The train asks for more and more prominence. Getting to save on the purchase of tickets is the goal of all of Spain. Succeeding in this effort requires flexibility, anticipation, comparing and not marrying any company.
"Since the release of the railway offer, trips have increased significantly. There is more offer, diversity of schedules, prices and company options," says Roberto Ramos, director of strategic alliances at Atrápalo. Renfe -with AVE and its low cost Avlo-, Ouigo and Iryo have been fighting for high-speed customers on national roads for months.
"The market is liberalized and operators are free to set prices according to their interests, which ultimately benefits the consumer," say sources from the Trainline portal. The tickets can continue to fall: "It is profitable for the operators, since the demand grows at a much faster rate than the fall in prices." As an example, prices on the Madrid-Barcelona route have fallen by 49% compared to before the pandemic, with demand growing by 628%, according to their own data.
When buying you can go directly to the company's portal or bet on aggregators and comparators. If you are looking to spend less, the second option is the most appropriate. Atrápalo, Trenes.com, Trainline, Omio... The platforms allow you to see the entire universe of companies -nationally and internationally- in a single search and combine roundtrips with one firm or another, choosing the best price for each journey , without depending on a single company.
This saves time, without having to go from one website to another. "The information is standardized to facilitate comparison," argues Pere Sallent, CEO of Trenes.com. In the Renfe, Ouigo or Iryo portals you have to do two searches, two reservations if you want to combine...
And above all you save money, by seeing the cheapest available. "In terms of economic savings, one could speak of the opportunity cost of not finding the cheapest option for not having compared the options of each operator," says Sallent.
To hunt the best price there is a question that is repeated. Is there a company that is always cheaper than the rest? The answer is no, because it depends on the moment. "Someone may think that one is cheaper as a general rule and tend to go directly to its official page to look for cheap tickets... But prices fluctuate, we can find surprises" alerts Sallent. "There is a very important dance of prices, we cannot make any resounding affirmation," she says.
There are factors beyond a low cost base that define whether one is cheaper, such as the offers at that time or the occupation of the trains. "Prices can vary due to various factors, such as demand, availability and the specific rates of each operator," agree from Trainline. Thus, in the national case and high speed, Iryo, which is more oriented towards customers with greater purchasing power, may be cheaper than Avlo.
To boost savings, the tips are similar to those applied to plane tickets: be flexible in times and dates -since in some the cost is high due to high demand- and anticipate. "Buying in advance guarantees the best price offer," says Ramos. The price, dynamic, rises with the passing of the days. "The operators have different rates and when they sell all the tickets for a certain one, they jump to the next. The best thing would be that as soon as the date is known, the reservation is made," continues Sallent.
How much does the saving come if one anticipates? From Trainline they launch several examples. If purchased 31 days in advance, you will pay 52% less compared to buying on the departure date on the Barcelona-Madrid route, 56% less in Madrid-València, 44% in Barcelona-Zaragoza or a 51% less in Madrid-Zaragoza. Some "significant and substantial" cuts.
Loyalty programs are another method to reduce the bill. Those of the comparators allow access to discounted prices. For example, in Atrápalo they assure that they save about 10-15 euros on the ticket with their Smart program, which implies the payment of an annual fee (50 euros), as a subscription.
Operators also have discount and loyalty programs, both here and abroad. As in Renfe (Más Renfe, free, with a 10% welcome discount), SNCF (Avantage, payment and 30% discounts), Iryo (Club Yo, at least a 20% discount on the first ticket and accumulating points for discounts on future purchases) or Deutsche Bahn (BahnCard, paid and with discounts of up to 50% for infrequent travelers).
"We will have to see if it pays off due to age, frequency of trips and if traveling with family or not," according to Trainline sources. That is, if it is worth paying for the discount you get. It would be more worthwhile the more trips are made. As in some cases the fee is periodic, you have to read the fine print to avoid overpaying.
You also have to be aware of the specific promotions launched by the operators, since they end quickly, the sources consulted point out. In the past Renfe has done the same to celebrate its anniversary or its competition with the launch of new routes, with tickets from 5 or 7 euros.
The train is usually cheaper than the plane ticket. As an advantage, it also has in favor that it allows more luggage without extra cost and that it reaches the center of the cities. In return, time is sacrificed. For example, a Barcelona-Bilbao by train takes about seven hours, while a flight takes 1 hour and a quarter. It is even less time adding trips to the terminal and waiting.
"The train would be the most recommended option for journeys of less than 3 hours, since it is where adding the transfers to the airport or train stations equates in flight times," compares Ramos. From Barcelona to Madrid or Valencia or from the capital to Seville, Malaga or Valencia would be examples of routes where it pays off.
