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During the past months I was lucky enough to travel to Belgium for a 3-month research internship. I selected the green travel option and thought it would be a breeze to organise, with my travelling experience. Simply, it was not the simplest option, but I feel that it added to my experience.

I originally planned to travel my entire route with buses and trains but at the last minute I had to change plans because part of my journey was booked out, and I therefore made more effort on my return journey. 

So, some tips: 

• Book the trip as far in advance as possible, I know this is sometimes tricky. 
• Use multiple websites to search the best deals, this is time consuming. I spent hours on different websites, tearing my hair out but it was worth it. 
• Make sure all segments are bookable on the said website, as you might come to a halt at the payment stage. Trust me it happened for both legs of my journey hence the late change of departure plans in both directions. 
• Make sure you have time before and after your exchange to enjoy the trip to and from your destination. Do not keep a tight schedule, enjoy some cities on the way back. It really is worthwhile to see new places as a bit of downtime after a busy internship or exchange. 

My booking was done via FlixBus, which offers a decent service, and you can stop along the way if you like. I took the bus, train, and bus for my return journey with a total travel time of more than 40 hours. If you like an adventure, then embrace it, and make a few stops along the way. 

I travelled all the way from Hasselt, Belgium to Helsinki, Finland. I enjoyed the bus as you can see things at a moderate pace and have a good view of the landscapes passing by your window, front seat is fun too. My route started in Maastricht (NL) going via Düsseldorf (DE), from there I had a short dinner break and then jumped on a bus to Warsaw (PL). This initial segment was 20 hours or more and I was happy to have several hours in Warsaw to walk around and visit some museums. After my break it was time for the home stretch, another 20 hours on bus bound for Finland by now its my second home. 

On the way I passed through the Baltics states of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. With short bathroom and food stops on the way, ask the drivers how long the stops are so you can schedule some food and bathroom breaks. The buses are equipped with toilets in any case. From Estonia to Helsinki, we travelled with the Ferry across the Baltic Sea. The ferry is not the greenest method but in the current situation there are no other routes further east. The ferry is equipped with cabins for an extra fee, food, shopping, and entertainment. 

Overall, my adventurous spirit enjoyed the trip although sleep was not often easy to come by. But green travel is not about comfort for me, it is about making small everyday changes so that our planet can breathe. 

Safe travels and good luck, Justin. 

Menomatka

• Päivälaiva Turku-Tukholma. Yöpyminen Tukholmassa.
• Juna Tukholma-Kööpenhamina-Fredericia-Hampuri. Yöpyminen Hampurissa.
• Juna Hampuri-Frankfurt-Bryssel. Saapuminen iltapäivällä.

Paluumatka

• Juna Bryssel-Köln-Hampuri.
• Yöjuna  Hampuri-Tukholma.
• Päivä Tukholmassa ja illalla yölaiva Tukholma-Turku.

Ostin Tukholma-Bryssel ja Bryssel-Tukholma -välit samalle matkalipulle Deutsche Bahnin kautta. Näin saatoin luottaa siihen, että myöhästymistapauksessa saisin uudelleenreitityksen kohteeseen.

Tien päältä minulle jäi käteen mm. museovierailu Fotografiskassa Tukholmassa, seikkailuja Hampurin illassa, pienen Frederician kaupungin sotilashahmoiset kevyen liikenteen liikennevalot, muuttuvat maisemat ja matkanteon tunnelmaa lukuisilla rautatieasemilla.