***Template for an e-mail to Erasmus+ students ca. 6 months before departure***
***Written by the Erasmus+ Sustainability Profile Group in April 2024***
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Subject: Your Erasmus+ stay – Travelling by train and bus to your destination
Dear students,

Your Erasmus+ semester abroad is approaching and with it the decision on how to get to your host university. We would like to encourage you to consider using environmentally friendly means of transportation. Of course, the duration of travelling by train and bus is sometimes significantly longer than by airplane. However, you do not need a scale to control excess baggage, and moreover you have the opportunity to organise your journey in stages, allowing you to get to know the places between our university [alternatively: insert location of the university] and your host university.

Additional travel days
Under certain conditions, you may apply for additional travel days if you are travelling green. You will find more information on this on our website.
[Link to the university's own website]

Planning to travel by train through Europe
Depending on your chosen university, travelling by land can be very easy to arrange. Even if you have to travel a long distance, you should consider this option. Websites such as "Erasmus by train" or "Nachtzugkarte" will help you plan your itinerary.

Erasmus by Train [https://erasmusbytrain.eu/news/] 
Night train ticket - Night train connections from Aberdeen to Zagreb [https://nachtzugkarte.de/]

[Alternative Website: The train travel guide by the "Man in Seat 61"] [https://www.seat61.com/index.html] 

Use the Interrail Pass for your trip
The new Erasmus+ Interrail Pass offers a special opportunity to explore Europe. This enables you to travel freely through Europe on any four or six days within six months. Not only will you save money, but you can also explore the diversity of Europe in regions near your host university - a great opportunity to enrich your Erasmus experience with additional discoveries. 

Interrail Pass for Erasmus+ [https://www.interrail.eu/de/interrail-passes/erasmus]
Travelling Climate-friendly
In the DAAD brochure, you will find tips and suggestions on how to successfully achieve sustainable mobility.
"Klimaverträglich unterwegs" (DAAD) (in German) [static.daad.de/media/daad_en/pdfs_nicht_barrierefrei/der-daad/was-wir-tun/daad_broschuere_klimavertraeglich_unterwegs.pdf]

Green Erasmus Portal
Find specific information on the Green Erasmus+ Portal about how you can act sustainably before, during, and after your Erasmus+ stay. You will find tips on what to pack and how to equip yourself sustainably while abroad.
You can also take the Green Erasmus+ Quiz and play simulation games to learn how to make your everyday life as an Erasmus+ student more environmentally friendly. 
Green Erasmus Portal [https://www.greenerasmus.org]

Inspiration on sustainability 
What can I do to be more sustainable during my Erasmus+ semester? 
You will find responses from students to this question on the blog "studieren weltweit".

Sustainability dossier (in German) [www.studieren-weltweit.de/inspirieren-lassen/hashtag/nachhaltigkeit/]

Finally, we would like to encourage you to make sustainable decisions during your stay abroad, e.g.  regarding your daily consumption or mobility within the city. Good luck and enjoy planning your stay abroad!
 
Do you have any suggestions on how we can better highlight the possibilities of a climate-friendly semester abroad in the future? Get in touch with us!
We are also very happy to receive testimonials about your sustainable journey.

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