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General Green Travel Tips

1. Bring a re-usable, stainless steel water bottle with you
2. Keep your itinerary and travel guides paperless
3. Pack Lightly
4. Pack eco-friendly sunscreen
5. Walk or rent a bike to popular sight-seeing destinations if possible.
6. Buy gifts and souvenirs from local vendors and markets
7. Choose local restaurants and restaurants that serve organic foods
8. Use public transportation whenever possible
9. Car pool with business co-workers if on a business trip.
10. Visit an ecotourism destination
11. Visit a national park
12. Visit farmer’s markets and local grocery stores to pick up snacks for your trip
13. Go on a volunteer travel trip
14. Take re-usable bags with you for use when shopping
15. Avoid using disposable cameras
16. Avoid outdoor activities that are threatening to the environment such as motorized water sports
17. Bring a clean coffee mug with you to Starbucks or other coffee houses and ask them to use that instead of their own cups
18. Travel on high-speed rail when convenient (many options when traveling in Europe from one country to the next)

Green Travel Tips For Your Airline Flight

1. Drink out of the can, rather than using a plastic cup
2. Choose a direct flight if possible
3. Drive instead of fly if your destination is less than 300 miles away
4. Bring only one bag with you, per person.
5. Purchase carbon offsets for your flight
6. Fly with airlines such as Southwest and Jetblue who have eco-friendly business practices
7. Bring your own snacks aboard

Green Travel Tips For Your Hotel Stay

1. Turn off all lights and electronics when you leave your hotel
2. Bring your own shampoo and soap
3. Keep the thermostat at a similar temperature to what you would keep it at home
4. Put the do not disturb sign on your door so the maid service doesn’t turn over your room every day
5. Re-use towels more than once
6. Don’t use plastic or Styrofoam utensils at the continental breakfast
7. Choose a hotel that is LEED or Green Seal certified
8. Choose a hotel with a high green branch score from our green hotel directory.
9. Make use of recycling bins if they are placed on the hotel property
10. Let hotel managers know that you specifically chose their hotel for the green amenities
11. Don’t take a longer shower than usual just because you’re in a hotel

Green Travel Tips For Your Road Trip

1. Rent a hybrid car
2. Drive the speed limit
3. Check your tire pressure before traveling
4. Change the oil before your road trip
5. Change the air filter before your road trip
6. Use a GPS or a smart phone for directions, rather than printing them out
7. Don’t drive like a NASCAR driver. Slowly accelerate when driving.
8. Keep your recyclable items in a garbage bag in the trunk so you can recycle them at a later date
9. Turn your motor off when idling

Green Travel Tips For Packing Lighter

1. Bring only 7 pieces of clothing that can be mixed and matched to create up to 14 different outfits
2. Give away your books and magazines to other travelers after you’re done reading them
3. Stick to one suitcase and one small carry-on bag
4. Minimize the amount of shoes you bring
5. Vacuum seal clothes to fit more into one suitcase
6. Take only one nice outfit with you unless it’s a business trip
7. Pack sandals or flip-flops in replacement of bulkier shoes when possible
8. Lay out all of the clothes you think you need, then pack half of those

Green Travel Tips For Your Home

1. Adjust the thermostat to higher for a/c and lower for heat while you are away
2. Turn your water off completely (also prevents a pipe from breaking while your gone and flooding the house)
3. Adjust the water heater to lower while you are away
4. Stop the newspaper from being delivered
5. Unplug unused appliances
6. Close all of your blinds and curtains
7. Ask a neighbor to water your plants so they don’t die while you’re gone.

Do you have any more tips for us? We’d love to hear them! Comment below with your other green travel tips! And if you link to this article, let us know!