10 ways to travel more sustainably

Flying less is the biggest factor in your travel footprint. These 10 concrete steps cut your CO2 by 50%+ without giving up traveling.

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Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Train instead of plane for short distances

This is by far the biggest CO2 saving any traveller can make. Concrete figures per route from Amsterdam:

• Amsterdam-Paris Train: 7 to 20 kg CO2, 3 hours 20 minutes, from €35 one-way (Eurostar). Flight: 90 to 190 kg CO2. Saving: around 170 kg, roughly 89% less.
• Amsterdam-London Eurostar via the Channel Tunnel: 9 to 20 kg CO2, 4 hours 40 minutes, from €55. No security queues; you arrive in the city centre.
• Amsterdam-Barcelona Train via Paris: 27 kg CO2, around 12 hours, from €93. Return flight: 522 kg CO2 per person. That's a factor of 14 difference.
• Amsterdam-Berlin ICE train: 20 kg CO2, 5 hours 52 minutes, from €38. Flight: 230 kg CO2.

Train travel is city-centre to city-centre. Including airport transfers, flying is often not faster for distances under 1,200 km.

Direct flights, no layovers

A connecting flight emits 30 to 50 percent more CO2 than a direct one. Take-off and landing consume the most fuel per kilometre: two stops means two take-offs. Paying €50 extra for a direct flight is cheaper than a CO2 offset afterwards and delivers far more environmental benefit. Choose routes without stops where available from Eindhoven or Amsterdam.

Stay longer, fly less often

Two weeks in Indonesia is more sustainable than two one-week trips, even if you fly the same total hours. The fixed CO2 cost of a flight is spread over more holiday days. Spread your annual travel budget over fewer trips but stay longer. Bonus: less jet lag, deeper immersion in a culture, and usually cheaper per day because you only pay the most expensive night once.

Avoid cruises

Cruise ships emit 4 to 7 times more CO2 per traveller per day than flying plus a hotel. They also discharge fuel residues at sea. Choose a land-based trip instead.

Carbon offset is not a free pass

Carbon offsetting works by investing in projects that capture CO2 elsewhere: reforestation, clean energy, efficient cookstoves. Always choose a certified standard: Gold Standard (founded with WWF support, aligned with UN sustainability goals) or Verified Carbon Standard (VCS/Verra) with over 2,300 certified projects worldwide. Older REDD+ projects without certification often underdeliver.

A return Amsterdam-London flight (around 166 kg CO2) costs just €5 to €15 to offset via Gold Standard, which shows how far market prices are from the true social cost of carbon. Offset as a last resort: first avoid, then reduce, then compensate what remains.

Eco-certified hotels

Green Key is the leading international sustainability label for hospitality, recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. It covers more than 100 criteria in 13 categories: energy management, water conservation, waste reduction, sustainable purchasing, biodiversity and environmental education.

Annual external audit is required; it is not a self-declared marketing badge. Find certified hotels at greenkey.global or filter for 'Travel Sustainable Property' on Booking.com.

The EU Ecolabel (the European flower) sets strict requirements on energy and water use. Travelife is a certificate for tour operators; ANWB has achieved the highest Travelife status.

Eat local + seasonal

Skip imported food at your destination. Eat what is in season locally. Tropical fruit in Indonesia is fine; Norwegian salmon in Bali is not. Local market over supermarket chain.

Slow travel by night train

Slow travel means depth over breadth: fewer destinations, experienced more fully. The night train makes this literally efficient: you sleep while travelling and arrive rested, without paying a hotel night.

Concrete options from the Netherlands in 2026: European Sleeper Amsterdam-Prague-Vienna (tickets via NS International, sleeper from €39); ÖBB Nightjet new-generation trains to Vienna and onwards to Rome (sleeper from €35).

European Sleeper expects to launch an Amsterdam-Barcelona night train in the second half of 2026. The train to Prague emits around 25 kg CO2 per person; the flight emits over 260 kg.

Refuse single-use plastic

Bring a reusable water bottle (with filter for uncertain tap water), reusable shopping bag, bamboo cutlery set. Saves around 30 to 50 disposable plastic items per week of travel.

Support local economy

Stay in family-run guesthouses, eat at local restaurants, hire local guides. Book tours through platforms that verify local ownership benefits. Small groups (maximum 8 people) leave a smaller footprint than coach tours. Money stays in the community instead of going to large hotel chains.

Updated on 2 August 2026