Plan a Good Holiday

A Good Holiday

Galicia, north-west Spain, and Northern Portugal

Where and when there are no other foreign tourists, away from mass tourism.

To experience the traditional culture, food and wine of more remote rural areas.

To travel as part of the holiday experience

To travel more sustainably than flying

To see traditional masked carnivals (Entroidos), and related cultural heritage.

Local food and meals

Buying local is a good bet for reducing pollution and the energy used to transport, store and refrigerate food.

Choosing local food is good for the planet, good for your health and good for local farmers.

Sustainable Travel

European train travel www.seat61.com

Interrailwww.myinterrail.co.uk

Eurolines Buses www.eurolines.co.uk

Freewheelers www.freewheelers.com

Carpooling www.carpooling.co.uk

Bla Bla Car www.blablacar.com

Comparative carbon emissions

Transport Direct Www.transportdirect.info

Small Car only

76.5 kg of CO2 per passenger with 2 occupant(s)

Large Car only

153.8 kg of CO2 per passenger with 2 occupant(s)

Train only

63.8 kg of CO2 per passenger

Coach only

35.8 kg of CO2 per passenger

Plane only

204.8 kg

Ryanair – claims to be Europe's greenest airline. Ryanair believes itself to already be the best. A study (without sources) claims the airline has the greenest fleet:

www.ryanair.com/en/about/ryanair-and-the-environment No carbon offsetting policy. For most airlines, but not Ryanair,

Carbon offsetting is still optional. Only Silverjet includes it in flight costs.

No-frills airlines tend to fly with more seats occupied: in 2009, the average for an easyJet flight was 86 per cent and for Ryanair 82 per cent. They have newer fleets, higher densities of seats and direct flights compared to full-service airlines.

This compares with an average of 68 per cent on Europe’s full-service airlines, according to the Association of European Airlines.

Airlines

Accommodation

Green Tourism Schemeswww.ecolabelindex.com/ecolabels/?st=category,tourism

EU Ecolabel for Tourist Accommodations

Http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/documents/hotels.pdf

Global Sustainable Tourism Council

http://www.gstcouncil.org/images/pdf/global%20sustainable%20tourism%20criteria%20h-to%20version%202_final.pdf

EU Ecolabel

The EU Ecolabel on Tourist Accommodation Service is the only ecological label certified by an independent and competent body and recognised across Europe.

www.ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel Reduce use of resources Reduce CO2 emissions and pollution to air,

water and soil Reduce waste Conserve nature