Interrail, so dreamy but so expensive: here’s how the European Union helps their younglings to travel across Europe for free!
A unique experience that every young adults dreams of in Europe, but, also, an expensive reality affordable to few: Interrail, the flexible and sustainable , but also almost magical, way to travel around Europe that opens the mind to other cultures and countries,. This initiative lets people book trains from different European companies and allows travellers to create their own individual route across the continent.
This is a nice way to put it, but reality doesn’t change: Interrail is a very expensive expedition, allowing only the wealthy adventurers to partake in it. Thankfully, the European Union seems to know their people: through the DiscoverEU initiative, some lucky young Europeans will have the opportunity to win an Interrail pass and travel across Europe through train. They will be able to o connect with the European identity and raise awareness of the core values of the European Union through travel.
The magical – and sustainable – Interrail
What could be better than travelling through an entire continent for days, learning new cultures and experiencing a whole new atmosphere? Doing all of this at your own peace and sustainably, thanks to Interrail. Interrail is an adventure that lets you plan your own route across Europe, helping you find the best pass for your needs and reserve the seats on the trains early, so that you won’t have to worry later on when your travelling.
Interrail allows people to travel to up to 33 countries, choosing the best pass fit for their unique itinerary. The passes start from 4 days and go up to 3 months, but it’s up to you to choose your adventure: you can go from a sunny beach in Greece to chasing the northern lights in Sweden with your own time and all in the meanwhile you enjoy incredible landscapes from the train window, a sustainable alternative to airplanes.
Using trains instead of airplanes turns out to be way more sustainable: a train from London to Madrid would emit 43kg of CO2 per passenger: this number raises to 118kg p.p. for the same journey in an airplane. Of course, the emissions vary between trains, but they seems to be the most sustainable way to travel by far.
International rail travel opens your mind and shows you how much the European network is interlinked, but it comes at expensive prices. What is a reality for wealthy and rich European young adults, for everyone else stays a dream. Starting from the pass prices, this adventure seems unattainable, and it’s just the beginning. Travellers also need to pay for seats reservations, accommodations and everything else, and paying for everything is unachievable for most young people.
Also, even though trains are more sustainable than airplanes, they are still way more expensive, especially when your travelling between European countries. Airplanes fairs within Europe go as low as €15.99, making them the cheapest way to travel, in most cases at least. Even though Interrail tries to lower the price for the single train making you pay a single pass, it is still very expensive, especially for young folks.
DiscoverEU: helping young Europeans
DiscoverEU is a EU mandated programme that offers 18-years-olds the opportunity to win a free Interrail pass, helping them overcome the money barrier between them and a mind-opening experience. The applications are still open up until the 13th of November, 12 p.m. Bruxelles time.
There are some conditions to be eligible though, like be born in 2007 and be a citizen or resident of one of the Member States of the EU or one of the countries associated with the Erasmus+ programme.
If you’re an 18-years-old thinking about travelling through Europe with an interrail pass funded by the European Union, this is your opportunity! Send your application here and try to win an adventure through an entire continent. And if you are not selected as one of the winners, remember: there are usually two round of applications in a year, meaning you can try another time!
This is an incredible chance to travel through Europe with free transportation, but it isn’t enough: there should be less age limits for who can participate in the application rounds: young adults don’t have the funds for such an expensive adventure the moment they turn 19 or 20. We need more accessible travel for young people!