Whether you will you be visiting family over the winter vacation or heading out during spring break, you can enjoy your trip without avoid harming the environment or your budget. Going green doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of green, especially with a little foresight and planning.
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1. Skip the Rental Car
Relying on public transportation such as the bus, subway or train will help reduce vehicle emissions and will also save you tons of cash. You won’t have to worry about taking the extra insurance, and you’ll save time on your commute to and from the airport. Keep in mind that taking a taxi is just as expensive, if not worse; don’t confuse cabs with public transportation.
2. Stay Local
Finding a locally owned hotel, inn, or bed and breakfast will usually save you some cash. Also, independent business owners tend to care more about the cities and towns in which they’re located than a corporate entity would. You may even have a better chance of dealing with friendly and helpful staff in a family operation, making your trip that much more pleasant.
3. Flying Direct
While it may cost a bit more to skip connections, cheap flights are fairly easy to find between most major cities. The less time spent in the air, the less fuel the plane will burn, leading to a healthier environment. Airlines are also becoming more environmentally conscious, so ask when booking your flight if there is an off-peak choice for your trip.
4. Pack Light
You probably don’t really need a different outfit for every day that you’re on vacay; instead, pack a few separates that you’ll mix and match for totally different looks. Lightening the load of your suitcase will keep you from paying extra to check it and will also save on the fuel burned by your airplane. You can skip packing the heavy, bulky hair styling tools; adopting a natural look will improve the health of your hair and save you from lugging around more stuff you really don’t need.
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5. Do the Research
When you’re in the planning stages of your trip, make sure to look into the environment-affecting habits of the businesses you’d like to use. Being informed is one of the best things you can do, both for your wallet and for the world, so it’s worth a little extra time spent on the Internet and shopping around. After all, you wouldn’t hire a person without looking into his or her background, so why are so many people willing to choose a business without the due diligence?