Around 1,200 young Belgians that have just reached 18 years old will receive a ticket allowing them to discover Europe by rail, starting this year or in early 2024, the European Commission announced on Tuesday. The young travellers are the winners of tickets given out by last winter’s DiscoverEU programme.
Each year, thousands of train tickets are given out to young people by countries that participate in the Erasmus+ student mobility program, which is aimed primarily at encouraging young people to travel Europe and meet new people.
According to European Commissioner for Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, the DiscoverEU initiative aims to promote “cultural exchanges through sustainable travel.” Last winter’s call for candidates was open to young people born in 2004.
Related News
- German railway company looking for 25,000 workers this year
- Daily Brussels-Vienna night trains to run from end 2023
In total, 162,931 young people across the EU entered their information for a chance to win travel tickets, according to data from the European Commission. Of these participants, 47,700 will have the opportunity to travel for free for up to 30 days, alone or in small groups, between March 2023 and February 2024.
Of this number, 1,190 Belgians will receive a free travel ticket. The popularity of InterRail recovered significantly last year after a dip in demand during the Covid-19 pandemic. The demand for InterRail tickets has now recovered beyond 2019 levels.
