Want to shrink your carbon footprint on the road? These green travel tips make it easy to stay eco-conscious no matter where your trip takes you.
You’ve swapped fast fashion for slow living. You bring your own bag to the market. But when it comes to travel? Even the most eco-minded adventurers can feel a little lost in the carbon shuffle.
Sustainability isn’t about perfection—especially on the road. It’s about progress, intention, and awareness. Whether you're planning a weekend escape or a multi-stop adventure, these green travel tips can help reduce your impact without reducing the joy.
And yes, Better Trips is here to make those planet-loving decisions a whole lot easier.
Pack a Smarter Bag and Say Goodbye to Throwaway Culture
Reusable isn’t a trend—it’s a toolkit. Swapping single-use plastics for reusables is one of the easiest, most visible ways to make a difference while traveling.
Start with the basics: a reusable water bottle (insulated, if you’re venturing somewhere hot or cold), a bamboo cutlery set, and a cloth tote. If you’re headed to island destinations like Bali or Maui, where waste infrastructure is limited, these swaps are essential.
Need some inspiration? At this beachfront eco-lodge in Costa Rica , guests are encouraged to go entirely plastic-free during their stay—with refill stations, compost bins, and filtered water taps throughout the property.
Now that your bag is lighter on waste, let’s talk about the emissions that come before you even arrive.
Choose Transit That Shrinks Your Carbon Trail
Planes, trains, or automobiles? Turns out, how you get there is just as important as what you do when you arrive.
For long distances, flying nonstop is your best bet. Takeoffs and landings burn the most fuel, so fewer hops = less CO₂. For regional trips, rail travel is often the gold standard—especially in parts of Europe or Japan where high-speed networks are efficient and scenic.
Once you’re on the ground, embrace public transportation, cycling, or walking. Cities like Ljubljana, Slovenia —a Better Trips favorite—are entirely car-free in their historic centers, making green travel tips easy to follow just by showing up and exploring on foot.
Speaking of where you land, let’s talk accommodations.
Look for Places That Walk the (Eco) Talk
Your stay shouldn’t be the most wasteful part of your trip. Fortunately, finding greener accommodations is easier than ever—if you know what to look for.
Scan for properties with solar panels, composting toilets, smart heating systems, or rainwater catchment setups. Off-grid doesn’t mean off-comfort. In fact, many of the most luxurious stays featured on Better Trips boast eco-credentials and design that rivals boutique hotels.
Use Better Trips’ smart filters to discover verified sustainable properties, complete with visual impact scores so you can see exactly where a home stands.
Of course, good habits don’t end at check-in.
Follow These Green Travel Tips While You’re on the Ground
Let’s keep the momentum going. Green travel tips aren’t just for planning—they’re for daily decisions once you’re settled in.
Turn off the lights and AC when leaving your room. Skip daily towel replacements unless necessary. Use local, reef-safe sunscreen if you’re heading into the ocean. Avoid trampling off-trail in natural areas and take care not to feed wildlife (no, not even the adorable monkeys in Ubud).
An energy-efficient stay is only as good as how it’s used—and thoughtful travelers make all the difference.
Ready to take it beyond the walls of your stay?
Opt for Experiences That Reflect What You Believe In
Touring a place shouldn’t mean taking from it. Choose experiences that give back or operate in harmony with local communities. This might mean joining a native-led walk in Uluru , supporting a women-run cooking school in Oaxaca , or visiting a regenerative farm in Tuscany.
Better Trips makes this easy with curated filters like “Cultural Immersion,” “Wellness & Nature,” and “Regenerative Stays.” These aren’t just tours—they’re encounters that shape how you see a place (and yourself) long after the trip ends.
All these small shifts are starting to look pretty big, aren’t they?
Small Shifts Add Up to Better Trips
Your itinerary doesn’t need to be zero-waste and carbon-neutral to matter. What matters is the mindset—choosing progress over perfection and thoughtful decisions over default ones.
With these green travel tips, you’re not just making a dent in your footprint—you’re helping shape a more conscious travel culture. Better Trips is proud to highlight accommodations and experiences that make it easy (and enjoyable) to travel better.
Your suitcase is ready. Your values are packed. Let’s go.