5 Top Tips for a Greener Holiday

Everyone knows flying is pretty bad for the environment. So why not jump on the train to your destination? And if trains aren't your thing, you could try car sharing. There are plenty of services that link people up so you can have a nice chat and split the petrol costs.

Planes produce the most harmful pollution during take off and landing, so if you can't avoid flying, be sure to take the most direct route.

If you're exploring the area, travel low carbon style. Try hiring some bikes and get to know the local sights and smells. Or get on board with the public transport. It should be easy to find out about buses in advance with the powers of Google, asking your hotel or *gasp* talking to a local person.

If you are going to rent a car - go electric. There are more charging points being added all the time. If you're in the UK, try Green Motion, or for the US and Europe try Sixt rent a car.

It's really easy to go out and buy cheap new sunglasses or swimwear for your holiday, and then chuck them out when you come home. But all the things we buy have their own carbon footprints. Buy things that might last a few summer holidays, and look after them inbetween.

It's always fun to try out new types of food on holiday. So avoid food that's been shipped hundreds of miles to get to your plate. Try sampling the dishes that are local to the region using fresh seasonal produce.

All the same rules apply to saving energy at home as they do on holiday. You probably don't need clean sheets and towels every day, make sure you turn the TV off standby, don't blast the AC up to 11 all night - you know the drill. You could also do a cheeky bit of activism and ask your hotel or place you're staying what they're doing about climate change.