Can I take my electric scooter on the train, metro or bus?

Can I take my scooter on a Renfe train?

Yes, since 7 September 2026. Renfe allows electric scooters and other personal mobility vehicles on AVE, Euromed, Alvia, Intercity, Avant, Avlo, Media Distancia (regional) and Cercanías (commuter) trains. It does not allow them on Rodalies de Catalunya, on Cercanías Bilbao and San Sebastián or on regional trains between Miranda and Alsasua.

• Price: free, as special luggage, on AVE, Euromed, Alvia, Intercity and Avant. On Avlo you have to buy the extra luggage add-on.
• Size: up to 120 × 50 × 55 cm, and you must be able to handle it yourself.
• On board: folded and switched off from the moment you enter the platform until the end of the journey, in the luggage spaces, without blocking aisles, doors, toilets or evacuation routes.
• Battery: you can't plug it into the train's sockets or charge the battery on board.

These conditions do not apply to electric bicycles or to vehicles for people with reduced mobility. Renfe had banned scooters on its trains in 2023 and allows them again now that registration, the label and insurance are compulsory.

What does my scooter need to get on the train?

It must be certified and registered with the DGT, carry the identification label where it can be seen and have valid compulsory insurance. Renfe only lets on scooters that meet all of the DGT's requirements.

Renfe's September 2026 press release lists them: registered in the DGT's Vehicle Register, with the identification plate or label visible, with third-party liability insurance in force and with the certificate of circulation that shows the model is certified. On its website it also asks for the manufacturer's marking. That is why a non-certified scooter cannot get on, even if it is registered.

If something is missing, we register your scooter for €35 (VAT included), and the identification plate (the identification label the DGT requires, which many people call a number plate or sticker) costs €15 + €4.95 shipping (VAT included) on our plate page. Insurance is explained in compulsory scooter insurance, and if you are a foreign resident, see registering your scooter with a NIE.

Can I take it on the metro or the bus?

Not in the four cities we checked. Scooters are banned on the metro in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and Seville, and on buses in Barcelona and Madrid. Each transport authority sets its own rules: if you are going to another city, check its operator's rules before you get on.

City buses in Valencia and Seville are not in the table: before you get on, check the rules of EMT Valencia or Tussam.

What about Rodalies, FGC and the rest of Catalonia?

No. In Catalonia, the ban set by the ATM (Autoritat del Transport Metropolità, the metropolitan transport authority) covers all transport that depends on the Generalitat, the ATM and the AMB: TMB metro and buses, FGC, Rodalies, TRAM and the metropolitan, night and interurban buses. It has been in force since 1 February 2023, it is indefinite and it applies throughout Catalonia.

On Rodalies, scooters are not allowed even when folded. If you pass the ticket barrier with one, the fine is €200. There are two nuances: a town council can choose not to apply the ban on a bus service it runs, and private buses are not covered. The rules for riding in the city are in registering your scooter in Barcelona.

And in Madrid, Valencia and Seville?

Madrid. The Consorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid (CRTM, the regional transport authority) has banned electric scooters and unicycles since 4 November 2023 on the metro, EMT buses, interurban and urban buses, the light metro, the Parla tram and the interchanges. In May 2024 it extended the ban to 2027, when it will review it; anyone who breaks it can be removed and fined €100 to €200. Cercanías trains are run by Renfe, so Renfe's conditions apply there. More in registering your scooter in Madrid.

Valencia. Metrovalencia bans electric scooters and other personal mobility vehicles from its stations and trains, except those adapted for people with reduced mobility, until a national rule ensures they can travel safely on public transport. Its travel rules have been in force since 1 October 2025. More in registering your scooter in Valencia.

Seville. You cannot travel on the Metro de Sevilla with an electric scooter or unicycle, under a resolution of the Junta de Andalucía (the regional government) of 20 December 2023. More in registering your scooter in Seville.

Why does each operator have different rules?

Because each operator or transport authority decides what can go on its vehicles. The ATM keeps its ban because of the batteries: the risk of a fire, flames spreading quickly and toxic smoke in enclosed, crowded spaces. Metrovalencia is waiting for a national rule on the safety of these vehicles on public transport.

Renfe, on the other hand, allows them again because compulsory registration, labels and insurance now make it possible to identify the scooters that can be ridden legally. Rules can change, so each row of the table gives its source and the date we checked it. The riding rules in force since 1 October 2026 are in new scooter rules.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take my electric scooter on Renfe trains?

Yes, since 7 September 2026, on AVE, Euromed, Alvia, Intercity, Avant, Avlo, Media Distancia and Cercanías trains, if it is certified, registered, has the label in view and is insured, and travels folded and switched off. Not on Rodalies de Catalunya or Cercanías Bilbao and San Sebastián.

Can a non-certified scooter go on the train?

No. Renfe only accepts certified scooters that meet the DGT's requirements: registered, with the label in view and insured. If yours is not certified, it cannot get on even if it is registered.

Can I take my scooter on the Barcelona or Madrid metro?

No. In Barcelona, scooters have been banned on TMB metro and buses since 1 February 2023 (€200 fine). In Madrid, the CRTM has banned them on the metro and EMT buses since 4 November 2023 and has extended the ban to 2027 (€100 to €200).

Can I take my scooter on Rodalies?

No. Rodalies de Catalunya keeps the ATM's ban even if the scooter is folded, and the fine is €200.

Can I charge my scooter on the train?

No. Renfe doesn't let you plug it in or charge the battery on board, and the scooter must be folded and switched off from the moment you enter the platform until the end of the journey.