Time Out has ranked Amsterdam as having one of the top 10 public transport systems in the world, with the Dutch capital beating the likes of London, Paris, New York and Zurich. 

Which cities have the best public transport systems?

In order to determine the cities with the world’s greatest public transport, Time Out surveyed over 20.000 city-dwellers across 50 cities around the world, asking them whether or not it was easy for them to get around their own city via public transport. 

Armed with these responses, the magazine put together a list of the top 19 public transport systems in the world, with each of the 19 cities included in the ranking having received positive reviews from at least four out of five locals. 

Berlin claimed the top spot, as transportation in the German capital was praised for being “comfortable, safe and always on time”. Rounding out the top three are Prague, where 96 percent of local residents said their city was easy to get around, and Tokyo, where 94 percent of respondents were positive about the public transport system.

Locals hail Amsterdam’s GVB as good value for money

Many residents of the Dutch capital may complain about the GVB, but according to the results of the survey, on the whole locals are fairly happy with the public transport system in Amsterdam. While the city didn’t do quite as well as Berlin, an impressive 91 percent of locals praised Amsterdam’s transport network, placing the city in a very respectable 10th place.

“The city’s network of trains, trams, ferries and buses does a sterling job,” the Time Out team writes, adding that the city offered “tremendous value for money.” The magazine’s writers noted that, while there were “hordes of bicycles zooming across the Dutch capital” you don’t have to rely on two wheels to get around, as the local public transport system “covers plenty of ground, and no small amount of water too.”

19 cities with the best public transport in the world

According to the Time Out ranking, the top 19 cities for public transport are:

1. Berlin, Germany
2. Prague, Czechia, 
3. Tokyo, Japan
4. Copenhagen, Denmark
5. Stockholm, Sweden
6. Singapore
7. Hong Kong
8. Taipei, Taiwan
9. Shanghai, China
10. Amsterdam, the Netherlands
11. London, England
12. Madrid, Spain
13. Edinburgh, Scotland
14. Paris, France
15. New York, USA
16. Montreal, Canada
17. Chicago, USA
18. Beijing, China
19. Mumbai, India

For more information about how the cities performed, visit the Time Out website.

Thumb: BYonkruud via Shutterstock.com.