Sustainable Travelling: How To Travel the World Without Flying

Sustainable Travelling: How To Travel the World Without Flying

In her blog last month, Anne wrote that educating yourself about your environmental footprint is a first step in contributing to a more sustainable world. Several websites can help you with this, for example, pages that show the environmental impact of clothing brands, the ethicality of brands, or this website that visualises the impact of flying.

What stands out in our environmental footprint is the impact of flying. I had always known flying was bad for the environment, but I justified it by knowing I eat little meat and rarely travel by car. However, when I read this article a few years ago, I was shocked. It shows how a round trip to New York has the same impact on the environment as eating one thousand Big Macs!

Luckily, there are ways to reach almost every corner of the world without stepping into one airplane. Admittedly, they may be a little impractical and time-consuming,  but it will surely be an experience. Therefore, while waiting for the lockdown to lift and the world to open, dream away with these adventurous ways of seeing the world without having to fly!

Public transport within Europe

Travelling by land through modern, nearby and connected Europe is really easy. Although cheap and fast flying options are tempting, other ways of public transport are also increasingly affordable, accessible and comfortable to use. I love to travel by train or bus as you see a lot of the landscape and if you travel by night, it can even save you time. Take a look at the websites of Flixbus or Interrail, for example, to plan your next trip!

Travelling to Asia by train

When going outside of Europe, we get to the more adventurous part of travelling by alternatives to flying. East Asia, for example, lies very far away from us. Still, we are connected to it by land. Therefore, you can reach it by railway. The longest uninterrupted train journey stretches from Portugal to Vietnam and spans 17000 km. Part of it is the Trans-Siberian Express, which is on the bucket list of many travellers. It takes you from Moscow to Beijing in six days. This is a long ride, but if you travel for weeks or even months anyway, it might be worth it!

Crossing the Atlantic

A few decades ago, it used to be common to go to the Americas by boat. Still, crossing the Atlantic with a ship as you can lift on a cargo ship is possible. Getting to New York from Le Havre in France will take around a week. This Dutch travel show gives you thisthis Dutch travel show, and you get an impression of how that looks.

Sailing around the world

As you might have heard, climate activist Greta Thunberg uses sailing boats to travel between continents. Even if you are not a famous environmental activist or own a boat, travelling this way is possible. Some platforms match people looking for free crew on their sailing boats with travellers.

In short, not flying is a very effective way to spare the environment. At the same time, I love travelling and would find it difficult to give up. If you are like me and you strive to see as much of this world as possible, I hope this has given you an idea of how you can do so, all the while working on reducing your footprint while doing so.


Hi, I’m Lea. Currently, I am the National Marketing Director of AIESEC in The Netherlands.
We offer international voluntary projects and professional internships to develop leadership in youth. You can read more about leadership-related topics here.

Read more
The essence of feminism

The essence of feminism

How can we transmit the essence of feminism? -by Iasmina Caramidariu A lot of people are reluctant when it comes to feminism and gender equality. It still seems like a TABOO for people to talk about. Why is it so? Why is feminism seen in a bad name even if it's just a...

Climate Action in Italy

Climate Action in Italy

I will take you on a journey of climate action, joy, tears, and development through Italy. It was the 1st of June 2021 when I decided that I will go on a volunteering project with AIESEC  in Torino. I decided that I want to be part of the change. Bringing my...

How to make your marketing internship a success?

How to make your marketing internship a success?

When you look through the AIESEC opportunity portal and search for Global Talent projects, you come across loads of business and marketing internship. Lucky for you if you are interested in doing one of those! But you might wonder why there are so many? Well, that is...

Your exchange packing list

Your exchange packing list

As the summer vacation is approaching, so are many volunteering projects and internships. But what to pack on such a new exciting experience? Even if you have been abroad many times and are an expert in packing, there are sure to be moments when you miss a thing or two. To help you have the best preparation for your project, or any other vacation, we made a special AIESEC exchange packing list!

Inspired, empowered and ready for change: The story of four young leaders in the contemporary world

Inspired, empowered and ready for change: The story of four young leaders in the contemporary world

When we talk about young leaders, people quickly think of Greta Thunberg or Mark Zuckerberg, due to their media attention or Greta’s well-known, activist speeches on climate change. But more quietly, the world is packed with young, inspirational leaders, trying to create a more stable, sustainable and inclusive world for future generations, minority groups or the society they are part of.

Discovering culture in Morocco: An exchange to Marrakech

Discovering culture in Morocco: An exchange to Marrakech

When I decided to participate in the Nour project of AIESEC, I felt like I did something impulsive yet brave. I never went abroad on my own before. I always had people I could depend on like friends and family. This time I wanted to challenge myself by doing this project on my own, and I wanted to discover and embrace another culture.

3 Inspiring TED talks on inequality

3 Inspiring TED talks on inequality

We’ve pulled together some inspiring TED talks for you to watch about inequality. The speakers in these videos describe their view on inequality and what the world needs in order to change this. Let these people inspire you, to create new ways of thinking about inequality and the road to changing this.

4 Tips to make your CV stand out

4 Tips to make your CV stand out

On average, recruiters spend 5 to 7 seconds screening a CV before deciding whether to continue with the applicant or not. It equals the average time that we spend looking at an Instagram post on our feed. So, here are some tips that can help your CV stand out in a large pool of applicants.

My AIESEC volunteering project in Italy

My AIESEC volunteering project in Italy

In January 2020 I participated in an AIESEC Project on environment and sustainability in Castellana Grotte, Italy. I was lucky to stay six weeks in one of the most beautiful small villages I have been to. My work was about teaching the kids in the local Highschool on the UN SDGs and sustainability. My fellow AIESEC students were so kind to pick me up in Bari. They made sure I was safe and showed me how to travel to my destination.

Interested?

Take the first step.

Book a free consultation call in one of our cities to explore your opportunities!