Before you ride: public transport fines, validation and contactless payment by city (2026)
According to the official pages of the transport companies and authorities of 19 of the 40 cities we checked, read on 31 October 2026, the table below gives the fine for travelling without a valid ticket, whether you can pay with a contactless bank card and whether you must validate or tap, with the source of each rule; for the other 21 cities the official page did not open for our check or did not state a current fine, so we give no rules for them.
Fines and payment rules change, often at the start of the year. We quote the transport company’s own pages word for word, with the date we checked them; this is information, not legal advice. The inspector, the fine notice and the official page decide.
“Fine without a valid ticket” is our short summary of the official amount (paying on the spot or late can change it: each city page quotes the rule). “Contactless bank card” says whether the official pages let you pay by tapping a bank card, phone or watch; “Validate or tap?” whether you must stamp, tap or check in. “Not stated” means the pages we read do not say.
| City | Fine without a valid ticket | Contactless bank card | Validate or tap? | Source, checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam Netherlands | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). GVB’s pages answered several of our checks with HTTP 403 (they opened at other times), so we could not confirm its rules. Official page: GVB. | |||
| Athens Greece | €100 (€50 with a reduced-fare ticket) | Yes | Yes | OASA (Athens Urban Transport Organisation), 31 October 2026 |
| Barcelona Spain | €100 minimum charge (50% off if paid on the spot or within two working days) | Partly | Yes | TMB (Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona), 31 October 2026 |
| Berlin Germany | €60 (€7 if you forgot a personal BVG subscription and prove it within 7 days) | Not stated | Yes | BVG (Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe), 31 October 2026 |
| Bologna Italy | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). TPER’s pages that opened do not state the fine for travelling without a ticket (its 2025 service charter lists other fines only). Official page: TPER. | |||
| Brussels Belgium | €107 (€214 for a second fine within 24 months) | Yes | Yes | STIB-MIVB, 31 October 2026 |
| Budapest Hungary | 30,000 HUF from 2 November 2026 (15,000 HUF if paid on the spot or within two working days); before that 25,000 HUF (12,000 HUF on the spot) | Partly | Yes | BKK (Centre for Budapest Transport), 31 October 2026 |
| Copenhagen Denmark | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). The Copenhagen Metro pages that opened do not state the amount of the inspection fee. Official page: Metroselskabet (Copenhagen Metro). | |||
| Dublin Ireland | €100 standard fare plus the unpaid fare (€50 if paid within 21 days on Dublin Bus, €45 within 14 days on Luas) | Not stated | Yes | Transport for Ireland (National Transport Authority), 31 October 2026 |
| Edinburgh United Kingdom | £10 on-board fare if you have not tapped on (trams) | Yes | Yes | Edinburgh Trams, 31 October 2026 |
| Florence Italy | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). Autolinee Toscane’s fines page opened, but the amounts are not in its text. Official page: Autolinee Toscane. | |||
| Geneva Switzerland | CHF 100 if paid to the inspector, CHF 125 if paid later (first offence, adults) | Not stated | Not stated | tpg (Transports publics genevois), 31 October 2026 |
| Hamburg Germany | €60 (€7 if you later show a valid personal season ticket) | Partly | Yes | hvv (Hamburger Verkehrsverbund), 31 October 2026 |
| Helsinki Finland | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). The HSL pages answered our check with HTTP 403. Official page: HSL. | |||
| Kraków Poland | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). The ZTP Kraków page answered some of our checks with HTTP 403; when it opened, it did not state the amount of the additional fee for travelling without a valid ticket. Official page: ZTP Kraków. | |||
| Lisbon Portugal | €120 to €350 for a serious offence (50% off if paid to the inspector or within 15 weekdays) | Yes | Yes | Metropolitano de Lisboa, 31 October 2026 |
| London United Kingdom | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). The TfL pages on penalty fares and contactless answered our check with HTTP 403. Official page: Transport for London (TfL). | |||
| Lyon France | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). The TCL pages answered our check with HTTP 403. Official page: TCL. | |||
| Madrid Spain | €80 surcharge (€40 if paid within 15 working days) on the Metro | Partly | Yes | Metro de Madrid, 31 October 2026 |
| Milan Italy | €39.30 plus the ticket if paid to the inspector (€56.50 within 5 days, €71.50 within 60 days, plus the ticket; ATM table dated 9 January 2023) | Yes | Yes | ATM (Azienda Trasporti Milanesi), 31 October 2026 |
| Montreal Canada | Up to $500 plus fees | Not stated | Yes | STM (Société de transport de Montréal), 31 October 2026 |
| Munich Germany | €60 (€7 if you forgot a valid personal ticket and show it within 14 days) | Not stated | Yes | MVG (Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft), 31 October 2026 |
| Naples Italy | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). ANM’s pages show only a loading screen without JavaScript, so our check read no rules. Official page: ANM. | |||
| New York United States | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). The MTA pages answered our check with HTTP 403. Official page: MTA. | |||
| Oslo Norway | NOK 1,200 paid to the inspector by card, NOK 1,470 by invoice (adults) | Not stated | Yes | Ruter, 31 October 2026 |
| Paris France | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). The Île-de-France Mobilités and RATP pages answered our check with HTTP 403. Official page: Île-de-France Mobilités (RATP pages also blocked). | |||
| Porto Portugal | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). Metro do Porto’s English FAQ gives a 95 EUR fine, but its own 2018 notice describes a newer fines regime: we do not state an amount. Official page: Metro do Porto. | |||
| Prague Czechia | CZK 1,200 on the spot, CZK 1,500 within 15 days, CZK 2,000 otherwise | Yes | It depends | DPP (Prague Public Transit Company) · PID (Prague Integrated Transport), 31 October 2026 |
| Riga Latvia | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). Rīgas satiksme’s pages answered our check with HTTP 403. Official page: Rīgas satiksme. | |||
| Rome Italy | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). ATAC’s pages answered our check with an anti-robot page; the City of Rome pages that opened date from 2018 and 2019, too old to state today’s fine. Official page: ATAC. | |||
| Stockholm Sweden | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). SL’s page loads its text with JavaScript only, so our check read no rules. Official page: SL. | |||
| Sydney Australia | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). The Opal page returned an almost empty answer, with no rules in it. Official page: Transport for NSW (Opal). | |||
| Toronto Canada | Up to $425, or a criminal charge | Yes | Yes | TTC (Toronto Transit Commission), 31 October 2026 |
| Turin Italy | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). GTT’s website closed the connection on our check. Official page: GTT. | |||
| Valencia Spain | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). The Metrovalencia site sends an incomplete certificate chain, so we could not open it securely, and EMT Valencia closed the connection. Official page: Metrovalencia and EMT Valencia. | |||
| Vancouver Canada | $173 (if unpaid, it goes up by $40 on the 180th day and by $60 on the 366th day) | Yes | Yes | TransLink, 31 October 2026 |
| Venice Italy | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). ACTV’s fines page opened, but it gives the legal basis and no amount. Official page: AVM/ACTV. | |||
| Vienna Austria | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). Wiener Linien’s pages answered our check with an anti-robot page; the City of Vienna press release that opened dates from 2022, too old to state today’s fee. Official page: Wiener Linien. | |||
| Warsaw Poland | Not read (checked on 31 October 2026). The WTP page answered with an empty challenge page (HTTP 202). Official page: Warszawski Transport Publiczny. | |||
| Zurich Switzerland | CHF 100 for a first offence (CHF 140 for a second, CHF 220 for a third) | Not stated | It depends | ZVV (Zürcher Verkehrsverbund), 31 October 2026 |
Questions
Can I pay contactless on the metro?
In some cities. Yes in Athens, Brussels, Edinburgh, Lisbon, Milan, Prague, Toronto, Vancouver; partly (some lines, gates or tickets) in Barcelona, Budapest, Hamburg, Madrid. The pages we read do not say for Berlin, Dublin, Geneva, Montreal, Munich, Oslo, Zurich.
What is the fine for no ticket?
It depends on the city. On the official pages we read: Athens: €100 (€50 with a reduced-fare ticket); Barcelona: €100 minimum charge (50% off if paid on the spot or within two working days); Berlin: €60 (€7 if you forgot a personal BVG subscription and prove it within 7 days); Brussels: €107 (€214 for a second fine within 24 months); Budapest: 30,000 HUF from 2 November 2026 (15,000 HUF if paid on the spot or within two working days); before that 25,000 HUF (12,000 HUF on the spot); Dublin: €100 standard fare plus the unpaid fare (€50 if paid within 21 days on Dublin Bus, €45 within 14 days on Luas); Edinburgh: £10 on-board fare if you have not tapped on (trams); Geneva: CHF 100 if paid to the inspector, CHF 125 if paid later (first offence, adults); Hamburg: €60 (€7 if you later show a valid personal season ticket); Lisbon: €120 to €350 for a serious offence (50% off if paid to the inspector or within 15 weekdays); Madrid: €80 surcharge (€40 if paid within 15 working days) on the Metro; Milan: €39.30 plus the ticket if paid to the inspector (€56.50 within 5 days, €71.50 within 60 days, plus the ticket; ATM table dated 9 January 2023); Montreal: Up to $500 plus fees; Munich: €60 (€7 if you forgot a valid personal ticket and show it within 14 days); Oslo: NOK 1,200 paid to the inspector by card, NOK 1,470 by invoice (adults); Prague: CZK 1,200 on the spot, CZK 1,500 within 15 days, CZK 2,000 otherwise; Toronto: Up to $425, or a criminal charge; Vancouver: $173 (if unpaid, it goes up by $40 on the 180th day and by $60 on the 366th day); Zurich: CHF 100 for a first offence (CHF 140 for a second, CHF 220 for a third).
How we check
We read the pages of each city’s transport company or transport authority (for example BVG, DPP, BKK, TMB, STIB-MIVB, OASA, Ruter, the TTC and TransLink) and quote them word for word with the date; German and Italian quotes come with our translation. A city gets a page only if its official page states a current fine for travelling without a valid ticket. Some official websites answer automated checks with an error or an anti-robot page: we do not try to pass those checks and we do not copy their rules from other websites, so those rows say “Not read”. We check every source again every three months, and in January, when many fines change. More on the About page. Spotted a change? Tell us.
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