From free buses in Luxembourg and Belgrade to around €9 into Nicosia: the cheapest and fastest ways from the airport to the city centre in 22 European capitals, with 2026 fares and journey times.
The cheapest way from the airport to the city in Europe costs nothing at all in Luxembourg and Belgrade, where city buses are free, and less than €1 in Bucharest (bus 100, 3 lei) and Sofia (metro, €0.80). At the other end, the cheapest option is around €6–8 into Rome, £5.90 (≈ €7) into London and €9 into Nicosia, which has no airport of its own. In most of the 22 capitals below, a public transport ticket costs under €6 – far less than a taxi.
The table compares the cheapest option and the fastest option from the main airport to the city centre of 22 European capitals in 2026. Where we have a full airport guide, the city name links to it. For a fixed-price car instead, compare companies on our airport hub pages, such as Prague Airport transfers or Budapest Airport transfers.
Cheapest way from the airport to the city: 22 capitals compared
Sorted from the lowest to the highest cheapest fare (per person, one way, adult). “Around” means a typical or recently reported fare rather than an official one.
| City (airport) | Cheapest option | Fare | Time | Fastest option (fare / time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luxembourg (Luxembourg Airport) | City bus 16 or 29 | Free | Around 25–30 min | Taxi, from around €30, about 15 min |
| Belgrade (Belgrade Nikola Tesla) | City bus 72 or 600 | Free | 30–40 min | Taxi voucher, RSD 3,000–3,500 (≈ €26–30), 20–35 min |
| Bucharest (Henri Coandă (Otopeni)) | Express bus 100 | 3 lei (≈ €0.60) | 40–60 min | Train to Gara de Nord, around 6 lei (≈ €1.20), 20–25 min |
| Sofia (Sofia Airport) | Metro M4 (Terminal 2) | €0.80 | 18–20 min | Same – the metro is also fastest |
| Prague (Václav Havel) | Trolleybus 59 + metro A | CZK 46–55 (≈ €1.90–2.25) | About 35 min | Uber Airport, around CZK 800 (≈ €32), 25–40 min |
| Paris (Charles de Gaulle) | Bus 351 to Nation | One Bus–Tram ticket (about €2) | Around 80 min | RER B, €14, 30–45 min |
| Dublin (Dublin Airport) | Dublin Bus 16 / 41 | €2 with Leap (€2.60 cash) | About 40 min | Dublin Express / Aircoach, from €8, 15–45 min |
| Tallinn (Lennart Meri) | Tram 4 | €2 (QR ticket) | Around 15–20 min | Same – the tram is also the quickest public option |
| Budapest (Ferenc Liszt) | Bus 200E + metro M3 | HUF 850 (≈ €2.30) | 45–50 min | 100E bus, HUF 2,500 (≈ €7), about 40 min |
| Lisbon (Humberto Delgado) | Metro (red line) | €1.90 + €0.50 card | 20–35 min | Same, or taxi €16–19 by day, 15–30 min |
| Valletta (Malta International) | Airport Direct bus TD4 | €3 | 20–30 min | White taxi, €17 fixed, 15–40 min |
| Tirana (Tirana Rinas) | Airport bus (Luna) | ALL 400 (≈ €4) | 30–40 min | Airport taxi, about ALL 2,200 (≈ €23), 20–25 min |
| Madrid (Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas) | Metro line 8 (single ticket + €3 airport supplement) | Around €4.50–5 | Around 20–30 min to Nuevos Ministerios | Same; or Exprés Aeropuerto bus, €5.10, about 40 min to Atocha |
| Brussels (Brussels Airport (Zaventem)) | STIB Airport Line bus (12, or 21 evenings/weekends) | From €4.50 | Depends on traffic | Train, from around €9 incl. airport supplement, 17–18 min to Central |
| Helsinki (Helsinki-Vantaa) | I or P commuter train | €4.80 (ABC single) | 27–32 min | Same – the train is also fastest |
| Berlin (Berlin Brandenburg (BER)) | FEX / regional train | €5.00 (ABC single) | About 23 min to Hauptbahnhof (FEX) | Same – the FEX is also fastest |
| Vienna (Vienna Schwechat) | ÖBB train to Hauptbahnhof | €5.50 | About 15 min | Same – the train is also fastest |
| Athens (Eleftherios Venizelos) | X95 bus (24 hours) | €5.50 | About 60 min | Metro line 3, €9, about 40 min |
| Amsterdam (Schiphol) | NS train to Centraal | About €6 | 15–17 min | Same – the train is also fastest |
| London (Heathrow) | Piccadilly line | £5.90 (≈ €7) | About 50 min | Heathrow Express, £26 (≈ €31), 15–21 min |
| Rome (Fiumicino) | Airport bus (several operators) or FL1 train (€8) | Around €6–8 | 45–70 min | Leonardo Express, €14, 32 min |
| Nicosia (Larnaca (no airport in Nicosia)) | Kapnos airport shuttle | €9 | 40–50 min | Taxi, around €50–90 per car |
The 5 cheapest airport-to-city rides
- Luxembourg – free. Public transport across Luxembourg has been free since March 2020, including the buses from the airport to the city and the central station.
- Belgrade – free. Belgrade stopped charging fares on city buses on 1 January 2025, so buses 72 and 600 cost nothing. See Belgrade Airport transfers for cars.
- Bucharest – 3 lei (≈ €0.60). Express bus 100 runs 24 hours a day to Piața Victoriei, Universitate and Piața Unirii.
- Sofia – €0.80. The metro from Terminal 2 is both the cheapest and the fastest option, at about 18–20 minutes to the centre.
- Prague – CZK 46–55 (≈ €1.90–2.25). Trolleybus 59 and metro line A, about 35 minutes; a larger suitcase needs its own ticket unless you buy a 24-hour pass.
Close behind are Paris (a single Bus–Tram ticket of about €2 on bus 351, though it takes around 80 minutes), Dublin (€2 with a Leap card), Tallinn (€2) and Budapest (≈ €2.30).
The 5 dearest “cheap” options
- Nicosia – €9. Cyprus’s capital has no commercial airport, so the cheapest route is the Kapnos shuttle from Larnaca, about 40–50 minutes away. See Nicosia transfers.
- Rome – around €6–8. Airport buses and the FL1 train (€8) undercut the €14 Leonardo Express but take longer.
- London – £5.90 (≈ €7). The Piccadilly line is cheap but slow; the Elizabeth line costs £15.50 and Heathrow Express £26.
- Amsterdam – about €6. The NS train to Centraal is also the fastest option at 15–17 minutes.
- Vienna and Athens – €5.50. Vienna’s ÖBB train takes about 15 minutes; in Athens the €5.50 X95 bus takes about an hour, against €9 and 40 minutes on the metro.
Even these are a fraction of a taxi. Our airport taxi prices in Europe page lists the taxi fare for each airport we cover.
Western Europe and the British Isles
- Paris CDG: bus 351 is cheapest but runs only until about 20:20; most travellers take the RER B for €14. The Roissybus stopped running on 28 February 2026. Pre-booked cars: Paris CDG Airport transfers.
- London Heathrow: Piccadilly line £5.90, Elizabeth line £15.50, Heathrow Express £26. See Heathrow Airport transfers.
- Dublin: no rail link; Dublin Bus €2 with Leap or airport coaches from €8. See Dublin Airport transfers.
- Amsterdam Schiphol: train about €6, 15–17 minutes. See Schiphol Airport transfers.
- Brussels: the STIB Airport Line bus from €4.50 is cheapest; trains are quicker (17–18 minutes to Central) but include an airport supplement (€6.90 in 2026, usually built into the ticket). See Brussels Airport transfers.
- Luxembourg: free buses 16 and 29 to the city and central station.
Central Europe
- Berlin: one ABC ticket (€5.00 from 1 January 2026) covers the FEX airport express, about 23 minutes to Hauptbahnhof, twice an hour. See Berlin Airport transfers.
- Vienna: ÖBB train €5.50 to the Hauptbahnhof; the S-Bahn line is closed for works until the end of October 2027 and the CAT runs as a bus. See Vienna Airport transfers.
- Prague: trolleybus 59 + metro from CZK 46. See Prague Airport transfers.
- Budapest: 200E + M3 for HUF 850, or the 24-hour 100E for HUF 2,500. See Budapest Airport transfers.
Southern Europe
- Lisbon: metro €1.90 plus a €0.50 reusable card; taxis have zone fares of €16–19 by day. See Lisbon Airport transfers.
- Madrid: metro line 8 needs a €3 airport supplement on top of the ticket; the 24-hour Exprés Aeropuerto bus costs €5.10 to Cibeles and Atocha. See Madrid transfers.
- Rome: buses around €6–8, FL1 €8, Leonardo Express €14. See Rome Fiumicino Airport transfers.
- Athens: X95 bus €5.50 around the clock, metro €9. See Athens Airport transfers.
- Valletta: Airport Direct bus TD4 for €3 or a fixed €17 taxi. See Malta Airport transfers.
- Nicosia: Kapnos shuttle from Larnaca, €9. See Larnaca Airport transfers.
The Balkans and eastern Europe
- Sofia: metro €0.80 (Bulgaria uses the euro from 2026). See Sofia Airport transfers.
- Bucharest: bus 100 for 3 lei or the train to Gara de Nord. See Bucharest Airport transfers.
- Belgrade: free city buses; minibus A1 to Slavija costs RSD 400. See Belgrade Airport transfers.
- Tirana: airport bus ALL 400 to the centre. See Tirana Airport transfers.
The Nordic and Baltic capitals
- Helsinki: the I and P commuter trains reach the centre in about 30 minutes on a €4.80 ABC ticket (contactless price).
- Tallinn: tram 4 runs from the airport into the city; a one-hour QR ticket costs €2.
We could not confirm current official fares for Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Riga, Vilnius or Warsaw when compiling this page, so they are not included yet.
How we compiled this list
For 16 capitals the figures come from our own airport-to-city guides, researched in October 2026. For Berlin, Madrid, Brussels, Helsinki, Tallinn and Luxembourg we used the airport, transport operator or city tourism websites. Fares are adult single tickets; journey times are typical to the main central stop. Euro conversions are approximate. Where an official source was missing or contradictory we wrote “around” or left the capital out, which is why the list has 22 capitals rather than 30. Fares change, often in January, so check before you travel.
Tips for the cheapest airport transfer
- Look for day or group tickets. A 24-hour ticket in Prague also covers a large suitcase; Munich and Nice sell group tickets.
- Check the last departure. Several cheap options stop in the evening (bus 351 in Paris at about 20:20); see our late-night arrivals guide.
- Pay by contactless where possible – Helsinki and Tallinn accept bank cards on board.
- For three or four people, compare a taxi or pre-booked car: a fixed fare split four ways can cost about the same as public transport. Our private transfer vs taxi vs bus page does the maths.
- Avoid unofficial drivers in arrivals; see airport taxi scams in Europe.
Frequently asked questions
Which European capital has the cheapest airport transfer?
Luxembourg and Belgrade, where public buses from the airport are free. Bucharest (bus 100, 3 lei ≈ €0.60) and Sofia (metro, €0.80) are the cheapest paid options.
What is the cheapest way from Paris CDG to the city centre?
Bus 351 to Nation on a single Bus–Tram ticket (about €2), but it takes around 80 minutes and stops at about 20:20. The RER B costs €14 and takes 30–45 minutes.
What is the cheapest way from Heathrow to central London?
The Piccadilly line at £5.90 (≈ €7), taking about 50 minutes to central London.
What is the cheapest way from Madrid airport to the city centre?
Metro line 8 with a €3 airport supplement on top of the ticket, around €4.50–5 in total, or the 24-hour Exprés Aeropuerto bus for €5.10 to Cibeles and Atocha.
How much is the train from Berlin airport to the city?
An ABC single ticket costs €5.00 in 2026 and covers the FEX airport express, which takes about 23 minutes to Berlin Hauptbahnhof.
Is public transport free from Luxembourg airport?
Yes. Public transport in Luxembourg has been free since March 2020, including buses 16 and 29 from the airport to the city centre and central station.
