British teenagers are to be given the chance to bid farewell to Europe with free Interrail passes for up to 30 days this summer.



The free tickets, worth up to £400 each, will be offered to any EU citizens who turn 18 before July as part of a pilot DiscoverEU scheme funded by the EU.

With Brexit on the horizon this is the first and last year British teenagers can apply for the rail bonanza, which has just been launched in Brussels.



“Any future participating depends on the outcome of the Brexit negotiations and the future relationship between the UK and the EU,” said Nathalie Vandystadt, the EU commission spokesperson for education, culture, youth and sport.

The scheme has been masterminded by the German MEP and leader of the European People’s party in the European parliament, Manfred Weber.

His long-term vision is to give a free Interrail pass to each child in an EU country when they turn 18 as part of a way of promoting cultural and social ties among EU citizens.

“I am convinced that the ‘18th birthday’ Interrail pass for Europe could become a true flagship project for the development of a common European identity in diversity,” he said.

Interrail was launched in 1972 with £27.50 tickets offering unlimited travel across Europe as part of a scheme by rail operators to tempt young Europeans to explore their home continent.

The European commission and the European parliament hope to give those with the least chance of travel the opportunity for what they believe will be a formative experience of their lives.

“Emotions and links between people is something that is also worth investing in. This is what the DiscoverEU project is about. The point of the initiative is to give young Europeans, including those who are not students, the opportunity to travel, discover the beauty and richness of our continent and meet with other young Europeans from all over Europe. I believe it can contribute to create a feeling of common amongst Europeans,” Weber said.

The EU has earmarked €12m (£10.6m) for the for the pilot scheme this year with a further €700m pencilled in for the next seven years in the proposed EU €1.25tn budget for 2021-2027.

The first application round for 15,000 tickets will take place between 12 June and 26 June. If successful another 15,000 passes will be released in the second half of the year.

About 1,900 tickets have been earmarked for British applicants, with 2,500 for Germany, 1,960 for France and 140 for Ireland. Sources say these allocations may change depending on take up from each member state.

Participants will be able to travel up to 30 days to up to four EU countries with rail and ferries included. Their trip should be connected to a place with a specific value in terms of European cultural heritage, European sites, places of historic interest, specific social or cultural values and traditions.

Applicants will have to give reasons for why they should be awarded the Interrail pass and agree to act as European ambassadors by posting about their experiences on social media.