There are many small and greater choices to make when deciding what to pack.

• Travel light - but plan how to avoid buying things at the destination. Bring plastic-free hygiene products and reusable things that you already own: bag for groceries, water bottle for daily use and a lunch box.
• Avoid using non-rechargeable batteries: USB-chargeable or solar-powered options are a greener option for devices such as a flashlight.

If your apartment in Finland will be empty, turn off unnecessary devices. Set the temperature lower to save heating costs and energy. 

• During cold or hot weather, do not heat or cool your apartment to the extreme, instead save energy and keep the indoor temperature moderate for example by dressing warmer. Closing the curtains or blinds can help to keep the apartment cooler - they also help to keep the heat in during cold weather. The air conditioning can be turned off when you are not in the apartment.
• Save electricity: turn off unnecessary appliances and only wash full loads of laundry. Even if a tumble dryer is available, perhaps you could dry your laundry outdoors? 
• Avoid long showers, turn off the faucet while soaping and brushing your teeth. 
• Review your eating habits and plan your grocery shopping in advance. Avoid waste and products imported from far away. Enjoy local, seasonal and plant-based products. Try also preparing some of the local recipes. 
• Don't buy bottled water if the tap water is drinkable or if there are separate drinking water points where you can fill your own bottle. Enjoy the drinks you buy from a cup that can be washed on site, avoid disposable cups. 
• Consider shared accommodation instead of your own apartment? This way you will also have more social contacts.
• Do not litter. Find out about the recycling practices. If you think they are insufficient, why not act as an ambassador for recycling and discuss the matter with the people in charge of the property? 
• Make use of flea markets and secondhand stores. Libraries may also offer goods for temporary use. 
• Sell or donate things you are not taking with you to Finland when the exchange ends. Avoid throwing away usable items.

• Use libraries and secondhand books.
• Avoid printing – make use of digital material.

• Respect the customs of different cultures and religions. Familiarize yourself with the local culture in advance to avoid unintentional rude behaviour.
• When photographing, respect the locals' privacy. Don't enforce stereotypes - pass on also accurate information.
• Please mind the wellbeing of animals during various activities and sightseeing. Do not facilitate animal abuse.

• Tips and tricks to act sustainably: The Green Erasmus portal
• Guide to a greener exchange

Train travel in Europe

Train travel in Europe offers many options and routes. Night trains help save on accommodation costs - you're moving forward while sleeping.

Some of the key connecting hubs are Stockholm, Hamburh, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Wien, Frankfurt and Milan. If you are passing through Germany, it is worthwhile to research also the international routes of Deutche Bahn. It can be possible to inclide also a stopover for your journey, that way you can spend some time in another location in the middle of your journey.

Also check out Omion and Trainline.

Train travel outside Europe

• in North America: Amtrak.

• In Japan and Taiwan (see also the tips from The Man in Seat 61) you may purchase a rail pass or tour ticket that offer unlimited travel for a certain period of time.

• Australia: NSW trains.

Student discounts

• Several railway companies offer discounts for students and young adults.

• There is a special InterRail Pass for the Erasmus+ programme. The regular Interrail Passin is available on a discounted price for under 28-year olds.

Links

• Plan your journey – Erasmus by Train

• Plan Your Interrail Trip | Interrail.eu

• InterRail Pass for Erasmus+

• YouTube-kanava InterrailEU

• World railway map

• Europe: Flixbus ja Ecolines and the Baltics: LuxExpress.

• Canada, USA, UK: Megabus

• Canada, USA, Mexico: Greyhound

Carpooling means sharing the car (your own or rented) with at least one person. It is possible to connect with students heading for exchange studies in the same country and plan the trip together. There are also rideshare apps and social media groups - however, be careful with whom you share the ride with.

Currently, the majority of seafaring is not environmentally friendly. LNG-powered vessels are a greener option than traditionally fueled ones.

However, in the Erasmus+ programme, all seafaring is considered non-green.

LNG-powered vessels operating in Finland:

• Viking Line's Viking Grace and Viking Glory: Turku–Stockholm 
• TallinkSilja's Megastar and MyStar: Helsinki–Tallinn
• Wasaline Aurora Botnia: Vaasa–Umeå

Cycling to another country is challenging, but by no means impossible when planned carefully. The internet offers a plethora of advice for long-distance cycling, including stories of cycling from Finland to other countries for student exchange! Remember to hone your bike maintenance and endurance riding skills before departure.

Sometimes flying is the most sensible option. Even then, you can make choices that reduce the environmental impact. Stopovers increase the carbon footprint, thus direct flights are a greener option.

If your destination can only be reached by air (Japan, Taiwan, North and South America), you can still travel part of the journey by land, especially if there are no direct flights from Finland to the destination.

When traveling to Europe, you can reduce the flight portion of your trip by, for example, flying from Helsinki to Germany, which has good train connections to the rest of Europe. There are no direct flights from Finland to Taiwan, but you could travel 'green' to Amsterdam or another major European city and take a direct flight to your destination from there.

You can help reduce your flight's emissions by packing lightly.

Visit areas near your destination. You don't always have to go far to see new or wonderful destinations. Getting to know the local life and the surrounding areas is one of the most important aspects of the study abroad experience.

Use public transport or carpooling if public connections are weak or there is a strike going on. However, be careful with whom you share the ride with. Get a used bicycle for moving short distances. On a bike or or by foot you will see and experience the surroundings much more intimately than would be possible otherwise.

• Calculator for comparing energy consumption, emissions for planes, cars and trains 
   
• Vinkkejä ympäristöystävällisempään matkustamiseen
  The Fair Traveller's Guide
  Maata pitkin matkustaminen (travel trips from Finland, in Finnish)
   
• Green travel stories
  Cycling from Finland to France for student exchange (in Finnish)
  Going on student exchange by train
  Näiden kahden nuoren matka opiskeluvaihtoon on kaikkea muuta kuin tavanomainen – matkaan kuluu monta päivää (LUT exchange student's green travel, in Finnish)

In the style of the following examples, you can calculate whether you are entitled to the green the travel support on your Erasmus+ exchange or internship in Europe. The green travel grant is only available in the Erasmus+ programme in Europe, not for destinations outside Europe.

The calculation is always done as a two-way round trip between your LUT campus - exchange university campus - LUT campus (instead of your home address). The entire round trip must be planned before departure. It is not possible to apply for the green travel grant after your journey has started.

In the Erasmus+ programme, train, bus, carpooling and cycling qualify as green travel, seafaring and flying do not.

Student from LUT Lahti campus goes on exchange to Frankfurt

Example 1

Example 1 is green. More than 50 % of the two-way round trip was made using environmentally sustainable means of transport.
 

Example 2

Example 2 is not green. Less than 50 % of round trip was environmentally friendly.

Example 3

Example 3 is green. More than 50 % of the two-way trip was sustainable.

The straight-line distance ('as the crow flies', or as in air travel) determines the amount of the travel allowance, but the actual route determines whether the trip qualifies as green!

• The route actually traveled is used when determining whether you qualify for the green travel grant. This is naturally longer than the straight-line distance because roads and railways are not straight. 
• However, the amount of your green travel grant is calculated using the EU Commission straight-line distance calculator between your LUT campus and the exchange university campus.

Green travel should be as direct as possible, without unnecessary detours or extra overnight stays.

Keep the travel tickets and receipts

The green travel grant is applied for as part of the normal exchange process in the LUT Mobility-Online system, where on the grant application form you can indicate whether the two-way trip will be at least 50 % green. Keep the receipts and tickets for a possible later inspection.