Do you want to contribute to a cleaner world, less air pollution and a more liveable environment? One of the things you can do is change the way you travel. Whether it’s your daily commute or vacation trip, there is always a (more) sustainable option available. This are the best tips for sustainable travel.

Duurzaam reizen – vervoer op kortere afstand 

Grab a bike

The Dutch own an average of 1.3 bicycles per person, making us the world’s front-runner in bicycles. By travelling by bicycle, you only use your own body energy in calories and thus keep your CO2 footprint low. Parking is also much easier than by car. Is your destination too far away to cycle to? In more and more places shared bikes and shared e-mopeds are available to travel the so-called first mile last mile to or from a train or bus station. In Gaiyo you can find and book these.

Travel by public transport

Public transportation gets many people from A to B in one trip, which is always more sustainable travel than when everyone travels by their own cars. You use less fuel this way and cause less pollution. Are you dreading the waiting times because your transportation options don’t connect? Then try to approach this differently. Whether you’re on the train, bus or streetcar, you can enjoy reading a book or working on your to-do list while you wait.

Leave your own car and get a shared car

Do you still drive a car with an internal combustion engine? Then check out Gaiyo to see which shared cars are available in your area. Most urban shared cars are fully electric and therefore cleaner. They are ideal for short, occasional trips in and around the city. 

Travel together

Carpooling is also a sustainable form of transportation. Do you have a colleague who lives nearby? Then drive together to work. By carpooling with one person, you already halve the emission of CO2. Imagine if there were four of you driving. 

Drive fuel-efficiently

If for some reason you do find yourself alone in a car, there are also things you can do to reduce your emissions. A few tips:

• Accelerate and slow down slowly to use less fuel. 
• Leave home a little earlier to make sure you don’t feel rushed. If you are not in a hurry, you will automatically drive more calmly.
• Put your car on eco mode, if there is one.      
• Take your foot off the gas when driving down an incline.

Sustainable travel – long distance transportation

Travel by train or touringcar

While a trip to another continent 25 years ago was still something exceptional, thanks to budget airlines and globalization we now fly around the world a few times a year. Just because we can. But you understand: taking the plane is far from sustainable. Greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation have more than doubled over the past two decades. The most impactful way to keep your footprint as low as possible with your vacations is therefore: don’t travel by plane. So choose a destination within Europe and preferably travel by train or by bus. But even if you drive your own car to your destination, that is still more sustainable travel than by plane.  

Make the most of your air travel

If you do have to travel by plane to your destination, because a sailing boat or train is not an option, at least get the most out of your flight. For example, make your stay a little longer and don’t just fly up and down to South Africa for a midweek. 

Compensate for your air travel

You can financially compensate the CO2 emissions of your air travel. This money is then invested in planting trees. More and more airlines offer their travelers the possibility to do this when booking their trip, but there are also independent organizations that make such CO2 compensation possible.

Minimize the carbon impact of your air travel

Taking off and landing consume a lot of fuel. By flying direct, you do that at least once. It goes without saying that newer aircraft are more fuel efficient than old ones. So if you have the choice, choose new. Long flights are more polluting than short ones, so if possible, choose a destination closer to home. And by not lugging along 25 kilos of clothing but travelling light, you can reduce your carbon footprint even further.