Free train and bus passes in Spain: Everything you need to know about season tickets
Regular travellers across Spain can now apply for free multi-trip tickets for travel in May and June
Spain’s Ministry of Transport is once again rolling out free train and coach passes for frequent travellers and there’s even more good news for the 2025 public transport campaign, as from Tuesday April 8, the requirements are being relaxed.
For the two-month period from May 1 to June 30, you’ll only need to take eight trips instead of the usual sixteen to qualify for a full refund on your season ticket deposit.
This is the final stretch of the current free travel system before a new scheme kicks in on July 1. Until then, commuters can continue enjoying free Cercanías (local trains), Media Distancia (medium-distance rail) and intercity coach travel, as long as they meet a few requirements.
The deposits for the passes remain the same: €10 for Cercanías and Rodalies (in Catalonia) and €20 for Media Distancia. If you clock in at least eight trips over May and June, you’ll get that money back.
If you pay by card, the refund happens automatically. If you pay cash, you’ll need to claim your money back at the station before the end of August.
There’s even more flexibility for coach travellers using state-subsidised intercity lines. Depending on the fare, deposits range from €20 to €65 and will also be refunded after eight journeys. However, applications for free multi-trip bus passes won’t open until later this month.
Everything else remains as it was: passes are valid only for the selected routes and can be ordered online or at usual points of sale. And in Asturias and Cantabria, Cercanías and Narrow Gauge train travel remains completely free through 2025.
If a passenger doesn’t make the eight trips in two months required from now on to be considered a "recurring" passenger and benefit from free commuter rail, medium-distance rail and coach service, the deposit will be considered "compensation" and will not be refunded.
Image: Renfe
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