The Spanish government today announced significant reductions in the price of train tickets, including the Interrail pass for travel in Europe and buses, in an effort to encourage young people to travel this summer.

This decision aims to “facilitate leisure travel for young people during the summer and help the tourism sector”, a key pillar of the Spanish economy, “consolidate its recovery after the pandemic”, explained the Ministry of Transport in the announcement which he issued after the cabinet meeting.

More specifically, young people aged 18-30 living in Spain will be able to take advantage of these discounts from June 15 to September 15, after previously registering on the ministry’s website. The discounts – announced amid the election campaign for local and regional elections on 28 May, ahead of parliamentary elections at the end of the year – can reach as much as 90% on some medium and short-distance rail routes.

Young people buying high-speed TGV tickets from the public company Renfe or competing private companies will be entitled to a 50% discount, with a maximum of €30 per ticket. The price of the Interrail pass sold by Renfe for travel across Europe will also be reduced by 50%.

As part of the measures to fight inflation, Spain already started a program of free travel on regional and suburban railways last September. According to Renfe, in the first quarter of the program’s launch, 2.1 million people signed up.

Germany, for its part, launched on May 1 a new ticket with which one can travel throughout the country for 49 euros per month.