Almost 41,000 18-year-olds, or 18.5% of those who applied, will receive free travel passes to explore Europe after being selected in the latest DiscoverEU round.
A total of 40,912 young people have been awarded a pass under the scheme, which sits within the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, the European Commission announced on Monday.
Successful applicants will be able to travel between July 2026 and September 2027, mainly by rail.
Travellers can go alone or in a group of up to five people.
The application round was open to young people born between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2008 from EU member states and countries associated with Erasmus+, and attracted 220,501 applicants.
What DiscoverEU offers
Participants will be offered pre-departure information training sessions and meet-ups held around Europe as part of the programme, the Commission said.
“A DiscoverEU pass is not just a ticket but an invitation to experience the cultural richness and beauty of Europe firsthand,” Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport Glenn Micallef said.
More than two million young people have applied for DiscoverEU travel passes since the initiative launched in 2018.
