How to plan budget sustainable travel - it's more affordable than you may think
Travelling sustainably doesn’t have to cost the earth. We may often associate sustainable travel with luxury retreats or expensive eco-resorts, but there are also ways to travel while lowering the impact on the environment and your wallet at the same time.
Booking.com’s annual Sustainable Travel report (2023) found that the rising cost of living and economic uncertainty are leaving consumers with a difficult choice when it comes to making sustainable travel choices: Cost vs Conscience. While some travellers are willing to pay more for sustainable travel options (43%), 49% believe sustainable options to be too expensive, and 47% want tips on how to travel sustainably on a budget.
If you're one of them, read on to discover Pitchup’s tips on how to travel sustainably on a budget.
Tip 1: Plan ahead
Any budget trip should start with planning ahead. By researching your travel and accommodation options in advance you’ll often find early bird offers and less expensive options and be much more likely to stick to your budget than if you book things when you arrive in a destination.
If you can be flexible about when you want to travel, planning ahead means you can also avoid the crowds and visit destinations at quieter times of year – either off-season or in the shoulder season. This helps to spread tourism across the year, meaning more stable and consistent income for tourism businesses and employees, and also helps keep your costs down via off-peak pricing.
Tip 2: Go camping
While planning ahead will get you so far, choosing the right accommodation can lead to a lower-emission holiday too. Research by Ademe shows that camping has the lowest carbon footprint of popular accommodation types, with significantly lower carbon emissions per night than hotels and holiday homes.
Camping is also a very affordable way to travel, with prices per pitch starting from as little as a few pounds a night, with the added wellbeing benefit of bringing you closer to nature for true relaxation on your holiday.
When looking for accommodation options that prioritise sustainability and protecting the environment, take a look in advance to see what features they have. For example, Pitchup's handy filters will help you find and book sites with renewable energy, recycling available, composting toilets and electric car charging points.
You can also look for campsites and holiday parks that have achieved sustainability certifications. There are hundreds of certifications out there, so it can be difficult to know which are the most rigorous. Luckily our partner Travalyst, a leading sustainable travel nonprofit founded by HRH Prince Harry, has audited and created a list of compliant certifications and schemes to help you know which to look for.
If you’re reading this article, it’s likely you have a few sustainable habits at home – so don’t forget to bring these with you when you go camping! Support your hosts by being mindful of your energy and water use on site, bringing solar-powered chargers, refillable bottles and shampoo bars, and using surf- and ocean-friendly suncreams to help protect the local habitat.
Lastly, make sure to recycle your rubbish or take it with you, and try to keep your food waste to a minimum too.
Tip 3: Avoid flying
Sustainable Travel reports that transportation is tourism’s biggest source of carbon emissions, with flying being the most carbon-intensive way to travel. Taking land transport is one quick way to reduce the overall emissions of your holiday, and can add to the fun of the journey – think long train rides with ever-changing scenery and a good book, instead of a busy airport security line!
Travelling by public transport such as train or bus, car sharing, using electric vehicles or even just cycling and walking are cost-effective ways to get around, especially when booked in advance. Over 2,500 Pitchup sites are located nearby to public transport, and a further 500 offer pick-up from public transport, making it easy to arrive on site stress-free and ready to relax.
Again, by planning ahead and booking transport in advance you can save money, making this another affordable and sustainable option. If you’re planning on spending a lot of time in the same area, you could also look into buying a travel pass at the start of your holiday for a cost-effective way of exploring. Many areas have options for ‘hop-on, hop-off’-style daily and weekly passes too – especially for bus travel – as well as discounts for families and groups.
If you're worried about carrying all your camping kit with you on public transport, look for sites that offer ready tents (like bell tents or safari tents), camping pods and even glamping units that already contain most things you need for a comfortable budget-friendly stay.
If you can’t avoid flying, choose a lower-emissions flight where possible, and try to fly direct to your destination too. Packing light or only taking hand luggage can also help to lower carbon emissions, as less weight overall can mean less fuel is burned during the flight.
Tip 4: Sustainable activities
*For detailed information and inspiration, check out Pitchup’s guide to Activities that have a low impact on the environment.
Now that you have your accommodation and travel booked, it’s time to think about ways to ensure you leave as little trace as possible while enjoying your holiday… without breaking the bank.
You can have a positive impact on the local environment and community in the simplest of ways, including:
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Supporting national parks and conservation areas by exploring nature trails, visiting visitor centres and being sure to leave a donation where entrance fees are not charged at parks.
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Partaking in low-impact activities such as snorkelling, hiking or wildlife watching.
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Volunteering! This doesn’t have to be arduous to be impactful – simply taking a reusable bag and collecting litter or plastic as you find it on the beach or trails helps protect wildlife and local biodiversity, and preserves the local environment for generations to come.
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Booking day trips and activities with local providers – ask on site for their personal recommendations. This often leads to a much more authentic experience, with locals sharing stories and local history of their area, which cannot be found in the guidebooks.
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Buy souvenirs, produce and food from local markets and shops. This helps to ensure your money stays in local pockets and supports the local economy.
Tip 5: Stay in one place for longer
Embrace slow travel by staying in one destination for longer, thoroughly exploring the local area and supporting the local economy. Often you can snag good deals for a longer stay in one place, and by not moving around you’ll save time travelling to spend on exploring instead. You'll save on transport costs too – as well as reducing your emissions by making fewer journeys.
While the idea of sustainable travel can sometimes be overwhelming or daunting, or sound like it’s going to cost you a lot more money, if you follow these simple steps it is possible! Think of the planning as part of the journey in itself, make it fun – and remember that, while you may not be able to follow all the tips this time, every time you make even a small change, it starts to make a difference.