The little-known way to travel across Spain by train for FREE this summer
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You can get a free ticket if you make a long-distance train journey in Spain
Credit: Alamy
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Use the commuter routes to head out of the cities for free
Credit: Alamy
To get journeys for free, visitors can buy a combined Cercanías ticket, which is called the Combinado Cercanías in Spanish.
The ticket essentially is included free of charge with tickets for some long-distance
run by
Renfe
and include
AVE trains
.
Travellers who have already bought a long-distance ticket won't need to buy another one to take a connecting local train as it is free with the combined Cercanías ticket.
The only condition is that you travel within four hours of when the booked train departs or leaves.
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So if you're heading into the likes of Madrid or
But from there, if you want to head out of the city to see mountains, lakes and other more
Sarah Helppi, UK Country Director at
"For those keen to explore Spain, it means you can go beyond the main tourist hubs without the need to spend more.'
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You don't have to faff around with printed tickets either as you can get a PDF on your phone - which you can do on the Trainline app.
If you want to buy a physical ticket, you can input the 5-digit code on the ticket into a ticket machine on the Cercanías train station platform.
Huge new train station to open in world's most popular city
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Head out of Seville to see beautiful hill towns
Credit: Alamy
This will print out the Combinado Cercanías ticket so you don't have to worry about your phone running out of charge.
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Here are some of the best ways to see
You can reach
One Sun Travel writer visited Madrid last year where they
To then explore out of the city, hop on the Madrid Cercanías train network where you can go out into the Guadarrama Mountains.
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Up there, there's a medieval monastery and traditional restaurants.
From
pick up a commuter Cercanias train from Santa Justa station.
That will take you out to the
hill towns of the Sierra Norte, Aljarafe, Dos Hermanos and Utrera
.
Have a look before you travel at train routes and where a free ticket out of the city can get you for your next
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Sun Travel's favourite train journeys in the world
Sun Travel's journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences.
Davos to Geneva, Switzerland
"After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass." - Caroline McGuire
Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen
"Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you're whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too - as you'll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way." Kara Godfrey
London to Paris by Eurostar
"Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what's so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won't have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord." - Sophie Swietochowski
Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail
"From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond." - Hope Brotherton
Beijing to Ulaanbatar
"The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city's high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I've witnessed anywhere." - Ryan Gray
Before you go, check all the
And from someone who visits Spain at least 8 times a year –
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You can get a free train ticket out of the cities in Spain
Credit: Alamy
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