IF NOT US, WHO? IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

Mobility and (No-)Flight policy – Degrowth Vienna 2020

The “Degrowth Vienna 2020 – Strategies for Social-Ecological Transformation” focuses on the strategies we need to achieve a  socially and environmentally just future. The socially and environmentally sustainable future we envision by default will have to include a drastic reduction in aviation.
 

The Degrowth Community must set an example in this regard. 

We know that aviation is a part of the current imperial mode of living and production. While it also allows communities around the world to be connected, we do not believe that this end justifies the intense and irreversible environmental impacts of flying.
For this 
reason, we wish to actively discourage participants from flying to the conference. We believe that we need to challenge the current academic culture of frequent flying (mostly in the Global North), while still striving  towards as much cultural diversity, open exchange, and especially North-South dialogue, as possible

“VIENNA 2020” HUBS AROUND THE WORLD – CHANGE LOCALLY! 

Instead of flying to Vienna, we encourage online participation and the “exporting” of the degrowth conference abroad – using the event as an opportunity to create multiple degrowth conference hubs and events around the world. 

There can be many other opportunities for people to get actively engaged and we encourage interested persons to get creative! We will do our best to support all activities in this direction.

We hope that the conference can make a greater impact on global change this way than allowing individual isolated participants flying here to be present in Vienna in person. 

We will determinedly support, endorse, promote and celebrate those who choose to take part in the conference without flying here to be  present. Those participating in the conference online can still receive a “confirmation of attendance” document from us and will of course not incur participation fees. 

LAND-BASED TRAVEL: RAIL, BUS, FERRY

At least within Europe and where possible, we suggest that participants use our vast rail networks if they wish to be present in person at the conference.We have included typical rail journeys from cities further away in Europe to show that land-based travel from these countries is possible. [December 2019] A great site to look up and compare train and bus tickets from all over Europe is trainline.com
 
 
  • AMSTERDAM -> VIENNA: 10-17 hours, typically change in Frankfurt or Hannover and Nürnberg 
  • BARCELONA -> VIENNA: 20-24 hours, overnight stop in Paris or overnight train from Zürich
  • BERLIN -> VIENNA: 8 hours, direct train, night train via Poland (longer) 
  • BRUSSELS -> VIENNA: 10 OR 16 hours, direct train, overnight train possible (longer)
  • BUCHAREST -> VIENNA: 20-21 hours, direct train, overnight train possible
  • CHISINAU -> VIENNA: 30-40 hours, typically change in Bucharest
  • COPENHAGEN -> VIENNA: 15-17 hours, typically via Hamburg (with night train from Hamburg)
  • KIEV -> VIENNA: 22 hours, direct train
  • LISBON -> VIENNA: 50 hours, with overnight stay in Madrid and Paris
  • LJUBLJANA -> VIENNA: 7-9 hours, typically change in Sevnica
  • LONDON -> VIENNA: 12-14 hours, typically over Brussels and/or Cologne or Frankfurt.
  • MADRID -> VIENNA: 30 hours, typically via Barcelona, Lyon and Zürich
  • MOSCOW -> VIENNA: 28 hours, direct train
  • OSLO -> VIENNA: 26-27 hours, typically over Gothenburg, Copenhagen and Hamburg
  • PARIS-> VIENNA: 11  hours, typically via Frankfurt
  • ROME -> VIENNA: 11-15 hours, direct train, overnight train also possible
  • STOCKHOLM -> VIENNA: 22-27 hours, typically changes in Malmö, Copenhagen and Hamburg with overnight train from Hamburg to Vienna
  • WARSAW -> VIENNA: 7-9 hours OR 12 hours, direct train, overnight train possible (longer)
  • ZAGREB -> VIENNA: 7 hours, direct train
  • ZÜRICH-> VIENNA: 8  hours, direct, (night train possible) 
  • ATHENS -> VIENNA: 32 hour bus (i.e. ArdaTur and/or Flixbus) via Thessaloniki and/or Sofia
  • BELGRADE -> VIENNA: 10 hour bus (i.e. Flixbus) via Budapest
  • DUBLIN -> VIENNA: ferry to mainland Europe (i.e. France), then train to Paris, then follow steps for Paris (above)
  • HELSINKI -> VIENNA: ferry to Stockholm, then follow steps above from Stockholm; OR ferry to Tallinn and follow steps for Tallinn (below)
  • ISTANBUL -> VIENNA: 24 hour bus (i.e. ArdaTur) via Plovdiv or Sofia
  • PODGORICA -> VIENNA: 21 hour bus (i.e. Globtour and Flixbus) via Belgrade
  • RIGA -> VIENNA: bus to Warsaw (12 hours), then follow steps from Warsaw to Vienna
  • SARAJEVO -> VIENNA: 13 hour bus (i.e. Flixbus) via Graz
  • SKOPJE -> VIENNA: 14 hour bus (i.e. Euro Bus)
  • TALLINN -> VIENNA: bus to Warsaw (18 hours), then follow steps from Warsaw to Vienna
  • TIRANA -> VIENNA: 24 hour bus (i.e. Euro Bus)
  • VILNIUS -> VIENNA: bus to Warsaw (7-9 hours), then follow steps from Warsaw to Vienna 
If available, the Interrail ticket can be a cheaper and more flexible option for those traveling to Vienna from further afield via train. Four days of travel within one month (i.e. a return trip to Vienna from places such as Stockholm, Barcelona, Madrid) for those aged 28+ is €246. [Under 28 the ticket €185]. It is possible to use the interrail ticket to visit further places after the Vienna conference, if the starting point is closer. The ticket also  includes overnight trains, although couchette-beds must  be reserved separately. This specific short-period (4-day) interrail ticket is available  via the www.interrail.eu website and must be ordered a month in advance. 
 

CONTACT US

Since we have a lot of experienced non-fliers in our organising team please feel free to get in touch with us if you have any queries about this: info@degrowthvienna.org

We also support, endorse, promote and celebrate land-based travel from further afield. If you plan to travel to our conference via land-based travel from elsewhere, please let us know so that we can publicise this and inspire others: media@degrowthvienna.org