more than 40,000 trips
Pablo Viñado often travels alone because it gives him more independence. A few days ago he used BlaBlaCar and picked up three fellow travelers on the way to Marbella to visit family. At first he weighed other options such as the train or a plane, but the schedule or price didn’t cooperate, and he chose to drive instead.
One issue cropped up, though: gasoline prices were climbing rapidly, and the total cost was straining his budget. He decided to post his trip on the app to help cover part of the round trip. He explained that with deposits for both the outward and return journeys, sharing the ride made more sense financially. Rising fuel costs, the presence of other drivers on the road, and environmental considerations are all factors pushing more people toward car sharing. The strongest driver, however, remains economic advantage.
Whether for business or leisure, near or far from the starting point, BlaBlaCar stands as a popular option. In mid-summer, thousands of people take to the road for long-awaited breaks, and many choose to share the ride with others rather than travel alone.
more than 40,000 trips
According to BlaBlaCar data, the Valencia Community is expected to register over 40,000 trips this summer, out of about 350,000 trips across Spain, marking a roughly 40 percent increase from the same period in 2019. The platform notes that 79 percent of users opt for this transport mode mainly due to the impact of fuel price surges on their budgets.
In another example, Iñaki and a companion group headed to Malaga to catch up with friends. The journey took seven hours. Iñaki commented that sharing a car helps reduce travel costs and feels more sustainable by lowering the number of vehicles on the road, even though the trip itself may be lengthy. This perspective was shared with the press.
Users of all ages
People like Iñaki are increasingly turning to car sharing. On long trips, Iñaki noted that many travelers asked to join even when the car was already full, illustrating strong demand. The return trip from Malaga has been completed, and the trend appears to be growing.
Transportation decisions are not solely for leisure; many people are sharing rides to get to work. Several users interviewed by the newspaper confirmed that savings from shared travel never get old, and BlaBlaCar users span a wide age range.
Pablo Viñado argues that ridesharing should be a short-term response to high prices, with a longer-term approach involving price controls at international levels. He already has several BlaBlaCar trips under his belt and sees value in this mode of travel.
He notes that travel becomes cheaper, and as fuel prices rise, it makes sense to participate. It can feel liberating since you still drive, but you gain the benefit of a rescue route when needed, a sentiment shared by the Valencia-based traveler.
Survey data from BlaBlaCar users across 92 towns in the Valencian Community shows broad enthusiasm for car sharing. A large share of users prefer shared travel to private non-shared vehicles or trains—indicating a robust shift in travel behavior.
main destinations
The report also highlights how fuel price increases drive the choice for car sharing during the summer. Among Valencia residents, national tourism shows strong appeal, with favored routes including Madrid, Valencia, and Alicante, along with connections to Zaragoza and Barcelona. The pattern reveals a preference for popular national destinations, often paired with regional spots like Valencia itself and Madrid.
The BlaBlaCar platform already serves more than 7 million users in Spain and over 850,000 in the Valencian Community. In the first half of the year, the company reported record activity in both travel bookings and completions, continuing a trend of growth that outpaces 2019 by about a quarter.
One notable factor behind this rebound is the persistent rise in fuel costs, which have climbed more than 30 percent for both gasoline and diesel. While many riders appreciate the financial savings, there is also a clear appetite for shared travel due to environmental awareness and the preference for collective transportation over individual car use in many cases.