Are you 18 years old and a citizen of the European Union? Get ready to explore Europe! The European Union has relaunched a scheme that allows you to travel free on the EU’s railways for up to 30 days between 1 March 2022 and 28 February 2023.

Ciarán Cuffe, Green MEP for Dublin said:“A free rail ticket is your opportunity to connect with Europe and meet like-minded people from across the European Union. Whether it is travelling to the pine forests beyond the Arctic Circle, the beaches of Southern Italy or the street markets of Spain, here is an opportunity to live your dream for free. DiscoverEU is a European Union Programme that allows young people to explore Europe using a safe and low-carbon means of travelling. 60,000 free travel passes will be made available under the DiscoverEU scheme.You must have been born between 1 July 2001 (included) and 31 December 2003 (included), and be an EU national.“COVID-19 put many people’s travel plans on hold. Thankfully the opportunity is there once again for young people to explore the continent once again by rail. In addition, if you are one of the DiscoverEU travel pass winners from November 2019 and had to put your travel on hold due to COVID-19, the European Commission has extended the travel period until 30 September 2022. You can still Discover our EU!“The scheme is an amazing opportunity to experience the freedom of movement throughout the European Union, and explore the diversity of Europe, learn about European cultural heritage and history, and connect with people from all over the continent. Furthermore, DiscoverEU enables you, as a young person, to develop life skills of value to your future, such as independence, confidence, and openness to other cultures. I am delighted to support this green initiative. Apply now, as you must enter by 26 October 2021.More Information:You can find out more on the official European Commission website https://europa.eu/youth/discovereu_en

Issued 12 October 2021, uploaded 13 October 2021.