Great news! The ‘free’ train travel scheme has been extended into 2023.
Valid from January 1 to April 30, 2023.
This plan of action was announced by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez as a way to help the public with the impact of rising inflation and the increase in the cost of living.
The passes are valid for short and medium distance, multi-journey travel from September 1st to December 31, 2022. The tickets have been available for pre-purchase since August 24th. You can purchase them through the Renfe Cercanías mobile app, at the ticket booths and self-service machines at the train stations.
You can read about the full process/application on the Renfe website (in Spanish). In this article, we try to explain it in simplified terms and show how you can benefit from it.
Table of Contents
Who is eligible
The passes are available to residents and non-residents. You simply need to register and pay a deposit which will be refunded as long as the conditions are met. Read on to find out more.
The deposit
If you want to take advantage of the offer on Cercanías (€10) or Media distancia (€20) services, you will have to pay a deposit and travel a minimum of four times per month. Each person traveling will require their own travel pass.
To get the deposit back at the end of the year, you must go on at least 16 trips – a minimum of four per month during the duration of this program. If you don’t use all 16 trips, you won’t receive a refund; which we think is still a great deal!
It is recommended to use a credit or debit card when you buy the pass because it will simplify the refund process. If you use the pass according to its guidelines, your refund will be issued to the card used to purchase the tickets. If you pay by cash, you will have to go to the train station in person and fill out some paperwork and we all know how that goes … 
Which trains
Local and commuter trains are free. Cercanías, Rodalies (Catalonia), and Media Distancia (local and medium-distance journeys) will be 100 percent free of charge.
The policy is aimed at encouraging the use of trains as opposed to other fossil fuel intensive forms of transport, and it’s valid for journeys up to 300km.
Long-distance or high-speed trains, such as AVE and Alvia, are not included and neither are routes on Avlo, the low-cost AVE option, nor the medium and high-speed Avants. Last June, the government already discounted Avlo and Avants by 50 percent off the regular price.
The advantage
Passengers with this travel pass who use Cercanias can get on and off at different stations.
Those traveling Media Distancia will need to get on and off at the specific stations chosen at the time of purchase.
If you do the math, whether or not you use up all 16 trips, the deposit pays for itself in your first 1-2 return trips.
To get your Commuter Train (Cercanías) pass, you will need to use the Cercanías Ticket Machines.
To get your Media Distancia pass, you must use the regular Ticket Machines.
Alicante to Murcia Commuter Train
Passengers using the Cercanias from Alicante can go all the way to Aguilas. Available from Alicante are Lines C-1, C-2 and C-3.
Due to some infrastructure upgrades, a bus service is provided south of Murcia.
Click here to read more about it including stops and timetables.
Valencia Commuter Train
Passengers using the Cercanias from Valencia have more options. Available from Valencia Estaciò Nord are:
Line C-1 València Nord → Gandía
Line C-2 València Nord → Xàtiva → Moixent
Line C-3 València Sant Isidre → Buñol → Utiel
Line C-4 València Sant Isidre → Xirivella L’Alter
Line C-5 València Nord → Caudiel
Line C-6 València Nord → Castelló
ERO2 Castelló → Vinaròs
Click here to see all the stations along with their connections to other buses and trains.
