Green Travel | Sustainable Travel

TRAVEL WRITING:   A simple choice with minimal cost can go a long way.  More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   Ah, Florence, the city that inspires artists, writers, and your everyday girl. Over a million tourists from the US alone come and see this magical city each year. One of the most important things you can do when traveling is to tread lightly, and with so many of Italy's priceless treasures succumbing to the ills of aging and pollution, it's becoming ever more pressing that travelers go green. In addition to getting you to and around Florence, the following guide provides some of the best--and greenest--options for accomodations, tours, and restaurants in Florence.   More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   As the birthplace of the "slow food movement," Italy knows all about making conscious, greener choices. See Milan's green side here.  More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   Whether this is your first or fifth time to Paris, making greener choices in your travels will lead to a deeper and richer experience. This succinct guide will get you started.   More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   “Keep Portland Weird,” is a common bumper sticker that locals love to slap onto their cars or Nalgene water bottles. But along with being a little weird and funky, Portland is also green and hip. It has some of the best public transportation in the country, lots of buildings with LEED certification and a population committed to biking to work. With so many green options, it can be hard to choose exactly how to spend your time in the environmentally conscious Northwest city, so here is a quick guide to some of the highlights.  More »

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CHANGE:   Flavia Cueva dreaded San Lucas as a kid. Several decades later, she has turned that same place into an eco-lodge and changed the face of sustainable tourism in Honduras.  More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   In a city known for its chaotic veneer, follow this guide to the green and serene.  More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   Fiji is an infectiously happy place, as most Polynesian islands are. This nation, however, boasts particularly boisterous and friendly locals and offers to-die-for fishing, diving, and surfing opportunities — all in a tropical paradise setting. The key word in this land — the first Fijian word you will learn, and maybe the only one you will remember — is “bula” (hello). This word pretty much embodies the Fijian way. You will be welcomed with open arms and often smiled at (so smile back!).   More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   A city may not be the first place you think of when you think “green,” but New York City is one of the greenest places in the US. Sure, there’s Central Park and its impressive outer-boro cousins, Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and Staten Island’s Narrows Botanical Gardens, but there are plenty of less familiar green sites that will get you off the beaten path and show you a New York you probably didn’t know existed. Welcome to the big green apple!   More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   Boston is one of the greenest cities – in both the Al Gore and Kermit the Frog definitions of the word – in the United States. The left-leaning, young and active core of the city’s population makes sure they have ample places to relish in the area’s natural beauty, commute around town responsibly, and eat organically. This means the green traveler will find plenty to do – and eat and drink – in and around Boston. Here's a sampling. . .  More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   With clear skies and clean waters, Key West is ripe for outdoor activity. The ranks of people who appreciate the value of sustaining this splendor are growing. Learn more about the environmentally friendly lodging, restaurants, transport, and activity options in this concise green guide.   More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   Canada’s national capital doesn’t get the travel attention that its flashier cousins, Toronto and Montreal, receive. But Ottawa, a mid-sized city on the border between Ontario and Quebec, has a lot more to offer visitors than just the chance to rub elbows with politicians and bureaucrats. In Ottawa you can see Canadian tax dollars at work: funding a brace of high-quality museums, galleries and festivals, public transit to reach them all, and possibly the best network of designated cycle paths and bike lanes on the continent. The capital is also, thanks to its small size and relatively isolated location, a lot closer to nature than most major cities. Ever loaded your snowshoes onto a city bus, hopped off outside a nature preserve, and headed off-trail for the afternoon? No? Welcome to Ottawa, the city where your urban-outdoor travel dreams can come true.   More »

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TRAVEL WRITING:   Sweden’s capital city was recently named the world’s most livable city by Reader’s Digest, and with good reason. Here, green options abound (think IKEA on a large scale). Although a cosmopolitan city, Stockholm and its locales are inspired by the simplicity of the Swedish countryside and are committed to keeping their environment healthy. Buildings are green, public transportation is efficient, and there is a general sense of well-being hanging in the air.   More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   At first glance, the words “green” and “Mexico City” don’t seem compatible. Mexico’s capital is one of the most congested and polluted cities in the world, but don’t let that discourage you from enjoying these green sites south of the border. City officials have expressed their commitment to greening the capital and creating opportunities for ecotourism. You don’t have to wait until all of their plans are realized, though. Check out our Green Guide to Mexico City and enjoy some of the best outdoor and indoor recreational, cultural, and culinary treasures of this vast city.   More »

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TRAVEL WRITING:   Your quick and inspired guide to the greenest spots in Barcelona.  More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   Molokai demands kokua, or respect. This is the strongest community I have ever witnessed in all my modest travels of the world. The locals have basically shut down two multi-million dollar resorts on the west side of the island. And they did it all by themselves. They have fought off cruise ships, yachts, group tours, heli-tours, developers, and mainland transplant haoles for over four decades, and now people simply know...you just don't show up on Molokai. You go there with respect, in small numbers. Tread lightly and you will be welcomed with aloha.   More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   The smallest island in the Greater Antilles is also the most environmentally challenged: choose green travel for your next visit.  More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   As Lola Akinmade explains, there is a surprising green side to DC. Check it out.  More »

CHANGE:   That's the take-away question in the latest "twitstorm."  More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   The scenic business district of Paia, bordered on one side by the ocean and on the other by the majestic slopes of Haleakala has evolved into an array of locally owned, green minded shops, all of which are housed in the old plantation style wooden buildings of the sugar mill era. Where to stay, where to shop, where to eat: this green guide will help you travel in style and support local businesses in "the biggest little town on Maui.  More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   Green travel is a juxtaposition of concepts. By its very nature, "travel" is less efficient than "staying put." But for the habitually wanderlust-afflicted or for those who must travel for business, the following ten items are simple, real things that you can do to minimize your carbon footprint while on the road.  More »

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SPIRIT:   As the conference ends without much to show for it, Christine Garvin wonders what this outcome means for the future of travel.  More »

SPIRIT:   Jennifer Bernstein says green travel is more complex than you think.  More »

GEAR:   Who says helping the environment can't be done in style?  More »

TRAVEL WRITING:   Atlanta is the poster child for suburban sprawl but just detour from Spaghetti Junction and you'll find a city that's peachy Green.  More »