A growing number of cars, insufficient parking lots, agonizing search for a parking space - this picture is well known not only in Sofia, but also in the capitals of our neighbors. How is parking arranged there and what fees are applied by local authorities - BTA correspondents in five Balkan capitals and Istanbul checked how the paid parking systems function in these cities:
ATHENS
The Greek capital Athens has a controlled parking system (PARKinATHENS), developed by the municipal authorities and operating since 2006 with various modifications and upgrades. It aims to make it easier for citizens and guests of the city to find free parking spaces in the central areas where there is heavy traffic.
The system includes four categories of parking spaces. It includes 5,177 spaces for city residents' vehicles, 3,463 spaces for visitors, 1,604 spaces for two-wheeled vehicles - motorcycles and mopeds, as well as 1,000 special spaces for people with disabilities.
Controlled parking is valid for visitor spaces from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays, and until 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays. For residents' spaces and special spaces, the controlled parking system is valid 24 hours a day and all year round, without time restrictions for all days and hours.
Payment is made in three ways: via the myathenspass application; via a POS terminal in authorized kiosks or shops; with the purchase of a “scratch“ card.
For visitors, the maximum duration of permitted parking is three hours, and parking fees amount to 0.50 euros for half an hour of parking and increase by 0.50 euros for every half hour, up to the second hour, where they reach 2 euros. For two and a half hours of parking, the user must pay 4 euros, and for three hours - 6 euros.
Vehicles with a disabled sign can park freely in the visitor spaces, without paying a fee, all days and hours.
Permanent residents can contact the Municipality of Athens to be provided with a special resident sticker to be placed in a prominent place on the windshield of their vehicle. This way, they can park for free, but only if they live in the relevant area, otherwise they also have to pay.
The city also has two municipal parking lots, where there are also designated spaces for people with special needs.
Due to the many vehicles, motorcycle and moped drivers often park on the sidewalks, which sometimes leads to fines if the police authorities consider that this hinders pedestrian traffic.
There are also numerous secure private parking lots in the city center used by tourists, where the price is usually 1 euro per hour for passenger cars. Some paid parking lots also charge an initial fee of 12 euros.
ANKARA
The Turkish capital, with a population of nearly 5.8 million people and 2.8 million cars, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute, has seven large municipal parking lots in different areas of the city. Their total capacity is 1204 cars, and the parking lots themselves are divided into four types - roadside parking, rest parking, outdoor and indoor parking.
The latest changes in parking prices in municipal parking lots in Ankara were made on January 15, 2025.
Parking in roadside parking for up to fifteen minutes is free. Parking from fifteen minutes to one hour costs 60 Turkish liras or 1.20 euros, from one to two hours - 70 Turkish liras or 1.40 euros, from two to six hours - 90 Turkish liras or 1.80 euros, from six to nine hours - 100 Turkish liras or 2 euros, from nine to twenty-four hours - 115 Turkish liras or 2.30 euros.
There is no possibility of free stay in outdoor and indoor parking lots. The prices for parking a car in open and closed parking lots are the same in the first few hours, but for stays over nine hours, parking in a closed parking lot becomes more expensive than in an open one. Parking in both open and closed parking lots for up to one hour costs 70 Turkish Liras or 1.40 euros, from one to four hours - 85 Turkish Liras or 1.70 euros, parking in an open parking lot from four to eight hours costs 100 Turkish Liras or 2 euros, the same amount is for parking in a closed parking lot, but for a different time interval - from four to nine hours. Parking in an open parking lot for a period of eight to twelve hours costs 115 Turkish Liras or 2.30 euros, and in a closed parking lot the price is set for a period of nine to twelve hours and is 150 Turkish Liras or 3 euros. Parking in an open parking lot for a period of twelve to twenty-four hours costs 150 Turkish Liras or 3 euros. Parking in a covered car park for the same period is more expensive - 200 lira or 4 euros.
Parking in a holiday car park is paid for 24 hours and costs 50 lira or 1 euro.
There is no division into "blue" and "green" zones in the city. There is also no SMS parking system.
ISTANBUL
Istanbul, whose population, including its suburbs, is approaching 20 million, is among the largest metropolises in the world. According to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), nearly 5.4 million motor vehicles were registered in the city last year.
A law passed in 2021 states that it is mandatory to build an underground parking lot for every apartment building. However, because this requirement was not met in previous years and due to the constantly growing number of cars, the parking problem has reached serious proportions, experts note.
A total of 7,195 parking lots with a capacity of 1,143,907 spaces have been registered in Istanbul, which clearly shows the shortage against the background of the number of vehicles in the metropolis.
The city operates the İSPARK system - a subsidiary of the Greater Istanbul Municipality, which manages dozens of outdoor and indoor parking lots in the European and Asian parts of the city.
Prices do not differ by area. The fee for a stay of up to one hour is 100 Turkish liras (about 2 euros), and for a day it can reach 400 Turkish liras (approximately 8 euros). Open parking lots with barriers are preferred for short stays, while multi-storey car parks offer a higher level of security and modern technology, without time limits for use.
Experts point out that İSPARK is a technological solution with which the municipality reduces the area occupied by parked cars by up to 40 percent.
At the same time, the shortage of municipal parking spaces creates opportunities for private operators. According to a publication by the Turkish private television channel CNN-Turk, in some places, especially in central areas, parking fees reach fabulous amounts — up to 1,500 Turkish liras (over 30 euros) per day.
In Istanbul, it is a common sight for the streets to be clogged with parked cars, which makes it difficult for pedestrians, and at this stage there is no solution to the problem.
According to data from the international quality of life database Numbeo, cited by the publication “Aydinluk“, Turkey is in 12th place among the 20 countries in the world where traffic paralyzes people's daily lives.
BELGRADE
From February 1, 2025, in Belgrade on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., one hour of parking in the red zone costs 80 dinars (0.68 euros), 65 dinars (0.55 euros) in the yellow zone, 55 dinars (0.46 euros) in the green zone and 45 dinars (0.38 euros) in the blue zone. In the purple zone, 30 minutes of parking are 120 dinars (about 1 euro).
The price of an electronic all-day parking ticket in the red, yellow, green and purple zones is 3,000 dinars (about 25.50 euros), and in the blue zone - 2,000 dinars (17 euros).
For all users who pay for a daily ticket for 20 days, there is a 50 percent discount, which means that its price will be 1,500 dinars (just under 13 euros) in the red, yellow, green and purple zones or 1,000 dinars (8.50 euros) in the blue zone.
As of July 14, parking in the Old Town (center) of the Serbian capital Belgrade is only allowed for 30 minutes, with no possibility of extension. Tolls in Belgrade's Old Town are charged from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and from July 14, tolls have also been introduced on weekends - on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A change in the boundaries of the parking zones was also introduced at that time, with the previous yellow zone becoming red, with a parking time limit of 60 minutes and the possibility of extending it by another 30 minutes. A new, white zone with a 120-minute parking limit and the possibility of extending it by another 60 minutes has also been established.
The Belgrade Municipality recommends that visitors to the central areas use public transport, which has been free throughout the city since January 1, 2025, or use public parking lots if they still want to come to the center of Belgrade by car.
BUCHAREST
In Romania, there is no official distinction between "blue" and "green" zones, as in some other countries. The parking fee in the city center is fixed at 5 lei per hour (1 euro) and is valid from Monday to Friday, between 08:00 and 20:00. The daily rate is 30 lei (about 6 euros), and the monthly subscription is 500 lei (about 100 euros). Payment is made through parking machines, via SMS to the short number 7576 (this does not apply to foreign mobile operators) or via mobile applications such as “Parking București“ or “AmParcat.ro“. The length of stay varies for different zones. They are often indicated by signs.
A 200 lei (40 euros) fine and a clamp threaten anyone who leaves their car in a public parking lot and does not pay the fee within 15 minutes. If you occupy a designated parking space without permission, you risk a fine of 500-1,000 lei (100-200 euros) and possibly having your car towed. The fines are imposed automatically through a video surveillance system and license plate recognition. If the car is caught repeatedly in violation, the penalties can accumulate. Payment of the fines can be made online via Ghișeul.ro, at bank branches or by bank transfer.
Local residents can obtain a valid parking pass in front of their home, depending on the availability of spaces and the regulations in the relevant sector. This pass provides free parking in the designated spaces for residents.
SKOPJE
In the center of the capital of North Macedonia, there are designated parking lots of the public company “City Parking” to the city of Skopje and to the Center municipality itself, as is clear from the various signs placed at the respective parking lot.
”City Parking” has several multi-storey parking lots, in which the parking fee is 30 denars per hour (approximately 0.50 euros).
Parking lots on the streets are divided into zones, depending on the distance from the ideal city center. The hourly parking fee in these parking lots is 75 denars (1.20 euros) for zone A0, 40 denars (0.64 euros) for zone A, 30 denars (0.48 euros) for zone B and 25 denars (0.40 euros) for zones C and D. In these zones, it is also possible to prepay for monthly and year-round parking, and depending on the zone, the price ranges between 4,000 (about 65 euros) and 1,000 denars (16 euros) per month.
There are also signs on the streets in the Center Municipality of Skopje indicating parking spaces, which are also divided into three zones depending on the distance from the ideal center. In these parking lots, the hourly parking fee is 100 denars (1.60 euros) for zone Zero, 70 denars (1.10 euros) for the first zone and 60 denars (1 euro) for the second zone. Parking is paid for via SMS, with the corresponding prices marked on the signs.
In the other municipalities of the city, parking is more relaxed and parking prices are determined by the local municipal councils.
The material was written by: Ayshe Sali, Ivan Lazarov, Marinela Velichkova, Martina Gancheva, Nahide Deniz, Teodora Encheva