RAIL board RENFE has started early for this month's 25th anniversary ticket sales: from midnight tonight (Saturday), a total of 35,000 one-way trips on the high-speed AVE line will be up for grabs for just €25.
This year, to mark the quarter-century of the AVE – which is capable of covering distances of around 400 kilometres in 90 minutes – RENFE will put 25,000 tickets on sale at €25 on the 25th of every month.
But after the first few months crashed the rail board's server and it was forced to increase the band width, and then all 25,000 were snapped up before daylight, RENFE has had to make its offer more generous.
To cope with passengers buying tickets at the same time – with up to 1,000 a minute going at one point – RENFE had to issue over 35,000 since literally hundreds paying for theirs right in the same split second meant 40% of them were double-booked.
And from now on, 35,000 will be on sale as standard.
The July 9 offer is expected to catch customers planning their summer holidays, and is in place of the July 25 offer.
Any €25 tickets bought from midnight tonight to midnight tomorrow will be valid for travel any time between Monday, July 10 and Sunday, September 10 inclusive.
Those who miss out will get another chance next month, on August 25.
