Stay Tuned For Memorable Train Travel The Year To Come

Do you and your buddies plan to take a trip around Europe? Let us give you more details about how you can win the complimentary train tickets.

This initiative, already known as DiscoverEU, will be carried out as a component of the Erasmus education program and will work to strengthen cultural ties throughout the European Union, while providing those who have reached the age of 18 the opportunity to learn about the culture and history of Europe. The experience will be completed with interactiions with people from all around the region.

So find out below the details about who qualifies and how to submit an application, step by step.

The European Youth Portal is already accepting applications for the free train tickets, as the enrolment period will finish on March 29 at noon. To be considered, applicants must have reached the age of 18 by the 1st of July 2023. At this point of the application process, a proof of identity is necessary. Participants in the programme must be citizens or have the right to live in one of the 27 countries that are members of the EU or in an Overseas Country. Countries such as Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, and Turkey are included in this group.

When you have successfully completed the eligibility check, you will be required to take a test that consists of five questions with multiple choice answers. They contain basic information about the European Union as well as various programmes targeted at young people that have been implemented by the EU. In addition to that, you will be questioned more about the specifics of your upcoming trip arrangements. Consider when you want to go, whether this will be your first solo vacation away from home, what you want to gain from it, and how you are planning to pay for the entire experience. However, keep in mind that the results of the selecting procedure will not be affected by this information.

Nevertheless, you must know that in the event that you have already been granted a DiscoverEU permit, your application will be denied.

Following the aforementioned process, passes valid for travel on trains for up to one month will be given out for use between June 15th, 2023 and September 30th, 2024. Throughout the application process, you will be given the option to either go by yourself or with a maximum of four other people. If you're planning on taking a trip with a group of people, you may give them your application code so that they can sign up, too.

Just one outward and one return trip inside your country of residence are permitted on the travel pass. It is required that you visit at least one other nation that is qualified under the plan while you are there. The whole trip may take anywhere from one day up to a maximum of one month, with as many as seven travel days included in that total.

In most cases, participants will be eligible for a pass with a maximum value of €251 in either second or economy class. Applicants coming from more rural areas or those travelling from abroad may be eligible for a higher sum. In certain instances, you will also get passes for the bus and the ferry. Flights may also be provided in extraordinary circumstances in order to guarantee that young people who live in rural locations or on islands are not excluded from the programme. As a general rule, the choice with the lowest impact on the environment will be chosen.

One of the perks of winning is a free, annual European Youth Card (EYCA) for you to use throughout the continent. Discounts are available for activities and trips related to culture, education, the outdoors, sports, local transportation, lodging, and cuisine, among other things, all around the EU.

The participants will be chosen up to the limit of the allocated budget, and their responses will be graded according to how accurate they are. Each nation has a predetermined limit on the number of travel passes that may be purchased. In the event that a nation receives less applications than their allotted number, the leftover permits will be allocated to those countries who have submitted more.

In the event that there are an excessive number of qualified candidates, the "first come, first served" concept will be used; this means that applications received earlier may be given preference in the event of a tie.

When the application time ends in May, the selected candidates will be contacted by email. Next, they'll be linked up with a European Union contractor who will handle making reservations and handling payments for their trip. There will be no reimbursement for any passes that were bought by the accepted candidates on their own.

Winners will also be asked to provide their consent to become a "DiscoverEU Ambassador" in order to be eligible for a complimentary pass. This implies that they are expected to share their trip experiences with others via blogging, tweeting, or giving talks at local schools and educational gatherings.

By the use of the program's mobile application, travellers will be able to generate a personalized map of the journey, completed with data on the number of trains travelled, the number of nations visited, and the amount of CO2 saved; this map will then be able to be uploaded to various social media platforms.

Those who participate in the programme will as well be required to fill out an online survey following their return.

Is there a similar free train pass programme elsewhere else in Europe?

Citizens of France and Germany under the age of 27 will soon be eligible to apply for complimentary inter-country rail travel. As part of the festivities commemorating the Elysée Treaty's 60th anniversary, it was announced that 60,000 complimentary train tickets would be made available.

In addition, until the end of the year 2023, a free rail travel programme is available to all residents and visitors of Spain.

 

source: euronews.com