Overcoming the January slope in Barcelona is always a risky sport, but this year the railway operators have proposed that, at least, the risk catches us traveling. If a few days ago we reviewed how the price of coffee or rent went up, now comes the necessary counterpoint for mental health: a price war in high speed that allows us to stand in Madrid, Zaragoza or Valencia for what it costs a quick dinner in Gràcia.
Renfe has opened the banner with its “Superprecios” (Superprices) campaign. The state operator has put on the table an aggressive offer for its AVE, Avlo and long distance trains. The idea is simple: if you are fast, you can hunt AVE tickets from 15 euros. If your thing is the pure and hard low-cost Avlo, the fare even goes down to 7 euros. But beware, the window of opportunity is short: the promotion is only active until January 18 or until the last Barcelona resident who wants to go on vacation runs out of stock.
The interesting thing about this Renfe promotion is that it does not only affect the shortest routes. The discounted tickets apply to the entire network, including the AVE International, which opens the door to cross the border for much less than usual. In addition, the company has enabled the option of upgrading the “Basic” ticket to the “Choose” category for just three euros more, something highly recommended if you are still not sure whether you will be staying at home that weekend in March.
The pink counterattack of the ‘Pink Days’.
As in any good competition story, the response has not been long in coming . Ouigo, the French subsidiary that is already part of the usual landscape of Sants, has counterattacked with its famous “Pink Days”. Its strategy for 2026 has been to suddenly release 680,000 seats at reduced prices. In its case, the offer is even more immediate, since it will only be possible to book until January 14.
The best thing about Ouigo’s proposal is the staggered fixed prices they have designed for travel between January 12 and March 25. They have released 80% of their inventory with tickets that start from 9 euros and, in the worst case, do not exceed 33 euros for destinations such as Seville, Malaga or Alicante. It is, basically, the total democratization of improvised travel.
How to hunt for the best deals
If you are going to launch yourself into the search for the lost ticket, there are a couple of veteran traveler’s tricks to remember. On both the Renfe and Ouigo websites, traffic spikes as soon as these press releases come out, so the app is usually a faster route and less likely to crash.
Also, remember that these fares are often hidden in less conventional schedules. If you have the flexibility to go out on a Tuesday midday or Saturday afternoon, you’re much more likely to see that sought-after single-digit number on the screen. Be that as it may, the opportunity is there: it has never been so cheap to escape from the Barcelona routine, even if it’s just for a weekend.