“Mobility is one of the most important challenges of humanity in the 21st century” – so Luxembourg’s deputy prime minister, François Bausch, told me on the day the Grand Duchy abolished fares for public transport in February 2020.
“The system that we developed in the last century cannot function any more. Everywhere we have congestion problems, the quality of life in urban areas is going down.
“If we organise the big urban areas, this will help with climate change,” the Green Party politician said.
Luxembourg is at the forefront of the free transport revolution, but other locations are picking up the pace. This is a snapshot of some of the places where you can move without money.
Australia
Melbourne, the southernmost big city in the world, also has probably the best tram system – and rides are free anywhere in the central area, as well as on the vintage tram that rattles around the central business district.
Luxembourg
The first nation on earth to make all public transport free happens to be very rich and very small (the size of Oxfordshire). In 2019, trains, trams and buses were costing about €1bn annually to run, but fares covered 4 per cent or less.
With four out of five commuters preferring cars to public transport, the decision to abolish fares looked a wise way to encourage a shift from private to collective travel.
To explore this beautiful country, from Trois Vierges in the north to Schengen in the far south-east, you need no travelcard or any form of ticket. Just step on board. The impressive funicular in Luxembourg City is also covered.
Not every aspect of public transport is free: commuters who want to “work in serenity” can pay an extra €3 for the privilege of going first class on trains.
Netherlands
In Amsterdam, ferries from the rear entrance of Centraal station across the IJ river are free and take you to a fascinating area, called Waterland, with very few tourists.
Spain
Train travel in Spain is free for the rest of the year on all but the fastest trains. But to reduce the cost to zero, users must pay a deposit and book multiple trips. The rules are understandably designed to help regular travellers rather than benefit short-term international visitors.
The passenger can choose a deal for either local suburban services around big cities (known as Cercanías except in Catalonia, where they are called Rodalies), or Media Distancia (“middle distance”) trains, or both.
For either type, the traveller first registers: at…
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