Free train travel in Spain ends in July: This is what tickets will now cost
On the plus side, Renfe is making it easier to travel with bicycles throughout Spain from mid-July
From July 1, 2025, Spain’s free train travel scheme will come to an end and Renfe, the country’s state-run rail company, will introduce new fares for frequent users of Cercanías (commuter) and Media Distancia (medium-distance) trains.
The current free travel initiative, which was only renewed in May, will expire on June 30. Originally introduced to ease financial strain during the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the programme will now give way to discounted but no longer free travel options.
At the end of 2024, Spain’s Ministry of Transport hinted that free passes couldn’t be maintained into 2025. While the government decided to extend the measure for six more months, it also worked on creating “new passes with lower fares to ease the financial burden on families.”
What train tickets will cost from July
Renfe has confirmed the following prices, which will apply nationwide for commuter and medium-distance trains:
- 10-trip pass: fare depends on zone
- Monthly pass: €20
- Monthly youth pass: €10
- Child fare: free
While these new fares are cheaper than pre-2021 prices, they still represent a rather unwelcome change for those accustomed to free travel.
New perks for cyclists
On the plus side, from July 15 Renfe will launch a set of improvements to make traveling with bicycles easier across all its services, including high-speed trains for the first time.
Renfe announced that it will “improve the signage in carriages with space for bicycles, allow bicycles to be carried right up to the access door without folding or disassembling them, and for the first time will allow travel with full bicycles on high-speed trains, currently only available on Avant trains.”
A new ‘train+bike’ ticket will also be introduced and the current €3 fee for carrying a bike on Medium Distance trains over 100 kilometres will be eliminated.
Initially, full bicycles will be allowed on Avant trains on the A Coruña–Santiago–Ourense line in Galicia, with plans to expand to other lines. Renfe aims to offer this option on all high-speed lines as trains are gradually upgraded during “mid-life renovations,” which involve dismantling and reassembling the trains.
According to Renfe’s Director of Sustainability, current AVE, Alvia and Avlo trains “are not yet designed to carry them on board with minimum comfort conditions.”
In the meantime, new rules for folding and detachable bikes will simplify travel:
- Folding bikes will be treated like suitcases and no longer need to be in a case.
- Detachable bikes still require a case, but “it will no longer be necessary to remove the pedals.” Instead, passengers only need to remove the front wheel, turn the handlebars and pack them.
Bicycles will continue to travel free of charge on AVE, Alvia, Euromed and Intercity services, while the €10 supplement on Avlo remains in place. Renfe plans to update the booking system in the coming months to include a filter for bike-compatible trains.
Starting July 15, passengers will also be able to reserve seats next to the bicycle space, just as they can on medium-distance services.
These updated rules apply to both conventional and electric bicycles. Scooters, however, remain banned, following incidents on Madrid and Barcelona metro systems in 2022.
In other news: Gordon Ramsay brings Europe's first Hell's Kitchen to Spain
Image: Archive
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