40,000 Free Train Passes

The European Union has opened applications for 40,000 free DiscoverEU rail passes for 18-year-olds, with the spring 2026 round closing at noon in Brussels on April 22. (commission.europa.eu) The passes are open to people born between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2008, as long as they live in a European Union member state or in a third country associated with Erasmus+. (eacea.ec.europa.eu) Applicants must fill out the form on the European Youth Portal and answer five quiz questions about the European Union plus one tie-breaker question. The Commission said selected travelers can use the pass for up to 30 days between July 1, 2026, and September 30, 2027. (youth.europa.eu) DiscoverEU is part of Erasmus+, the European Union’s education and youth program, and it is built around rail travel rather than cash grants. The European Youth Portal says the pass comes with a discount card that can cut costs for local transport, culture, accommodation, food, and some other services. (youth.europa.eu) This round is tied to the 40th anniversary of the Schengen system, the passport-free travel area that now covers most European Union countries and several non-European Union states. The Youth Portal says the 2026 campaign is offering 40,000 passes to mark that anniversary. (youth.europa.eu) The Commission has run DiscoverEU since 2018, and the program was folded into Erasmus+ for the 2021-2027 budget cycle. The European Commission says more than 355,000 young people had received travel passes by the end of 2025 out of roughly 1.5 million applicants. (commission.europa.eu) Most winners travel mainly by train, but the rules allow other transport in special cases, including ferries and buses, and flights for participants from islands or remote areas. The rules also provide extra support for young people with disabilities, health conditions, or fewer opportunities. (youth.europa.eu) The current application window began on April 8, 2026, not April 16, and it ends on April 22, 2026, at 12:00 Central European Summer Time. For eligible 18-year-olds, that leaves a short window to apply before the next group of winners is picked. (youth.europa.eu)