Slovakia ranked 24th out of 30 in a new ranking by the environmental organization Greenpeace, which assessed the accessibility and cost of public transportation in European countries. With a score of just 5 out of a possible 100, the country tied with Italy and France. Only Norway, Greece, and Finland ranked lower.
Analysts examined the cost and convenience of long-term passes (monthly and annual passes), the VAT rate, the availability of discounts, and the existence of a single universal ticket for all modes of transportation.
Why Slovakia Received Low Scores
According to Greenpeace, the main problems with Slovakia’s public transportation system are the high tax burden and the lack of a unified system:
High VAT on tickets. The VAT rate on passenger transportation in Slovakia is 23%. The country is among the seven European nations that have raised this tax (by 3 percentage points) since the last study. None of the 30 countries in the ranking has lowered its VAT on transportation.
Lack of a unified “climate ticket.” Slovakia does not have an affordable universal pass that would be valid for most modes of transportation throughout the entire country or major regions (as is the case in Austria, Germany, or Slovenia).
Rapid price increases in Bratislava. The standard annual pass in the capital has risen by 32.2% since 2023—from 199 to 263 euros. This is the fourth-largest price increase among all 30 European capitals surveyed and the largest in Central and Eastern Europe. As a result, Bratislava dropped five spots in the city ranking, placing 10th.
The only significant advantage that saved Slovakia from the bottom of the rankings was free travel on ZSSK trains for certain social groups (children, students, and retirees).
Paradox: Prices Are Rising, but Ridership Is Breaking Records
The Greenpeace ranking primarily evaluates pricing policies and the conditions the government creates for passengers, rather than the actual popularity of public transit. That is precisely why, despite the low ranking, Slovaks continue to increasingly choose buses, trams, and trains over their own cars.
Annual total: In 2025, nearly 748 million passengers used public transportation in Slovakia—5% more than the previous year and nearly 7% higher than in 2019, before the pandemic.
Trends in 2026: In the second quarter of 2026, passenger traffic increased by another 3.5% (to 196.4 million people). At the same time, public transit (MHD) carried 130.7 million passengers (+3.9%), while railways recorded 19.7 million passengers, a record high since late 2019.
The European Context and “Climate Tickets”
Greenpeace is calling on European governments to transition to so-called “climate tickets”—simple, long-term, and affordable travel passes that would encourage people to give up private cars in favor of eco-friendly transportation.
According to the organization, the best and most affordable public transit options are available in eight countries: Luxembourg, Malta, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Spain, and Switzerland. In Luxembourg and Malta, all public transportation is completely free, while Slovenia ranked third thanks to its affordable single pass for trains and buses throughout the country.
Slovakia still lags significantly behind these standards, and rising fares in the capital are making daily commutes an increasingly significant burden on family budgets.
