Public transport cards are one of those travel objects that quietly worm their way into your memory. You tap them a dozen times a day, tuck them into a wallet or lanyard, maybe even keep them long after the trip is over. They’re practical, yes, but they’re also tiny cultural artefacts.

We’ve written about our love for for taking public transportation when we travel.

Some are instantly recognisable. Some only make sense once you’ve stood on the platform, figured out the gates, and worked out which way the train doors open. And some look deceptively simple until you try to remember which city they belong to.

Below are 10 public transport cards from cities around the world, all currently in use. Each one comes with a clue. Your job is to work out which city (or country) the card belongs to before revealing the answer.

We’ve blacked out the city/country names where applicable. We don’t want to make it too easy for you, right?

Clue: The ‘Charlie Card’ is named after the fictional character in the folk song "Charlie on the MTA," about a man stuck forever on the subway because he couldn't pay a nickel exit fare, a protest against a fare hike that became a cultural phenomenon after The Kingston Trio made it a hit.

Clue: ‘Luas’ is a light rail system that runs around this city. There are two lines: red and green. The red line runs west to east and the green line runs north to south with a loop in the centre.

Clue: The iconic double decker buses and trams in this city’s system is affectionately known by locals as the ‘Ding Ding’, a unique form of transportation found on the bustling streets.

Clue: On Saturday 10th January 1863, this city opened the world's first underground railway.

Clue: The national system works alongside cycling, with many people biking to stations, and even allows bikes on trains during off-peak hours for a fee. (name the country)

Clue: This city stopped selling its iconic MetroCards at the end of 2025, with the system fully decommissioned in 2026 when these new cards were introduced.

Clue: This handy, rechargeable card acts as your key to the city's amazing public transportation system, letting you use subways, buses, and even taxis with ease around many cities in this country. (name the country)

Clue: This city’s public transport vision centers on a Walk-Cycle-Ride (WCR) approach, aiming for 90% peak-hour journeys by 2040 through an expanded rail system.

Clue: Many trains in this city have seats that flip, letting you face forward or backward, a fun feature for tourists.

Clue: If you take a train in this city, you may notice that train conductors and platform attendants seem to use an excessive amount of gestures and verbal calls every time a train is approaching or leaving. They are actually a mandatory practice called ‘point and call’.

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