How to Travel with The Environment In Mind

In Britain we all like to make the most of the summers that we get, because we’re never quite sure when the next one will come around. With that said, a good holiday that runs smoothly is important to us, because we never know just when we’re going to get one of us those either.

And what better way to relax than a trip to the English coast, or abroad? A chance to forget your job, your feuds - even your family - for a few weeks.

“It is!” I hear you cry.

Travelling:

In terms of eco-friendliness, you will understandably be doing less environmental damage the closer you go to your home. But - if going down the road for your holidays doesn’t appeal - you can always lower your carbon emissions on public transport. Take a bus, a coach or a train. Shared transport means just 1 vehicle is polluting, when it could be 20 if everybody drove their cars.

If driving is an essential part of your holiday, then it’s still possible to car share; find some one who is going close to your destination, and that way, you are both using one car where you could use two.

Even flying - for all its reported damage to the environment - can be given the eco-friendly treatment. Choose the deal that gives the most direct route to your destination, limiting your flying time.

Of course, some journeys that would normally mean taking an aeroplane can still be driven. If you’re going to France or Belgium, take the Eurostar. Even if you’re going further afield, there’s nothing to stop you training it to these destinations and then driving or taking a train from there.

Being Eco-friendly when you arrive:

A holiday is not just in the travelling. when you arrive, most of the travelling rules apply; try to use public transport, or failing that, car-share. Try to walk or cycle as often as you can.

Besides transport, make sure not to buy throwaway items, and buy local products; the former for the obvious reason that it creates non biodegradable rubbish, the latter because local products have travelled a short distance to get to you, and so have exerted less carbon during production.

Carbon Offsetting:

If you cannot avoid flying, or car sharing and public transport aren’t an option, then carbon offsetting can always be useful. There are plenty of companies who deal in the trade, and it basically means paying them to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere by the amount you have released during your holiday.

Of course, that means knowing your carbon footprint for the week, but a number of these companies will help with this aspect of the process if you contact them before you travel.

These are just some of the ways to travel with the environment in mind. Their are smaller, more specific ways, but generally speaking the above are the most common and affective methods.

So - with those steps in mind - enjoy your holiday and the environment!

Chris Woolfrey is the ethic travel expert at EcoSwitch The environmental social network.