17-year-old reveals why he chooses to pay $6,300 a year to live onboard trains permanently

TikTok’s favourite trainspotter Francis Bourgeois, real name Luke Nicolson, quickly became a celebrity on the video-sharing app by documenting his adoration for trains, as well as the wholesome adventures they lead him on.

But now, someone else has taken train life to a whole new level.

Who is Lasse Stolley?

Lasse Stolley is from Germany and has decided to live on trains permanently, using an annual season ticket to train hop from service to service.

According to various reports, the 17-year-old has committed to being on a train permanently since August 2022. The Daily Mail says he covers around 600 miles a day through Germany, traveling on Deutsche Bahn (DB) trains, using the BahnCard 100, which is an unlimited, annual rail pass that also gives you some great perks.

According to the Daily Mail, he left his hometown of Fockbek, Schleswig-Holstein, aged 16 to start his adventure, and he works on trains programming smartphones. He also writes a blog about his train journeys and has an official website.

He is quoted as telling Business Insider: "I decided to live on a train when I was 16 years old. My school days were behind me and the whole world was open to me.

"So in the summer of 2022, I decided to give in to my wanderlust, leave my parents’ house behind and embark on a huge adventure."

"The early months were tough and I had to learn a lot about how it all worked. Everything was different than how I’d imagined."

How does Lasse Stolley travel on so many trains?

Well, his train travel is made much simpler due to him joining the discount subscription programme called the BahnCard 100, offered by Germany's national railway company Deutsche Bahn.

In the early days of his train adventure, he reportedly purchased an annual second-class youth ticket (costing around $2,800), but which also some of its own perks like a 25% discount and "saver fares for long-distance travel".

He's now upgraded his ticket, reports say, and has bought a first-class ticket for $6,300. The official DB website has various price tiers for the options on various cards which vary, of course.

It obviously comes with its own advantages like more spacious seats, occasional access to train lounges, free Wi-Fi and on some trains, free food and drinks.

He says that due to a law in Germany, DB has a "conveyance obligation which doesn't limit how often [he] can travel" and so has been able to aboard the country's trains for nearly two years now.

Are there any downsides to living on trains?

The teenager is quoted by The Sun as saying that limited luggage space is a challenge.

He said: "The most important thing is my laptop and my noise-cancelling headphones, which at least give me a little privacy on the train.

"Since the available space is very limited, you have to choose carefully what you really need. It means getting rid of unnecessary items and limiting yourself to the bare essentials.

"The challenge of not accumulating more and more things is a central component of minimalist living. Especially with a backpack, you quickly reach a space limit."

But for the moment, it sounds like Lasse is on an exciting train adventure.