How to Get Home for the Weekend If You're Studying Away: Renfe Joven and Alternatives

The +Renfe Joven card costs €50 per year, is for people ages 14 to 25, and gives you a 30% discount on AVE and Long-Distance trains and a 25% discount on Avant, Medium-Distance, and Commuter trains. It is not valid on AVLO. If your trip is short and you take it every week, by 2026 the €30-per-month national pass for people under 26 will usually be the better option; if it’s a long trip, compare the AVE with the +Renfe Joven card against AVLO, iryo, Ouigo, and the bus before buying a ticket.

Data updated as of October 2, 2026. Transportation subsidies change almost every year: check the date before relying on any article, including this one.

What the Renfe’s official terms and conditions:

• Price: 50 €, VAT included.
• Age: between 14 and 25 years of age on the day of purchase. It’s not 30, even though many people think it is.
• Validity: one year from the date of purchase.
• Discount: 30% off the dynamic fare on AVE and Long-Distance trains; 25% off on Avant, Medium-Distance, and Commuter trains.
• Where it doesn't work: AVLO, metric-gauge commuter trains, tourist trains, and Santander commuter trains.
• Staff: It's in your name. Bring your ID card or foreign resident ID number; they may ask for it when you board.

The quick math: it pays for itself when the cumulative discount exceeds €50. With an AVE ticket costing €60 each way, you save €18 each time. Three trips and it’s paid off. If you go home once a quarter, probably not.

If you have a Youth Card, Renfe offers a 20% discount on Avant and regional trains and a 5% discount on AVE and long-distance trains. It's not as much, but at least you have it.

The 2026 Youth Summer Promotion (up to 90% off on medium-distance trains and 50% off on AVE and AVLO trains, for passengers ages 18 to 30) ended on September 30. If you read that it's still active, it's an old article.

Since January 19, 2026, there has been a 30-day state-sponsored pass, the Abono Único: €60 per month for adults and €30 for young people (born on or after January 1, 2000). It includes Cercanías, Rodalies, Renfe’s conventional medium-distance service and state-operated intercity buses. It does not include AVE, AVLO, or subways or city buses. What the Ministry publishes regarding Avant is a separate 50% discount on its passes.

In addition, in 2026, discounts on commuter passes will remain in effect: 40% on conventional medium-distance trains (70% for young people) and 50% on state-run buses (70% for young people). The monthly Cercanías commuter pass will remain at €20, or €10 for young people.

In other words: if your home is one or two hours away by local bus, €30 will cover you for every weekend of the month. There are some restrictions: you have to make a reservation for each trip, and for bus travel, you can only make one reservation per direction per day. You can get the code to purchase it on the Ministry of Transportation’s website.

A few notes on how to read this table:

• AVLO no longer runs the Madrid–Barcelona route. Renfe discontinued the service on September 8, 2025. On that route, the “budget high-speed trains” are now operated by iryo and Ouigo.
• The Madrid–Andalusia route was suspended following the Adamuz accident in January 2026. Service gradually resumed between February and April, and Ouigo and iryo returned to Málaga for the May long weekend. Check the status of the corridor before purchasing a ticket.
• Bus: ALSA doesn't currently offer a fixed youth fare, but it does provide discounts on return trips and for groups. BlaBlaCar is a strong alternative when the train takes too long or is full.
• If you're a student in Porto, Portugal offers the Passe Ferroviário Verde: €20 for 30 days on Regional, InterRegional, Urban, and Intercidades trains in second class with a reservation. It does not include the Alfa Pendular.

The listings for residential facilities provide approximate times, not exact addresses. Check the route using your city's transit planner the first time.

If you're going to be going home a lot, check out how each residence is situated relative to the station in the StepHouse dormitory list. Twenty fewer minutes every Friday at the end of the school year really add up.

Going home every weekend comes at a cost that isn't reflected in the ticket price: time. A rule that works:

• If the trip takes more than 4 hours each way, a typical weekend leaves you with just over a day at home. It’s better to go every two or three weeks.
• During assignment weeks or before a midterm exam, “Train Sunday” is the study Sunday you’re missing. Staying in is usually the cheapest option.
• For the January exams, the return train on the 6th or 7th is crowded and expensive. If you're coming back, buy your ticket before mid-November.
• Long weekends are a different story. In December 2026, the 6th falls on a Sunday and the 8th on a Tuesday, and in several regions, Monday the 7th is also a holiday. We’ll cover this in December 2026 long weekend: go home or stay in the dorm.

You're going home on Friday. And you'll be back on Sunday with a Tupperware container and your reading assignment still undone.

Luggage. A backpack is enough for a weekend. With AVLO, iryo, and Ouigo’s basic fares, the included bag allowance is small, and you have to pay extra for a suitcase; check the size limits before heading to the station. You can definitely bring your dirty clothes home. No one’s going to judge you.

The room, in five minutes:

1. Refrigerator: Throw out everything that expires before Sunday night. Friday’s yogurt is Monday’s problem.
2. Trash out and windows closed.
3. Lights, climate control, and chargers turned off or unplugged.
4. Key or access card with you. At StepHouse residences, access is via an electronic card: if you lose it on the train, Sunday night will be a hassle.
5. Let us know if necessary. You don’t need to ask permission to go away for the weekend. But if you’re expecting a package, have a repair scheduled, or will be returning in the early morning, let the residence hall staff know by Friday afternoon. At StepHouse, office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The +Renfe Joven card is available to people between the ages of 14 and 25 as of the date of purchase. It is valid for one year from that date, so if you buy it at age 25, it will remain valid until it expires.

It costs €50 per year. It offers a 30% discount on AVE and long-distance trains and a 25% discount on Avant, medium-distance, and commuter trains. It does not apply to AVLO.

No. Renfe's terms and conditions exclude AVLO from the discount. With AVLO, the best way to save is to book early, when fares are low.

It depends on the train. The €30-per-month government youth pass covers Cercanías, conventional medium-distance trains, and government-operated buses, and is worth it if you make a round trip every week on regional trains. If your trip is on the AVE or Alvia, the pass isn't valid, but the +Renfe Joven pass is.

No. "Verano Joven 2026" ran from July 1 to September 30, 2026, for people ages 18 to 30. The fall discounts apply to the 2026 cards and passes.

Check out the StepHouse residences near your station and choose one with Friday's train in mind as well.