A minor revolution has taken place in Spain, where Pedro Sánchez's government has just announced the introduction in January 2026 of a national public transport season ticket costing €60 a month for those aged over 26 and €30 for those under that age. It will give subscribers unlimited use of regional trains, suburban trains and national bus routes throughout the country. Excluded from the pass, however, are the long-distance high-speed lines operated by the national railway company Renfe, as well as its international competitors, Trenitalia with Iryo and SNCF with Ouigo Spain. In this project, the Socialist Prime Minister intends to involve the country's municipalities and regions in order to integrate as many local means of transport as possible, including bus and metro networks.
A way to reduce your transport bill
This ambitious project aims to increase the use of public transport in order to reduce the country's carbon emissions by reducing the use of private vehicles by Spaniards. " A strong commitment to sustainable mobility "Pedro Sánchez underlined this during his presentation, estimating that this season ticket will facilitate travel for at least 2 million people, making their daily lives easier and saving them money. In addition to the environmental benefits, the government estimates that this offer will reduce the monthly cost of travel for some passengers by up to 60%. It has not yet been specified whether this pass will be reserved for Spaniards only or open to foreign residents. The details and beneficiaries of this pass will be revealed in January, with implementation scheduled for the following month.
European countries have overtaken Spain
Spain is not the first country to offer this type of season ticket. Hungary, Portugal, Switzerland and especially Germany have developed equivalent offers to promote the use of public transport. On the other side of the Rhine, the Deutschlandticket, the cost of which will rise from €58 this year to €63 per month in 2026, offers travel on all regional and local train, bus, tram and metro networks. France is struggling in this area. The cost of the Navigo season ticket alone in the Ile-de-France region will rise to €90.80 per month from 1 January.er January 2026 following a further increase of €2! Although a €49 Rail Pass was launched in the summer of 2024, it only concerned young people aged between 16 and 27 and only TER and Intercités trains. The programme was not renewed in 2025 because of its cost (€15 million), the low number of passes sold (235,000) and the reluctance of certain regions to join the system, led by the Ile-de-France region.
