Tips for independent green holidays and responsible tourism

Enjoy a fantastic break and save a thought for your environment

In recent years, many of us have become acutely aware of our personal environmental responsibilities, even when on holiday. The idea of sustainable tourism has developed from the adage "leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photographs", leaving the local landscape, creatures and community unaffected by our presence. Having environmental principles can actually enhance our enjoyment and save us money, giving us both a fantastic break and a clear conscience!

There are three main areas in which we can effectively reduce our impact and make our holidays green; travel, accommodation and our daily behaviour whilst on a green holiday. With regards to accommodation, it is clear that taking a private holiday home is much more energy efficient and sustainable than a hotel room, as you have control over lighting, air conditioning, washing, heating and food wastage for a start. There are some wonderful eco-friendly homes available, and there can be no arguing that living in a log cabin in the Norwegian Fjords it is easier to control your environmental impact than living in a hotel in Oslo for the same week, and I dare say more relaxing.

Great green holiday destinations

Top five green holiday destinations

Green Holidays in Scotland

Scotland is a fantastic place for sustainable tourism. With no flights required and excellent leisure options on foot, bike and horse, carbon emissions on Scottish holidays are negligible. You can also fish for your own dinner!

Green Holidays in Nice

You can be settling into a villa in the very south of France in under 10 hours of leaving London by using the Eurostar and the TGV service. The many fantastic destinations on the Cote d'Azur are your oyster, and all without flying.

Green Holidays in Cornwall

Cornwall is an excellent place to get 'back to nature'. With short distances to travel and some wonderful holiday cottages in wild, windswept coastal regions, sustainable tourism thrives in Cornwall, and is actively encouraged.

Green Holidays in British Columbia

Admittedly, the flight to British Columbia is a long one, but when you arrive you can have a sensational holiday without having an impact on the environment. Log cabins in the mountains void of electricity let you live carbon free.

Green Holidays in Bruges

Bruges is a fascinating city and one where it is easy to keep your environmental impact in check. Travelling by TGV and eating the fantastic local produce Belgium is famous for is not a hardship and helps in keeping 'green'.

Transport is both one of the leading 'buzz' topics around sustainable tourism and eco-tourism, and one of the clearest examples of where an environmental conscience can actually enhance our comfort and enjoyment on a green holiday. Why take a cramped, uncomfortable seat on a plane when we can cruise through the countryside in a large TGV train seat, also vastly reducing transport emissions and your carbon footprint? The train networks through Europe are fantastically fast, letting you reach far flung corners of the continent within just a few hours, all the while doing your bit for eco-tourism. Check the TGV routes for eco-friendly destinations in Europe from a transport point of view. If you do decide to fly, both www.climatecare.org and www.carbonneutral.com help you off-set the carbon emissions of your flight.

Upon your arrival at a destination, there are a huge range of eco-friendly practices that not only help the local area, but also give you a far closer understanding of the area. Renting bicycles rather than cars allows you to see, smell and hear far more of the local community, and buying local foods not only give you a finer understanding of local delicacies but also reduce 'food miles' (the transit costs and emissions of importing produce). Sustainable tourism and eco-holidays are a fantastic choice, not only for your help with the environment, but also because you will automatically get closer to both the community and nature whilst staying in an eco-friendly home.