Fancy a free ride across Europe? Then, you could be in line for a rail pass that will take you to see the sights of a fascinating continent.
If you are hankering for Paris, Berlin, or the further reaches of the train network to Greece, you could be in for a treat. The European Union (EU) is offering 35,500 DiscoverEU free travel passes to young people.
To get one, young people born between 1 July 2005 and 30 June 2006 can do a quiz with five questions about the EU and one additional question on the European Youth Portal.
Successful applicants will get a free rail pass to travel in Europe for up to 30 days between 1 July 2024 and 30 September 2025.
The call is open to applicants from the European Union and countries associated with the Erasmus+ programme, including Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, and Türkiye.
Ticket holders can plan their routes or be inspired by existing ones. For example, they can discover a route launched last year, which focuses on cities and places that make the European Union' beautiful, sustainable and inclusive', in line with the principles of the New European Bauhaus.
Participants can also benefit from the DiscoverEU Culture Route, an initiative of the 2022 European Year of Youth that combines various cultural destinations, including architecture, music, fine art, theatre, fashion and design.
Participants can visit the European Capitals of Culture, which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List, European Heritage Label sites, or Access City Award label locations, which are cities that have gone above and beyond to become more accessible to everyone.
DiscoverEU is much more than just a ticket. Participants will also receive a discount card with over 40,000 discount possibilities on public transport, culture, accommodation, food, sports and other services in eligible countries.
Additionally, Erasmus+ National Agencies organise pre-departure information meetings, and national agencies across all Erasmus+ countries prepare DiscoverEU Meet-ups, learning programmes lasting from one to three days.
The Commission launched DiscoverEU in June 2018 following a preparatory action from the European Parliament. It is integrated into the Erasmus+ programme 2021-2027.
Since 2018, more than 1 million candidates have applied for 284,000 available travel passes. According to the latest post-travel survey, 72% of candidates declared it to be the first time travelling out of their country of residence by train.
For many, it was also the first time they travelled without parents or accompanying adults, and the majority indicated an increased sense of independence. Over two-thirds said they would not have been able to finance their travel pass without DiscoverEU.
The DiscoverEU experience has given young people a better understanding of other cultures and European history and improved their foreign language skills.
Andy Probert is an experienced freelance business travel journalist and PR specialist.
