Since 1999 license free radios have existed in the European Union when it was agreed to free up the frequency 446 MHz for non—licensed hand portable radio use.
As there is no license for these radios it means there are no call charges to pay and they can also be used by anyone of any age.
The frequencies are shared which means you may get interference in heavily used areas. To reduce this there are up to 8 channels available, each with 38 different codes and a number of Digital Codes called (DCS) this gives a maximum of 304 analogue channel options and numerous DCS options.
Changing channels, CTCSS or DCS tones should mean you can find a clear channel in your operating area, but this is not guaranteed.