6 Travel Tips To Make Your Vacations More Sustainable

As summer quickly approaches its almost time to start planning your next trip, but while everyone loves a fun and relaxing getaway, travel can cause a lot of harm to the environment. From transportation to wasteful accommodations, it can be difficult to stay sustainable while on vacation.

These tips will help you to be more eco-friendly when traveling, so you can get a well deserved break without creating unnecessary waste.

Plan Ahead

Doing your research and planning ahead is the one of the best ways to avoid unsustainable practices when traveling. A few ways that you can plan ahead for your trip include:

• Creating a packing list that includes reusable items
• Researching eco-friendly activities for your itinerary
• Finding local restaurants to visit during your stay

Although some people prefer to be more spontaneous when traveling, you can still put together a rough plan without having every aspect of your stay laid out.

Pack Reusable Water Bottles And Bags

Packing reusable items is a great way to avoid single-use items while traveling and can even end up saving you money as well.

If you’re going to be walking around a lot during your vacation, bringing a reusable water bottle can prevent you from having to purchase plastic bottles, and reusable bags are perfect for a day of shopping or visiting local markets.

Eat And Shop Locally

Going to local shops and restaurants not only supports small business in the area, but also allows you to better experience the culture of the place you’re staying in.

While you can go to chain stores and eateries anytime, this may be the only chance you get to try out the local options. Using yelp or asking a local for recommendations is an easy way to find unique places.

Walk Or Bike When Possible

Walking or biking while you’re on vacation saves money on car rentals, allows you to see parts of town you might not have otherwise visited, and helps keeps you active. If you need to travel a longer distance, try using public transportation to get around.

Opt Out Of New Towels Everyday

If you’re staying in a hotel or anywhere with a daily cleaning service, chances are they’ll probably switch out your towels everyday of your stay. By letting them know that you don’t need daily towel or linen changes, you’ll save a lot of water from washing.

Avoid Travel-Size Toiletries

Even though travel-size toiletries can be more convenient, they’re also more wasteful. So instead of using single-use travel products, try using refillable ones. You can find refillable travel containers at most stores and they usually also come with labels to keep your products organized.

Another alternative to travel-size toiletries are bar bath products. These are especially useful if you’re flying because they don’t have to be placed in a liquids bag, making them easier to get through TSA.

I hope you’ll use these ideas next time you travel to have a more sustainable vacation, and if you have any other tips let me know in the comments. Thank you for reading, have a lovely day!