Renfe launches ultra cheap summer train tickets across Spain with fares starting from €7

For a lot of people in Spain, booking summer travel has started feeling painful again. Flights become expensive surprisingly fast, petrol prices keep fluctuating and once hotels, tolls and luggage are added, even a simple domestic trip can suddenly cost far more than expected.

That is exactly why Renfe’s new summer promotion is already attracting attention.

The rail operator has launched a new round of discounted tickets for summer 2026, with some journeys starting from only €7 on Avlo services and from €15 on AVE trains.

And honestly, after months of rising travel costs almost everywhere, those prices are low enough to make many people stop scrolling and actually check dates.

The offer applies to travel between 22 June and 13 September 2026 and includes several of Renfe’s main services including AVE, Avlo, Alvia, Euromed, Intercity and international AVE routes to France.

Tickets went on sale this Wednesday, May 27 and will remain available until 4 June, although Renfe has made clear the cheapest fares depend entirely on availability.

Which usually means the lowest prices disappear very quickly once popular summer dates start filling up.

Why cheap train tickets are becoming more attractive in Spain again

There was a period when low cost flights dominated almost every conversation about affordable travel in Europe. But recently, more travellers in Spain have started looking again at trains for a very simple reason.

Convenience, airports increasingly feel exhausting during summer, long queues, extra luggage fees, security delays, transport to and from airports… People often spend hours travelling before even reaching the plane itself.

Train travel feels very different.

You usually arrive directly in the city centre. There are fewer restrictions around liquids and luggage and for many routes inside Spain, high speed rail is now fast enough that flying barely saves time anymore once the full journey is calculated properly.

That changing mindset has helped Renfe position itself much more aggressively around price in recent years, especially through Avlo, its low cost high speed service designed to compete more directly with budget airlines.

And with summer demand expected to surge again this year, cheap train tickets are becoming increasingly attractive for families, couples and younger travellers trying to reduce holiday costs. Especially because Spain’s high speed rail network now connects far more cities than it did only a few years ago.

What travellers actually get with the new Renfe fares

The cheapest tickets announced by Renfe start at €7 on selected Avlo journeys.

AVE fares begin from €15 while other long distance services included in the promotion cover routes operated by Alvia, Euromed and Intercity trains.

International AVE routes connecting Spain and France are also included.

The discounted tickets apply to journeys taking place between late June and mid September, which effectively covers most of the peak summer season. That timing matters because travel prices usually jump sharply once schools finish and holiday demand accelerates across Europe.

Passengers booking the cheapest ‘Basic’ fares can also pay extra for more flexibility if needed.

According to Renfe, customers can upgrade to the ‘Elige’ ticket for €3 more on many routes, allowing changes and cancellations under more flexible conditions.

On international routes to France, travellers can also access Comfort seating for an additional €6 depending on availability.

Of course, the reality with these kinds of promotions is always the same :  The headline price exists, but the cheapest seats disappear first.

Popular weekends, coastal routes and peak August departures usually become much more expensive once demand rises.

That is why experienced train travellers in Spain already know the real trick.

Book early or forget the ultra cheap fares entirely.

Spain’s train competition is changing the way people travel

The pressure around pricing has intensified significantly in Spain’s rail sector over the last few years.

Competition between Renfe, Ouigo and Iryo has pushed operators to fight much harder for passengers, especially on major high speed routes such as Madrid Barcelona, Madrid Valencia, Madrid Málaga and Madrid Seville.

And honestly, travellers are benefiting from that battle.

A few years ago, finding high speed train tickets at these kinds of prices during summer would have sounded unrealistic to many passengers.

Now aggressive discounts appear regularly as operators compete for market share.

That competition is also slowly changing how people think about domestic travel in Spain.

For many younger travellers especially, trains are no longer viewed as the expensive option.

Sometimes they are actually becoming the cheaper and easier alternative compared with flying or driving. Especially once hidden travel costs start adding up elsewhere.

Parking alone at some airports can become painfully expensive during summer holidays.

Fuel costs for long road trips remain unpredictable. And airlines continue charging extra for things travellers once assumed were included automatically.

Against that background, a €7 train ticket suddenly feels very appealing.

Particularly for spontaneous summer getaways where people simply want a few days away without spending a fortune. And with millions of people expected to travel across Spain over the coming months, Renfe clearly knows price is becoming one of the biggest factors influencing how people choose to move around the country this summer.