Free travel pass lets 20,000 18-year-olds explore Europe by train

Applications open today

The delay to Brexit has brought one unexpected travel bonus for 18-year-old British citizens: the chance for a free rail ticket to “experience Europe’s diversity, better understand each other and learn more about Europe”.

Any European citizen born between 2 July 2000 and 1 July 2001 can apply for the tickets online from 12pm today (2 May) until 12pm on 16 May, gaining free travel for up to 30 days to at least one foreign country. Travel will be mainly by rail, but also by bus and ferry to ensure wide access.

With 20,000 tickets in total, and tickets handed out to each EU member state in proportion to their population, just over 2,500 British citizens aged 18 should qualify.

There are around 720,000 18-year-olds in the UK, which means that only one in 288 of those who qualify stand to benefit.

Last year the European Parliament launched the annual programme to encourage 18-year-old EU citizens to travel.

At the time The Independent reported: “With the UK scheduled to leave the EU on 29 March 2019, this summer will be the only opportunity for British travellers to benefit.” But the delay to Brexit means that young UK travellers can benefit from the “travel pass to discover Europe”, available for use between August 2019 and January 2020.

Even though Brexit is due to take place on 31 October 2019, the rules say the participant must simply “have the nationality of one of the Member States of the European Union at the time of the award decision”.

MEPs say: “Encouraging young EU citizens to travel in the EU and meet people from other countries will foster European identity and reinforce common EU values.”

Although rail will be the most common mode of transport, “flights will be allowed in exceptional cases where no other form of transport is available. This could be for example for people coming from remote areas or outermost regions.

“Participants with reduced mobility or special needs may be eligible for extra help, for example support with the costs for an accompanying person or dog for those with a visual impairment.

“Accommodation, subsistence or other expenses related to the trip shall be covered by the participants.”

The scheme is a watered-down version of a proposal to give every young person in Europe a free InterRail pass on their 18th birthday, first mooted in 2016.