Irish people aged 18-20 entitled to apply for 60,000 free passes for rail travel in the EU

Selected applicants can travel for a minimum of one day and up to 30 days.

The European Commission will provide free travel rail passes to 60,000 people aged 18 to 20 under a DiscoverEU scheme for travel between March 2022 and February 2023. The applications open on Tuesday (12 October) at noon and close on 26 October at the same time as part of a European Year of Youth initiative. Exceptionally for this round, young people who were eligible under two rounds in 2020 - which were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic - can apply too, opening up the portal to those who would have been aged 18-20 last year, as well as UK citizens. Applicants can go on the trip solo or add up to four friends in a group by using the same application code to submit their application, provided they meet the eligibility conditions. Travellers can also organise meet-ups and combine travel plans with other DiscoverEU travellers via the DiscoverEU Facebook Group. The scheme hopes to enable young people to "take advantage of the freedom of movement throughout the European Union, explore the diversity of Europe, learn about European cultural heritage and history, and connect with people from all over the continent". You can find more details about the scheme here.