THEThe countdown is over. From today the moment of truth comes for thousands of young people who dream of crossing Europe with a backpack on their shoulders: in fact, they open up questions for the DiscoverEu interrailthe initiative that gives a free rail pass for young people who enter adulthood. There are up for grabs 40 thousand tickets and Italy is in the front row with a reserved quota of almost five thousand pass.
Interrail DiscoverEu: who can participate and what are the requirements
DiscoverEU It is part of the Erasmus+ programmethe European plan dedicated to training and young people, designed to break down borders, not just geographical ones. The rules are few but strict. To be able to send the application you must be born between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2008have a valid identity document at hand. This is the only “bureaucracy” required to start dreaming about your itinerary. The audience does not only include citizens of European Union countriesbut it also extends to young people residing in countries such as Norway, Iceland, Türkiye and Serbia, who join the Erasmus+ programme.
Pay attention to the deadlines: April 22nd to mark in your calendar
Obviously, there is a limited window of time to come forward: registrations they opened today, Wednesday 8 April and will close, at the same time, on Wednesday 22 April 2026. Everything happens online on European youth portal. The procedure is quick but requires a minimum of attention. After entering their details, candidates are asked to answer a short questionnaire on the European Union. There’s no need to be scared: these are general questions about the history and institutions of the continent. The score obtained, along with response speedwill serve to draw up the final ranking of the winners.
The initiative that gives young people a month of adventure traveling by train is underway. (Getty Image)
Seven days of travel in complete freedom
The “prize” is the DiscoverEu travel passa single ticket that allows you to travel on almost all European trains. With this pass in your pocket, you are entitled to travel free of charge for a total of seven daysto be used within a month. The dates, in fact, are very flexible.
How to use the Interrail travel pass
The pass can be used to travel at any time between 1 July 2026 and 30 September 2027. This means that those who manage to participate will have two summers or any other period of the year at their disposal to organize your own tour between 33 different countriesfrom Spain to Finland, from Greece to Switzerland.
Interrail, an adventure to experience alone or with friends
Traveling at eighteen is a test of maturity, but you are not obliged to do it alone. The system also allows you to apply as a groupinvolving up to four friends. The important thing is that each member of the group meets the age and residency requirements. It is good to remember that the pass fully covers the costs of train travelexcept for some mandatory reservations on high-speed trains, while the costs for food and accommodation remain the responsibility of the children.
