A Beginner’s Guide To Environmentally Conscious Travel

Don’t leave waste

When you travel, it’s important not to leave waste behind.

• Whatever you do, do not litter; this is a good rule to follow in general, but it’s especially important when you’re travelling.
• When you’re done with packaging or other waste items, make sure to find the appropriate receptacle to put them in, whether that’s a rubbish bin or a recycling box.

If you leave waste behind, then you’re directly contributing to the problem of environmental destruction. It might sound over-the-top, but it’s true.

Travel infrequently

This might not be something you want to hear, but the fact is that any travel, whether it’s eco-friendly or not, is less eco-friendly than simply not travelling at all.

As such, you should think carefully about whether or not you absolutely need to travel.

• If you’ve already taken a holiday this year, then do you need to take another?
• Naturally, travelling for work is a different matter, but even then, ask your employer (assuming you have a good relationship with them) whether there are any more eco-friendly alternatives.

Try camping

Camping is one of the more environmentally friendly holiday methods, so if you’re going somewhere with a temperate climate, you may wish to consider camping.

• It uses far less energy than staying in a hotel would, for obvious reasons.
• Camping can also be a character-building, eye-opening holiday as well.

Just make sure that when you depart your campsite - whether it’s a communal site or a solitary one - you leave no trace behind.

Cycle

Many holiday destinations around the world are bicycle-friendly, so think about cycling if you’re going abroad.

• Countries like the Netherlands are arguably built for cycling; they have a strong, robust infrastructure for bikes.
• It’s almost more fun to travel in this way than to take public transport.

A lot of places will also have bike hire programs that you can take advantage of, so even if you’re not able to take your own bike, that doesn’t mean you can’t cycle. If this isn’t an option, then consider walking!

Don’t take cruises

If environmental concerns are at the top of your list when it comes to holidays, then cruises are a very bad idea indeed.

There are a couple of reasons for this:

• Cruises are usually environmentally devastating in and of themselves due to the amount of power the ship consumes as it sails.
• The communities that live around the ports at which cruises dock rarely benefit from passengers’ patronage because cruises usually provide all necessary amenities.

Think twice before you book a cruise.

Say no to first-class flight

Of course, everyone wants to be comfortable when they fly, but the fact is that first-class flight isn’t a good idea if you’re thinking about the environment.

• First-class passengers use more resources relative to the space they’re taking up; that’s the price you’re paying for increased comfort.
• If you can avoid flying, then you should do so altogether, because flying is one of the most environmentally damaging ways to travel.

If you absolutely must fly, just don’t book first-class.

Don’t hike off the beaten path

There’s a good reason that hiking paths are marked out the way they are.

• In many cases, it’s to ensure your safety; after all, you don’t want to get mauled by a wild animal that makes its home not far off the track.
• Another reason hiking trails are marked is that you may be damaging important flora or fauna if you wander off the path.

The trails also help to stop tourists from littering or damaging the landscape where guides can’t see them and thus rectify their mistakes.

Fly budget

You might think that budget airlines are more environmentally damaging than those that cost a little more, but this simply isn’t true.

• Budget airlines and luxury airlines use the exact same fuel for the most part.
• Budget airlines are able to fit more passengers into a single flight, which means that the overall carbon emissions of that flight relative to efficiency are much lower.

So if you’re thinking about the environment, make sure you’re booking budget (if you have to fly, of course).