Earlier this year, free train tickets were introduced for short and medium-distance journeys. It started on 1 September and was originally meant to end on 31 December.
Now, the country’s Minister of Finance María Jesús Montero has pledged €700 million to extend the scheme until the end of next year – and it could be here to stay for the foreseeable future.
“We are going to convert this policy into a structural one and we will see the concrete results of public transport to reduce CO2. It is a priority policy in the coming years,” she said.
The environmental and social impacts of these free multi-trip tickets will be reevaluated then to see if it is worth continuing with the scheme.
The Minister of Finance added that free travel had already made it possible for a large number of citizens to abandon their cars and travel by train instead.
Free tickets are available on all Renfe commuter trains (Cercanías and Rodalies) and mid-distance regional lines covering journeys of less than 300km (Media Distancia routes).
The 100 per cent discount is only available on multi-trip tickets, not singles. Travel on other services, including long-distance trains and those operated by other companies, will not come under the measures.
This could mean free train travel between cities like Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and Seville, Andalusia, or Madrid (Madrid Community) and Bilbao (Basque Community) – if you are willing to commit to buying a season ticket.
Although the tickets are free, a deposit of €10 or €20 is required to take advantage of the offer. You must have made at least 16 journeys by the end of December for this to be refunded.
See also France travel guide
See also Spain travel guide
