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Free train travel in Spain: Reclaim your railcard deposit a get a new one for May-August 2023
Here’s how you can get your money back for your Renfe rail pass for the first four months of this year, and buy your next railcard
Since September 2022, the Spanish government has subsidised public transport heavily, including the incredibly popular ‘free trains’ scheme for regular travellers on local Cercanías and Rodalies trains and on intercity Media Distancia trains run by state train operator Renfe.
They have also slashed the cost of urban buses and some other local metro services by as much as 60%, all of which is in an effort to ease the pressure of the rising cost of living on ordinary people.
On Cercanías light overground trains in Asturias, Bilbao, Cádiz, Madrid, Málaga, Murcia/Alicante, Santander, San Sebastián, Seville, Valencia and Zaragoza, as well as on the Rodalies trains in Barcelona and Catalonia, passengers can buy a railcard for 10 euros which will give them unlimited train travel for the four-month period between May and August 2023.
On Media Distancia trains between nearby cities, passengers can buy a railcard for 20 euros.
As long as you make at least 16 journeys in the four-month window, you can get a 100% refund.
Passengers who have met this requirement for their rail travel during the period January-April 2023 can get their money back, and to continue to benefit from free train travel in Spain, you will have to buy a new travel pass that last for a further four months.
This is the case for anyone who already had a railcard or travel pass for January to April, and for those who are looking to start their free rail journeys now for the first time.
How to get your money back from Renfe for the first 4 months of 2023
If you paid for your train pass by credit or debit card, the amount will automatically be refunded into your account, providing you made the requisite number of journeys.
If you paid in cash, you will have to go in person to a Renfe point of sale – located at most train stations – in order to be given a refund. Take your original receipt with you.
Remember: these refunds are only available if you completed the necessary number of journeys to be eligible for free travel. If you did not make at least 16 train journeys between January 1 and April 30, you will not get your money back.
How to renew your season ticket for Cercanías and Media Distancia trains in 2023
As of April 1, 2023, you can buy your free travel pass to travel on Spanish trains during the second quadrimester of 2023.
There are three ways to buy a new free Spain train pass:
- At the station: You can buy your ticket in person at the train station by talking to a person at the ticket desk or using one of the self-service machines.
- On the Renfe website: Go to https://www.renfe.com/ (only available in Spanish)
- On the app: Download the Renfe app, which also allows you to conveniently carry your season ticket on your mobile phone.
For each four-month period that passes, passengers will have to buy a new rail pass and pay the deposit again, but the new ticket can be loaded onto the same physical ticket as before.
These are the four-month periods that will comprise each free pass in 2023:
- January 1 - April 30, 2023
- May 1 - August 31, 2023
- September 1 - December 31, 2023
You can also phone +34 919 191 567 for more assistance from Renfe.
You may also like: These are all the free long-distance bus routes in Spain 2023
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