Green Vacation Ideas

Do you search for out-of-the-ordinary experiences while on vacation? How about taking a green vacation this year? It can range from an eco-vacation, to a staycation, to simply incorporating green components into your traditional vacation.

We researched ideas for green vacationing. We suggest you start with the Smart Travel Quiz from National Geographic’s The Green Guide Web site. One of their quiz questions, “How do you find an environmentally friendly hotel? Look for smaller hotels, newer hotels, hotels with fewer amenities or all of the above?” Take the quiz to learn the answer!

The Green Machine from ivillage.com created a list of green travel tips – things you can do to green up your traditional vacation. For instance, let housekeeping at your hotel know that you don’t need fresh towels and the sheets changed everyday (you don’t do that at home, why do it when you’re away?). This cuts down on energy and water usage by reducing laundry loads. Here are some other tips from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:

• Turn off lights when you leave your hotel room
• Adjust thermostat to an energy-saving setting when you leave – don’t cool an empty room.
• Unplug electronics such as cell phones chargers and laptops when not in use.
• Open curtains to take advantage of daylight when possible.

Several Web sites cater to helping you find green hotels. The greenhotels.com site serves both hotel guests and hotel owner/managers. Find out what makes a hotel more environmentally friendly and what different chains are doing to be greener. Eco-conscious lodging uses less water and energy, creates less waste, supports the local community and workforce, offers organic foods, considers the types of cleaning products they use, the beauty and bath products they provide, and the access to fresh air.

Many Web travel sites now feature Eco-tourism options. It can vary from booking eco-friendly hotels, to offsetting the carbon emissions from your flight, to eco-destinations. You can even book volunteer vacations where you do things like help clean up national parks. Some sites to check out include the eco-travel section at Orbitz.com, Travelocity.com, Expedia.com, or simply search ‘green hotels’ at your favorite travel site.

Closer to home, staycations are still all the rage. You either stay at home but get out and discover your own city, or consider shorter trips to nearby destinations. Did you know that one plane ride across country can generate the same amount of carbon as driving a car for a year? Several smaller trips, closer to home, can help you leave a lighter footprint. Check out your local tourism and visitor’s bureau, your state or city Web site, even one of the big name travel Web sites for staycation ideas. If you are staying at home, take the opportunity to:

• Check out local bike trails or plan a bicycling outing.
• Figure out a bicycle route to work or school – practice it
• Try out your local public transit system – and be a tourist in your own city.

Don’t forget to ‘green’ your home before you leave on vacation. Here are some helpful tips from ENERGY STAR®:

• Turn up your thermostat to 85 degrees (unless you’re leaving pets at home, of course). Experts agree that the energy saved from turning your thermostat up in the summer while you’re away is greater than the energy used to cool your house back down after you return.
• Close window blinds and shades to block out the sun’s heat. It’s amazing how much indoor heat simply comes from the heat of the sun though the windows. Most ENERGY STAR qualified windows reduce the “heat gain” into your home more than typical windows do, without reducing the visible light. You get the light you need without the uncomfortable heat.
• Aside from those one or two lights that you may want to leave on for safety, make sure everything else is turned off—all lights, ceiling fans, the alarm on your radio, and other small appliances.