Sustainable travel tips for when you’re allowed to leave the country again: Travelling can be a stressful time for anyone, but with the pandemic still affecting large parts of the world and Brexit impacting several boarders for UK citizens, there is plenty that needs to be considered. To help you travel safely when it comes to your next summer holiday (whenever that may be), we have written a shortlist of our sustainable travel advice when visiting Europe.
Sustainable Travel Tips
Reusable Face Masks
Following the pandemic, several changes are set to take place as a vast majority of the world are still working towards containing the many variants of the virus and bring down their cases. Therefore, those that are looking to Europe should make sure that they are following all the guidelines that are currently in place. This will not only protect you when you are travelling but it will protect the rest of your family as well. Though you are required to wear a mask when travelling to several locations, you can limit your impact on the environment by ensuring the mask that you wear is a reusable one. By bringing one or two of them with you, you can limit the environmental impact of your trip whilst keeping you and your family safe.
Remember: GHIC Card
Alongside making sure that you are following all the relevant guidelines, it is important to make sure that you have the right travel insurance as well as an in date EHIC or new GHIC card. The GHIC card is a new post-Brexit version of the EHIC card and can be applied for on ghic.co.uk. It will provide a reduced cost or completely free healthcare to the holder of the card should they need it when they are travelling. This is particularly important post-pandemic as health risks are higher. This is important when travelling as you are ensuring that you have access to the local health care systems when you are travelling.
Pack Ocean-Friendly SPF
Common ingredients found in most mainstream sun creams are the UV filters Oxybenzone and Octinoxate, sadly these two nasties have been reported to cause significant harm to the environment. Even the tiniest amount of these two toxic chemicals have been found to be harmful to marine life and the DNA of coral, causing the inability to reproduce, bleaching and death. So, remember to pack an ocean-friendly SPF.
Support Local Businesses
When you are travelling to a new location, it may seem tempting to head straight for a hotel that you are used to staying in. However, don’t forget to support small, local businesses in and around the area. By looking around and supporting local businesses during your time there, you are doing more to become a sustainable tourist and aiding in giving back to the local community.
Pack Reusable Travel Essentials
The final way that you can continue to travel sustainably is to make use of reusable items. By bringing reusable water bottles and other eco-items with you on a trip, you are reducing the amount of waste that you leave behind whilst. By making sure that you are being sustainable in your travel, you are then helping to make sure that tourism is beneficial for not only those travelling but also the local area.
For those missing travel, we hope that you’ll soon be able to spread your wings (or get a train) and start to roam our beautiful planet once more.
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”
-Lao Tzu
