This article examines potential conditions for success and challenges associated with cross-locational team teaching in higher education using the "GeoTandem" project as an example. The aim of the project was to develop innovative concepts for university teaching in geography by educators who teach at different universities. The results revealed that teaching innovations were developed through the cross-locational format that would not have been practiced by the individuals alone. Relevant conditions for success were related to the voluntary choice of partners, prior selection of the "GeoTandems" in a competitive selection process, and financial support for reciprocal visits. Finally, the collective spirit that developed within and between the "GeoTandems" was an important success factor. The educators greatly appreciated the exchange within and between the "GeoTandems" and found inspiration and support in this collective spirit. The importance of the collective momentum identified here has not been considered in previous literature, highlighting the novelty of the current approach. The "GeoTandems" that involved cooperation between students from the participating locations required greater organizational effort (e.g. to serve different curricula uniformly or to organize the student meetings). In future projects, these factors should be considered to maximize the success of collaborative teaching formats.