We've been seeing lots of great getaway posts this month at AT, from great resources to help us make our getaway to gorgeous places to escape to. Don't think you have to put a stop to your green living ways when you go on vacation, though. We've compiled ten great tips to help you travel greener!
Roundup: 10 Tips to Travel Greener!
Austin
- Leave your home as green as you can while you're away: turn off the airconditioner, unplug appliances and leave off as many lights as your comfortable with doing. Don’t forget to stop your newspaper!
- Use electric tickets instead of paper tickets. You'll save paper and money (if you lose your paper one and have to replace it)
- Walk everywhere and explore local transportation instead of renting a car to get around. If you must rent a car, considering renting a hybrid or smart car.
- Stay at eco-minded lodges and hotels. Research your lodging options and see what their policies on the environment are.
- Participate in your hotel’s linen program: let your hotel know that you won’t need your linens or towels washed during your stay. You'll help them save loads of water!
- Don’t leave lights or airconditioner units on at your hotel when you go out.
- Don’t add to packaging waste by grabbing up those mini soaps and shampoos.
- Try not to use more water than you would at your own home, even if a bubble bath or two might be your idea of a relaxing trip.
- Try to refrain from taking all the free brochures and maps that you see when exploring tourist spots, only borrow the ones you really need.
- Never take “souvenirs” of natural objects if you are vacationing in a natural environment. If hiking, remember to "pack in, pack out" anything that you use.
To see a list of hotels around the country that participate in green living or more green travel tips, visit the Green Hotels Association online.
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"Donât add to packaging waste by grabbing up those mini soaps and shampoos."
Since most hotels and cruiselines just toss these if they even look like they've been used, or just used once - you might as well take the soap or bottle of shampoo with you and use it up.
"Walk everywhere and explore local transportation instead of renting a car to get around. If you must rent a car, considering renting a hybrid or smart car."
It amazes me the number of tourists who rent a car to come to San Francisco or day-trippers who drive in - our one-way streets are confusing to non-locals and having a car is completely unnecessary. When you come to San Francisco, please just take a taxi or BART into town.
view bepsf's profile
#2 is ridiculous. Sure, use it 'cause it's convenient, but it's not saving much paper, especially since you'll likely print out confirmation or something like that.
Sad that it doesn't mention how un-ecofriendly flying is.
view erica's profile
the greenest tip of all is don't fly. Even taking a car is much greener then flying somewhere, especially if it is on another continent.
So if you want to really make a difference, go on holiday as locally as possible. If you fly to say, Bali, and then refrain from using the little shampoo, well that's kind of a joke.
view Nina79's profile
ps: I'm not saying that you shouldn't do the other things, especially water and electricity (which I think you should do every day, no matter where you are), but you also have to look at the bigger picture.
view Nina79's profile
some of these are silly, especially #8...the point of a vacation is to indulge in something that you normally wouldn't do.
view sgnt13's profile
Nina79- But it's so hard to drive to other continents!
just kidding! I totally agree.
I'm still gonna go on vacations every now and then, but I like to save up, buy one ticket, and go for a few months. Maybe a good tip would have been to be willing to pay a tiny bit more for direct flights instead of multiple stops? or to consider train travel (suuuuper efficient) when it's an option?
view erica's profile
Oh, and when I get that one ticket, I totally get an e-ticket, so I save 1/2 a sheet of paper! yay earth!
view erica's profile