Traveling sustainably might seem daunting, but there are a few simple things you can do to have a positive impact. Consider your eating habits, for instance: do you eat at small, local restaurants? Or do you tend to play it safe and stick to chain restaurants or touristy establishments? If you want to be a more responsible traveler, it’s important to eat local. Not only does it mean that more money will flow directly into the community you’re staying in, it encourages local culture, and local restaurants also often use local products, meaning more work for local farmers and other businesses.

Eating at chains and tourist restaurants might seem harmless, but they often import their ingredients, driving up prices for everyone. They also deprive small local businesses of customers, and often use their power to keep wages low instead of contributing to the local economy. So if you want to be a more sustainable traveler: always eat local.

How to Travel Sustainably Tip from Chalkie and the Chippy 

It isn’t always the most obvious item when thinking about travelling sustainably, but your accommodation choice plays an important role in what you are supporting. As a sustainable traveller, it is important to be supporting the local economy of the places you visit. So, staying in locally run accommodation can be one of the best ways to support and “give-back” to the community you are visiting. Any Homestays or Bed and Breakfasts are generally a locally owned accommodation, and you can find plenty of these on AirBnB.

But, what about if you want to stay somewhere more luxurious for your holidays? It is often overlooked, but when staying in glamorous 5-Star Resorts or Chain-Hotels you are often supporting a business owner outside of the country. However, that isn’t to say that these hotels aren’t incorporating sustainable initiatives and fair-trade work. If a hotel or resort holds sustainability highly, then they should disclose this on their website. If they don’t, then they probably aren’t the sustainable accommodation you are looking for. A quick Google search of sustainable hotels in the area will help you weed out those with good morals from the rest. Some sustainable initiatives to look out for include refillable water stations, saltwater swimming pool, reusable toiletries in the bathrooms and vegan and vegetarian options in the restaurants.

How to Travel Sustainably Tip from A Social Nomad

There is too much single-use plastic in the world and too little potable water. That’s why I carry a reusable filter water bottle.  Everywhere.    Yes, even in my home country of the UK, where you can drink the tap water.  (I just remove the filter and continue to use the bottle to carry water with me). In many developing countries, the first challenge to reduce single-useplastic is that there is no safe drinking water unless you buy bottled water (or use a filter water bottle).  The second challenge that there is no sustainable recycling program. At all.

You can help.  Avoid buying bottled water and stop contributing to the increasing problem of plastic in landfills and oceans. A great filter water bottle will remove Giardia and Cryptosporidium from untreated or contaminated water as well as other bugs which can cause nasty gastrointestinal diseases. If the only water source is a river or a stream, or even a muddy puddle, then a filter water bottle can clean that up for you too! And a filter water bottle will save money too!  I save on average US$425 a year just on drinking water by using this!

How to Travel Sustainably Tip from Travel Hacker Girl

Bike touring is a great way to travel sustainably. There are some really great long-distance cycling routes all over the world, so you should be able to find one that is easy for you to get to. Eurovelo is a famous cycling route in Europe. The Viking Coastal Trail is a family-friendly bike route in the UK. The 600-mile off-road Munda Biddi Trail in Australia goes through beautiful scenery. Bike touring is a slow way to travel. It gives you the possibility to see not only the main attractions but also the countryside. You will see how the locals live. It is a great way to get to know a country. Bike touring is also cheap. You just need a bike, bags, panniers and camping equipment. In most countries you can take bikes on trains, which is a very environmentally friendly way to get to your start point. In the UK it is free to transfer bikes as well.

How to Travel Sustainably Tip from Full Time Explorer

One of the easiest ways to travel sustainably is to avoid animal tourism. A lot of people look for “Instagramable moments” when they travel, and sadly, things like animal tourism have been a go to for photo ops. One of the most popular forms of animal tourism is riding elephants. It’s so important for people to research animal tourism before participating. Just a quick Google search will show you how cruel this is to the animals. Elephants are actually tortured for weeks during the training process so that they submit to being ridden. Other animal tourism is similar. If you are taking photos with a full grown tiger, chances are it’s being drugged and sedated to ensure that it doesn’t act out. Always do your research and look for a sustainable way to interact with animals.

For instance, in Thailand there are a few wonderful elephant sanctuaries where elephants are rescued and roam free. At these sanctuaries, you get to walk with elephants through the jungle. In lieu of having a trainer beat them with a metal rod, you are given a bag of bananas and treats to encourage them to hang out with you. When the bananas run out, the elephants walk back into the jungle and do their own thing. At the end, you even get a chance to swim with elephants. It’s a more meaningful experience to connect with an elephant and show it love then to force it to submit for a photo opportunity.

How to Travel Sustainably Tip from Snippets of Paris

One of the nicest ways to travel is also one that is more ecological: taking the train. Airplanes emit 3 times more CO2 emissions than the train. And that doesn’t even take into account how much easier the train is.  The train usually brings you right into the heart of the city, without hassle.   There is no need for long trips to the airports in the outer suburbs, arriving 2 hours in advance, checking in your luggage, customs, etc. Instead, you arrive a little bit in advance, check what quay your train is arriving at, and board your carriage easily with your own luggage in hand.  From where I live in Paris, I can be in London, Amsterdam, Brussels, etc in less than 4 hours by train.  Compare that to the amount of time it would take me to get to the airport and fly to those places. In addition, the seats on trains are usually more comfortable, with more space, wifi and legroom. The luxury!  And while that Ryanair flight might be technically cheaper, by the time you add all the costs that you get nickel-and-dimed for, you are probably no better. So next time you are tempted to fly somewhere, see if you can take a leisurely train journey instead!

How to Travel Sustainably Tip from Salut from Paris