Travelling abroad isn’t usually known as the best way to lead an environmentally friendly lifestyle, what with all the flights, taxis, hire cars and activities planned… With all the planning involved and the pressure of sticking to a budget, your carbon footprint is probably the last thing on your mind when you’re travelling. If you’re interested in learning more about what your carbon footprint is exactly, you can click over here.

We’ve developed a list of a few things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint as a traveller, without hampering the exciting adventure you’ve got planned. Here are five ways you can be eco-friendly whilst on your travels.

  1. Pack Light

Packing efficiently is not only beneficial for those who have a lengthy trip planned (you don’t want to carry around lots of unnecessary items!) but it also helps to reduce an aircraft’s carbon emissions; bringing less luggage when you fly means that the plane burns less fuel.

Cut down on clothes that aren’t multi-purpose, download any books or brochures to limit your paper weight and create less waste by packing reusable shopping bags/water bottles/recyclables etc.

  1. Choose Where to Stay Carefully

Hotels can often have a huge impact in terms of energy usage, but it is different when you stay in an Eco Tourism resort that runs on green energy. A lot of tourists are becoming conscious about the environment and hence look for eco-friendly hotels and resorts for their stay. Sustainable and responsible tourism has made an impact on the hotel world and you can now find hotels and hostels around the world that are LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) – meaning that the buildings were specifically designed or set up with green credentials.

If you’re on a budget, you could consider alternative places to stay during your travels. How about camping, or even couch surfing? Both of these options are eco-friendly alternatives to staying in hotels or hostels.

  1. Use More Public Transport

It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to avoid flying for your entire trip abroad, but when travelling internally, try to get a train or bus where you can. When exploring a town or city, try to go on foot or hire a bike and cycle – it’s a great way to reduce your carbon footprint when travelling, whilst also allowing you to see some of the sights up close.

  1. Support Local Economy

Experiencing a unfamiliar culture fully means that you should try to eat locally and shop in local supermarkets so that you’re supporting the economy where you’re visiting.

Food that’s sourced locally is likely to have less plastic packaging and it will have travelled a shorter journey to reach the shelves, reducing the carbon footprint in your food shop and upping your eco-credentials.

  1. Keeping in Touch

Keeping in touch with your loved ones and letting them know you’re safe is usually a vital part of travelling. Use internet cafes where you can instead of posting letters and postcards, and when you’re sending packages home to your family and friends, consider using an efficient yet affordable international courier, like Parcel2Go.

Stay environmentally-conscious even when you’re travelling by following our top five tips. You don’t have to break the bank to follow green practices when abroad, just a few tweaks to your packing and itinerary could mean a more eco-friendly trip.