How can young people travel cheaply by train in Europe ?

The Discover EU program allows more than 35,000 young people aged 18 to travel throughout Europe for free Zbynek Pospisil/Getty Images

More than 35,000 young Europeans aged 18 will obtain a pass to travel by train throughout Europe without spending a single euro. A good plan among others for a change of scenery without cutting corners on your savings. In this long weekend season, we present three of them to you.

The Discover EU program for young people aged 18

The recent European Youth Week which took place a few days ago was an opportunity to relaunch the "Discover EU" aimed at Europeans aged 18 who reside in a country where the Erasmus+ system operates. A major opportunity for young adventurers since it involves offering them a free pass so that they can travel by train throughout Europe. Only citizens born between July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2006 can hope to obtain this sesame.

The rail road trip will not necessarily be undertaken alone, since the program allows you to form a group, provided that the other young people are also 18 years old. Simply send your application via the Youth.europa.eu platform, before April 30 at 12 p.m. In total, 35,500 young people will receive this pass, including nearly 5,000 French people. This is obviously the Interrail pass which allows you to visit no less than 33 countries.

(Almost) free train rides in France if you agree… to accompany the children

This is what's called a good plan when you don't have a huge budget to travel to the four corners of France. To do this, you have to agree to make a concession and forget about counting on a train ride to finish watching the latest trendy series on Netflix. Instead: we accompany children who take the train alone.

And in return, you can either obtain payment for your own ticket, or request compensation, the amount of which will however be less than the price of the ticket. The Kidygo app has developed this system to reassure both parents who have to transport their children and those looking for cheap tickets.

The return of the 29 euro pass to visit Berlin

From July 1, rail travelers will once again be able to book a pass for 29 euros to visit the German capital, the principle of which was tested in 2022. The subscription is monthly and allows you to take all regional trains, but also the S-bahn and the U-bahn. Above all, this sesame also opens the doors of buses and even trams circulating in zones A and B of Berlin.

If this single ticket is a good deal for Germans, it is also good for travelers who plan to stay in the capital throughout the year. Because it works on the principle of a subscription which commits users for a year… Backpackers will undoubtedly prefer the national version, which allows you to travel throughout the country of Goethe for 49 euros, always according to the formula of an annual subscription which can be canceled after twelve months.