https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The European Commission wants to make rail trips between major European cities faster and easier for international travellers, and has launched a new strategy with this aim in mind. https://www.thelocal.es/20251127/how-rail-journeys-across-europe-could-be-made-faster-in-the-coming-years Thu, 27 Nov 2025 13:54:24 +0100 how-rail-journeys-across-europe-could-be-made-faster-in-the-coming-years The Spanish government has recently approved its new Sustainable Mobility Law, resulting in plenty of changes to transportation, from the elimination of short-haul domestic flights to the reintroduction of night trains. https://www.thelocal.es/20251016/flights-buses-and-night-trains-six-upcoming-changes-to-transport-in-spain Thu, 16 Oct 2025 12:50:03 +0200 flights-buses-and-night-trains-six-upcoming-changes-to-transport-in-spain Barcelona is set to phase out e-hailing taxi services such as Uber and Cabify, known as VTCs in Spain, in a move to prioritise traditional cabs in the Catalan city. https://www.thelocal.es/20250929/barcelona-set-to-gradually-phase-out-uber-and-other-e-hailing-services Mon, 29 Sep 2025 12:43:49 +0200 barcelona-set-to-gradually-phase-out-uber-and-other-e-hailing-services If you own an electric scooter or similar in Spain you will soon be forced to take out civil liability insurance. https://www.thelocal.es/20250824/mandatory-insurance-for-e-scooter-owners-in-spain-from-2026 Sun, 24 Aug 2025 18:05:27 +0200 mandatory-insurance-for-e-scooter-owners-in-spain-from-2026 EU states on Thursday cleared Bulgaria and Romania to become full members of the borderless Schengen zone from the start of next year. How will this historic decision impact Europe’s borderless travel zone and the EU economy? https://www.thelocal.es/20241211/what-romania-and-bulgarias-full-schengen-membership-means-for-europe Wed, 11 Dec 2024 13:07:36 +0100 what-romania-and-bulgarias-full-schengen-membership-means-for-europe Madrid City Council will pay half the price of residents who purchase an electric bicycle up to a limit of €600 as part of its plan to lower emissions in the Spanish capital. These are the requirements. https://www.thelocal.es/20240628/madrid-to-pay-residents-who-buy-an-electric-bicycle-up-to-e600 Fri, 28 Jun 2024 13:39:29 +0200 madrid-to-pay-residents-who-buy-an-electric-bicycle-up-to-e600 As the popularity of electric scooters continues to rise in Spain, 2024 will see new rules brought in to try and better regulate them and avoid accidents. https://www.thelocal.es/20231221/the-new-rules-for-e-scooters-in-spain-in-2024 Thu, 21 Dec 2023 15:58:43 +0100 the-new-rules-for-e-scooters-in-spain-in-2024 People in Spain have enjoyed state-funded free or discounted travel on several different transport networks for more than a year now, but with the current measures due to finish at the end of 2023, what will happen in the year to come? https://www.thelocal.es/20231204/what-will-happen-with-spains-free-public-transport-in-2024 Mon, 04 Dec 2023 11:59:10 +0100 what-will-happen-with-spains-free-public-transport-in-2024 Regional authorities in Madrid have banned electric scooters on all types of public transport including buses (EMT), metro and light rail, following the recent explosion of one of these mobility devices in the capital's underground. https://www.thelocal.es/20231106/madrid-bans-e-scooters-on-all-public-transport Mon, 06 Nov 2023 17:34:10 +0100 madrid-bans-e-scooters-on-all-public-transport Some Spanish provinces offer pretty poor flight, rail and road connections that make travelling to other parts of the country or abroad painstaking at best, something worth considering when choosing where to move in Spain.  https://www.thelocal.es/20231016/revealed-the-parts-of-spain-with-the-worst-transport-links Mon, 16 Oct 2023 16:58:15 +0200 revealed-the-parts-of-spain-with-the-worst-transport-links Three people were killed and three others injured when a school bus lost control and hit pedestrians in Cádiz in southern Spain on Monday, emergency services said. https://www.thelocal.es/20231010/three-people-killed-by-runaway-bus-in-southern-spain Tue, 10 Oct 2023 11:00:29 +0200 three-people-killed-by-runaway-bus-in-southern-spain It’s no secret that airports are expensive places. Coffees and bocadillos (filled baguettes) can cost almost triple the price of what you’d pay outside the airports, so how can you save money? https://www.thelocal.es/20230911/five-ways-to-save-money-at-spanish-airports Mon, 11 Sep 2023 18:23:28 +0200 five-ways-to-save-money-at-spanish-airports The Barcelona transport network has launched a new payment system in order to purchase tickets for the metro system. https://www.thelocal.es/20230911/how-barcelona-metros-new-payment-system-works Mon, 11 Sep 2023 13:01:47 +0200 how-barcelona-metros-new-payment-system-works Four people were killed and three others injured Sunday when a commuter train hit them in Spain as they crossed the tracks outside of an authorised area, officials said. https://www.thelocal.es/20230911/four-hit-and-killed-by-train-in-spains-catalonia Mon, 11 Sep 2023 10:17:04 +0200 four-hit-and-killed-by-train-in-spains-catalonia A plane flying from Zurich to Spain this weekend arrived without a single piece of luggage onboard, unbeknownst to the passengers, media reported Sunday, as the airline blamed ground staff shortages. https://www.thelocal.es/20230910/swiss-plane-arrives-in-spain-without-a-single-suitcase-onboard Sun, 10 Sep 2023 16:37:18 +0200 swiss-plane-arrives-in-spain-without-a-single-suitcase-onboard A top European court on Thursday ruled against restrictions imposed by Barcelona city hall on ride-hailing companies like Uber and Cabify. https://www.thelocal.es/20230608/eu-court-rejects-barcelona-ride-hailing-restrictions Thu, 08 Jun 2023 16:46:45 +0200 eu-court-rejects-barcelona-ride-hailing-restrictions With the news that Parisians have just voted to ban the rental of electric scooters in the French capital, we take a look at what the rules are for renting an electric scooter in Spain. https://www.thelocal.es/20230407/what-are-the-rules-for-renting-electric-scooters-in-spain Fri, 07 Apr 2023 18:06:29 +0200 what-are-the-rules-for-renting-electric-scooters-in-spain The Spanish government has announced that many long-distance buses will go from being half-price to free in 2023. Here's everything you need to know, from the 42 lines which will be free to how to apply for the tickets. https://www.thelocal.es/20221123/buses-to-be-free-in-spain-in-2023-which-routes-and-how-to-get-tickets Wed, 23 Nov 2022 17:03:02 +0100 buses-to-be-free-in-spain-in-2023-which-routes-and-how-to-get-tickets The UK’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered ferry arrived in the Spanish port city of Bilbao this week from Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. Here's what you need to know about the new green energy ferry route. https://www.thelocal.es/20220330/uks-first-lng-powered-ferry-launches-route-between-portsmouth-and-bilbao Wed, 30 Mar 2022 17:47:41 +0200 uks-first-lng-powered-ferry-launches-route-between-portsmouth-and-bilbao E-scooters and other personal mobility vehicles are becoming increasingly common in Spain, particularly in large cities, but they have also been causing lots of problems. Find out what the latest rules and changes regarding VMPs are. https://www.thelocal.es/20220222/e-scooters-in-spain-what-are-the-rules-and-latest-changes Tue, 22 Feb 2022 17:26:29 +0100 e-scooters-in-spain-what-are-the-rules-and-latest-changes