DIS Slow Travel Program
Travel deep, not wide
The DIS Slow Travel program is focused on increasing transformational travel and helping our students find ways to travel in more meaningful, fulfilling, and sustainable ways while studying abroad.
We encourage our students to forgo the checklist mentality and instead travel with the goal of maximizing meaning, not the number of countries visited.
Find inspiration here for all the ways you can slow travel, including locations ideas, guides, useful links, and a form where you can apply to be a DIS Slow Traveler.
What is slow travel?
Slow travel contains many different elements, meaning that it can look different and mean different things to different people.
At DIS, slow travel means sustainable travel that:
- Prioritizes lower greenhouse gas-emitting travel, like trains and buses over flights
- Emphasizes open-minded engagement with local cultures instead of visiting only tourist hotspots and meeting fellow travelers
- Encourages the traveler to slow down, reflect on their goals for travel, and to make independent exploration a more mentally restful activity
Ultimately, slow travel is about making travel a more sustainable and nourishing activity for the planet, for the communities you visit, and for yourself.
What have previous slow travelers done?
Many explore the nature, history, and culture of Denmark and Sweden.
- Explored the natural parks of Jutland and surfed at “Cold Hawaii” on the western Danish coast
- Rode an overnight train into the Arctic to stay with a local Sami guide and learn about reindeer herding and Sami culture
- Visited the small port town of Simrishamn, Sweden to paint, sketch, and visit a local farmer’s market
- Took a ferry to the island of Gotland to explore its film history and culture built around sheep farming
Others use more sustainable transportation to visit new countries and cultures.
- Visited the unique territory of Ålund to learn about its cultural and natural history
- Took a bus to Berlin to study sustainable architecture, local artisans, and the vegan food scene
- Took advantage of Eurail to journey via train through Switzerland and stay with a local friend in Italy
- Committed to an entire semester of no flights, taking the train as far as Amsterdam, Paris, Vienna, and Rome
Read previous slow traveler blogs for inspiration
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How to slow travel by train with Eurail
“This guide is for those of you who are thinking about embracing slow travel, but maybe don’t have much experience with trains.” DIS Stockholm student,…
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A breath of fresh air in Fredensborg
Travel doesn’t always mean grand adventures and crossing borders — it can be as simple as spending a weekend in nature, away from the busy…
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Slow traveling to Abisko auroras
Last spring, DIS Stockholm student Jocelyn (she/her, Vanderbilt University) took an overnight train to Abisko, a town in northern Sweden, to chase down the northern lights.…
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Seychelle’s slow travel journey to Thy National Park
Last spring, DIS Copenhagen student Seychelle (she/her), Smith College, used Easter break to travel across Denmark via train and bus. An avid surfer born and…
Check back when applications open for Spring 2026 students.
Apply to become a DIS Slow Traveler
As a DIS Slow Traveler, you will be an ambassador for sustainable travel.
That’s why, towards the beginning of each semester, we welcome students to submit slow travel proposals to be considered for the DIS Slow Travel program.
Selected participants will have their travel costs covered in exchange for creating storytelling pieces in collaboration with the Marketing and Communications team. Their work will be used to promote slow travel and provide helpful resources for future travelers.
All DIS Slow Travelers will be expected to:
- Attend a mandatory training before departure
- Document their experiences through photo, video, and/or writing
- Submit a written reflection about the journey after its completion
Applications for the spring semester are due by February 1, 2026 at 11:59pm Central European Time. Please email studentmedia@dis.dk with any questions.