we are spending way more fuel than it is actually needed. Therefore, we are not only saving money by using buses, trains, and trams as our way of transportation. We are also saving fuel and our environment from further pollution. Many public vehicles are electric or use renewable sources of energy as fuel. 

Improving your productivity

Laws while doing anything other than driving while you are behind the wheel have been around for a very long time. This is because 100% of your attention and focus needs to be on the road to avoid any accidents from happening. This also means that you lose hours and hours driving while not being able to do anything else in that time. On the other hand, taking public transport means that you are not behind the wheel, but are still able to get to your location. You can use that time to do things you wouldn’t be able to do while driving – complete a small task, read a book, or prepare for your meeting. 

European cities with the best public transport

Now that you know all the benefits of public transport, we can go back to our topic of top cities in Europe for easy commuting and public transport. Here are some suggestions:

Copenhagen, Denmark is one of the top cities in Europe for easy commuting and public transportation

Copenhagen is considered to be one of the top cities in Europe for easy commuting and public transportation because it’s easy to use and it’s efficient. All you need to do is grab your Copenhagen Card, and you can use any type of public transport :

• the metro
• s-trains
• buses
• regional trains
• harbor busses

The Copenhagen Metro

If you wonder what is the most efficient way to get somewhere – the answer is by using the metro. This is mainly because it’s very easy to use and it can take you to every part of the city so you can use it anywhere. Copenhagen Metro has 4 lines in total and they can all take you to a different part of the city. The best thing about this is that you can’t possibly miss a train station as they are all marked with a big “M” sign. Metro is also available at night, so you don’t have to worry about missing the last daily ride and staying out with your friends for a bit longer!

S-trains

S-trains are famous for their distinctive red color. A total of 7 train lines can take you anywhere in the city – even to the cities near Copenhagen. These lines stretch over 89 stations in total and main stations like Østerport and Nørreport are connected. 

The buses

Another group of vehicles with a distinctive color – this time yellow. If you are moving to Denmark from US, this might be your favorite form of transport as a new resident. While the metro is more efficient, you can’t actually see much on the way. Buses give you a better chance to witness and experience the beauty of the city.

Paris, France

Since we’re talking about the top cities in Europe for easy commuting and public transportation, we can’t fail to mention Paris. Paris is one of the biggest cities in Europe, so most of its residents and visitors use public transport daily. You can pick up the tickets in all mainlines and metro stations. After your overseas relocation, it’s best to buy a carnet of 10 tickets for €16.90 until you figure everything out. Later on, you can get a Navigo monthly or annual pass for €5 and recharge it every month or year. The price for your monthly recharge can go from €72 to €84 depending on how many zones you choose. Not that you’ll need a passport photo as well to purchase this card. These tickets can be used for all forms of public transport in Paris – the metro, buses, RER, or trams.

Buses

The second most popular way of commuting in Paris are buses. Buying the ticket from a driver will cost you €2, which might be useful right after moving to France from USA until you get the chance to get your Navigo card. If you choose to buy the t+ ticket right away, it will be valid for 90 minutes after you validate it and you can even change lines. Just like in the majority of cities in Europe, you are supposed to validate your ticket as you board the bus.

The Paris Metro

Art Noveau entrances, beautiful station designs, and trains that are available at almost any minute are just some of the characteristics of this amazing metro. We can easily say that it’s one of the symbols of Paris. This metro will take you to any place in the city, it runs from around 6 am to 1 am. The exceptions are Fridays and Saturdays when the metro rides are available until 2 am. Using the Paris Metro is considered to be generally safe, some lines might be busier than others, and every line shows you a different side of the city.

London, United Kingdom

Hiring private vehicles like taxis is considered to be expensive in all of Europe, and London is no exception. That’s why this city has a well-developed public transport system that will save you a lot of money while living in it. After moving to the UK from USA, you can use The Tube, Overground Rail, buses, and much more. For using any of these, you’ll need to purchase something called an Oyster card, you can get them at any machine or ticket offices at the station.

The Tube

We are starting with the fastest and most common type of transport in London – The Tube. The Tube is the oldest underground metro in the whole world! A fun fact is that about half of its racks are actually not under the ground – but above it. It stretches over 270 stations and people love it because it’s well-connected and fast because it’s an easy way to avoid countless traffic jams that happen throughout the day. You’ll have no problem finding the stations as you can easily recognize the red and blue logo in front of the venue. One more important thing to mention is that you need to validate your card when both when you enter and exit the vehicle.

The Overground

This transportation system, unlike the Tube, goes entirely above the ground, as the name implies. The Overground services run parallel to The Tube since they are a more recent addition to the town. This transportation method is also reasonably priced and accessible via an Oyster card, which is easily topped off at any station. If you’ve chosen an Oyster contactless payment, you don’t need to tap in and out, but there may be some stations that require you to do this.

Bern, Switzerland

The fact that the majority of Bern’s residents use public transport daily is good proof of how amazing it is. You don’t even have to worry about switching from buses to trains after moving from USA to Switzerland as all transportation services are in perfect sync. FOT(Federal Office of Transport) is in charge of passengers’ safety. The main options for public transport in Bern are buses, trains, and trams.

Trains in Bern

In Bern, all trains are operated by Swiss Federal Railways. You’ve probably heard of stereotypes saying that people in Switzerland are pretty much always on time – and we assure you that it’s true, including their trains. The railway network in Bern is one of the safest and highest-quality networks in Europe! While other countries focus on the speed of their trains, Switzerland focuses on punctuality. As for the tickets, most regular commuters have a Half Fare Travelcard and it costs CHF 185 per year.

Buses

The bus routes in Bern fall into two categories – urban/suburban and regional/rural. Just like in most cities in Europe, you can get your tickets at ticket machines or purchase them directly from the driver, which is usually a more expensive option and you should use it only in emergencies. You can find the timetables on the website of BERNMOBIL – the bus operator in Bern.

Berlin, Germany is among the top cities in Europe for easy commuting and public transportation

Just like in Bern, people in Berlin put a lot of emphasis on punctuality. Their public transport is one of the best in Europe because of how safe, comfortable, and easily accessible it is. Berlin is divided into three tariff zones, A, B, and C, A being the center of the city. The ticket you purchase must cover at least two of the tariff zones, or all three. The price for a regular ticket may vary from €3 to €3.8, depending on how many zones you choose, and it’s valid for 2 hours. As you might be moving from USA to Germany, you’ll need a monthly ticket that you can purchase for €86 – €107. 

U-Bahn – Underground

U-Bahn is the most used type of public transport in Berlin. It covers 173 stations and has 10 lines that are all marked with the letter U(U1, U2…). It runs mostly underground, but some lines operate above the ground as well. The “U” signs are an easy way to recognize where the stations are. With U-Bahn, you can go to any part of Berlin as the lines are all well-connected.

Buses

Berlin has one of the biggest bus networks in Germany. There are over 350 routes and almost 2700 bus stops in this system, which makes it the easiest way to get around the city. Every station has a green “H” mark so it’s very easy to find them. Lines 100 and 200 are ideal for those who want to see the beauty of this city and go sightseeing. The main advantage of this network is that runs 24/7 unlike other types of transport in Berlin, so you can easily get home after your late shift or a night out.

Vienna, Austria

Vienna has four main types of public transport – U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams, and buses. It’s a well-developed public transport system with 5 underground, 29 tram, and 127 bus lines. There are 29 bus lines that are available after midnight, while the U-Bahn is available 24/7 on Saturdays and Sundays. The price od a single ticket is €2.4 and you can purchase them at ticket machines or directly from drivers for the price of €2.6.

Vienna U-Bahn

Unlike the Berlin U-Bahn, Vienna has a total of 5 underground lines that go from U1 to U6(don’t forget that there is no U5). It covers 109 stations and a distance of 83km. At every station, you can find an electronic display that shows the waiting time in addition to the destination.

Trams

Bern is on the list of top cities in Europe for easy commuting and public transportation mostly because of its amazing tram network. Right after moving from USA to Austria, you’ll most likely want to get familiar with the city. The best way for that is to hop on a tram as they will take you through Vienna using the routes that show off the best parts of the city. For example, lines 1 and 2 will take you to the most famous attractions of Vienna on the Ringstrasse. You’ll easily recognize them by their red and white color. Every line is marked with a letter or a number, so it’s easy to find the one you need. 

References:

https://www.ratp.fr/en/titres-et-tarifs/navigo-monthly-and-weekly-travel-passes

https://www.wien.gv.at/english/transportation-urbanplanning/public-transport/