As part of Erasmus+ goals over the next five years, sustainable travel is a priority and to respond to reducing carbon emissions, the programme has another initiative to encourage its participants to travel by rail wherever possible as opposed to air travel.
Did you know that nearly ¾ of all Erasmus+ participants take a plane to their destination? As most participants come from Europe, the launch of a dedicated Interrail Global Pass will help to encourage participants to use other, greener ways to get to and from their host country. It’s a far more environmentally-friendly alternative to travelling by plane and it’s heavily supported by the European Commission’s Green Travel goals.
To really incentivise participants, the European Commission has introduced Green Travel Support for students and staff, which provides funding to contribute to travel costs of participants using rail (and other sustainable transport options) to get to and from their host country (and to other destinations in Europe). So, that means participants are able to apply for Green Travel Support and offset the cost of the Interrail Global Pass, going by train is obviously cheaper than air-travel, as well as greener.
Travelling by rail and using this special pass opens up a wealth of opportunities for participants to explore other places. As well as using this mode of travel to get to and from a host country, students (staff and other learners) can take trains to visit other countries in Europe during the programme. The Interrail Global Pass offers choice too, students can opt to use it for 4 days over a period of 6 months, or 6 days over a period of 6 months, it’s a very valuable mechanic to encourage sustainable travel but also to encourage Erasmus+ participants to see more of what Europe has to offer.
So, if you’re considering an Erasmus+ trip, or you have an upcoming work or study placement in Europe and haven’t yet looked into your travel options, we’d encourage you to travel by rail, if possible. Organising an Erasmus+ trip is easy when your school, college or university partners with TravelEdventures. With over 30 years of experience putting together extraordinary work and study placements, we are the number one partner for schools, colleges and universities across Europe and beyond. Why not talk to our team by clicking on this link and find out what we can do for you?