We’ve heard a lot about eco-friendly homes, furniture, devices, machinery, and more, and it’s more than past time to add eco-friendly vacations to our list.

There’s a lot you can do, that you probably never even thought of to become an eco-friendly traveler. Since traveling is something most people enjoy and get the chance to experience different places so often, it only makes sense that you’d want to help protect vacation destinations; be those beaches, forests, mountains, or cities.

Here are some of the things you can do to not only enjoy your vacation, but to take comfort in the thought that you’ve done so with little to no damage to the environment.

Choose a destination

Like any other trip, your eco-vacation is going to start by choosing the perfect spot. Some popular destination spots are known to be more eco-friendly than others. The Maldives Islands, for instance, is a luxury spot where you can find swanky resorts there that recycle 90% of their waste. You can also find a number of properties in the Bahamas becoming more protective of the environment. Other places could include areas in the UK, Austria, and Iceland. Almost any country in the world now will have a couple of areas that cater to environmentally-aware vacationers like you.

When choosing a location, you can also choose tour operators that have sustainable destinations in mind to help you pick the perfect location. With Go Green Travel Green, you can find the best choices for you and your family. You’ll also find some great tips for students who are traveling on a budget or families taking the kids on their first travel experience. Travel companies that work with sustainability in mind can provide you with dozens of choices that provide eco-friendly vacationing.

Choose accommodation:

After you’ve decided on the location, there will be different places to stay at. Some of the places can be more focused on sustainability in the way they run the place, whether it’s a hotel, motel, or any other type of accommodation. For instance, you want hotels that have clear policies on their recycling, use an effective waste treatment system, or that utilize energy sources like solar panels that are safer for the environment. There’s no harm to ask and get as much information as you can about your accommodations and how it suits or doesn’t suit your understanding of what it means to be eco-friendly.

Mode of transport:

While planes are always faster than any other means, they don’t have to be the sole means of getting somewhere. If you’re not traveling far, you could consider driving or taking a train. If you must travel by plane, choosing a fully booked plane is a better eco-choice.

What you can do:

So far, it’s more about others than you. But like anything that needs substantial change, it all starts with the individual. There’s no point in wanting a sustainable vacation if you’re not going to do what you expect of others. It would actually be contradicting.

As a traveler, there’s a bunch of things you can do:

Save energy:

People have an awful habit of keeping hotel room lights and the air conditioning system on when they’re out. Just because these things are already calculated into your stay, it doesn’t mean to leave everything on.

Save water:

Water is becoming scarce in many areas of the world. It’s so important to conserve water and you can do your part by limiting the amount of time you use water; no need for those long showers. You can also forget about baths and the use of showers. Instead of buying plastic bottled water, use your own refillable water bottles. And if you don’t change your sheets every day at home, there’s no reason to change them daily when you’re traveling. You can tell the house cleaning that you’ll reuse the sheets and towels.

Use the bin:

People sometimes have the notion that nearly anything and everything can be flushed down a toilet. The truth is, anything that could be thrown in the garbage should be thrown in the garbage.

Use environmentally friendly transport:

While you’re outdoors, take advantage of walking or cycling. It’s the perfect time to get into shape instead of constantly being in a car or renting a vehicle to drive around.

There you have it! You’re going to come back from your vacation not just re-energized, but also feeling a lot better that you’ve enjoyed yourself, but not at the cost of the planet. You’ll be setting an excellent example for your kids, friends, co-workers, and anyone you meet. Make sure your next vacation is an eco-friendly one.