35,500 free DiscoverEU travel tickets for young people - apply now!
The European Commission's DiscoverEU initiative has launched a new competition: Young people born between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2006 have the chance to win one of a total of 35,500 free travel tickets. There are 709 tickets available for Austria. These will allow you to travel by train through Europe for up to 30 days in the period from 1 March 2025 to 31 May 2026. The OeAD is supporting the campaign in Austria and is organising four pre-departure information events in Vienna in spring 2025.
Those interested can take part in a quiz on the European Youth Portal until 16 October 2024, 12:00 noon (CET) to qualify. This quiz comprises five questions on the European Union and one additional question. The campaign is open to young people from the EU and from countries participating in the Erasmus+ programme. These include Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia and Turkey.
Discover Europe and its cultural treasures
DiscoverEU is much more than just a free train journey: Participants can plan their itinerary individually or be inspired by existing routes, such as one focussing on health and well-being. They can also benefit from the DiscoverEU cultural route, an initiative of the European Year of Youth 2022, which includes cultural destinations such as the European Capitals of Culture, UNESCO World Heritage Sites and cities that have received the Access City Award for their accessibility.
Versatile benefits and inclusion
In addition to the free travel ticket, participants receive a discount card with over 40,000 offers for public transport, accommodation, cultural events, sports and catering. DiscoverEU places a particular focus on social inclusion: special support measures are offered for young people with disabilities or health restrictions. There is also the DiscoverEU inclusion project, which offers organisations that work with disadvantaged young people the opportunity to apply for additional funding. Since its launch in October 2022, 389 projects have already been implemented as part of this initiative. Special travel opportunities are available for young people from remote regions to make it easier for them to participate in DiscoverEU.
Background to DiscoverEU
DiscoverEU was launched by the European Commission in June 2018 and has been an integral part of the Erasmus+ programme since 2021. So far, more than 1.3 million young people have applied for the coveted travel tickets and 319,000 tickets have been awarded. A survey of participants shows that 93 per cent of respondents would like to travel by train more often after their DiscoverEU experience. Many said that DiscoverEU had increased their independence and improved their intercultural and language skills.
Apply now!
The application deadline is 16 October 2024, 12:00 (CET). For more information on how to apply and take part in the quiz, visit the European Youth Portal
