Travelling green is all about making simple choices that will reduce your negative impact on the environment.
Read our top 25 tips on how to travel green and why it matters.
What is Green Travel?
Green travel is about making responsible and careful choices when travelling. This includes how you get from A to B, where you stay, how you stay, and what you do when you’re in a particular location.
Green travel means that you’re being environmentally conscious and that you’re deliberately choosing practices which benefit the planet, rather than simply not giving anything a second thought and going with the easiest option.
25 Green Travel Tips
If you’re keen to learn how to travel green but you’re not sure where to start, these 25 tips will help you to be eco-friendly when travelling and still have a great time.
Getting to Your Destination
1. Travel Locally
While flying to long-haul destinations might be wonderful, it’s not the best option for the environment. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, why not stick to your home country? Bournemouth is a wonderful place to visit!
2. Consider Public Transport
Long-distance buses or trains are a better option than travelling in your own car. Trains in particular are one of the lowest emitters of greenhouse gases and you usually get to see some pretty scenery on the way!
3. Pack light
The heavier your car is, the more fuel it uses which means more harmful emissions being released into the atmosphere.
4. Offset Your Carbon Emissions
Learning how to travel green isn’t a perfect science and there may be times when you have to travel far alone or even fly. In that case look to buy credits that offset your carbon emissions. However, do check carefully whether the scheme you’re using is legitimate.
Choosing Where to Stay
5. Look For Sustainable Accommodation
When choosing your accommodation, check whether they mention sustainability and what they’re doing about it. Here at The Connaught Hotel and Spa, we’re working very hard to do everything we can to become an eco-friendly hotel.
6. Use Sites to Calculate Your Nightly Carbon Footprint
When choosing your accommodation, there are sites you can use that help to calculate your carbon footprint on a nightly basis, according to that particular hotel.
7. Consider home-stays or couch-surfing
If you really want an authentic experience, you could look into home-stays or couch-surfing. However, do check details very carefully before making your choice from a safety point of view.
8. Share Rooms
If there is a party of you travelling, share rooms if it’s appropriate to do so. For instance, if you are a large group of friends, book a large family room rather than individual rooms. This one’s such an easy way to travel green – and it can be fun too!
Getting Around
9. Put on Your Walking Shoes
Most destinations can be walked around to a certain degree – Bournemouth can, for sure! Check out walking tours that help you to move in the right direction and not miss the good stuff. Plus, you’ll get some exercise too!
10. Hire a Bicycle
You could also hire a bicycle and ride your way around most destinations. Again, exercise comes your way but you’re sending out zero emissions by choosing this form of transport.
11. Use Public Transport
We’ll be honest, sometimes the British weather doesn’t give us the chance to walk or cycle and in that case, opt for public transport. You’re sharing a mode of transport and therefore lowering carbon emissions in general. You also get to meet new people!
12. Rent a Small Car
If you want to rent a car to go to nearby attractions, make sure that you opt for a small vehicle that will have less of a damaging effect on the environment. Better still, can you hire an electric car?
Saving Energy & Water
13. Carry a Reusable Water Bottle
Take a reusable water bottle and fill it up regularly. We offer water in the public areas of our hotel, and when you’re out and about, cafes will usually be more than happy to top up your bottle for you.
14. Eco-friendly Your Home Before You Leave
Make sure that you don’t leave any electrical items switched on at home, even if they’re on stand-by.
15. Avoid Daily Laundry
If you can, opt not to have your towels or bedding changed daily at your hotel. This will mean that the hotel does less laundry, therefore saving energy and water.
Here at The Connaught Hotel and Spa, we’ll give you the opportunity to opt out of having your linen and towels changed daily.
16. Store Documents Digitally
Store everything digitally on your phone, either in an app or screenshots. Travel tickets or hotel confirmations can usually be shown on your phone these days – there’s no need to print everything out.
Shopping/Eating/Drinking
17. Eat at Local Restaurants
Rather than opting for a large-scale restaurant, go for smaller, family run establishments instead. These usually source local ingredients and you’re helping the local economy. If you eat vegan or vegetarian while you’re there, bonus points!
18. Take Snacks Out With You
Pack a small packet of snacks to last you the day, rather than buying individual items that are packaged in their own plastic wrappers. That means you’re cutting down on landfill waste and you still won’t go hungry.
19. Ask Locals Where They Eat
Locals are more likely to avoid tourist traps and go to local restaurants. These places are also more likely to have organic or locally sourced ingredients which are easier on the environment.
20. Avoid Buffets
All-you-can-eat restaurants or buffet breakfasts might look appealing, but they create a huge amount of waste! Instead, have a regular meal at a local restaurant and avoid throwing half of your meal away.
21. Shop Locally
Handmade goods and local fashion items are always better and more unique than options from huge named stores. So, seek out local boutiques and you’re supporting the local economy once more.
22. Use a Reusable Shopping Bag
Keep a fabric shopping bag with you and avoid having separate plastic bags for everything. This will also go a long way to stopping you from overbuying!
General Tips on Being a Green Traveller
23. Look For Local Activities
Instead of going for large theme parks or big brand names, check out activities that give something back to the local residents and area. Charity-run establishments are always a good option.
24. Take Your Own Cutlery & Straw
Many takeout restaurants or cafes will give you disposable cutlery or straws but these do nothing for the environment, whether they’re plastic or not. Instead, take your own travel cutlery and reusable straw and use them when you’re out and about.
25. Use All-Use Biodegradable Soap
This is a lesser-known tip on how to travel green, but an all-use biodegradable soap is suitable for washing your body, your hair, and even your clothes! It’s great for the environment and you’re not using products that contain harmful chemicals.
Now You Know How to Travel Green!
Here at The Connaught Hotel and Spa we’re keen to do everything we can to reduce our impact on the environment.
While we’re still learning, we’re fully committed to being a green hotel, so you know that when you stay with us, you’re helping the environment rather than harming it.
After all, the planet we live on isn’t going to be the welcoming and hospitable place it is now if we don’t start making changes together.
Step by step, we can help to make the future better for the generations to come.
