DiscoverEU: Almost 800 young Austrians travel for free across Europe
Brussels (APA) – More than 40,000 young Europeans under 18 can once again travel across Europe this year with free train tickets. The European Commission announced the winners of the autumn round of its DiscoverEU program in Brussels on Wednesday. This also allows 798 Austrians to explore the cultures of all European countries by train and with a youth card for up to 30 days within one year.
All people who were born between 1 January and 31 December 2007 and come from EU member states or Erasmus+-associated countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey) were eligible to participate. According to the EU Commission, a total of 246,782 applications were submitted. Since 2018, almost two million young people have applied for 431,931 travel passes. As in previous years, special regulations will make it possible for travelers from islands or remote areas to enter. Participants with a disability or health problems may be accompanied.
Youth card with 23,000 discounts
In addition to the travel pass, participants will once again receive the DiscoverEU youth card with over 23,000 discounts for public transport, hotels, food, as well as cultural, sports and other activities in more than 30 European countries. In addition, the national Erasmus+ agencies organize meetings before, during and after the trip. In Austria, OeAD – Agency for Education and Internationalisation is responsible.
DiscoverEU is a central component of the Erasmus+ exchange program and is intended to promote the mobility of young people, environmentally friendly travel, cultural exchange and European unity. The next application round will start in spring 2026. It is open to applicants born between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2008. “This special edition for the 40th anniversary of the Schengen area reminds us that mobility is a right that we value; a cornerstone of our shared European identity,” said EU Youth Commissioner Glenn Micallef. (8.1.2026)
