We are all aware that travel has a massive impact on the environment. If you are interested in a sustainable way of arriving at our destination, here are some examples of how you can contribute to a sustainable way of travel.

1. Train instead of flight

It is now common knowledge that flying is extremely bad for the environment. Nevertheless, it is always shocking when you look at the figures: while travelling by coach or train emits relatively little CO2 (32 g or 41 g per kilometre travelled per person), the car with 142 g CO2 emissions per kilometre and above all the aeroplane (211 grams!) clearly above it.

The motto is, therefore, to switch to public transport, especially for shorter distances. Whether bus or train is the more ecological means of transport depends on the capacity utilisation. The train is the most environmentally friendly vehicle, but buses are usually fuller and, therefore, sometimes overtake the train in terms of environmental friendliness.

2. Greener drive

Everyone living outside the city knows this: There is often no way around the car because the public transport network is not well developed. But even as a driver, you can do much for the environment with the proper knowledge. The first thing many will think of is the electric car, but electric cars are (so far) hardly better than diesel or petrol-powered cars in terms of their CO2 emissions. This is because a lot of CO2 is required for both the manufacture and production of electricity.

Driving alone in a car is, therefore, the worst for the environment ( even worse than flying! ), while a fully loaded car (at least for short distances) performs significantly better. Whether you use carpooling platforms to find passengers or make sure to use as few cars as possible on your next family trip, there are several ways to drive more eco-friendly.

3. Tips for the flight

Even if aeroplanes don’t have a good reputation, their CO2 emissions are unbeatably low over long distances. So the good news is that you don’t have to sit in the car for 15 hours to travel sustainably – here, the plane is the much better alternative. The bad news is that flying is not environmentally friendly. Much fuel is consumed, especially during take-off, so direct flights are always better than flights with stopovers. You can also offset the CO2 emissions caused by the flight yourself on various CO2 offset websites. You can calculate your CO2 emission with the help of our tables below.

4. Slow travel

The danger of offsetting flights is always that it gives the impression that the flight is climate-neutral. The amount of CO2 that gets into the atmosphere through the flight is, of course, still the same with compensated flights. Therefore, whenever possible, avoid (short-haul) flights and switch to slower modes of transport instead. According to the motto, The journey is the reward; this helps the environment and gives an entirely new travel feeling. Instead of flying to different parts of the world three times a year, you get more out of booking a longer stay (with just one return flight) and getting to know more about the local culture and people.

5. Save luggage

It doesn’t matter whether it’s an aeroplane, car or train: They all use less fuel if they don’t have to carry as much weight. So, if you pack your suitcase as space-saving as possible and do without unnecessary things, you can also reduce CO2 emissions while driving in this simple way.

Make a list of things you absolutely need and things you can do without in an emergency. Find out about the weather beforehand so that you pack lighter or warmer clothes and leave unnecessary items at home. Find out in advance what is available in your accommodation, e.g., not having to take things like a hair dryer or towel with you. Fill shampoo from large bottles into smaller ones—this way, you also have more space in your suitcase.