Green TravelKimberly and Elizabeth are the co-founders of Go Green Travel Green. As life partners and avid travelers, they’re committed to reducing their environmental impact. In addition to being eco-conscious, they’re budget conscious and have written a guest post that keeps both green and greenbacks in mind when exploring our lonely planet. These are their words’¦

One common deterrent to “going green” when traveling is the perceived expense. People think that being environmentally friendly will cost them a lot of money. But, in actuality, eco-conscious traveling can save you money.

For the sake of comparison let’s consider a weekend trip (3 days, 2 nights) from Washington, D.C. to New York City.

Transportation (getting there and away):
Regular Travel: Plane
cost: $160 roundtrip
Green Travel: “Chinatown” Bus (far fewer carbon emissions than a plane)
cost: $30 roundtrip

Savings: $130

Transportation (getting around):
Regular Travel: Taxi (let’s hope you wouldn’t consider renting a car in NYC!)
cost: $20/day
Green Travel: Walking
cost: free
Green Travel option 2: Subway
Cost: $8/day

Savings: $36-60

Accommodation:
Regular Travel: Hotel
cost: $250/night
Green Travel: Shared housing like Couchsurfing.com
cost: free
Green Travel option 2: Hostel (More people in less space, plus fewer wasteful amenities, means fewer resources are used)
cost: $30/night

Savings: $440-$500

Food:
Regular Travel: Dining out for every meal, ordering too much, and tossing leftovers
Cost: $60/day
Green Travel: Split one meal each day, eat just the right amount to keep from wasting food
Cost: $45/day

Savings: $45

Water:
Regular Travel: Buy a bottled water every time you’re thirsty, trash the bottle when you’re finished
Cost: $6/day
Green Travel: Bring your own reusable water bottle
Cost: Free
Green Travel Option 2: Buy one bottle of water and reuse it the entire trip
Cost: $2 (one time)

Savings: $16-$18

Total Savings by Traveling Green: $667-$753

That’s a savings of over $250/day.

The greatest part of traveling green is that you have options and it’s not all or nothing. You don’t have to do each and every one of these things – you can pick and choose. Maybe you really don’t want to share a bathroom with anyone and you have the highest standards for pillows; then stay in a hotel. But maybe then you will be conscious of your eating habits and order a little less or share a meal to avoid wasting food. How have you saved money by traveling green?

More about Kimberly and Elizabeth
Go Green Travel Green’s co-founders, Kimberly and Elizabeth, are avid travelers committed to reducing their environmental impact. Since living in Russia and traveling across Eastern Europe for 6 months in 2004, they’ve settled in Washington, DC with their golden retriever. They both work at non-profit organizations, love to travel across the US and around the world, and strive to go on at least two lower-impact international vacations every year. For more information go to: GoGreenTravelGreen.com