As of 1 January, one-way journeys on the metro, train and RER cost a flat fare of €2.50 (£2.10), €2 for a single trip on buses and trams or €2.50 if you buy the ticket onboard, regardless of the distance or number of zones crossed. Journeys to the city’s three airports are excluded, costing between €10.30 and €13 for a single fare.
Some Parisians and visitors will be paying more for a ticket. Previously, a single metro ticket cost €2.15 and the much-loved, 10-ticket cardboard carnet, allowed travel at €1.73 per journey.
With rising public transport prices in mind, we have reviewed the costs of a break in each of Europe’s seven most-visited cities – tourist numbers were based on research from data analysts Euromonitor.
We have calculated the total of a snap shot of costs for a visit to each city, including the average nightly price at a three-star hotel, a three-course meal for two in a mid-range restaurant and transport, to see which is the cheapest – and the most expensive – place to visit. We have also looked at entry prices for major attractions.
A classic view of London: the city’s hotel prices account for its high overall costs (Photo: Getty)
London is the most popular city break, according to Euromonitor data, which looks at international visitors staying overnight. According to Euromonitor’s findings, nearly 22 million people visited in 2024.
As for travel, in zone 1, a single peak fare is £2.80 when using pay-as-you-go (with a bank card or an Oyster card), rising to £6.70 if you pay in cash. There’s a daily cap of £8.50 for pay-as-you-go travel with an Oyster or bank card in zones 1 and 2, though this can be as high as £22.30 if you travel as far as zone nine.
One thing that is not just affordable in London, but entirely free, is entry to many museums and galleries. Among the free-to-visit venues are the National Gallery, the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum, although some temporary exhibitions do cost extra.
Rome, Italy: £242.30
A back street of Rome, which is marking a jubilee year (Photo: Alexander Spatari/Getty)Hotels here don’t come cheap, costing an average of €220 (or £185.50) in a three-star spot.
Alternatively, there are MetroBus tickets, which allow limitless travel for 24, 48, or 72 hours and cost €7 (£5.90), €12.50 (£10.49) and €18 (£15.18) respectively.
Be mindful that these tickets don’t include travel to and from Rome’s two airports, Fiumicino and Ciampino, and you’ll have to pay between €12 (£10.12) and €28 (£23.62), depending on which route you take.
Some of the cities most popular outdoor sights, including the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, are free to visit.
The Eixample district in Barcelona, Spain’s most popular city break destination (Photo: Getty)
Its public transport system can seem a little complicated, price-wise at least. A single ticket for the metro or bus is €2.65 (£2.30), while an airport ticket costs €5.70 (£4.80).
Across Spain, on 18 May – International Museum Day – all museums and galleries offer free entry, including those which don’t otherwise offer a monthly day of free access.
Paris, France: £208.10
Montmartre is among Paris’s many picturesque backdrops (Photo: Alexander Spatari/Getty)An estimated 17.4 million people visited Paris for an overnight stay in 2024.
If you’re planning on eating a three-course meal at a mid-range restaurant in Paris, Numbeo data suggests you should budget £58.65 for two people.
It’s pricier if you’re over 26 and not a resident of the EU or Schengen Zone, with tickets costing €22.00 (about £18.50) each.
El Retiro Park, Madrid: the city has green spaces and many free museums (Photo: Getty)
In Madrid, where 6.05 million people visited for an overnight trip in 2024, two people eating a three-course meal at a mid-range restaurant will cost €60 (£50.30), while the average three-star hotel comes in at €175 (£147.50).
Meanwhile, a single trip on a bus costs €1.50, or you can buy a 10-trip ticket, which costs €12.20 (£10.30) for central zones only, or €18.50 for all zones. A similar ticket is available for the metro, at a cost of €18.30 for travel across all zones, while tickets to and from the airport cost between €4.50 and €5.
La Almudena Cathedral is also free to visit, but a €1 donation is welcomed.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: £186.30
Amsterdam is an attraction in itself (Photo: Getty)Eating out in the city isn’t cheap: a three-course meal for two at mid-range restaurant costs €90.00 (£76).
A GVB day ticket, valid for 24 hours and usable on the metro, buses and trams, costs €9.50 (£8). If you are travelling to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport from the city centre, though, expect to pay an extra €4.90 (£4.15) to €6.70 (£5.65).
The city is an attraction in itself, but many of its museums and galleries charge for entry, including the Rijksmuseum, which is €25 (£21) entry for adults at all times.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II gallery in Milan, where public transport is affordable (Photo: francesco riccardo iacomino/Getty)
In Milan, which clocked up 7.88 million overnight visitors in 2024, a three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant will set you back €80.00 (£67.50), while the average price for a three-star hotel is €134 (£113).
Alternatively, you can opt for a daily ticket costing €7.60 (£6.50) and valid 24 hours, or a three-day ticket for €15.50 (£13.10).
Linate Airport is on the metro and getting there doesn’t cost extra but, if you need to get to Malpensa Airport, it’s €13 (£11) for adults and €6.50 (£5.50) for children aged 4–13.
Alternatively, the vast Gallerie d’Italia offers free admission on the first Sunday of each month.
Berlin, Germany: £150.20
I'm visually impaired, my friend a wheelchair user - this city break was a joy
Read MoreFor the price of one ticket, visitors have access to all public transport in Berlin, including the S-Bahn, subway, buses, trams and ferries, although the fare depends on the tariff zone and the ticket’s period of validity.
Costing €2.60 (£2.20), it’s valid for three stops on the S-Bahn or subway, with a change of train being permitted, or six stops on buses and trams, where changes of vehicle are not permitted.
Many must-see attractions in Berlin are free to visit, including the Berlin Wall Memorial and the Holocaust Memorial. It’s also free to see the original Checkpoint Charlie site, but entry to the accompanying museum is €18.50 (£15.60) per adult.
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