A Free Rail Travel Scheme Launches In Spain To Cut Costs For Passengers Spain

It comes as German rail fares returned to normal levels after a three-month experiment with €9 tickets for a month of unlimited travel on regional train, tram and bus networks. While Spain’s scheme, which runs until December 31, is designed to help commuters cope with inflation, it will also, like in Germany, benefit leisure travellers. Passengers can obtain a rail card through the app of the national rail network Renfe or at train stations. They need to set a destination and pay a deposit of €10 for suburban lines and €20 for medium-distance journeys, after which a QR code in the app will serve as a ticket. The deposit will be refunded at the end of the year if the ticket holder has traveled at least 16 times to the designated destination. The ticket is valid for all destinations in the same zone as the designated station. In the case of Madrid or Barcelona, ​​for example, it means free travel within a radius of around 30 miles of the city. Visitors to Spain can register using their passport number and for those using a city as a base to explore the surrounding area, there are significant benefits. For example, a return ticket from Madrid to nearby Aranjuez costs €12.50 and to Toledo €27.80. Even with the €10 deposit forfeited, there is a saving of €40.30 in just these two visits. However, the real beneficiaries are the commuters. “By the end of the year I will have saved 300 euros on my trip,” said Santiago Muñoz, who commutes from Barcelona to Sitges. Meanwhile, metro fares in Barcelona have been reduced by 30-50%, also until 31 December. A multi-use 10-way bus and metro ticket covering most of the city will now cost €7.95. In a further move to soften the impact of rising costs, the government has announced it will cut VAT on fuel bills from 21% to 5%, at least until the end of the year. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The German system has been credited with saving around 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions by encouraging people to get out of their cars and onto public transport. Germany’s transport minister, Volker Wissing, said he hoped to find a successor to the €9 ticket. “We know that we have sparked an enthusiasm for public transport that has probably never existed before in Germany,” he said.

title: “A Free Rail Travel Scheme Launches In Spain To Cut Costs For Passengers Spain Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-08” author: “Jeanne Murphy”

It comes as German rail fares returned to normal levels after a three-month experiment with €9 tickets for a month of unlimited travel on regional train, tram and bus networks. While Spain’s scheme, which runs until December 31, is designed to help commuters cope with inflation, it will also, like in Germany, benefit leisure travellers. Passengers can obtain a rail card through the app of the national rail network Renfe or at train stations. They need to set a destination and pay a deposit of €10 for suburban lines and €20 for medium-distance journeys, after which a QR code in the app will serve as a ticket. The deposit will be refunded at the end of the year if the ticket holder has traveled at least 16 times to the designated destination. The ticket is valid for all destinations in the same zone as the designated station. In the case of Madrid or Barcelona, ​​for example, it means free travel within a radius of around 30 miles of the city. Visitors to Spain can register using their passport number and for those using a city as a base to explore the surrounding area, there are significant benefits. For example, a return ticket from Madrid to nearby Aranjuez costs €12.50 and to Toledo €27.80. Even with the €10 deposit forfeited, there is a saving of €40.30 in just these two visits. However, the real beneficiaries are the commuters. “By the end of the year I will have saved 300 euros on my trip,” said Santiago Muñoz, who commutes from Barcelona to Sitges. Meanwhile, metro fares in Barcelona have been reduced by 30-50%, also until 31 December. A multi-use 10-way bus and metro ticket covering most of the city will now cost €7.95. In a further move to soften the impact of rising costs, the government has announced it will cut VAT on fuel bills from 21% to 5%, at least until the end of the year. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The German system has been credited with saving around 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions by encouraging people to get out of their cars and onto public transport. Germany’s transport minister, Volker Wissing, said he hoped to find a successor to the €9 ticket. “We know that we have sparked an enthusiasm for public transport that has probably never existed before in Germany,” he said.