20th April 2025
Barcelona News Catalonia News Living & Lifestyle Madrid News Main News Spotlight Travel & Tourism

RENFE to return travel deposits from 9 Jan – and first free tickets now available until 30 April

Spain’s national railway operator RENFE is to start refunding the €10 and €20 deposits that passengers had to pay for their fully subsidised short- and medium-distance tickets used in the second half of 2022 from 9 January.

Those travellers that used their passes at least 16 times between 1 September and 31 December will be entitled to receive a full refund of their deposits.

Those who paid the deposit by credit or debit card will be refunded automatically. Those who paid in cash will be required to go to ticket desks in stations from 15 January to receive the refund.

The return of the deposits was confirmed by Spain’s Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, at a press briefing held on Monday in Madrid.

Multi-journey tickets on Cercanías, Rodalíes and medium-distance trains will continue to be free throughout 2023, but passengers with tickets obtained in 2022 will have to acquire new ones for this year. They are expected to be issued in four-month periods, with the first tickets already available and valid until 30 April, after which new tickets will be needed.

As was the case in 2022, tickets can be procured either via the app or in person at ticket machines and desks, and passengers will have to pay a €10 deposit for unlimited short-distance journeys or €20 for medium-distance ones, which will be returned if the ticket is used at least 16 times in the four months, January to April 2023. For further information on how the system works, please see our report from our last year: ALSO READ: Free train tickets now available in Spain for travel between 1 Sept-31 Dec – full details.Also click here for full details on RENFE’s website.

During 2023, the Spanish government will also reducing other public transport fares by 30% in those areas where the regional and local governments have agreed to pay an additional 20%.

Sign up for the FREE Weekly Newsletter from Spain in English.

Please support Spain in English with a donation.

Click here to get your business activity or services listed on our DIRECTORY.

Click here for further details on how to ADVERTISE with us.

Recent Posts

New high-speed train linking Madrid & Lisbon will cut journey time from 10 hours to three

News Desk

21 arrested as Spanish police dismantle ‘hugging pickpockets’ gang

News Desk

Spanish police discover underground shooting range used by gun traffickers

News Desk

Spain’s justice minister defends conduct of PM’s wife in corruption investigation

News Desk

Scrap ‘Google Tax’ and increase defence spending, Spanish minister told in Washington

News Desk

Vatican puts ‘God’s architect’, the Catalan Antoni Gaudí, on path to sainthood

News Desk

Leave a Comment