How To Choose A Sustainable Holiday and Still Get Some Sunshine 

Winter doesn’t seem all that bad before January 1st. After that it becomes a lot of cold, wet weather and a desire for sunshine. However we all know that travel, especially by plane, is not necessarily environmentally conscious. Since we are big supporters of eco-conscience we have constructed a list of tips to make your holiday more green and environmentally friendly. 

First and foremost, we strongly advise using The Global Sustainable Council’s website to pick a sustainable holiday location. They have very strict and set criteria to help you determine whether a destination or accommodation can be considered sustainable. This list is filled with certified sustainable hotels that will help you keep your holiday as green as possible. 

Besides picking a sustainable location and finding accommodation that is considered green, you can try out some of these other steps to keep your trip to the sun green and eco-friendly.  

• Try not to plan a thousand things in a short period of time. Travel slow and use as little means of transport as possible. Or for instance, rather than using a rental car to get around, make use of local buses and public transportation to keep additional environmental impact to a minimum. 
• Consider traveling by train. This has many benefits besides sustainability. Very often trains are a lot cheaper to get around Europe. Besides that, they tend to be more environmentally friendly and have more flexible scheduling hours.  
• Bring reusable water bottles since the plastic sea is one of the biggest climate change challenges we face.  
• If we stop looking at the traveling part of a trip and start looking at the actual stay you will find there are plenty of things, you can do to keep your holiday sustainable. From the clothing brands you pack to bringing your very own eco-nappies and wipes. The choice for these might be limited at your destination which is why bringing them along is always a better option.  

That brings us to managing a sustainable holiday with children. This can be a challenge. For example, one amazing way to keep things green is by eating locally. Rather than picking big global franchises, supporting the smaller restaurants in the region you are visiting can be very environmentally friendly. However, children can be picky about this, which is why, for the sake of green parenting as well, it is best to teach them young and have them develop a sense of adventure with foods and taste.  

Lastly, remember to pack light. Yes - very hard with kids and babies but the less you bring the smaller the carbon footprint. Perhaps looking for accommodation that offers baby essentials can help you in achieving this.  

With that being said, we hope you and your family get to enjoy the sun for a little while and escape the cold and rain as much as you need. Safe travels!