Any 18-year-olds on the lookout for affordable and fun travel opportunities will be happy to hear that the European Commission’s competition for free interrail tickets is returning this autumn, offering them the chance to win up to one month of free train travel.
One month of free travel for young people in Europe
The DiscoverEU initiative first launched in 2018, and was designed in order to provide travel and mobility opportunities to young people across all Erasmus+ Programme countries. The programme has proven especially successful in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and so far, over 165.000 people have won a free travel pass through the scheme.
18-year-olds will be able to apply on their own or as part of a group of up to five people. The 35.000 lucky winners will be able to travel for a period of one to 30 days between March 1, 2023 and February 29, 2024.
DiscoverEU applications to open in October
The competition opens at midday on October 11, and runs through to midday on October 25. In order to be eligible, applicants must have been born between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2004, and must be an EU citizen or a citizen of Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, or Turkey.
This year’s round of applications will also see winners receive a DiscoverEU pass which offers discounts on a number of various cultural and sports activities, public transportation, accommodation, and food.
Too young to enter the October round? Don’t worry! The competition will reopen next March for those who turned 18 in the first six months of 2023.