SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL
More and more people are becoming environmentally conscious. This consciousness often goes together with a love for traveling, as the common denominator is a great affection for the world and all its beauty. Unfortunately, traveling can be one of the least environmentally friendly things to do. We try our best to combine our passion for travel and sustainability. Here are our tips for more environmentally sustainable travel:
1. Limit air travel as this is unfortunately the number one cause of a high carbon footprint. In comparison: skipping one round trip Amsterdam - Singapore equals one year of being a vegetarian. It is great if you offset your flights, but this unfortunately does not mitigate the carbon emissions. We understand that air travel is unavoidable when having limited time and a desire to visit faraway countries. However, there are ways to cut back on air travel. See the next tips for that!
2. Travel by train is often a very low-carbon option and a very fun way to see changes in landscapes, to rewind, and to make it into the heart of a city in no time. Traveling by plane as part of a city trip can often be substituted by taking the train. Traveling by sail boat is also an amazing way to travel. There are not many options and it is often quite expensive, but we've seen some amazing sail cruises in the pacific region for example.
3. 'Slow travel' as a means of seeing more of one or a few countries instead of airplane hopping a large area. This way, you get to thoroughly experience a country or region instead of ticking off mainstream bucket lists. It's a win-win situation: you get to have a more relaxed and authentic travel experience while also limiting the carbon footprint of your travel.
4. Make smart combinations of destinations to limit (air) travel distances and explore a region and its diversity to the fullest!
IMPACTFUL TOURISM
Sustainability is not only about limiting the negative impact of your traveling. You can also have a positive impact through traveling, especially in social and economic terms. Here are our tips for that:
1. Don't bargain too much: a lot of people might tell you that you should bargain as much as locals, but let's not forget that in many countries, people are not even making a living wage. We all want to save money, and we get that, but traveling is a great (financial) privilege. Try to share some of that privilege with the people that are enabling you to do so.
2. Support small businesses: instead of going to large resorts, shops and restaurants. Try to look for businesses that are giving back to local communities or that are owned by local people. That way, money spent on tourism can be money spent on development.
3. Get a local guide: getting a local guide is a true win-win situation, you get to know and see things you would otherwise not get to experience and you're simultaneously supporting someone in their livelihood. Moreover, through local guides, you're often able to support many others as well by visiting locals and small businesses.
HOW TO INTERRAIL
Oh, how we love travelling by train. The great thing about train tracks is that they often pass along the most amazing viewpoints and nature parks which you would otherwise never be able to experience this way. It's an awesome way to make the most out of your travel: relax, read, plan and just enjoy the ride!
The best way to use the train through Europe is by getting an Interrail pass. Trains in Europe can be very expensive, but by purchasing an interrail pass it is possible to travel for 10 days for the price of just 2 high-speed trains. Our favourite pass is the so-called global pass, with which you can travel unlimitedly on a chosen number of travel days within a specific period. You can also get a country pass, in case you only want to interrail within a specific country.
For planning, we use the interrail app but check through Google Maps and the national train operator sites as well. Overall, the Interrail app is very accurate, but sometimes there are more or better options when looking at these other websites.
When it comes to reserving a train, you can either do that through the app or at a train station where they sell tickets for that train. Sometimes the latter is the only option, like in Spain. It is advisable to book in advance or just be flexible with your itinerary.
