Spain is making its public train system absolutely free for travellers to use this fall. By Stacey Leasca
This week, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that travellers will be able to hop aboard various trains on the public train network, Renfe, for free.
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“This measure encourages to the maximum the use of this type of collective public transport to guarantee the needed daily commute with a safe, reliable, comfortable, economic and sustainable means of transportation, amid the extraordinary circumstances of the steady increase of energy and fuel prices,” the Spanish Ministry of Transport said, according to CNN.
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The free rail rides will apply to multi-trip tickets (those that include a minimum of 10 return trips) on cercanías (commuter services), rodalies (commuter routes in Catalonia), and medium-distance routes (those less than 300km, or about 186 miles).
The Guardian added, that the free tickets are aimed at residents but can be used by tourists as well. The free rides are not available for single-journey tickets or long-distance travel.
The free train rides will be available from September 1 to December 31, 2022. This new 100 percent discount is in addition to the previously announced discounts by the central Spanish government. Earlier this month, the government announced it would fund 30 percent -50 percent discounts on all public transport, including metros, buses, and trams, Time Out noted.
Spain isn’t alone in offering free or discounted rides to locals and tourists this summer and fall.
German officials announced it launched a EUR 733 unlimited monthly public transport ticket, which can be used on both local and regional transport, a promotion which is running now through the end of August. So maybe now really is the time to take that European train trip you’ve been dreaming about for your entire life.
This story first appeared on www.travelandleisure.com
(Main and Feature Image Credit: Geography Photos/Getty Images)
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