Imagine: backpack on your shoulders, train window, landscapes that change every hour. And the ticket? The European Union pays for it. It’s not the plot of a Netflix series, it’s DiscoverEU, the program that every year gives thousands of eighteen-year-old Europeans the chance to cross the continent almost for free, mainly by train.
In a historical moment in which young people are asking for more mobility, more sustainability and more real connection with the world, DiscoverEU responds with something concrete: not a virtual voucher, not an app, but a physical, slow, human experience. That of getting on a train and discovering that Europe, seen from below, is much more interesting than it seems in school books.
The idea behind it is as simple as it is powerful: if you are 18 years old and live in one of the European Union countries (or in one of the countries associated with Erasmus+), you can apply to receive a free rail pass to explore the continent. The pass covers main train journeys (with possible discounts on other expenses), but above all it opens up a world to you: new cities, different languages, people you would never have met otherwise.
There is a precise vision behind it: to strengthen the sense of belonging to Europe, promote sustainable mobility and make the Union something tangible, not just a distant institution. Choosing the train is not a detail: it is a statement. Travel slowly, cross borders without flying, reduce the environmental impact of your tourism. A different way of moving in the world, which DiscoverEU already puts into practice.
How DiscoverEU works
Participating is easier than you think. Here’s what you need:
If you are selected, you receive the rail pass and a DiscoverEU European Youth Card, which gives you access to discounts on museums, cultural activities, sports, local transport, accommodation and food. A small ecosystem of advantages designed to make travel truly accessible.
You can go alone or in a group of up to 5 people. And if you have a disability or particular health needs, dedicated supports are provided: because traveling should be a right, not a privilege reserved for a few.
Deadlines to mark immediately
Applications for the next round of DiscoverEU open:
from 8 April 2026 (12:00 Brussels time)
and they close:
on April 22, 2026 (12:00 pm)
Young people born between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2008 can apply for this round.
The selection takes place via the European Youth Portal, where you will have to fill in the form and answer a short quiz. Two rounds are scheduled every year:
To apply and stay updated: DiscoverEU – European Youth Portal
Because the train changes everything
There’s a huge difference between studying a map and actually walking across it. When you change languages every time you get off a train, when you share a compartment with people you didn’t know five minutes before, when you get lost in a new city and then find your way alone, something happens that’s hard to explain but easy to hear.
You understand that Europe is not an abstract concept, but an experience that you can live firsthand. And you also understand that traveling slowly — by train, watching the landscape pass by outside the window — is an almost political act in an era dominated by low-cost flights and overtourism.
The data confirms this: according to the latest findings from the Erasmus+ programme, DiscoverEU participants report a significant increase in the sense of European identity and environmental awareness linked to transport. It’s not just a journey: it’s a change of perspective.
Anyone who leaves with DiscoverEU does not remain just a tourist. Become a storyteller if you want: you can talk about your experience on social media with the hashtag #DiscoverEU, sharing what you have learned, seen, heard. Because true stories — the lived ones, not the filtered ones — are still the most powerful.
Is it worth trying? Absolutely yes. Because it is one of the few occasions in which a public institution truly invests in the freedom, curiosity and future of young people.
Go. Leave. See the world closely.
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Green EU&ME | Project co-financed by the European Union
The opinions expressed, however, belong to the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the European Union or of the Representation in Italy of the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the providing administration can be held responsible.
