PROPERTY SEARCH
PROPERTY SEARCH
Imserso budget holidays for pensioners return for the 2025-2026 season
Around 900,000 cut-price trips are offered every year to popular destinations like Alicante and Murcia
The Imserso tourism scheme is one of those uniquely Spanish ideas that has stood the test of time. It was launched decades ago with the simple goal of making travel affordable for pensioners while also giving a boost to the country’s tourist industry during the quieter months of the year.
Today it remains a hugely popular initiative, with tens of thousands of seniors packing their bags each autumn to head off on sun-soaked adventures at a fraction of the usual cost.
Now, Imserso is back for the 2025-2026 season.
Each year, around 900,000 places are made available. The trips are open to residents of Spain who are retired, over 65 or receiving certain pensions, and they can also be joined by a spouse or partner regardless of age. To take part, seniors must register in advance and are then assigned a booking slot once places go on sale.
The holidays are usually one or two weeks long and include transport, accommodation in three- and four-star hotels, full board, travel insurance and organised activities.
Destinations cover most of Spain: beach packages in the Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol and Balearic or Canary Islands, cultural city breaks in Madrid, Valencia or Sevilla and inland tours that combine smaller towns, heritage sites and nature spots. There are also itineraries designed specifically around health and well-being, such as spa stays.
Prices vary depending on the destination and length of stay but are kept low thanks to the government subsidy. 7,447 places have been reserved at a reduced rate of €50 for pensioners with lower incomes and bookings will begin opening in stages from October 6.
How to reserve a place
Pensioners can book their trip through the websites of the awarded companies: turismosocial.es for peninsular coastal trips and short breaks, and mundicolor.es for island coastal trips. To do so, they must enter their ID and their accreditation code (a four-digit number found on their accreditation letter).
Alternatively, they can visit any authorised travel agency in person with just their ID.
Prices
This year, 879,213 places are available, of which 440,284 are for the peninsular coast, 228,142 for the island coast and 210,787 for short-term vacations. However, each destination has a price that also depends on the number of days, the type of stay, and the dates (low season runs from November to April, and high season is in October, May and June).
Andalucia, Catalonia, Murcia and the Valencian Community
• Low season: With transport: 10 days (9 nights) for €309.22 or 8 days (7 nights) for €244.04. Without transport: 10 days (9 nights) for €270.39 or 8 days (7 nights) for €224.63.
• High season: With transport: 10 days (9 nights) for €409.22 or 8 days (7 nights) for €344.04. Without transport: 10 days (9 nights) for €370.39 or 8 days (7 nights) for €324.36.
Balearic Islands
• Low season: With transport: 10 days (9 nights) for €353.37 or 8 days (7 nights) for €285.29. Without transport: 10 days (9 nights) for €270.52 or 8 days (7 nights) for €224.36.
• High season: With transport: 10 days (9 nights) for €385.29 or 8 days (7 nights) for €370.52. Without transport: 10 days (9 nights) for €370.39 or 8 days (7 nights) for €324.36.
Canary Islands
• Low season: With transport: 10 days (9 nights) for €464.72 or 8 days (7 nights) for €378.75. Without transport: 10 days (9 nights) for €270.39 or 8 days (7 nights) for €224.28.
• High season: With transport: 10 days (9 nights) for €564.72 or 8 days (7 nights) for €478.75. Without transport: 10 days (9 nights) for €370.39 or 8 days (7 nights) for €324.28.
Getaway Tourism
• Cultural tours: 6 days (5 nights) for €312.51 in low season and €412.51 in high season.
• Nature tourism: 5 days (4 nights) for €305.75 in low season and €405.75 in high season.
• Provincial capitals: 4 days (3 nights) for €132.91 in low season and €232.91 in high season.
• Ceuta or Melilla: 5 days (4 nights) for €305.75 in low season and €405.75 in high season.
What services do Imserso trips include?
The services included in the Imserso Social Tourism Program are the following:
• Full-board accommodation in a shared double room at hotels selected by Imserso. In provincial capitals, accommodation will be half-board.
• Round-trip transportation from the customer's provincial capital to the destination hotel and back, except for trips without transportation and trips to provincial capitals.
• General medicine service in the hotel itself.
• Collective insurance policy.
Price reductions and supplements
This season, as a new feature, 7,447 places are reserved at a fixed rate of €50 for people with financial resources equal to or less than the amount of their non-contributory retirement or disability pension. Those eligible are those who meet this requirement and achieve the highest score on the assessment criteria.
On all trips, standard accommodation is a shared double room, but if you prefer a single room, you will have to pay a supplement per night: €22 in the Balearic Islands and mainland coastal areas, €24 in the Canary Islands and €26 for the Short Break Tourism option. In addition, during the Christmas and New Year periods, a special optional menu will be offered for a supplement of €20 per person for each gala lunch or dinner (dinners on December 24 and 31 and lunches on December 25 and January 1).
Also of interest: El Corte Inglés rivals Imserso with budget holidays for pensioners
Image: Archive
