BlaBlaCar is approaching its 15th anniversary in Spain, where its flagship offering has become a household name: a long-distance carpooling platform that connects drivers with empty seats to passengers aiming for the same route, sharing the travel cost. In Spain, the service has grown to serve millions of users and remains the cornerstone of the company’s activity in the country.
The company arrived in Spain several years ago and expanded its operations beyond carpooling. It now runs international bus services, linking Spain with France and Portugal through its own buses. Domestic routes within Spain remain under a concession regime, as national liberalization is limited. BlaBlaCar also markets tickets from other operators on its platform, a model already used by the Madrid-Portuguese corridor and similar arrangements in Ávila. The group is engaging with additional operators to enhance third-party distribution and broaden its domestic bus network.
Looking ahead, BlaBlaCar is actively exploring Spain as a launchpad for new, complementary services that extend its multimodal travel offering. Plans include allowing users to buy train tickets on the BlaBlaCar app and introducing a new short- and regular-ride carsharing option. This new service would target commuters who need reliable rides to work or school, with the aim of making carsharing profitable for participants. The company is pursuing partnerships with other firms and public administrations to implement these initiatives (sources indicate ongoing discussions and early actions).
Recent developments show BlaBlaCar coordinating with Renfe, Iryo, and Ouigo—three major high-speed train operators in Spain—to adapt and integrate their ticketing into BlaBlaCar’s platform. The goal is to present rail options alongside carpooling and bus alternatives within the same user interface. This collaboration, reported by Prensa Ibérica and El Periódico de España, is currently in the technical integration phase, with plans to negotiate commercial terms once the groundwork is complete.
BlaBlaCar’s overarching aim is to offer travelers a broader, more flexible set of choices. When a user searches for transport to a particular destination, the app already displays carpooling and bus options, and the company intends to add train tickets to the mix in the near future. However, a specific timeline for this expansion has not been disclosed.
Also short trips
The Spanish focus has historically concentrated on long-distance carpooling, with the typical journey averaging around 300 kilometers. The group also plans to roll out a service for short, regular trips, mirroring the BlaBlaCar Daily model already proven in France. This approach targets daily commutes to work or classes, expanding the potential use cases for carsharing.
The central motivation for both drivers and passengers is cost savings through shared travel. For drivers, BlaBlaCar currently conveys a per-kilometer rate of about 0.045 euros, with earnings tied to the distance traveled. Carsharing can be profitable for vehicle owners, though margins vary with pricing and demand. BlaBlaCar collects a commission of roughly 20% to cover administrative costs and VAT charged by the platform.
For shorter trips of 20 to 30 kilometers, the economics are tougher: the per-trip revenue may be insufficient to justify daily carpooling. To address this, BlaBlaCar advocates for public incentives that support short-distance rides—an approach already implemented in France where regional authorities subsidize carpooling or invite drivers to offer empty seats even when not fully booked.
Public driver assistance
In conversations with representatives from Spain’s autonomous communities, BlaBlaCar has pressed for direct incentives to drivers who share cars for short trips. The aim is to reduce private car presence on roads and in cities, supporting sustainable mobility and better urban air quality.
With a Sustainable Mobility Act under consideration, the state appears poised to enable regional authorities to adopt and tailor regulations. BlaBlaCar envisions measures that encourage ridesharing as a safeguard for sustainability and efficiency.
“Launching BlaBlaCar Daily in Spain hinges on the incentives offered to drivers for sharing their cars. The success of the service depends on autonomous communities, and discussions are already underway,” the company stated, highlighting a readiness to collaborate with regional governments to foster an effective model for short-trip carsharing.