3/11/09 - Plane Alternatives

Heading for a bigfoot-sized carbon footprint? What are the alternatives if you want to travel around Europe?

http://runninginheels.co.uk/articles/plane-alternatives/

The other day after reading a report about carbon footprints I decided to calculate my own, solely in relation to flights for the last 12 months. It makes for guilty reading. The total amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by my air travel in the past year was 2.33 tonnes of CO2. Seriously it’s just like a MasterCard advert… travelling around America with my mate $, Hogmany in Edinburgh €, Snowboarding €, flying home to spend time in Ireland €, Oktoberfest €, damage to the environment – priceless.

Making for a bigfoot-sized carbon footprint

But what do you do if, like me, you are a complete travel junkie? In preparation for my next, hopefully guilt-free, trip I’ve researched some alternative methods of travelling.

Although planes may the quickest way of travelling, they are certainly not the best nor the most environmentally friendly. By travelling through, rather than above, a country you get to experience a lot more of what it has to offer. Plus, as some wise person once said, ‘it’s about the journey, not the destination.’ When I think of the (horrible) nights I’ve spent kipping on the floor in London’s Stansted airport for the sake of a cheap connecting flight I would beg to disagree but hopefully I’ll embrace this phrase once I leave behind plane travel. Adios Ryanair, Hello Eurostar…!

I hear the train a comin’ …It’s rollin’ ’round the bend…

The ultimate in luxury train travel: The Orient Express

Travelling long distances by train has an air of mystique about it. You only have to think of the Orient Express to imagine long luxurious journeys through winding countryside all the while quaffing champagne and nibbling on caviar. Whilst the Orient Express is aimed at the luxury market and may perhaps be slightly out of your budget, the romanticism and adventure of a train journey is not lost with regular train travel. Sometimes there truly is nothing better than gazing out of a train window watching the world go by…

Mainland Europe is extremely well connected by railway. The advantages of travelling by train are clear. It’s comfortable, affordable (especially if you book in advance) and you can bring a lot more luggage. Once you’re onboard you’re free to read, sleep, chat, eat, head to the bar and even hop off the train to explore along the way (if timetables allow for it).

If you travel by overnight train you can use your travelling time to your advantage to wake up refreshed in a completely different part of the world. One suggested trip is to travel through Switzerland by rail. Switzerland has some spectacular scenery with breathtaking views of lakes, forests and mountains from every window.

Interrailing, i.e. travelling by train through Europe, is where the European rail network really comes into its own. It’s an incredibly popular holiday among young Europeans, especially during the summer months. It’s definitely not something that appeals to everyone as it can involve a certain amount of roughing it – especially if funds are limited. However, in return you get to see and experience as much of Europe as you can possibly cram into one holiday.

You can choose between a One Country Pass (self explanatory) or a Global Pass (enabling you to travel in up to 30 participating countries). The One Country pass limits your travelling days to a maximum of eight. The global pass is a little more complex. The choice is between either the flexi or continuous options. Flexi options consist of either five days’ travel in a ten-day period or ten days’ travel in a 22-day period. This option is good if you plan to spend a night or two in each location and have a clear itinerary planned. The continuous options are more open and allow you to travel whenever you want over either a 22-day or 1 month period. Find out more about interrailing on the Rail Europe website.

The wheels on the bus…

If you’re like me, the idea of travelling by bus is not something you would gladly substitute for a quick and painless plane journey. I’ve travelled by Greyhound Bus in America and bussed my way through Spain and it’s not something I’ve ever enjoyed. In my opinion, the one and only advantage of a bus journey is that it’s cheap.

However, I’m coming around to the idea that there are circumstances where bus tours could be fun – especially when they combine two of my favourite things: travelling and partying. Contiki are one of a number of companies who are renowned for their bus tours and what’s more they support responsible and sustainable travel, which isn’t surprising since travelling by coach is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to get around. But aside from the warm glowy feeling you’ll get from helping the environment, their tours look incredibly fun. They only allow people between the ages of 18 – 35 to travel with them, you can choose between over 40 countries to travel to, and everything is organised for you.

One example of an interesting European tour that they do is the 16-day European Encounter tour. This tour takes you through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Italy, Vatican City, France, Monaco with many stops along the way. I could bear a few hours in a bus if I got to see that many places! Other companies offering similar packages are Topdeck and Busabout.

I’m onboard…

Although boats are the last method of travel I’d consider if I was in a hurry, there are a lot of fun holidays out there that take place on boats.

You could spend a week travelling through the waterways of Ireland, the UK or France on a cruiser or a canal boat. By taking it slow and stopping along the way to spend the night in the villages and waterside bars you’ll get to meet some unforgettable people and learn about unfamiliar places that you never would have seen otherwise.

The Tall Ships Race - an unforgettable experience

Another option for an unforgettable holiday is to volunteer as a crew member for next year’s Tall Ships Race. I was a member of the crew on the now defunct Asgard 2 in 2003 and I can easily say that it was one of the best holidays of my life. Sail Training International organise the Tall Ships Race every year. The idea behind the race is to encourage friendship and sailing among young people. As such, half each ship’s crew must consist of people under the age of 25. Most countries enter a vessel and you apply directly to the vessel for a berth onboard. For a list of the participating vessels visit Sail Training International. This year’s race starts in Belgium and ends in the UK via Denmark and Norway, so if you’re lucky enough to get a berth it will be an amazing adventure.

So as you can see, it turns out there are lots of alternative options to damaging the environment by flying, which let you have an amazing time too. I’ll let you know what my carbon footprint is in a year’s time… !