Starting next spring, thousands of 18-year-olds will have the opportunity to explore Europe at no cost. The Commission has just opened the applications for the latest round of the DiscoverEU initiative.
A total of 35,500 travel passes are available. To qualify, young people born between 1 January and 31 December 2006 must first answer a quiz consisting of five questions about the EU, along with an additional question on the European Youth Portal. Candidates will be ranked based on their responses and travel passes will be distributed based on this ranking. The call is open to young people from the European Union and countries associated to the Erasmus+ programme including Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Türkiye. The call is open until 16 October at 12:00 CET.
Successful applicants will have the opportunity to travel across Europe for up to 30 days between 1 March 2025 and 31 May 2026. They can either plan their own routes, or be inspired by existing ones such as the "Feel Good Route" which focuses on physical and mental health while travelling. Participants can also get inspiration from the DiscoverEU Culture Route, an initiative of the 2022 European Year of Youth that connects various cultural destinations with a focus on architecture, music, fine art, theatre, fashion and design. They can visit the European Capitals of Culture, sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, European Heritage Label sites or Access City Award label locations, which are cities focusing their efforts on becoming more accessible for people with disabilities.
In addition to the free travel pass, participants will also receive a discount card with over 40,000 deals on public transport, culture, accommodation, food, sport and other services. Additionally, Erasmus+ National Agencies organise pre-departure information meetings and DiscoverEU Meet-ups, learning programmes lasting from one to three days.
Special support is available for participants with disabilities or health conditions, in line with the Erasmus+ programme's focus on social inclusion. The DiscoverEU Inclusion Action enables organisations working with young people with fewer opportunities to apply for grants, providing additional support to participants such as extra funding and the option to travel with accompanying persons. While DiscoverEU encourages sustainable travel by rail, special arrangements are available for young people from outermost regions, Overseas Counties and Territories, remote areas and islands.
Background
The Commission launched DiscoverEU in June 2018 following a preparatory action from the European Parliament. It is now integrated into the Erasmus+ programme 2021-2027.
Since 2018, more than 1.3 million candidates have applied for 319,000 available travel passes. When asked about their experiences, 93% of respondents say that they are planning to travel more often by train following their experience with DiscoverEU. For many, it was the first time they travelled without parents or accompanying adults, and a majority said they felt an increased sense of independence. Over two-thirds said that they would not have been able to finance their travel pass without DiscoverEU.
The DiscoverEU experience has given young people a better understanding of European cultures and history, while improving their language skills. Participants are invited to become DiscoverEU Ambassadors to champion the initiative. The #DiscoverEU Official Facebook group, where young travellers can connect and share experiences and tips, currently has more than 102,000 members.
