The survey analysis Environmental sustainability in Erasmus+ student mobility (SET WP2 Survey Analysis August 2025) explores how Erasmus+ students perceive and act on environmental sustainability in their mobility choices.

Conducted by the European University Foundation and Erasmus Student Network with partners including Charles University, the University of Porto, and the University of Zurich, the survey gathered over 2,300 responses from Erasmus+ participants and applicants across Europe.

Students also proposed several improvements: increasing financial support scaled by distance, enhancing train infrastructure and night connections, introducing a Europe-wide booking platform, and providing clearer information and earlier guidance from universities. They also highlighted the potential of shared travel networks and storytelling from past participants to normalize sustainable choices.

The report concludes that aligning awareness with opportunity, through stronger financial, infrastructural, and institutional support, is crucial for making sustainable travel the standard within Erasmus+.

Main findings:

• Survey of 2,304 Erasmus+ students/applicants (Oct–Dec 2024) finds strong awareness but uneven action on green travel; sample skewed German/Czech/Portuguese, 63.5% female.

• 52% used a sustainable mode (train/bus/carpool) to reach mobility; 70% rated the experience positive; half said it improved later travel behaviour.

• Main decision drivers: price (29%) and journey duration (25%); sustainability ranks a distant third (10%).

• Top barriers to travelling sustainably: higher cost, longer/complex journeys, low frequency, planning/booking difficulties, heavy luggage, and safety concerns (esp. at night).

• If time were ignored, 71% would choose trains; students also cite cheap airfares and limited rail links as structural obstacles.