Whether you travel on your own, with friends, family and kids, there are many opportunities to make it a green experience.

If you are anything like me, you love to travel, experiencing new cultures, try new foods, learn about history and all in all immerse yourself in a new experience like only traveling can provide.

Since having a child 5 years ago, our traveling style has changed quite a bit, and we’ve adapted around our son’s needs. I honestly have no idea how some parents can travel with multiple children and go with the flow. For us we need to plan most of it to keep all of us sane!

For instance, if we are driving long distance, we no longer can eat in the car and just keep driving. We need to make a lunch stop so our son can eat, stretch his legs and burn some energy. Stopping every few hours is the only way to go now that he’s older and doesn’t take naps.

We also started to pay more attention on how we could make travel greener as somehow it seems that so many of our well established green habits from home can easily go out the window when on the road.

Is it Convenient to Travel Green?

It’s easy to go for the most convenient thing you see when you are exhausted from traveling and don’t have the energy to think of an alternative.

The key here is to plan ahead so you won’t have to make too many green decisions when traveling (green decisions? I just made that up!).

As you establish these new habits, which by the way don’t take that much effort, you’ll notice that they start to become part of your travel routine and consequently no brainers in all your future travels.

So here are my favorite tips on becoming a more responsible traveler and helping the world along the way as you appreciate its beauty, people and all the goodness it has to offer:

2. Bring your Own Snacks

This is especially beneficial if you buy your snacks in bulk (like nuts and dried fruit) and can package them in reusable bags.

Many times the single plastic use for snacks in airports and convenience stores is maddening, so avoiding these purchases as much as possible is the way to go.

3. Go Paperless

Our smart phones are able to do just about anything these days, and it is also making it easier to go paperless when traveling. No need to print boarding passes, hotel confirmations, or directions.

You can even read free books from your local library with apps such as Hoopla, or listen to audio books of your choice on Audible. I will say a personal, paper journal is always a nice companion when traveling.

5. Give Back

Volunteering might the farthest thing on your mind when on vacation, but there are so many things you can do that might take very little effort on your part and make a huge impact on the community you are visiting, that it’s worth considering it.

It can be something as small as purchasing goodies from a local school’s bake sale, or donating money for a fundraiser to plant more trees at the local park. Or you can actually plan an entire vacation around volunteer travel.

Volunteer travel can include anything from working at an organic grape farm in Italy, participate in turtle conservation efforts in Costa Rica, to helping out at a daycare in Brazil or archeological restoration in Machu Picchu.

It’s a great way to be hands on with activities you already love, while traveling and making an impact on the local culture.

I plan to write a blog exclusively on this subject very soon because I think it’s such an interesting topic and a travel trend that is worth exploring further.

Just be sure to use a reputable travel adviser to ensure the experience was created because of a community need, rather than put together as a form of tourism.

7. Be on the Lookout for Unique Finds

I’m so happy to say that every day I come in contact with new initiatives and ideas of how we can be greener by making simple changes.

Staying on the subject of transportation, one of these innovative ideas worth mentioning is Forestcar. They are a UK based company that offers an airport car sharing service in Manchester, UK, where you can leave your car to be used by other renters, or pick up one left there by other travelers while you visit the area.

This service helps reduce the amount of cars on the road because it eliminates the need for dedicated rental cars.

Your incentive to have your car rented is that you get paid while others use your car when away, and the best part in my opinion, is that they plant 1 tree for every day a vehicle is rented out, and invest 10% of their profits in reforestation.

So check out the local area before arriving to your destination and see if there are any unique ways you can contribute to a greener local experience.

I’d love to know where you are traveling to next, and if you have any tips to share when it comes to green and responsible travel!

Much love,

Angélica Renée

Please note there are affiliate links in this post.