Hello young traveller! My name is Florian, I'm from Alsace and I'm currently studying in Lille, France. Last year, I won a #DiscoverEU pass after participating in a competition organised by the European Commission. I learned about this contest by chance on social networks and I can already tell you something: it's a unique opportunity! I'll explain you how I  went about organising my trip, why I went alone with my backpack, and finally how much it cost me. So if you are also interested in this contest, my testimony should interest you!

I left for 15 days between the end of July and the beginning of August to discover Europe by train. All in all, I visited 13 cities in 8 different countries (yes it's a lot in a short time, but it was totally worth it). So I went to Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, San Marino and Switzerland for a total of 2,895 kilometres on 29 different trains. You're wondering how I managed to organise myself to do so much in so little time? Well, you don't have to be an expert in organisation to do it! Choose 
your destinations according to what you like (city or nature, mountain or beach, etc.), and then check out the different transport options on the Rail Planner app. All you have to do is to book the accommodation and you're done! I personally preferred a route oriented towards nature and beautiful landscapes because that's what I prefer. Moreover, I also chose to travel only on free trains (for which I didn't need to pay extra for a reservation), because I had read stories that recommended it. Even if the travel times are often longer, the scenery and overall experience is that much more authentic in my opinion. As well as saving you a lot of money, you'll pass through some beautiful places (as the TGV usually pass through very flat and unremarkable places)!

As you may have read at the beginning, I did indeed go alone for this experience: that's probably what made it so memorable. This trip was my first solo travel experience, which means that I was not used to travelling like this at all. Although it can be scary during the organisation and preparations, you'll find that once you're on the road it's 100% fun and independent. You get up at the time you want, you visit what you want, you eat where you want, and above all, you meet a lot more people than if you were travelling in a group (because when you are alone you are necessarily more open to meeting new people)! However, choosing to travel alone can also present some difficulties once you are on the road. If you are afraid of loneliness or lack of interaction if you are shy or reserved, it is true that you won't have your friends with you to support you when you have slumps (which also happened to me and will happen to everyone). Nevertheless, it's an adventure that allows you to discover yourself personally, and above all to gain a lot of autonomy for your future life!

Last but not least, one of the most common questions when planning such a trip is: how much does it cost? To be honest, I quickly realised that this opportunity was unique. So I wanted to make the most of it, without necessarily restricting myself on every activity etc. Overall, the budget needed will depend on a lot of different factors like:

• the season of your trip (tourist or not?)
• the countries visited (Eastern countries are cheaper than Northern countries)
• the quality of the accommodation (youth hostel or hotel)
• the monuments visited and or activities...

I personally went during the tourist season but I went to countries with a relatively low cost of living. 
This allowed me to achieve a lot on a relatively "small" budget. Indeed, I went to restaurants in each country to taste the local specialities, I was able to visit a lot of places in the different cities where I went, etc.

In total, my #DiscoverEU trip cost me 710€ for 14 days of travel, divided equally between the cost of accommodation (365€) and the rest (restaurants, museums, etc). As mentioned, this amount varies greatly depending on your adventure and especially the length of your trip. So even if you only have a few hundred euros to spare don't miss this opportunity and create your own adventure!

In conclusion, #DiscoverEU is what you need if you want to have an incredible adventure through Europe, alone or with friends. Worried that you won't be able to organise your trip? Think of it as a challenge? Consider it a challenge and check out the Internet, you'll find hundreds of stories to give you all the advice you need!

Whether it is from a human or personal point of view, you will come out of this trip with a ton of memories that you will be able to tell your family and friends. Don't be afraid and go for your 
#DiscoverEU adventure!

If you want to have a look at what my #DiscoverEU experience looked like, check out this video!

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

Anna is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellow at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra, Italy.  

Besides being a researcher, she is a qualified lawyer and recently joined the legal team at ‘Systasis - Centre for the Management of Environmental Conflicts’ in Milan.

Anna holds a PhD from the Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society (the Netherlands), with a project investigating how civic monitoring influences the governance of environmental health risk. Earlier, she worked on young patients’ access to education in London, on an oil pollution litigation in Ecuador and on water conflicts in Chile. 

At the JRC, Anna is leading the research project ‘Sensing for Justice’ (SensJus), exploring civic monitoring as a source of evidence for environmental litigation and as a tool to foster environmental mediation. 

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

Saluton (Hello) Before I start talking about my experience, I think it would be a good idea to explain to those of you who read me what Esperanto is, what its objective is, so that you can understand a little more about my experience as a volunteer. If this were a TikTok video, we would say that Esperanto is a language "with a lot of fun".

I have gone round and round before arriving here precisely because my volunteering is in an Esperanto association, none other than the International Association of Young Esperantists (TEJO). For me, as the title says, Esperanto is a language of opportunities. I didn't start volunteering from scratch because I spent a year between 2021 and 2022 living in France thanks to the Service Civique programme, working in another Esperanto organisation, Centre Culturel Espéranto Toulouse.

The work in the association, A.K.A TEJO, is no less... how to say... diverse. Esperanto is a language that is spoken all over the world, not at the same time, but there are people in places you can't even imagine with lives that are interesting enough for another article. My work this time is more about organizing events, meetings, gatherings, social networks, videos, projects, in short, the associative life of people who live on the net. 

I say that this is the language of opportunities because not only has it allowed me to live, enjoy and laugh to unsuspected levels for two years, but I have also visited places I literally didn't know existed. Herzberg am Harz in Germany, Białystok in Poland, Ry in Denmark, Assis in Italy and I could go on and on to Esperanto-related projects, full of young people and where only Esperanto is spoken. Things have started off well and it looks like they will get even better next year. We will continue to report in the coming months, but before finishing, I just wanted to say that, if anyone is reading this and doubts about whether to volunteer or not, just do not miss the opportunity to live this experience, broaden your horizons, meet people, have a good time, travel and all this without costing you a euro.

Without further ado, fartu bone,

Ĝis baldaŭ.

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

Salut les amis! My name is Miguel and I am speaking to you from Liège to tell you about my experience as a volunteer, tomorrow I will be two months since I arrived.

I'm in a project managed by CBB (Compagnons Bâtisseurs) with an association called La Barraka, which is a maison de la jeunesse. This association looks after children's rights, giving girls from seven to eighteen years old the opportunity to have a good time with their friends, in addition to the academic help provided by the association. The Baraka organises workshops in theatre, dance, radio, sports... A bit of everything, the aim is to give a voice and opportunities to the young girls of Liège, and in particular to those in the Sainte-Marguerite neighbourhood, where the Barraka is located, a working class neighbourhood with a very poor and migrant population. Well, the whole of Belgium has a very large migrant population, but this one has a high concentration of mainly Congolese, Moroccan and Syrian people.

As for life here, I'll start by saying that there is one very important thing to learn before or during the project, it doesn't matter, but you have to learn it. And that is to be alone, and to enjoy the solitude, because the first months are going to be of absolute self-management, in which I don't have a shoulder to cry on, or a person with whom I trust enough to tell my problems. I have colleagues, colleagues of two months with whom I still don't have enough confidence to tell them all my problems. I will have them, but for the moment I only have "friends for the good times only", as I like to call them.

I don't think I have much more to say. I recommend everyone young people to give themselves the chance to have an opportunity like this. It's a great way to get to know yourself, to get to know the world and other realities, to broaden your horizons at the end of the day. And of course a great bridge to become the person you want to be.

A big hug, we'll read each other when it takes longer.

À bientôt!

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

If it hadn’t been for my friends, I would never have lived this incredible experience. I remember now the first time that I heard about European Solidarity Corps, at this time I was very excited to have the last chance (because now I am 30 years old) to live in another country and involve myself in a project that benefits communities and people.

At first I was searching for projects in Italy and the United Kingdom, but after all I found the project I am currently working on in Romania. I feel very fortunate to have chosen this organisation, focused on creativity adapted to non-formal education. As a result, we are develloping four Alternative Museums with different topics: Romanian folklore, Cucuteni Civilisation, Roma and Jewish Community.

I feel fortunate because I’m doing interesting activities with the local community in Targu Frumos, the village where me and my housemates are living now. We are an international team of eight people from Italy, Turkey, Germany, Spain, Jordan and Egypt. Therefore we are exchanging different disciplines on our work, trying to improve the final project that we are developing in each Museum. I feel very grateful about sharing time and work with amazing and talented people who also share my hobbies.

The members of the group, as I mentioned before, have different professional backgrounds from fashion design, music, theatre or plastic arts. Somehow we have found a safe place where we can create freely and find new skills.

In conclusion, If I had never had the courage to pick up my suitcase and start this new journey of my life  I would never have had the opportunity to dedicate myself full time to my true passion, meet new friends, improve my English and understand myself better. Because the reality is that when you are out of your comfort zone you are able to develop new skills and realise many things about yourself and your happiness.

This project is an inspiring and empowering experience which at the same time brings you the chance to change the life to the people while developing your skills and competences.

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

Souad was born in France. She obtained a B.Sc. in Health Engineering from the University of Nancy. After that she did her Master's degree in Physiopathology and Personalized Medicine in Human Transplantation at the University of Strasbourg.  

The main objective of her project was to study histocompatibility genes in human transplantation. After her studies, she worked as a clinical research assistant in the Orthopedic Surgery Department in Luxembourg. Additionally, Souad also has a background in karate and has worked with the Luxembourg national team advising young athletes on orthopedic injury prevention.  

Since 2020, Souad has gone to Germany to do her doctorate at the Bone Lab in Dresden. Her doctoral thesis is part of a Horizon 2020 program of the European Union called Fidelio, which focuses on bone health in diabetes and funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie. It is crucial to find biomarkers that could predict the broken bones in diabetes to prevent the risk of fracture and better treat diabetic patients. MiRNAs extracted from biofluides, could be a promising tool thanks to its easy access. In addition, it could regularly be considered as diagnostic biomarkers in the future and inform of the patient's state of the disease. 

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

Kiira is a mental health researcher and a PhD-student from the University of Helsinki, currently living in Fremantle, Australia. 

Her PhD research is focusing on young people’s mental well-being. In this context, she is validating the (Short) Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale, (S)WEMWBS among Finnish population, focusing on youth’s mental health.   

Kiira was also one of the 104 contestants who took part in the first EU TalentOn competition held in Leiden, The Netherlands in 2022. Her team, Bright Ribbons, won their Mission Arena: Cancer. The team also received Bright Young Minds Award for exceptional team spirit.  

Kiira is passionate about youth’s mental health and science communication. She wants to encourage all  young students and early-career researchers to follow their intuition and explore  the opportunities that Europe is offering. For example, Erasmus-exchange was one of the best experiences during her undergraduate. 

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

If I could go back to 3 February last year, I don't think I would recognize the person who stepped off the plane in Malaga that day. The European Solidarity Corps experience has undoubtedly been one of the greatest discoveries and learning experiences of my life. Unfortunately, 12 months have flown by like a second.

My project consisted of working with migrants in the Moroccan Association. Among my activities I could highlight: accompaniment and help with translation and social and legal procedures, Spanish and English classes, implementation of projects in the fields of education and coexistence, intercultural mediation, preparation of workshops for schools and participation in research on gender equality and prevention of Islamophobia. The opportunity to choose different tasks has allowed me to be more flexible and to get to know different areas that interested me, as I see my professional path related to work in the third sector. In addition, the reality of migrants and refugees that I have seen has inspired me to create the blog on the challenges of migration and social inclusion. I think that, overall, this experience has taught me to be stronger and more resilient, it has shown me the diversity of the world, the enriching beauty of cultural exchange and the importance of creating more bonds between people. In that way we could avoid conflicts and misunderstandings, most of which happen because of ignorance, lack of critical thinking and little knowledge of each other's reality.

On a more personal note, I think that 12 months of volunteering have made me a bit of a Malagueña. European culture never seemed so different from my own, but some customs and routines of Spain and Málaga in particular have been revealing and surprising for me. For example, the way of seeing life as a process to be enjoyed, to savoir it, to share more time with loved ones, to let things flow, to know how to improvise - has been new to me as I come from a more organised and less expressive and warm culture. Other volunteers from European and Latin American countries have also opened my eyes: the opportunity to share the flat and the time together, the trips, parties and moments not always full of joy at the end of the day make you a big family where you will always eat well and a hug will be waiting for you. Also, the need to adapt to a different rhythm, create new routines and go through different necessary procedures has made me more responsible and aware of how I want to build my life project in the near future.

If I had to sum up this year in Malaga, it would be like this: I learned to dance kizomba, met people from 27 countries, travelled to the south and north of Spain, learned curious expressions in 8 languages, lost the fear of swimming, received the title of "teacher", discovered the difference between shadow coffee and cloud, tasted and cooked the most delicious home-made dishes in the world, I climbed mountains, walked I don't know how many kilometres and had endless deep conversations, wrote verses in another language, rode my motorbike, played video games, went to a music festival and shared a flat for the first time, found friends for life and reaffirmed my passions.

In short, I think I found a part of me and left my mark on the streets of Malaga. Any experience is not always all rosy, but this one is worth it for sure.

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

Klara is a research assistant within the TurtleBIOME project at the University of Zagreb and has been working with microbial communities of endangered sea turtles.

She was involved in science popularization and communication events e.g., the European Researchers’ Night. Klara also took part in a scientific photography and problem-solving competition during the EU TalentOn Event in 2022.  

She has recently finished her doctoral studies and is looking forward to using her knowledge and skills in finding microbial solutions to global challenges.

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

Marie is a French and Czech researcher in biostatistics and enjoys applying her skills to medicine-related research. She studied mathematics, physics and engineering before specialising in mathematics and later in statistics. She holds a PhD in applied mathematics from the University of Strasbourg. She was then a postdoc in statistics at the Paris Cité University. In November 2022, she joined the University of Cambridge, at the MRC Biostatistics Unit.  

Marie is strongly involved in the scientific community, as depicted by her commitments to French and European scientific societies and associations. She is also an advocate for mental health, as well as for survivors of sexist and sexual violence. 

In September 2022, Marie got teamed up with three other young female researchers: Bibiana Barrera, Celine Everaert and Kiira Sarasjärvi. Together they developed a game, called The Big C, to defeat cancer taboos and misconceptions. For this project, they won the first prize of the Cancer Mission Arena and the Bright Young Minds Award. 

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026