What if your teaching degree included crossing continents in a DIY travel bus? In this episode, your host Clara Francken chats with Raquel Dinis, who shares her experience with DNS Teacher Training College. She talks about where the classroom is the world and Guinea-Bissau was the final stop.

We dive into how a group of student-teachers from Denmark rebuilt a bus and hit the road to West Africa, learning from communities, each other, and the world outside a textbook. Raquel tells us what it's really like to live and study on the move, how it shaped her worldview, and what challenges (and joy!) come with living in a bus with your classmates.

We talked about

• converting a bus and driving it from Denmark to Guinea-Bissau
• what DNS Teacher Training College is and how it redefines education
• learning through travel and what it’s like to study on the road
• group dynamics, emotional growth, and living with classmates
• cultural exchange and building connections in West Africa
• rebuilding an old school bus as part of the educational process
• rethinking what it means to “train” as a teacher
• and more...

This episode is all about purpose-driven travel, education without borders, and saying yes to uncomfortable, unforgettable learning.

Listen now on your favorite platform

🔗 More about DNS: https://www.dns-tvind.dk

🔗 Raquel's blog: https://raqueljadee.medium.com/living-in-bus-driving-through-europe-1ad8cc9a30a7

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Ever wonder what slow travel really looks like when you’re trying to avoid planes? In this solo episode of Travel Devil, host Clara Francken gets personal about the highs and lows of her sustainable travel choices.

From the Eurostar train to Paris to smelly Flixbus rides across Europe, Clara shares the truth behind trying to lower her carbon footprint.

This week’s chat isn’t about perfect eco-friendly travel, it’s about real, sometimes messy choices:

• The truth of still taking the plane sometimes
• How taking the train beats flying, even when it’s longer
• A hilariously awful Flixbus ride featuring broken toilets and mafia job offers
• The real reason bus travel can be cheaper, but not always easier
• Why trains like Ouigo and Eurostar between France and Belgium are worth knowing

Clara also reflects on how her travel habits have changed over the years, from automatically booking cheap flights to prioritizing trains and buses, even if it means more adventure (and chaos) along the way.

Stories:

• Flixbus from Germany to Slovenia (Munich to Ljubljana)
• Flixbus from Germany to Croatia (Munich to Zadar via Zagreb)
• Ouigo from Belgium to France (Brussels to Paris)

If you’re curious about sustainable travel, slow mobility, or just want an honest look behind the scenes of a travel podcast, this episode is for you.

sustainable travel • slow travel • train vs plane • bus travel Europe • Flixbus stories • eco-friendly travel • travel diary podcast • Travel Devil podcast • Clara Francken • low carbon travel • cheap European trains • travel podcast • overland travel • ethical travel choices • travel sustainability

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Have you ever dreamed of working in marine conservation or diving with manta rays? But you don't have a science degree? In this episode, your host Clara Francken speaks with Maddie Howarth, a passionate scuba diver, content creator, and ocean advocate, who proves you don’t need a marine biology degree to make waves for the planet.

From a high school dream to filming dolphin research and marine wild life in Greece to diving Australia’s Great Barrier Reef - Maddie shares her journey of combining creativity and conservation. We talk about finding ethical conservation programs, what greenwashing looks like, how social media can support ocean activism, and what to do when you're seasick but still obsessed with the sea.

This episode is a beautiful mix of inspiring stories, practical advice, and honest conversations about purpose, privilege, and protecting what we love.

If you're curious about ocean work and need tips on how to get into volunteering and conservation opportunities, this episode is for you!

Connect with Maddie Howarth

• Watch her videos on YouTube
• Connect on Instagram

Write us your thoughts on the show

Support the show

Want more?

• Follow the podcast on Instagram @traveldevilpod
• Connect with me on Instagram @clarafrancken
• Watch more on my YouTube channel