DiscoverEU: Free travel passes for young explorers
Today the European Commission officially launched the autumn call for applications for DiscoverEU, a programme that enables 35,000 young people to explore Europe with a free travel pass. This application round starts at 12:00 and ends on 18 October 2023 at 12:00. Those born between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2005 can apply on the European Youth Portal. They will have to answer five quiz questions and one crucial question to have the chance to win a free travel pass.
The lucky winners will have the possibility to travel around Europe for up to 30 days between 1 March 2024 and 31 May 2025. Applications are open to young people from the European Union and associated third countries such as Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey. 729 of these coveted travel passes are available for Austrians and the OeAD as national agency for Erasmus+ supports young travellers through information sessions and pre-departure preparation.
The Bauhaus route and culture routes
One of the most exciting innovations is the newly introduced European Bauhaus route, which opened in January 2023. This route aims to inspire young people in their choice of destinations and raise their awareness of the importance of a "beautiful, sustainable and shared" Europe.
Participants can also benefit from initiatives launched during the European Year of Youth 2022, such as "Young people discover culture in 2022 thanks to DiscoverEU" and the DiscoverEU culture route. These routes link different destinations and cultural disciplines such as architecture, music, visual arts, theatre, fashion and design. They offer the possibility to visit European capitals of culture, explore UNESCO world heritage sites and visit places that have been awarded the access city award – cities that are particularly committed to accessibility for all, regardless of age, mobility or ability.
Social inclusion and support
DiscoverEU also focuses on social inclusion and provides support for participants with disabilities or health challenges. The DiscoverEU Inclusion Action allows organisations working with disadvantaged young people and informal groups of young people to apply for financial support. Participants in this initiative will receive additional support, including the possibility to travel with accompanying persons.
DiscoverEU success
Since the start of DiscoverEU in June 2018 more than 1 million people have applied for the 248,000 available travel passes. The initiative has enabled many young people to travel and experience other cultures without their parents or accompanying persons for the first time. Most said that DiscoverEU made them more independent and improved their foreign language skills. More than two thirds of the participants said that they would not have been able to finance their trips without DiscoverEU. They are encouraged to become DiscoverEU ambassadors and interact with other travellers in the official online group #DiscoverEU to share experiences and tips for cultural and sustainable travel.
