10 Ways to Be a More Eco-Friendly Traveler.

Here’s how I started this post in February…

Climate change is a hot topic these days and traveling can be a big contributor. There’s been a lot of argument about the ease of travel and the impacts its’s had on the world, but I’m still a big advocate for both travel and sustainability.

And now…

The conversations around ease of travel and climate change have changed a lot since I first started drafting this blog post in February. With no travel for leisure happening right now, it’s been fascinating to see the effects on cities and emissions. Waters are clearer, wildlife is returning, and pollution is going down; you can read more on that here. While I love to travel, this time has made me want to be more aware of my travel and carbon footprint by finding ways to travel less and more mindfully. I hope during our time in Europe things will return back to a sense of normalcy, as it will allow me to see a lot by train or car, significantly reducing my footprint than if I had flown to Europe for each trip I hope to make.

While we are unsure of when we can travel again, I have hope that day will come and we will rise stronger than ever. Earth Day seems like the perfect time to share my list of ten quick tips to be a more sustainable traveler.

  1. Reusable toiletry bottles. One of the oldest tricks in the book, I still think people veer towards buying the mini sizes at the store rather than getting a refillable bottle. These actually provide many benefits, as you can bring your favorite products with you while traveling and ensure they are are always in TSA approved bottles, which is great if you only bring a carry on.

  2. Bring a water bottle with you. If you are traveling somewhere where the water is safe to drink, this is a great way to reduce your spend on buying a $7 water in the airport, waste less plastic from single use bottles, and always have your own bottle ready to fill for free.

  3. Go digital. Gone are the days of printing out every boarding pass and reservation confirmation; in a digital age, use e-tickets and travel organization apps whenever possible to reduce unecessary paper waste.

  4. Take only pictures, leave only footprints. A great reminder to not only avoid leaving trash behind, but also to buy less when traveling. How many times have you bought a key chain to commemorate a trip and ended up tossing it a year later? Traveling allows us to gain so many memories much more significant than buying things.

  5. Reuse bathroom towels. A rather simple one, but you probably don’t change your towel every day at home, so why do it while traveling? Most hotels ask you to hang your towel if you want to reuse it and leave out if it really needs to be replaced.

  6. Buy local. While it may be easier to stop in the big grocery chains while traveling, try to find smaller mom and pop shops to buy food and other items from while traveling. Embrace the local coffee shops instead of getting your usual order from Starbucks. Traveling allows us to experience other cultures and communities, and by buying local, you help to support them.

  7. Bring your own bag. Many places have a plastic bag ban now anyways, but bringing a small, reusable tote with you while traveling is a simple way to reduce waste, and the bags usually don’t take up much room in your luggage.

  8. Keep your travels close to home. Taking a train or even a car is much more sustainable than a flight. Instead of jetting off to far away places, check out what’s around you first that you may have yet to explore. I think that this will become especially relevant in coming months.

  9. Purchase carbon offsets for your flight. Carbon offsets are a way of measuring the emissions your flight has, and purchasing “offsets,” which reduce carbon emissions somewhere else on the planet through activities like planting trees, providing clean cooking stoves in impoverished countries, or installing solar panels and wind turbines. Several airlines already build this into their pricing or allow you to add it in when purchasing.

  10. Go on a trip that gives back. Mission trips, WWOOFing, Workaway, and ecotourism allow you to travel and give back, often with perks like meals and free accommodation.

White and Blue Hair Beauty Pinterest Graphic.png

Never miss a post - join the mailing list!

How to travel without ever leaving your home.

When I moved abroad, I was excited to finally have the time and resources to grow my travel blog. The good thing is, I suddenly have plenty of time. The bad thing is, no one is doing any travel right now. As many of us are stuck at home, I thought I would provide a way to travel without ever even leaving your home! Not quite the same, but the times we are living in are weird enough anyways. Here are some ideas for traveling while staying in.

Air B&B Online Experiences. Unique activities led by hosts around the world.

Watch travel related films. Here are a few recommended by Conde Nast Traveler. My personal favorites? Under the Tuscan Sun and P.S. I Love You (great if you need a good cry right now too).

Experience food from around the world. My first recommendation is to order takeout from your favorite local place that serves global cuisine. If you like to cook, try 10 travel inspired recipes here, travel around the world in 80 meals here, or download (or borrow the ebook from your local library) Forest Feast Mediterranean; this book is all about recipes inspired by the author’s travels in Italy, Spain, France and Portugal.

Take a trip through a book. Now is the perfect time to pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read. You can find a list of travel related ones here.

See a city in a minute. Refinery29 has a great Sixty Second Cities series here.

Learn a new language. Refresh your high school Spanish skills or try a new language. Duolingo is a great free app to get started.

Visit museums and aquariums, listen to symphonies and orchestras. Explore a sea of options from around the world here and here.

Experience arts, culture, and travel with Google. Take Google’s street view to a whole new level as you visit iconic places like the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower. If you have an HDMI cable, plug your computer in and see them on the big screen.

Get creative. If you like writing, art, or even photography, now is a great time to work on pieces inspired by travels, past and future. Want to work on your creative skills? Brit + Co has made all of their courses free over the next week.

Workout with your favorite instructors. Being abroad, this is a virtual travel experience for me as I get to take classes again with some of my favorite instructors from Boston. You can see even more home workout ideas here.

Explore the worlds greatest creatures without getting too close. If you’ve ever dreamed of going on safari, or are just a regular animal lover, you can view animals from around the world here.

Take a walk. Please note this only applies if you are not in a city on lockdown and make sure to stay six feet away from those you encounter. This is a great way to appreciate your home from a new perspective and perhaps even see things you’ve never noticed before in your daily routine.

Connect with friends who live far away. As a recent expat, having all of my friends working from home has been a dream come true. Every day I give myself an hour of “FaceTime roulette,” where I try reaching out to a different friend every day for a quick chat. If you want to really mix things up, host a virtual game night; here are some ideas.

Join my daily virtual adventure. I have a lot of travel guides and am working on even more during this time, so I’ve been doing a daily ‘virtual trip’ over on my Instagram stories. Follow along and get inspired for future trips.

Finally, here are some of my favorite travel photos to keep you inspired.

Never miss a post - join the mailing list!