When you think about incorporating aspects of sustainable travel into your next vacation you may picture the plains of Africa or the rainforest of Costa Rica, not necessary someplace as metropolitan as London.
This week I wanted to share how my family was able to visit London more sustainably and reduce our carbon footprint during our Spring Break visit.
“The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has set a target for London to be net zero carbon by 2030.” (Source: www.London.gov.UK). This makes it a great destination to incorporate more responsible travel practices.
#1 – While visiting, we heavily utilized public transportation using the London Underground daily. The nearest station was a 5 minute walk from our hotel and we were even able to ride the tube with zero waste from tickets. Using the contactless payment technology in our credit cards. We tapped the entry and exit gates with the card each time we entered or exited the tube and fares were calculated immediately without worrying whether we would have enough funds on our Oyster Card or bought the correct type of ticket. Not only was this a huge convenience and time saver, it reduced waste and eliminated stress.
#2 – Not only did we choose a hotel in a location that would afford us the opportunity to either take the tube or walk nearly everywhere we went, we also were able to stay with a small chain of properties that is committed to sustainability, Red Carnation Hotels. We stayed at The Rubens at the Palace, known throughout London for its iconic living wall, pictured above. It’s one of the largest in London housing over 10,000 plants and providing a fantastic habitat for the bees housed on the roof of the hotel. Of course there were other sustainable touches throughout the hotel such as the refillable toiletries rather than those wasteful little bottles of shampoo. You may read more about Red Carnation Hotels sustainability program here.
#3 – When we did travel by car, we utilized Electric Vehicles at no additional cost. We were met at London’s Heathrow airport by a car service to take us to the hotel, that same service picked us up at the hotel to return to the airport. We also rode in two of London’s iconic Black Taxis, both of which were Electric. Those two rides were while visiting other properties in the Red Carnation hotel chain with a hotel representative. Each of these 4 rides were completed with zero emissions.
#4 – We took several walking tours rather than hop on a double decker bus. For us, seeing the sites at a slower pace is our preference. I think we all agree that the Ted Lasso walking tour of Richmond was our favorite from the week.
#5 – We tried to stick to local restaurants for most of our meals. We love to visit the local markets and find them a great way to support people who live in the communities we visit. We at lunch one afternoon at Camden Market where my husband had a really fantastic dish of Afghan street food, I enjoyed Greek food and our daughter ordered steamed dumplings. There were a myriad of choices and we were each able to get what we wanted, along with some local cider and beer for the adults!
As I mentioned last week, you do not have to sacrifice luxury to travel responsibly. If any of these vacation for good elements are something you think you would like to consider for your vacation and let’s get started!