In the YouthTRAILS project, mobility is more than just moving from one place to another. It’s a transformative experience — an opportunity for young people to travel consciously, connect with local communities, and actively contribute to climate action and sustainable development.
We align with and reimagine DiscoverEU, the EU initiative that allows 18-year-olds to explore Europe mostly by rail. While DiscoverEU opens the door to mobility, YouthTRAILS adds a sustainable purpose, guiding young travellers beyond city capitals and into remote, rural, and ecotourism-rich areas where youth organisations and green changemakers are active.
Unlike traditional projects that focus solely on the eco-friendliness of transport, YouthTRAILS redefines green mobility as a youth-driven social and environmental movement.
We believe mobility should:
💬 Foster real interaction between young travellers and local youth groups.
🌿 Promote ecotourism as a tool for climate action.
🎒 Equip youth workers with tools to connect youth, local assets, and tourism.
🧭 Inspire young people to become active storytellers of sustainable regions.
Many young travellers skip rural or wild areas during DiscoverEU experiences simply because they don’t know about them — or how to engage with local communities.
YouthTRAILS addresses this gap by:
Developing interpretation youth maps co-created by local youth.
Building a European Youth Network for Ecotourism Education and Practice.
Empowering youth workers as facilitators of responsible travel.
Launching the YEL! (YouthTRAILS Ecotourism Label) to help travellers identify youth-friendly, eco-conscious destinations.
Our goal isn’t just greener travel — it’s building a movement.
We connect youth mobility to activism, giving it social purpose.
We empower remote communities by linking them to young European travellers.
We turn youth workers into changemakers, capable of influencing mobility trends and creating spaces for participation, sustainability, and innovation.
While YouthTRAILS is still in progress, it draws strength from and complements a range of impactful youth mobility programmes, both within the European Union and through global grassroots initiatives. These programmes lay the foundation for travel, learning, volunteering, and intercultural exchange — and YouthTRAILS adds a crucial layer of sustainability, local engagement, and ecotourism awareness.
Here are some of the main youth mobility programmes:
Are you between 18 and 30 years old and feel the need to try new experiences and challenge yourself?
Are you looking for a project that allows you to do hands-on activities and travel abroad for a few months? The European Solidarity Corps offers exactly what you're looking for!
Interreg Youth Volunteer is a European Union initiative that offers young people aged 18 to 30 the opportunity to take part in cross-border volunteering projects.
This is a unique volunteering experience that will allow you to discover new places and regions, while supporting your personal and professional growth.
A Workawayer is: a traveller who wants to give back to the communities and places they visit. Open to helping hosts and using the experience to learn and immerse in the local culture.
Couchsurfing is a service that connects members to a global community of travelers. Use Couchsurfing to find a place to stay or share your home and hometown with travelers.
Couchsurfers organize regular events in 200,000 cities around the world. There's always something to do and new friends to meet.
WWOOF links visitors with organic farmers, promotes an educational and cultural exchange and builds a global community conscious of ecological farming practices.
These days, you can go WWOOFing in more than 130 countries around the world (and growing).
HelpX is a platform where hosts—including farms, eco-lodges, ranches, hostels, sailing boats, and private households—offer food and accommodation in exchange for short-term voluntary work.
Volunteers, known as "Helpers," typically contribute around 4 hours of work per day. You can sign up on the website as a Helper.
A platform that connects hosts with travelers seeking free food and accommodation in exchange for a few hours of volunteer work. The typical arrangement involves 5 hours of work per day, 5 days a week, in return for room and board.
A free map feature allows users to view the location and profiles of both hosts and travelers worldwide, and makes it easy to connect with other travelers to share rides.
An international network of hostels in over 80 countries, many of which offer volunteer opportunities. Volunteers can help with tasks such as reception, entertainment, cooking, and cleaning. In exchange for their support, they are usually provided with food, accommodation, and sometimes a small allowance.
Some hostels also host EVS (European Voluntary Service) experiences. To apply, you need to contact the hostel directly in the country you’re interested in.
Every year, a selection of B&Bs across Italy take part in this initiative, offering free accommodation in exchange for services—such as maintenance, plumbing, painting, or gardening—or goods like books, household items, furniture, or electronics.
Barter Week extends this concept globally, promoting the same kind of exchange around the world.
A platform that allows you to volunteer abroad in exchange for food and accommodation, with opportunities available in over 140 countries. Volunteers can take part in a wide range of activities and receive support from Worldpackers before, during, and after their experience.
An open-source hospitality exchange network run by BeVolunteer, a non-profit organization of volunteers. It connects travelers who want to share hospitality, travel tips, and meaningful experiences with locals.
Membership is completely free—no registration fees required.