By Rowan Obach
One of the quintessential aspects of any study abroad experience is getting to travel. While the pandemic has definitely added a layer of stress to travel planning, flights continue to operate allowing students to spend their weekends in different countries.
Through study abroad experiences, many students are able to explore the world on their own, often for the first time. Compared to the states, tickets are way cheaper, and numerous countries are often only steps away.
Unfortunately, flying is not always the greenest mode of transportation. As the climate crisis continues to worsen globally, it may be time to reconsider how we travel. Luckily for students in Rome, there are many different options to help make travel in Europe more eco-friendly.
Within Italy, most travel destinations are accessible by train or bus. While flights may be faster, traveling by train or bus helps reduce emissions and is often cheaper. An infographic (left) details of popular travel destinations within Italy and how much carbon the trip emits depending on if you take a bus, train, or airplane.
International travel is a bit more of a challenge, even if you are planning to stay within the European Union (EU). National train systems are common but often take much more time than a quick 2-3 hour flight. That being said, what kind of flights you decide to take can have an impact on your carbon footprint. If you use Skyscanner to look up flights, they show you how much relative carbon your flight takes. Also, if you choose to visit closer locations the amount of carbon the flight requires is less. A list of popular student travel destinations is displayed below with the relative carbon that travel to each location emits.
Regardless, travel is a necessary part of studying abroad. While it’s important to keep in mind the effects of climate change and increased carbon emissions, you can still travel in an environmentally conscious way to see the world and help preserve it.
*All carbon calculators were done through the following Carbon Footprint Calculator and are only approximations of carbon emissions based on geographic location identification*
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