Different Travel Modes

The following page offers tips for more sustainable travel options, such as taking the train or bus, and highlights online tools that can help you plan eco-friendly trips and find affordable tickets.

Traveling by Plane

Takeoffs and landings are the most fuel-intensive parts of a flight, so whenever possible, opt for direct flights. You can also use Skyscanner's Greener Choices tool, which highlights flights with lower emissions. Alternatively, you can try using a carbon offsetting scheme. Even better, if the route permits, skip the flight altogether and travel by train or bus instead.

Traveling by train

For easy trip planning, you could try:

• Happyrail: a Dutch search engine for train journeys and train tickets to destinations worldwide.
• Rail Europe: a British search engine for train tickets to British and other European destinations.
• Trainline: a search engine for train tickets across Europe.
• NS International: the official Dutch Railways website also allows you to book certain international journeys.
• Interrail/Eurail: besides Interrail/Eurail train tickets (and available timetables, even without a Pass), the website showscases tips and tricks for train travel. Including:
  • Where to plan your trip itinerary.
  • A railway map showcasing all train connections in Europe.
  • An overview of which (night) trains need to be booked in advance and reservation costs.
  • An overview of railway companies operating in Europe.

Tip!: Calculate how much CO2 you save by using Trainline’s Carbon Calculator.

Traveling by bus

At the moment Flixbus is the largest provider of bus travel in Europe. When booking your bus trip you have the possibility to consult the provider's website to see which environmental measures the company applies. According to their website, Flixbus applies strict standards and has an efficient fuel policy. In addition, they work together with ClimatePartner to give travellers the option to fully compensate for their bus trip.

Blablacar also has buses available as an alternative to Flixbus.

Do you want to weigh different travel options against each other? Check out these platforms:

• Comparabus: compare prices and trips of bus and coach travel providers and list them.
• BlaBlaBus: provider of options for bus travel and carpooling.
• Omio: compares bus, train and air travel.

Traveling by sharecar

Some destinations remain very difficult to reach by public transport or bike/foot. A more sustainable option is rent a sharecar. The use of sharecars lead to around 10 less cars on the road, which leads to less co2 emissions, less parking spaces and more available space for living. We have listed some of the sharecar options below for Leiden and the Hague. 

• Snappcar
• MyWheels
• Greenwheels
• DEEL

Tips for cheaper tickets

Want to be sustainable but also save money on the journey?

• Consider booking your journey in advance. For trains, this can sometimes be done 3-6 months in advance, dependent on carrier and rail company.
• Booking websites may charge a booking fee. Consider booking on the original site to avoid this fee.
• Sometimes it helps to split your journey into multiple cheaper tickets. You stay on the exact same train, but it costs you less.
• Consider travelling in the evening, as booking times are often cheaper.
• Going away for the weekend? It is sometimes cheaper to book Saturday-Sunday-Monday rather than Friday-Saturday-Sunday.
• Are you travelling in a group? NS International offers a group discount for groups of six people or more during off-peak hours.