Guest Post - Eco-friendly Tips for Travelling Across Europe

Its culture, art and history makes Europe a fantastic region to travel through. Not only does it attract tourists from the US and Canada, but Europeans themselves will often travel through the region exploring the many different traditions and cultures it has to offer. The fact that there are so many countries with such different traditions and characters compacted into a small region makes this an exciting and interesting part of the world to discover.

Another great thing about travelling through Europe is that it is one of the most Eco-friendly regions in which to travel. If you are planning a trip to Europe soon here are some Eco-friendly tips that will help to reduce your carbon footprint:

Transport

Of course there is no getting away from the fact that if you’re travelling from the US or Canada you’re going to have to fly to get to Europe, but once you are there you will be able to use much more Eco-friendly forms of transport. Trains are a great way to travel, as they allow you to see parts of countries that you would never see any other way, plus they are great for the environment. Europe has a brilliant rail network, which spans across the entire region and connects the majority of the major cities and countries.

When you’re at your location try and use local transport instead of hiring cars and taxis. Cities like London and Paris have a bike scheme that enables you to rent bikes and leave them at any of the many docking stations around the cities. As well as this, the majority of the major cities have efficient underground train systems that are cheap, safe and convenient to use.

Accommodation

Many European countries have Eco-friendly hotels and lodges that make it easy for environmentally-conscious travellers to lower their carbon emissions. If you are on a tight budget and travelling in summer consider camping, as there are many campsites throughout Europe that offer fantastic facilities and which are safe to stay at. Self-catering is another popular option, as it means you can bring your Eco-friendly home habits with you while you travel.

Eating and drinking

Many European countries are famous for their cuisine and as such eating out in countries like France, Italy and Spain is part of the experience of visiting these places. Saying this, constantly eating out is not only bad for your waistline and wallet, but also for the environment. Instead consider buying local foods at markets and picnicking, or when you do eat out try and choose small, family-run cafes and restaurants where the food is usually locally sourced and the owners are more conscious of wasting electricity and water.

Constantly buying plastic water bottles is another huge environmental mistake many travellers make. In many, especially western, European countries water from the tap is safe to drink so instead of continuously buying water simply fill up your water bottles. A bit of online research before you leave will let you know which countries this is safe to do so in.

Respect the local environment

Remember that one of the best Eco-friendly practices you can do when travelling is to respect the local environment. Whether you’re hiking through the Alps or taking in the history in Rome remember to keep all your waste with you until you can throw it away. Also recycling is common in many European countries, so try and make sure you dispose of waste in the right bins.

Written by Derin Clark, a writer, editor and blogger

Image courtesy of Magali M. / Flicker

Also posted at Green Living Thursdays and Small Footprint Fridays

What stops you from taking a green vacation?

When planning a vacation, do you consider the environment? Do you research Eco-friendly accommodations, methods of travel and food? If our recent survey is any indication, then most of our vacations could use some "greening". Let's take a look at the results:

We had some comments:

• I had a great experience WWOOF'ing when I was in Australia in February, working on an organic farm (pictures here: http://ecogrrl.net/2013/02/26/where-i-be-chillin-part-four/) in exchange for room & board. It was great! When I fly, whenever possible I take Alaska Airlines who has the best record when it comes to fuel efficiency (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/alaska-airlines-is-most-fuel-efficient-us-carrier-2013-09-10) and sustainability (http://sustainablebusinessoregon.com/national/2012/09/alaska-airlines-touts-environmental.html), and seek out farmer's markets, vegetarian restaurants, and take public transportation in the cities I'm in. Learning what shade of green different cities are in is really interesting to me. As many know, many European countries, along with Australia, have significantly more sustainable measures built in to their systems, from water savings to solar to reduced packaging in general. We have a lot, even here in Portland, to learn from other countries' practices.
• I prefer staying with friends and relatives.
• We rack up a horrendous carbon footprint getting there (it's where our family lives), but then go car-free, eat local, etc.
• I recently took a trip to Portland with my mom, and we took nothing but public transit the entire time! A small step, admittedly, but I was pretty proud of us :)
• I realize I missed the survey but wanted to say that for me living lightly involves every part of my life, vacations are no different. I use the same amount of water and will even bring recyclables home if I can't find a location to drop it in.

While most of us have greened our daily life, vacations seem to fall through the cracks.

The definition of vacation might be part of the problem. According to Merriam Webster, it is "a respite or a time of respite from something". That typically means a break from our normal routine and includes activities that we don't allow ourselves at other times. We indulge in special foods, travel to exotic destinations and stay in hotels. In preparation, we might buy new clothes or luggage. We might consider disposable items for their convenience ... after all, we're on vacation.

Once at our destination, the indulgences continue. We might allow ourselves longer and more frequent showers. Perhaps we turn on the room's air conditioning. We eat at restaurants ... we drive more ... we waste more.

While Eco-friendly tourism is available, it tends to be expensive. An eleven-day Patagonia trip can be as much as $5,995/Person. Nine days in Costa Rica's rainforests can run you more than $2,000/Person.

Most Ecotourism companies offer a very narrow list of activities. They usually include hiking, camping, and exploring natural areas. Working on a farm or living with local families might be offered. These types of vacations, while rewarding, aren't for everyone.

Of course, none of those reasons mean we should give up on Eco-friendly vacations. Let's explore some of the ways that we can take a break without hurting the environment:

• Plan ahead

  Research destinations which offer activities within walking distance. Investigate hotels and their environmental practices and policies. Consider modes of travel and choose the most Eco-friendly option for your destination. Research restaurants and plan to visit ones offering local foods. Plan to enjoy activities such as visiting a nature preserve, walking the beach, or picnicking at a local park.

• Before leaving home

  Browse second hand shops for "new" vacation clothing and avoid buying disposable products. Need luggage? Borrow from a friend or buy used items. Turn off lights, electrical appliances, heating/cooling, hot water heaters and anything which won't be used while you're away.

• At your destination

  Maintain your green ethics. Refuse disposable items or "free" gifts offered by the resort. Turn off lights when not in use and avoid air conditioning. Keep showers to a minimum. Avoid waste and recycle. Walk or take public transportation. Enjoy whole, local foods. Buy souvenirs which are usable rather than items which will be tossed once you return home.

• Consider all types of vacations

  "Staycations", by their nature, have a low carbon footprint. Don't rule out Ecotourism. Visit family and friends. Exchange homes with someone from your destination of choice. Consider camping.
  

Vacations offer us the opportunity to see new places. They entertain us and provide a break from "normal". With planning and special attention, they can honor the earth as well as refresh our lives. How will you "green" your next vacation?

Posted at Small Footprint Fridays

Taking a Green Vacation

Have you ever caught yourself thinking that certain rules can be relaxed when doing something special, like taking a vacation? We often allow ourselves to indulge ... perhaps eating less-than-healthy foods or spending a bit more money than usual. It is, after all, a special time and meant to be a break from the "norm".

Thinking about how we love our holidays, I wondered if we take a break from living green. Do we use more water if we're staying in a hotel? Do we ignore the high environmental cost of air travel or opt for the convenience of disposable items? Do we relax our green ethics when we're on vacation?

That's the focus of this month's survey (which will stay open for one week).

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Image courtesy of hinnamsaisuy / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Comments of Note

This month's comments were wonderful ... readers offered pertinent thoughts and ideas. In fact, the comments were so good that it was a challenge to keep the list down to ten for publication here. I'd like to say "thank you" to everyone who took the time to write!

Okay ... here we go:


From Let's get started ...

MRoth said...

Hooray! It's such a great idea to shut everything down off a power strip when it's not needed - especially kitchen appliances. Phantom loads can really take a toll on energy consumption...

I try to keep everything in the apartment hooked to a power strip. This makes it especially easy to flip it off during hours of non-use.

Alternatively, in a place like the bathroom where there is only one tiny plug, sometimes it's better NOT to have a power strip...this keeps me from plugging in anything that isn't immediately needed.

Thanks for the amazing blog! You're making green living so accessible!

-Megan

From I can see the light (a recycled article) ...

Dafthermit said...

Hi Sf

just a wee visit to say good morning

as for lights as you know i live on a bus and we use the solar lights most people use to light the garden up with and apart from the odd candle our lighting is free music to an old dafthermit

all the best from the highlands and thanks for popping over to my blogs


Andy & Mel x

From Splish Splash I was taking a bath (a recycled article) ...

Hans said...

Saving water is one of the things I really learned when living in Australia. Taking short showers and having water in the fridge are my favourites. And then of course never pour water down the zink. It can always be used for something - watering a plant for example.

Great blog!

From Mmm ... Mmm ... Good (a recycled article) ...

Yanic said...

Wonderful post! I try to make as much as possible from scratch all the time. It's my slight OCD : The lack of control in what goes into my food gets the better of me.

The great thing about freezing in small quantities is that there is no waste.

One of my favorite ways to use home made stock is when cooking rice. Instead of buying all those artificially flavored rices, you can create your own!

Another great way to make tons of it without breaking the bank is to go to your local farmer's market and buy (for a fraction of the price) veggies that have gotten bruised or wilted. They will gladly sell them for pennies and you have all the stock making materials you need!

Chourou said...

Hi,SF. Your posting this time reminds me of the way of taking broth(bouillon in French) which has been traditional and popular in Japan. It is very simple. All you have to do is that you pick up Konbu, or kelp, a sort of seaweeds, and put it into a pan filled with water and leave it. After a day, you put aside the water of the pan and keep in a bottle or whatever. When you cook miso soup, you can use this liquid as a very good basis. We call this liquid “dashi”.

Anyway, your suggestion this time is wonderful. Thank you for sharing your eco-friendly tips again!

GreenWorks said...

Great post and homemade stock is much better than the bought stuff.

On a similar note vegetables left over from a meal added to stock and blitzed to puree makes a tasty and easy meal for the next evening.

From It's a Balancing Act (a recycled article with new comments) ...

Yanic said...

I completely agree. One of the main reasons why I started my own blog was to inspire to take steps towards a greener life and that every little one of those steps count for something. If everyone would take a few steps, then the world would be a much better place. I think the problem is right now that we are at a cross-roads and the ones that are putting forth the effort feel like they have to make up for the ones that don't. Hopefully, that will soon not be such a reality.

Ways I reduce, reuse and recycle...

Recycle : Everything I possibly can! So that point is mute. Although we did build our first compost bin this year so all our compostables will soon be recycled into yummy fertilizer!

Reduce : Between the recycling and the compost bin, we have recently realized that a box of 36 biodegrable trash bags (21 in. X 26 in.) lasts us over 9 months! That is about 1 bag a week and we could not be more pleased!

Reuse : LOL! They call me the garbage lady at work! I bring all my lunch in reused yogourt containers and Mason jars.

Great tip : Reuse all your glas jars for storage! I keep all my discarded pasta sauce, condiment jars, glass bottles to store my grains, pastas, dried goods, spices, maple si=yrup, honey... They are wonderful because they fit very thightly on a shelf, are transparent and stackable!

Nana Net said...

Guilt comes in some many ways, shape, and so on. Still though I agree we all must do our part to help save this world of ours!
As for me I try to do as much as I can. Mostly by trying to becoming more aware of what I am doing wrong! Some examples that I have tried to help in saving our planet is by recycling.
That I reuse the butter containers that the butter comes in. As well as all other plastic containers that I am able to. Especially after a good washing of them first!
Another way is that I try to do large loads of laundry instead of small loads. That way I only have to do less instead of more. If that makes sense to you all. To me it saves on the amount of laundry detergent I have to use! Plus I hang my clothes out on the clothes line instead of using the clothes dryer. Nothing like fresh air to dry your clothes!
I also wash my dishes by hand and let them air dry too. I really do not like having a dishwasher.
Oh well, another thing that comes to mind is that I love watching HGTV. Now that is where I do get alot of neat ides from on "Going Green" too. Still though your blog helps me by far the most!!!!
Have a blessed day.

From A Quick Tip (a recycled article) ...

Mysticle said...

What a great idea, that I had never thought of before. Stumbled!

In our home, we reuse water bottles and plastic bags. Take our green bags shopping. Always Always Recycle.

I like to reuse the cardboard sleeves from my local coffee shop ... just carry in my purse, no need for a new one every day.

TY, Mysticle

From Vacations ... The Eco Friendly Way ...

Mukund said...

Hey one more thing, carry a disposable bag of some sort in the back of your car to throw what you eat or drink (cans, chips wrappers etc.), just in case there are no dustbins around...
I don't about the world outside but lack of dustbins is a major problem in India...
Great to have you back small... :)

May I offer a suggestion? If you have a bit of time and would like to investigate some new sites, click on one of the people listed above ... not only have they left meaningful comments here, they write brilliant blogs.

As always ... I'd love to hear from you!

Vacations ... The Eco Friendly Way

We recently returned from a wonderful vacation in the Pacific Northwest ... camping and visiting with family. Typically when I leave my home in the North Carolina mountains, I am struck by how wasteful and non-environmentally friendly our society is. But this trip was different.

On this trip, I noticed positive changes ... people carrying reusable water bottles in the airport rather than plastic ones, recycle containers set up in restaurants, signs in public restrooms asking patrons to turn out the lights when leaving and more people refusing plastic bags in stores. I saw less Styrofoam and more recyclable containers at take-out stands. In one public restroom there was a toilet that flushed one way for liquids and another way for solids ... reducing the amount of water used. In more than just a few shops I was asked if I wanted my receipt printed (which, of course, I said "no" to and saved some paper). In my relative's homes, I noticed cloth napkins being used instead of paper and everyone seemed to have a garden and a compost bin. A cousin told me about an Eco-Camp for children. Her daughter attended this camp where the focus was on teaching kids about waste ... specifically the waste on their plate when they take too much food and end up tossing what they can't eat.

Yes, there are still improvements to be made but it is encouraging to see so many people making an effort. It gives me hope!

With the trip and everything I saw still fresh in my mind, I decided to write a few tips on having a "green" vacation. Here are some ideas:

• Plan ahead. For a very good list of green travel resources (tour companies, rental car agencies, transportation, activities, etc.), check out IndependentTraveler.com's Green Travel Resources.
  

• Never take a vacation from your "green" ideals. The same rules that apply at home, apply everywhere. For example, don't use more water or electricity just because someone else is paying the bill ... continue to conserve.

• Have a "Staycation" and play tourist in your own city. Yes ... I know ... I just returned from a vacation on the other side of the country. But I've also spent years taking vacations in my own back yard ... and they have been some of the best times we've had. Not only does it save money, gas and other resources ... there are usually activities to enjoy which typically, in our busy lives, we don't take the time to experience. So play tourist at home ... go to a special restaurant, enjoy a museum, take in a play or concert. For more ideas, contact the Chamber of Commerce in your city.

• Make a few adjustment at home before leaving. Turn off the water heater (or turn down the temperature). Turn off A/C or heating units (or, again, adjust them to the least amount of use). Turn off the ice maker. Unplug as many electrical devices as possible.

• Carefully consider the mode of transportation used to reach your destination. Trains, cars, planes, buses ... they all have their environmental pros and cons. Add in time and money and the choice becomes more difficult. For a short trip, consider public transportation. When driving, make sure that the car is properly serviced (tires filled to proper levels, oil leaks fixed, etc.) and follow speed limits to minimize gas use and emissions. Don't charge cell phones, iPods, etc. off the car battery ... it'll lower your gas mileage. If your car is a gas guzzling vehicle, consider renting an economy or hybrid car. If flying is the option, choose electronic tickets, pack lightly and consider carbon offsetting (for an excellent article on the subject, click HERE). Also consider bringing your own snacks and drinks (fill a reusable water bottle after going through security) ... you'll save money and waste.

• Location, location, location! When choosing accommodations, think about location. Ask yourself these questions: Is it near public transportation (bus lines, subways, etc.)? Are tourist activities within walking distance or a short bus ride away? Are there dining and shopping opportunities close by?

• Choose a "green" hotel (find one HERE).

• Care for a hotel room in the same way as you care for your home. Turn out lights and TVs when not in use. When leaving, turn off the cooling/heating units. Leave a "Do Not Disturb" or "No Service" sign on the door and reuse towels and bedding. If a sign is not provided, leave a note for housekeeping requesting that they not service your room. When possible, use your own toiletries rather than those provided by the establishment. If you find it necessary to use their toiletries, take them with you, use until gone and recycle the container. Bring your own cup and let the hotel's plastic ones remain in their bags. Take short showers.

• At your destination, consider environmentally friendly activities. Take a walking or cycling tour. Take digital photos instead of using disposable cameras. Only take maps and brochures that are necessary and, if possible, return them to the rack after use. Choose restaurants that use local, organic produce. Make sure that purchases (snacks, souvenirs, etc.) are Eco-friendly.

• Let them know. When returning home, be sure to write emails to hotels, restaurants, car rental agencies ... even airlines and pilots ... to compliment them on their "green" efforts or encourage them to adopt them if they aren't currently doing so. I've said this before (perhaps a gazillion times) but I believe that if we ask, providers will accommodate us. So tell them that you want "green" travel options.

Vacations are wonderful ... they recharge our emotional batteries and add excitement to life. And, with a little care and concern, they can be kind to the earth as well.

As always ... I would love to hear from you!