5 Easy Eco Travel Tips That Make a Difference

Everyone likes to go on vacation. The biggest prize given away by game shows is always some trip to an exotic land. Traveling abroad and seeing the world is one of the best things about living in this modern era. It is possible to get just about anywhere on the planet within a day's time. If you have layovers, however, you can get stuck in a terminal for an amount of time longer than your actual journey. This is bogus.

Traveling for leisure is being scrutinized because airplane fuel is bad for the environment. Should we stop traveling? Probably not. Many of us need to travel for educational and business purposes. What we need to do is travel smarter.

Here are some tips that can make your travel more eco friendly:

1. Pack lightly. The heavier a plane is the more fuel it needs to get off the ground. Take one bag. That's all you need. You can wash your clothes abroad.


2. Stay at a green hotel. There are plenty of hotels out there that cater to the green lifestyle. If you are going to stay in a hotel, stay at one of those.


3. Stay with a friend. Your friend was probably going to be heating or cooling his/her house anyways. Staying with them uses significantly less energy than staying in a hotel. You guys will be doubling up on energy resources and doubling up on fun (hopefully). Plus, it is usually cheaper.


4. Pick and choose your souvenirs. Kitsch can be cool, but it's not cool when you bring a seven miniature, steel Eiffel Tower statues across the Atlantic via airplane. You are wasting gas to give people stuff that is less valuable than our resources, our environment and our future.


5. Take the train. The train may not get you there very fast, but I've taken the train across this country and have loved it. You meet interesting people. You can sit in the observation car and watch the glory of the countryside unfold in front of you.



Read more about green travel:
Can't Find a Green Hotel? Sure You Can
Globetrot to an Eco-Paradise—Make Plans for Panama
Your Next Eco-Destination: Nebraska City
Green Travel Tip: Eat at the Local Butcher's
Travel Guilt-Free Through Green Volunteerism
Planet Green's Green City Guide

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