Chui! Spain Frees Railway Travel Until December 31, Including For Foreign Tourists

Illustration of a train in Spain. (Wikimedia Commons/Sergey Ashmarin)

JAKARTA - The Spanish government has freed the country's rail travel costs from September 1 to December 31.

The scheme, announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on July 12, applies to short and medium-range trains run by national rail operator Renfe.

It is open to all countries, including international tourists, as reported by Euronews September 1.

Free tickets are available for all Renfe (Cercanías and Rodalies) commuter trains, as well as medium-range regional lines that include less than 300km (Distancia Media route) travel.

However, a 100 percent discount is only available for multi-travel tickets, not singles. Travel with other services, including long-distance trains and those operated by other companies, cannot enjoy this program.

This could mean free train travel between cities such as Barcelona and Seville or Madrid and Bilbao, if you are willing to commit to buying seasonal tickets.

Although tickets are free, a 10 euro deposit or 20 euros is needed to enjoy this offer. You should have made at least 16 trips by the end of December, to get a refund.

It is known, a 50 percent discount on Renfe's train tickets was introduced in June, in a bid to assist passengers.

However, after reviewing the state's financial situation, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez decided to travel completely free for a certain period of time.

Why did Spain make free train trips? This free train ticket is intended to reduce the impact of the crisis on the cost of living in the country.

"I fully recognize the daily difficulties most people face. I know your salary is getting less and less, it's difficult to meet your needs and your shopping carts are getting more expensive," said PM Sanchez.

"I will work hard to defend the working class in this country," he continued.

Free train tickets will be funded by taxes from the 'nomped fortunes' obtained by banks and energy companies, along with profits from rising interest rates and energy prices.

The new retribution will be introduced in 2023, expected to earn up to 7 billion euros in two years. It will also be used to build 12,000 new homes and fund youth scholarship programs.