Leiden University Green Office (LUGO) tools

European train travel map. Enter the European city you aim to reach and it will indicate the time it takes by train, the number of transfers that you need to do and it compares both the time and the CO2 emission if you travel by train compared to what it would be by taking the plane. It also indicates if there are night trains available. The map is also available as a PDF

Sustainable travel kit You can request a free sustainable travel kit at the LUGO if you opt for international travel by train or bus instead of by plane.

Calculate CO2 emission budget for trips

  • Website to calculate tCO2e emission for a plane travel (with or without layover) and car travel (for commuting): myclimate.org
  • Travel footprint calculator comparing different emission models: travel-footprint-calculator.irap.omp.eu
  • Another Travel simulator form Labo1point5, a french initiative to assess and help reduce CO2 emission linked with french research laboratories, where you can enter each step of your travel: https://apps.labos1point5.org/travels-simulator 

    • Trip planning

  • rome2rio: finds essentially any possible connection between two given places in the entire world (plane/train/bus/ferry/...); great for getting a first overview over all different options
  • Interrail/eurail railway map: showing the entire large and intermediate-scale railway network in Europe; also good for getting an overview
  • Interrail/eurail trip planner: has timetables for essentially all European railway companies; useful for planning train trips anywhere in Europe; also available as app (which can also be used without buying an Interrail ticket)
  • DB (Deutsche Bahn) Navigator: another option that finds connections to most European countries (except the far outskirts), and also allows booking them if they involve a German part; also available as an app
  • seat61: private website with lots of useful (up-to-date) train travel advice all around the world

    • Low-cost railway travel

    It is important to remember that when booking railway or bus tickets, it is not mandatory to use Uniglobe

    Here are a list of low-cost railways companies in some European countries.

  • Ouigo: French train company, alternative to SNCF. If booked well in advance, it is easy to get tickets around 10-16 euros for most offered trips. Both regular and high-speed trains are available within France. There is also a new OUIGO between Paris and Brussels! Note that tickets can be available on the SNCF website, unless if you book well in advance (they won't be displayed), then we recommand checking the OUIGO website. OUIGO website
  • Avlo: Spanish low-cost rail company affiliated to Renfe. Avlo website
  • Iryo:Competiting railway company of Renfe. Offers more regular service between big cities. Iryo website
  • Italo: Italian low-cost train company. Italo website
  • Lumo: All-electric east coast London-Edinburgh train line. Lumo website

    • Share your experinece

    Traveling green can be comfortable, cheap, and fun, but requires learning some tips and tricks. Would you like to share your green travel experience with Green Committee? What worked? What should be avoided? Drop us a message and let's learn from each other: green-committee@strw.leidenuniv.nl or contact members of the committee.