Travel
Travelling greener?
Yes. The way we travel has often a negative impact on our planet. Watch our brief introductory video here to see what this chapter is about. Or scroll down and see what you can do.
Test your knowledge
Best practices
Check out some of our best practices – and find even more in our free to download handbook!
Step out of the rush
Observe, reflect, listen to a podcast or music, read a good book or prepare for the learning encounter ahead. Travel ‘slow’.
Travel together
Participants from the same country or region hop on the same bus or train and use travel time for socialising, like the guests of Villa Fohrde (Germany) in the photo.
Green travel policy
Develop a travel policy that sets standards for green travel in your organisation. For example: up to 600 km always use grounded transport, such as busses, trains, boats, etc.
Tasks on the road
Make travel part of your educational programme. Include group activities, fun tasks, homework – and let participants report about it on social media.
Preparational online meetings
A preparatory online event before the activity helps to motivate participants for green travel, form travel groups and share tips and resources.
Reconsider regional partnerships
Why not to make a regional project and explore diversity in your surroundings? We don’t always have to travel far!
Care for green travelers
Long overland travels can be exhausting. Providing a budget for proper rest and food during the trip will support the wellbeing of participants.
Take distance into account
When planning a new project, take distance into account to avoid long travel for participants. This applies for the choice of venue and partners.
Step out of the rush
Observe the changing landscape, reflect, listen to a podcast or music, read a good book or prepare for the learning encounter ahead. Travel ‘slow’.
Hop on!
Participants from the same country or region could hop on the same bus or train, or organise a car-sharing.
Enjoy
the differences in landscape and culture more through slow travel.
Time for
Finally reading that book!
The bonus
Travel time can be used to get to know each other, and participants can report about their travels on social media. Perhaps they could even do fun tasks together!
Regional partnerships
Why not make a regional project and explore diversity in your surroundings?
Nearby partners
Collaboration with nearby partner countries improves the chance that participants will choose green means of travel to reach the activity venue.
Taking distance into account
When planning a new project can help to avoid long travel for participants in the first place.
What is a green travel policy?
A travel policy that sets standards for green travelling. A great way to reduce your travel emissions on the organisational level.
Ideas for your own travel policy?
Till 600 kilometres distance use grounded transportation (such as buses, ships, shared taxis, shuttles or similar).
The bonus
Travel time can be used to get to know each other, and participants can report about their travels on social media. Perhaps they could even do fun tasks together!
Travel time = Working time.
Consider (a part of ) the time travelled as working time. Discuss which task to complete during the travel.
Hop on!
Participants from the same country or region could hop on the same bus or train, or organise a car-sharing.
Enjoy
the differences in landscape and culture more through slow travel.
Time for
Finally reading that book!
“Eco-friendly practices are not the rule yet. When conducting the interviews, I found that in the process of making projects, only half of the interviews took eco-friendly practices into account."
Travel self assessment
Need food for thought, material for discussion or concrete steps for action?
Do your self assessment and see where you are now, what you are good at and where there is space to improve.
Create your bucket list
So, what is next for you? Take a look at the list below and pick what you will do next.
Feel free to prioritize your top five actions for your upcoming projects.
Useful links
Practical tools
- EcoPassenger: calculator to compare the environmental impacts of trains, cars and planes
Where to find green travel options
- Interrail Trip Planner
- Operators that combine train and bus connections across Europe (not all train/bus operators are included) The Trainline, Rome2Rio
- International bus companies: amongst others Flixbus
- Carpooling: Bla Bla Car
- A lot of information about buying train tickets: Seat61
Further reading
- Information and graphics on the impact of flying: Stay Grounded
- Guide to a climate friendly travel policy
- Article “How Far Can We Get Without Flying”
- European Mobility Atlas
Download the ECOrasmus handbook
Find many more tips, best practice examples and tools in our handbook! Download it now for free:
