Life Hack: How to have an eco-friendly holiday, even if you travel by plane

 Travelling this summer? Here’s how to have a lower carbon footprint

Travelling by bus or train is more pocket-friendly and a much better environmental choice than going by car.

Bring your own food 

If you’re going to the airport to begin your journey, you might be tempted to fill up at a restaurant or café airside. However, while these food options are often more expensive, they can also generate a lot of plastic waste, from pre-packaged sandwiches to plastic water bottles. Instead, prepare a lunch, dinner or breakfast in advance and pack it into your carry-on luggage. Travel-friendly foods include sandwiches, salads, and pasta – just remember you may not have a facility to reheat them so opt for food that tastes good cold. Your food will be fresh, delicious and budget-friendly, leaving you with more cash for your adventures. For your drink, many airports have public taps for drinking water. Pack a reusable water bottle and you can bring this through security and fill up in the departure lounge, avoiding a hefty price for a single-use bottle in a shop.

Make green choices 

If you’re using a comparison site, you can often filter the search results to show eco-friendly options, from hotels with climate-conscious touches to plane journeys that are more economical on fuel. For example, Google Flights allows people using its search facility to sort by CO2 emissions or show only low emission results. “Carbon emission estimates consider the origin, destination, aircraft type and the number of seats in each seating class,” Google explains. “Factors such as fuel-efficient aircraft and shorter routes usually result in lower carbon emissions. The emission estimates are higher for premium economy, business and first seating classes because the seats in these sections take up more space. They'll account for a larger share of the flight's total emissions.” You could also travel by ferry to the UK or Europe and reach your final destination by bus or train.

Use public transportation 

You can be easily tempted to hail a taxi when you arrive at your destination, but usually a bus or train is more pocket-friendly and a much better environmental choice. Do some research before you fly and map your route from the airport to your accommodation to see if public transport, at least some of the way, would suit your needs. Similarly, when you’re travelling around your holiday destination, opt to go on foot over short distances or use buses, subways or trains when going further. Many European and UK cities have a brilliant transport network so you may find it is faster than travelling by car; for example, in central London it is usually faster to walk or take the Tube than to hail a cab, especially in rush hour.