Bicycling is a green transportation option, and easy to choose in a bicycle-dominant destination like Copenhagen or China.
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Green transportation choices provide you with the keys to the kingdom as you travel. You can walk off the calories of that buttery croissant as you explore Paris. Or better understand Chinese culture as you park your Flying Pigeon bicycle amid 100 others in a Beijing parking lot dedicated just to bikes. A marine ferry takes longer than an airplane to get you to Alaska, Mykonos or Nova Scotia, but you have a good chance of seeing dolphins and eagles, reading a book or two and chatting with the crew. You'll save money, your waistline and fossil fuel emissions by taking the greener road.
Items you will need:
- Comfortable shoes
- Bicycle
- Smart phone
Get out of the car and walk once you arrive. "The very greenest transportation choices are the non-motorized ones --- bicycling and walking," says John Z. Wetmore, transportation advisor and independent television producer of "Perils for Pedestrians." "Fortunately, both are also the best way to see a city." Pack comfortable shoes so you can explore without foot fatigue. (See References 1)
See if your lodging provides free bicycles for guests, recommends Irene Lane of Greenloons, a company that advises families on ecotourism travel choices. (See References 2) If not, rent a bicycle from a shop; many carry electric bikes that'll help you tackle hills or long rides even if you're not in top biking shape. In addition, see if your destination has a bike-sharing system that's accessible to tourists. For a small fee, these sharing systems allow you to pick up a bicycle from a nearby bike station, pedal it to your heart's content for an hour or two, then return it to any other bike station in the city; nominal fees are calculated by the half-hour and charged to a credit card. Examples include Velib in Paris, Bicing in Barcelona and Capital Bikeshare in Washington, D.C. (See References 1)
Take public transit once you arrive at your destination --- most major transit systems now post maps and schedules online on multilingual sites, allowing you to familiarize yourself with the system in advance. In addition, some systems have applications for smart phones so you can get up-to-date information as you travel. (See References 1)
Move between cities using buses, trains and ferries, which tend to be greener than automobiles and airplanes --- buses are considered more efficient than cars because their emissions are shared by several dozen people. If you have to fly or drive to get where you're going, take the most direct route and see if you can you go green by proceeding on foot or bicycle once you arrive. (See References 1 and 5)
Rent a hybrid or electric car if you must travel by vehicle and focus on green driving behaviors. Plan an efficient route, inflate your tires properly and remove unnecessary cargo to improve fuel efficiency and reduce the vehicle's carbon dioxide emissions, recommends the leasing firm Wheels, as part of its EcoWheels Green Driver Challenge. (See References 3) Look for hotels at the other end of drive that offer free electric vehicle charging stations with their parking partners or discount cards for guests who arrive to the property in hybrid or electric vehicles, advises Kathryn Zambito, public relations manager for the Wyndham Hotel Group. (See References 4 and 5)
Tips
- Take public transit to and from the airport. (See References 1)
- John Z. Wetmore; Independent Television Producer; Bethesda, Maryland
- Irene N. Lane; Founder and President, Greenloons; McLean, Virginia
- Caitlyn McClain; Reputation Partners for Wheels Inc.; Chicago, Illinois
- Kathryn Zambito; Public Relations Manager, the Wyndham Hotel Group; Parsippany, New York
- The International Ecotourism Society: Tips for Travelers
Rogue Parrish is a writer and editor with Demand Media Studios.
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