18-year-olds can travel Europe for free this summer

From now until 22 April 2026, 18 year-olds across the EU will be able to travel for free across Europe as part of the DiscoverEU initiative. It's part of the Erasmus Scheme, and entitles successful applicants to fully funded travel across European countries between 1 July 2026 and 30 September 2027. The method of travel is by train, as it is considered the most environmentally friendly form of long-distance travel, but applicants may travel by plane in exceptional circumstances.

To be eligible to apply, applicants must be 18 years old at the time of application (defined on the website as born between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2008. The application must be made on the European Youth Portal. You can find out more details about the application process on the website.

Applicants get to choose their own itinerary, which must take place over seven days within a 30-day period. Travel days can be consecutive or spread out over the 30-day period. You must visit at least one foreign country as part of the initiative.

The EUdiscover initiative offers young learners a fantastic way to put their French skills to use in a Francophone environment. As we always say, immersion in a French-speaking country is one of the best ways to improve your speaking and listening skills!

France isn’t the only country in Europe where French is an official language. French is also spoken as an official language in four other countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Monaco.

Note that as Switzerland and Monaco are not in the EU, they are not included in the DiscoverEU initiative.

In Belgium, French is one of three official languages. The other two are Flemish, which is spoken in the northern half of the country, known as Flanders, and German, which is only spoken by 1% of the population. The southern half, including Brussels, the capital, speaks French, and is very well connected by train to the rest of Europe.

In Luxembourg, French is one of three official languages alongside German and Luxembourgish. Luxembourg is contiguous with France and Belgium, and easy to get to from Paris.

Switzerland has four official languages: French, German, Italian and Romansch. French is spoken by around a quarter of the population, chiefly in the Romandie region in the west. This area is well connected by train to France, and is a popular destination for French ski tourists.

The official language of Monaco, a micro-nation located at the southeast tip of France, is also French.