“Friendship Ticket”: Free Train Travel Between Poland and Germany

Poland and Germany have opened applications for the Polish-German Friendship Ticket program, which will allow young people to travel by train between the two countries for free. A total of 60,000 tickets will be issued—30,000 each for participants from Poland and Germany. Applications can be submitted until September 22, 2026, and the tickets can be used from November 2026 through October 2027.

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Who is eligible for a free “Friendship Ticket”?

The program is intended for young people residing in Poland or Germany. For the Polish portion of the contest, participants must be at least 18 years old as of September 15, 2026, and no older than 27 years old as of November 1, 2026. They must also be residing in Poland both at the time of application and at the time of the upcoming trip.

Main eligibility requirements:

- Age: 18 to 27 years old

- Permanent residence in Poland or Germany

- A valid document confirming identity and place of residence

- One application per person

- The selected travel period must begin before the participant turns 28

Applications will be accepted from September 15 through September 22, 2026, until 12:00 p.m. local time. After registering, participants must complete an online quiz consisting of 9 questions, for which they are given 9 minutes. The questions cover Poland, Germany, and rail travel.

How will the free train ticket work?

The “Friendship Ticket” essentially works like a mobile Interrail Pass. The winner receives 7 days of unlimited travel within a single month. On each of these seven days, you can take as many trains as you like.

Two days may be used to leave one’s home country and return home, and the remaining five days are for travel within a neighboring country. The trip can begin on any date between November 1, 2026, and October 1, 2027, and the latest possible return date is October 31, 2027.

The ticket itself is free, but for some international and overnight trains, a seat reservation may be required for an additional fee. This is an important detail, as such surcharges are not covered by the program.

Why did Poland and Germany launch this program?

The initiative was timed to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the Polish-German Treaty on Good Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation. Both countries have allocated 30,000 tickets each to encourage young people to travel more often, learn about the culture of the neighboring country, and use a more environmentally friendly mode of transportation.

The program also has a practical impact on tourism. A single ticket allows travelers to plan a full itinerary covering several cities at once. For example, Berlin, Dresden, Hamburg, or Munich for participants from Poland, or Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, and Gdańsk for young people from Germany.

For young travelers, this is a rare opportunity to significantly reduce transportation costs: seven days of train travel between two major European countries are effectively funded by the program’s organizers.

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We remind you! Popular European tourist destinations are becoming increasingly crowded, so travelers are looking for alternatives without the crowds. In 2026, attention is turning to countries that remain off the beaten path but offer unique experiences, affordable prices, and an authentic atmosphere. Read more about 5 European countries that are rarely visited by tourists.

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