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Travel sustainably when studying abroad

Try to travel as sustainably as possible. If studying within Europe, you can get compensation if you skip the plane to your exchange destination. If you have to fly, there are ways to keep emissions down.

Everyone at KTH is responsible for trying to keep the climate impact down during business and educational travel. An important step is to choose alternatives to air travel when possible.

If possible, choose a mode of travel other than a plane to your exchange destination. Plenty of students have travelled by other means of transport, such as train - some students have even cycled or taken a sailboat in connection with their KTH exchange.

Calculate the climate impact of your trip

There are many different websites with services where you can calculate the climate impact of your trip. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology have developed the Swedish platform Klimatsmart semester (travelandclimate.org). Anneli Kamb , who is now a doctoral student in Strategic Sustainability Studies at KTH, has also participated in the project.

At travelandclimate.org , you can calculate your trip's emissions and compare different travel options. The website also has many other tips and links to help you travel more sustainably.

Tips if you want to travel by train

The train is an environmentally friendly, safe, and relatively fast means of transport for travelling between countries without flying. Travelling by train from Sweden to other countries in Europe can require some planning to find the correct times and tickets, but you can get a lot of help online.

Some reasons to choose, for example, the train over flying:

  • Travelling by train has a lower climate impact.
  • You get a different kind of travel experience.
  • Train stations are often located more centrally in cities than, for example, airports, which can simplify travel to and from study locations.

Some tips for planning travelling by train

Tips for buying tickets

  • National train companies such as SJ (Sweden) and DB (Germany) are good for shorter journeys, for example within countries. There can be big price differences depending on the distance and how far in advance you book your journey.
  • Interrail is good for longer journeys. They have fewer price differences, but offer more flexibility. interrail.eu
  • The Austrian railway company ÖBB connects large parts of Europe with its modern ÖBB Nightjet trains (nightjet.com) . With these night trains, you can fall asleep in Hamburg and wake up in Switzerland or Austria for possible onward travel to, for example, Spain or Italy.
  • If you are travelling with an Interrail pass, you can reserve tickets online for a fee via the Interrail booking service (interrail.eu) .

In many countries, the development of high-speed trains is progressing rapidly, with China and Japan being well-known examples. Even if you need to fly to another country, you can investigate the possibilities of taking the train within the country or region to your final destination.

Tips from KTH Students for Sustainability

KTH Students for Sustainability  is a student association that, among other things, wants to highlight the benefits of train travel. They have put together a list of useful links  for train travel. Here are also some of their best tips for planning train trips between countries:

  • Download the companies' apps to sync your tickets and get updates about your train trips.
  • Transfers: Allow enough time between each transfer; approximately an hour is usually sufficient. Try to have as few transfers as possible.
  • Check your luggage regularly during your trip.
  • Look for partial refunds for sustainable travel - for example, through the Erasmus scholarship .
  • Delays can happen regardless of the mode of transport. Seek support from train staff or other passengers if you miss your transfer; you will not be the only one in this situation! Seek compensation from the train companies in case of major delays.
  • Be prepared for the trip: Bring food and water (there is not always drinking water available on the train), hand sanitiser or wet wipes, a book, a neck pillow, an eye mask, earplugs, and a warm layer for the night. Download movies to your phone/tablet/computer.

Combine train and flight

Sometimes, taking the train can be more complex and time-consuming than flying. But keep in mind that flying also involves more than just the effective flight time: You need to get to the airport in good time, take stopovers into account and possible early departures with overnight stays, and time for transfers to the city centre.

One tip is to split your trip and thus reduce your emissions significantly without taking up much extra time. As a rule of thumb, you can reduce your emissions by up to 40 per cent by, for example, taking the train from Stockholm to Copenhagen and then continuing by plane in Europe.

Here are some examples:

Train + flight Stockholm - Paris: 31 per cent lower emissions:

  • Direct flight: 405 kg CO2. Travel time about 5 hours.
  • Flight to Berlin and night train to Paris: 278 kg CO2, save 31 per cent. Travel time 10-12 hours.

Train + flight Gothenburg - Zurich: up to 58 per cent lower emissions:

  • Flight to Zurich with a stopover in Copenhagen: 305 kg CO2. Travel time approximately 6-7 hours.
  • Flight to Berlin, night train to Zurich: 207 kg CO2, save 32 per cent. Travel time 8-9 hours.
  • Train to Copenhagen, flight to Hamburg, night train to Zurich: 128 kg CO2, save 58 per cent. Travel time 11-12 hours.

Train + flight Stockholm - Glasgow: up to 44 per cent lower emissions:

  • Flight with a stopover in Amsterdam: 473 kg CO2. Travel time 8-9 hours.
  • Direct flight to Edinburgh, train to Glasgow: 344 kg CO2, save 27 per cent. Travel time 6-7 hours.
  • Train to Gothenburg, flight to Edinburgh, train to Glasgow: 264 kg CO2, save 44 per cent. Travel time approximately 10 hours.

The above examples are taken from Klimatsmart magazine where you can read more about combined trips: Flyg + tåg istället för bara flyg (klimatsmartsemester.se) .

Fly one way and take the train the other way

You can also combine flight and train by, for example, taking the flight one way and the train the other when going to and from your exchange destination. Many students combine one leg of the journey with a holiday and visit different cities. Maybe you want to see Berlin or Paris on the way to your exchange destination, or perhaps you want to visit a wedding or meet up with some friends on the way home. Make the journey to and/or from the exchange more than just a transport.

Travel allowance via Erasmus+

You will be awarded a travel allowance if you go on exchange studies through Erasmus+. You can also receive extra compensation for green travel. Green travel includes train, bicycle, bus, and carpooling. The compensation is calculated based on the distance to your study destination. Depending on the distance to your destination, you can also get extra travel days to use.

Read more about the Erasmus scholarship and travel grant

When you need to fly

Many times, flying is the only reasonable alternative to your exchange destination - for example, due to distance, infrastructural or security challenges, or because it is logistically or financially too difficult to travel in an alternative way.

Some tips for keeping your climate impact down if you have to fly:

  1. Combine flights with other modes of transport. Do you need to fly all the way to your destination? You can reduce your emissions significantly by splitting your trip (see more info higher up the page). If you are going on to another city within the same country and region, maybe there is smooth and safe regional transport, for example by train?
  2. Choose direct flights if possible. The fewer stopovers, the fewer emissions from take-off and landing.
  3. Don't pack too much. More weight means higher emissions. Too many large bags are also hard to carry around.
  4. Choose economy class. It's not only the most logical thing from a student budget - in economy class, more people can fit in the same area, which is a more efficient use of the plane's space.