When it comes to planning a family holiday, there are so many things to think about! All we want is to go and enjoy our holiday, but it’s also important to realise how our plans might affect our planet. How can we make mindful choices to minimise the environmental impact of traveling?
A green vacation can be fun, will save resources, and reduce our carbon footprint. Here are a few tips on planning your family holiday with less negative environmental impact, reducing carbon emissions, and being more mindful of the environment.
1. Choose eco-friendly transportation
Before each family holiday, we plan our transportation in advance. Whenever possible, we choose a way to travel that is eco-friendly by minimising carbon emissions. We all know that flying is not the most eco-friendly way of transportation. Instead of taking a plane, we opt for a car, train, or bus to reach our destination. It’s better for the environment and can be a fun experience for the kids. If flying can’t be avoided, we book non-stop flights and search for more energy-efficient airlines that use renewable biofuels.
2. Pack your luggage wisely
Every time we need special gear (for skiing or the beach) for a single trip, we try to borrow from friends or get second-hand items instead of buying new ones. This means that we’ll have a more sustainable holiday and we save some money as well.
We always bring our own eco-friendly products in our luggage, like BPA-free water bottles for each member of the family (that we refill during the day), reusable utensils, and shampoo and soap bars (to avoid the tiny plastic bottles from hotels that will be tossed in the bin). Other items we pack are reusable shopping bags, to avoid having to use those single-use thin plastic bags most shops offer.
3. Opt for sustainable accommodation
Most of the time, we manage to avoid all-inclusive, international hotel chains that usually produce a lot of litter. By choosing to stay in local accommodation we also support the people who live in the area, and the money will reach the local community. Another thing to keep in mind is that more and more small local accommodations make an effort to preserve the environment, by using less plastic or encouraging guests to reuse their towels.
Each time we start planning a holiday, we keep in mind the little things we can do to reduce the environmental impact when traveling. We are not only making a difference, but we also teach our children to be kind to the planet.
Traveling with teenagers? Have a look here at our article how to keep them engaged during the trip!
