Erasmus+ Green Travel

I took the Flixbus from Cologne to Madrid at the beginning of September. I admit it, it wasn't the most comfortable option - but I would still do it again. The journey was incomparably cheap at around €85 including 2 large pieces of luggage, especially when you consider how much an additional piece of luggage costs with most airlines. You should bear in mind that changing trains with several pieces of heavy luggage can be complicated and exhausting, which is why I decided against taking the train on this route. I only had to change buses once in Paris, which was very straightforward. In total, the journey took around 25 hours.

My tips for a pleasant bus journey: Earplugs, neck pillows, a mask that doesn't hurt behind the ears even after several hours, a warm sweater and socks, a book, download movies/series beforehand. You have to make yourself as comfortable as possible! I wasn't bored, I even enjoyed having nothing to do and just looking out of the window. That also gives you enough time to look forward to the exciting time ahead!

- Winter semester 22/23 in Jaén

I took advantage of the “green travel” option and started my Erasmus semester with a short “trip to Europe”. I had planned a week for this, so I spent 1-2 days at each of the four stopovers. I first went to Paris by train, from there to Toulouse, on to Carcassonne and my fourth stop, Barcelona, I reached by bus before arriving at my final destination, Valencia. The medieval fortress of Carcassonne, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was definitely my highlight of the trip. I really enjoyed the train rides and short stops, also because I was able to slowly adjust to my semester abroad. The train journey requires a bit of planning, as it is a lot cheaper to buy tickets in advance. Accommodation should also be booked in advance. If you are planning to travel by train, I recommend comparing train prices (individual train lines or Interrail, for example) and staying in hostels or Airbnbs, as they are much cheaper than hotels and you have the option of cooking. However, you should be aware beforehand that such a trip is not the cheapest alternative and that the “green travel” package is not sufficient. As a train journey through Europe had always been on my bucket list, this was still a good opportunity for me and the perfect start to my semester abroad.

- Winter semester 22/23 in València

You must be crazy! - That was the reaction of most people when I told them about our plan to travel to the week-long summer school in Prishtina, Kosovo by bus and train. Nevertheless, I set off with two fellow students late on Friday afternoon from Bonn Central Station on the long journey to the Western Balkans.

First we took the ICE to Augsburg, where we boarded the night train to Budapest. We didn't get much sleep in the seat compartment, but we'll be smarter next time: book early enough to get an affordable bed in the couchette compartment! In Budapest, we had half a day to get an impression of the city. The weather was perfect for a short walk along the Danube and took us to a small festival in the city center with traditional Hungarian dance and music. In the afternoon we took the bus to Belgrade, where we slept one night in a hostel (and finally had a shower!). Even in Belgrade, we still had enough time the next morning to stroll through the streets and refresh ourselves in a café. The last part of the trip took us by bus to Skopje in North Macedonia due to the unrest in the north, where we were picked up by car and driven to Prishtina.

 The bus ride through Serbia was particularly beautiful, as you drive for hours through lush green mountains and the breathtaking nature glides past you. Even though we arrived at our destination more exhausted than if we had flown the three hours from Düsseldorf, the eventful journey was one of the highlights of the summer school and definitely an adventure that I will remember for a long time to come!

- Summer School 2023 in Prishtina, Kosovo

The journey started with the Flix train from Düsseldorf to Hamburg with plenty of space and even WLAN and a window seat. From there, with a seven-day Interrail ticket and two nights in a youth hostel, I set off early for Copenhagen, which was a bit of a mess due to the non-direct connection at the time, but I still arrived safely. I was lucky enough to have a nice seatmate, so I was able to explore Copenhagen from all angles with her and lots of people from all over the world that I met spontaneously. Unfortunately, we had to split up again after two days, my journey went to Oslo, with good weather and a change of trains in Gothenburg, we were already back in a new capital that was waiting to be explored. In Gjøvik (see picture) I was able to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the capital. Shortly afterwards, I went to my city of the next few months: Trondheim. After changing from bus to train once, I finally arrived a little later than planned. The return journey was quicker and more varied when you consider the means of transportation. First take the bus to the airport, then fly to Oslo, take the train to the city center, then meet the friends with whom you are carpooling to Germany. It was a quick trip to the ferry port. After the ferry, apart from a stopover at a fast food chain of our choice, we simply drove through. Two wild trips that were great fun, and with the good conscience of having traveled more sustainably than many other travelers, Green Travel was really great!

I spent my semester abroad in Vienna and since I knew that the distance to Vienna wasn't too far, I did some research on the best way to get there. After weighing up the travel time, costs and of course the environmental aspect, I decided to travel by train. As my parents live in Aschaffenburg, I set off from there. I chose a direct connection to avoid possible complications when changing trains and to have as pleasant and relaxed a journey as possible.  The train left Aschaffenburg main station on time at 06:32 - relatively early, but I arrived at Vienna main station quite early - around 13:00 to be precise. Everything went really well on the train journey, we had no delays and as I had made a seat reservation, this was also very relaxed. As I booked the train relatively early in advance and have a BahnCard 25, I was able to get a very cheap ticket. I used the time on the train to relax a little, find out what I really wanted to experience in Vienna - I used various websites and a book for this and talked to my sister, who was traveling with me to spend a few days in Vienna. So the 6 ½ hours passed relatively quickly. All in all, I am very happy that I decided to travel by train and would do it again at any time!

I traveled to Vienna and back by ICE for my semester abroad. The fact that there is a direct connection from Bonn to Vienna made the journey very comfortable. Thanks to early booking, a seat in first class was not much more expensive than in second class, which was very pleasant and gave me enough space for my two large suitcases and my rucksack. The outward journey took around 12 hours and cost 80 euros, while the return journey was particularly quick and inexpensive at 8.5 hours and 55 euros. Although the punctuality of trains in Germany is not always predictable - which is why the outward journey took a little longer and I narrowly missed the big rail strike in January on my return journey - I would definitely travel by train again. The rest of the journey was very relaxed, especially overnight, and the comfortable first class seats were great for sleeping. If you got bored, you had a nice view out of the window and the on-board bistro was a great way to get out of your seat and get a good meal for the long journey.

Last winter, I took part in an Erasmus adventure that was so much more than just a semester abroad. On the way from Germany to Rome, I decided to take the road less traveled - literally.
In the truest sense of the word. Instead of getting on an airplane, as most people would do, I opted for a bus ride, in the spirit of sustainable travel.
spirit of sustainable travel.
The Erasmus Green Travel Initiative's message of traveling responsibly really appealed to me, so even though I knew it would take longer, I opted for the bus option. I was so glad I did! The journey through Switzerland was nothing short of magical. Perfect landscapes, snow-capped mountains and picturesque towns that unfolded outside my window and gave me the feeling of a real adventure.
real adventure.
But what made it really special was the feeling of accomplishment when I finally stepped off the bus in Rome.
I knew I had made a contribution, however small, to reducing my carbon footprint. It was eye-opening to realize that sustainable travel isn't just about saving the planet, it can also make your trip so much more meaningful. Sure the journey took a little longer, but it was more than worth it.
A blue sky, breathtaking views and a deeper connection to the places I visited - that's
the true reward for traveling responsibly. My Erasmus adventure taught me that you don't have to sacrifice experiences to travel sustainably. In fact, it might just make your trip even better.

Traveling all the way to Spain by bus or train sounds pretty exhausting... but I wanted to give the Green Travel option a chance and did a bit of research. The train connections were rather complicated to put together, but the Flixbus offer looked pretty good. The prices were about the same as flying, but you had the advantage of being able to take a 20kg piece of luggage twice on the bus for only €5 extra - checked baggage costs a lot on the airlines. As you can't travel directly from Germany to Bilbao, but always have to change buses in Paris, I thought I could take the opportunity to discover Paris for a few days. The bus from Bonn to Paris took 6 hours and 15 minutes and cost €45. Once in Paris, I realized that this city is not very accessible and almost no metro station is equipped with elevators. I traveled with two huge suitcases that weighed 20kg each and had to ask a strong person at each staircase to help me with one of the two suitcases.

I stayed in a hostel for two nights, which cost €50 per night. The second day of my stay was my birthday. To mark the occasion, I was given a free boat trip on the Seine and was able to pick up a free waffle in a restaurant. I spent the rest of the day sightseeing. The golden end of the day for me was dancing salsa and bachata with lots of people right on the Seine. I spent the third day sightseeing again before taking the Flixbus to Bilbao at 10pm in the evening. The journey took 13 hours and cost €65. As the journey was overnight, you could theoretically sleep on the bus. However, it wasn't so easy for me as they stopped every 2 hours or so to either take a break or for people to get on and off. But a night of poor sleep is bearable. Nevertheless, I think it was totally worth it. Thanks to the subsidy, the outward and return journey cost me almost nothing. I didn't have to worry about anything when packing my suitcase and didn't have to go through any security checks. I was able to discover a new city on the way and would definitely recommend it. If you can afford it in terms of time and money, I would even advise adding another stop, e.g. in Bordeaux. That way, the long journey time is split into smaller chunks, which aren't so bad and if there are delays, you won't miss your connection.

That's what happened on my return journey.