Deadline: June 26, 2018
Are you 18 years old? Are you up for an adventure? If yes, get ready to explore Europe by joining DiscoverEU, a unique opportunity to discover EU culture, people & yourself!
DiscoverEU is an initiative of the European Union allowing around 15,000 young people to receive a travel pass for this summer. Seize this chance to experience freedom of movement, understand better Europe’s diversity, enjoy its cultural richness, make new friends and ultimately, discover yourself.
About
DiscoverEU aims at offering young people aged 18 years old a travel experience that will enable them to take advantage of the freedom of movement in the European Union, discover the diversity of European regions, enjoy its cultural richness, connect with people from all over the continent and ultimately discover themselves. Under this initiative, the European Commission is going to select at the end of June 2018 around 15.000 enthusiastic young people aged 18 years old and provide them with free travel tickets to travel across the EU during the summer of 2018.
Participants will, as a general rule, travel by rail. The scenery from European trains gives an ever-changing, endlessly entertaining variety of towns, countryside and landscapes that can promote discovery and better understanding of Europe, its citizens and cultures.
However, in order to ensure a wide access across the continent, DiscoverEU will offer, when travel by rail is not available, alternative modes of transport such as buses or ferries. In exceptional cases, and when no other transport means are available, travel by plane will be permitted. This will ensure that young people living in remote areas or on islands also have a chance to take part in this initiative.
Value of Travel tickets
The basic rule is that each participant will be entitled to a travel ticket worth (on average) EUR 255. Travel will only be in 2nd class. However, this amount can be higher in the exceptional cases referred to below:
- For participants travelling from the outermost regions (i.e. Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, la Réunion, Mayotte, Saint-Martin, Madeira, Azores and Canary Islands) to mainland Europe. Once the participants land on the continent, the basic rule applies.
- For participants outside the above-mentioned outermost regions who are entitled to travel by plane to mainland Europe. Once on the continent, the basic rule applies.
- For participants with reduced mobility and/or special needs. Costs to be assessed on a case by case basis according to their needs. Costs of special assistance (accompanying person, dog for visually impaired participants, etc.) might be covered.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants are young people who fulfil the following criteria:
- are 18 years old on 1 July 2018, i.e. those young people born between 2 July 1999 (included) and 1 July 2000 (included);
- have the nationality of one of the 28 Member States of the European Union;
- fill in the correct ID or passport number on the online application form;
- plan to start their journey in one of the EU 28 Member States;
- plan to start their travel between 9 July 2018 and 30 September 2018 inclusive;
- plan to travel between 1 day and up to 30 days inclusive;
- plan to travel to at least 1 and up to 4 foreign country destinations within the European Union;
- are motivated to become DiscoverEU Ambassadors, implying that they should report back on their travel experiences through social media and other online community tools or by giving a presentation at their school or local community.
Any applicant not fulfilling the eligibility criteria will not be able to complete the application process and will not be taken into consideration in the award decision.
Requirements
By becoming a DiscoverEU Ambassador, you are invited to report back on your travel experiences, for example through social media tools like Instagram, Facebook or Twitter or by providing a presentation at your school or at your local community. Don’t forget to join the DiscoverEU Facebook Group once this is created!
Application
The application round will be open online from 12 June at 12:00 (CEST) to 26 June 2018 at 12:00 (CEST).
- Firstly, you will need to provide your personal data and give more details about the trip you are planning to make.
- Secondly, you will have to answer 5 quiz questions linked to the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage and EU youth initiatives targeting young people.
- Finally, you will have to answer a tie-breaker question, which will allow the European Commission to rank the applicants in case there are too many applications.
- Once selected, participants have to start travelling between 9 July and 30 September 2018.
Once the participants are selected, an external contractor hired by the European Commission will be responsible for arranging the travel tickets.
Apply at the European Youth Portal.
For more information, visit DiscoverEU.
