Eco Holidays

posted by Catherine on Jul 11

Just because you can go faster down hills - doesn’t mean you have right of way!

When you are riding your bicycle, you don’t want to keep stopping all the time to wait for a family to move over, or to get through a gate - but do you know you right of way ‘rules’ and when and where you can’t cycle?

There are different rules for different paths and routes - so make sure you plan your route and know your rights!

General:
Obviously, wherever you cycle, make sure that you are courteous at all times.  Don’t barge your way through crowds ringing your bell or shouting.  Sometimes other traffic has the right of way and if some cyclists are always grumpy towards others then it gives a bad name to everyone else on a bike!

You may come up against walkers, other cyclists, horse riders and wheelchair users - so you need to think ahead as to what is suitable behaviour.  And there may be many path users that are hard or hearing or partially sighted - so never assume that people will move out of your way at the last minute, and don’t rely on your bell alone to warn people of your approach.

And - unless it is legally adapted for doing so - you cannot ride with a passenger on your bike!  No ‘backies’ or other seating arrangements are allowed on the UK roads (or pavements).

Footpaths:
You cannot cycle on a Footpath.  Only foot travellers have a ‘right of way’ over the land that makes up most Footpaths - and so cycling on one is against the law.

Footpath Sign

Therefore if you use a Footpath on your bike (or are even pushing your bike - which is still technically illegal) make sure that you are uber courteous to any walkers you meet and make their journey past you as easy as possible by either stopping or waiting to one side!

Bridleways:
These paths are usually wider than Footpaths and allow walkers, cyclist and horse riders to pass along them.  However, a cyclist must give way to the other 2 in all cases.

Pavements:
You cannot cycle on a normal pavement - and you can legally get an on-the-spot fine from an enthusiastic (or particularly picky) police officer.  You can however push your bike along by your side on the pavements and of course can cycle in a specific and well marked cycle lane on a pavement surface - but you must stay within the lines.

Roads:
You are allowed to cycle on all roads except motorways (or any other road that is signed as such) - and you must follow the highway code in terms of road signs, junctions and traffic lights!

At night there are rules about how you light your bicycle and specific colour reflectors on the pedals and the bike itself.  And it is recommended that you should always be wearing a safety helmet for your own safety.

It is also recommended that you make yourself as visible as possible on the roads, whether that is by wearing bright clothes, bright accessories, adding further reflectors to your wheels and accessories.  It’s obvious really, but the easier you are to see, the less likely you are to be hit by a car.

Public Transport:
Don’t always assume that you can get your bike onto a train or a bus either! 

Some trains have ‘bike specific’ times - or only allow those city fold-up bike on board as a space saving initiative.  And many country buses just don’t have the space for a mountain bike as they are fully seated inside.

And even attaching your bicycle to your own car needs to be thought out in advance and you need a specific bike rack to be correctly fitted to a suitable vehicle for driving on the road yourself.  Flailing cables and spinning wheels could draw the attention of a traffic officer!

So take care out there!

posted by Catherine on Apr 18

Why not use the ‘no flights’ situation to help persuade others to travel by train or boat!

We know that you can get around Europe very easily by train, coach and boat - so why not help revive their use during this time of aviation standstill!

Rather than just listen to your friends and work colleagues worry and moan about how their holidays or whatever are ‘ruined’, why not help them find alternative routes to the destination using more eco friendly means.

Depending on their insurance policy details and how important their travel is, you could easily find a route to their destination for them using all the support of the internet - and some logical thinking.

The Route:
The hardest part of their journey will not be the crossing of the Atlantic or the 13 hours to South East Asia it will be the parts closer to home.

It’s easy to forget that direct travel isn’t the only option, for example London to the Caribbean doesn’t have to be a one stop shop. Flights go from all over the world to these delightful tropical islands.

So, you can get a flight from Spain to Bermuda or Italy to St Kitts - all you need to do is get to the nearest working airport to your home that is allowing flights.  Whether that involves a boat or a hi-speed train, the result is you get to arrive to your destination.

Now, although this still involves a flight, many trips people are looking to book could easily be shaped by a non-flying decision.  Why not suggest a romantic train ride through the Alps to Italy, or a sail-boat trip around the Mediterranean.

The Alternatives:
Don’t forget that many people will not be so open to looking for other modes of transport of a ‘greener ilk’ and this could be your chance to open their eyes to an alternative means of travel - and possibly a great short haul holiday.

And, if you are offering to take the sting out of arranging all this for themselves, they may well be more likely to go ahead with it - in the same way that people might not want to cook themselves a vegan meal, but in cooking it yourself they can experience the new!

I’m not suggesting that you start interfering in your friends or bosses lives, but a bit of gentle persuasion never did anyone any harm! 

And if all these people still want to travel after the suspension is lifted you can imagine the number of extra flights that might be laid on to clear the backlog of passengers?

The more of these people who travel by other means can only alleviate the strain.

And, what a great way to a bit more towards reducing air travel!

posted by Catherine on Mar 30

It felt like being in an Agatha Christie novel - but in a slightly smaller room than they show on TV!

I recently travelled overnight on a train from London to Edinburgh in a sleeper car.  It was a lovely gift that someone had brought me as I was going on about a visit to the city for ages.

However, the journey I made a few years ago to the Cairngorms was a bit more boring and a lot more carbon-emitting! 

I had decided to drive there from Hampshire, and it had taken me over 10 hours of driving up motorways to arrive.  And, of course on arrival, I was so tired that I had a shower and fell asleep - thereby wasting a lot of my first day!

However, on the train - The Caledonian Sleeper - I was able to snuggle up in a cosy bed for the whole night and arrive in the centre of the city bright-eyed and bushy tailed the following morning - ready for a full day of sight-seeing.

The Train:
It was 13 carriages long and still had the 1st class division, but as it was part of the whole adventure - seeing them settling down for an evening meal at their cute little tables didn’t put me off.

We got to our cabin and found a delightfully cheery man waiting to check us in on the platform.  He welcomed us aboard, checked our tickets and then asked the ‘most important question’ - What do we want for our complimentary breakfast in the morning!

He explained that there are toilets in every carriage, as well as a dining carriage if we didn’t want to go straight to sleep or got peckish in the night!  He also explained how the catch on the door worked - but I never managed to figure this out on either journey!

We stepped into our cabin and although it was a bit snug, it had everything you would imagine for the journey.  It had 2 bunk beds decked out with crisp white bedding, 2 fluffy pillows and a bedside light each as well as the main cabin light.  There were plenty or coat hangers on the wall for your clothes (with their own little seat-belts to stop them flapping about).

Each bed had a table flap coming out of the wall about mid way down and a solid shelf along the end of the beds to put your bags on - and in my case some overnight nibbles, drink and a good book!

The lower shelf was wider as it had a flap that lifted up to expose the sink with complimentary soaps and toothbrush sets as well as 2 hand towels!  There was also a full length mirror, a button to call the attendant and a window.

All in all it was just what I was hoping it to be!  And I couldn’t wait for the return journey either!  It felt as though - even though we were leaving Edinburgh - that there was still a whole part of the trip to look forward to!

And, it was my first holiday of the year, and it was eco friendly! I’m definately starting as I mean to go on!

posted by Catherine on Mar 19

Could your travel plans help to promote a new business agenda?

Yet another ‘day’ has been put into place to try to get companies and individuals to think more about their impact on the environment and how to change things for the better.

People sometimes get so used to certain procedures or suppliers or activities that they don’t even consider the alternatives.  And those people who looked into alternatives a few years ago and found that they were not viable may well now be quite surprised at the options now available to them.

In the same way that the thought of drilling for tiny amounts of hard-to-get oil in remote parts of the world was once written off as pointless (ie it would cost more money to get at the oil in the first place than they would make for selling it) business ideas may well also have been ‘out of reach’ of most small businesses and ‘not worth the time’ for larger firms. But times have changed!

Long Haul Travel:
Many businesses have certain staff that will travel to other countries as part of their everyday running.  And this has long been widely accepted - and even a perk - as part of a job.

However, with the added expense of flying (due to rising oil costs) and the added pressure from society (ie: their customers) it is now seen as somewhat ‘bad business practice’.

Why fly one person all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to talk to someone when they can call them up on the phone, talk to them over the internet or video conference them for an almost face-to-face meeting?

Action can be taken on laptops at either end these days, and we can communicate with virtually every person and place on earth if both people have a hand held device. 

Live news can be beamed from a cell phone in the middle of a desert in a war zone; safari guides in the middle of the Kalahari desert can send images to UK wildlife charities reporting poaching, and marine biologists can communicate with scientists around the world whilst sitting on the bottom of the ocean!

So why on earth businesses can’t decide which book to publish or which policy to agree on unless they are sitting in the same room?

What Can They Do?
Well, for a start they can take a look at the latest video conferencing equipment - either on their own or with the professional help of an expert in the field. 

By just thinking about alternative means of communication within their own business and between other businesses, it is possible that they could find a viable option that will not only save the planet - but also save themselves money and time, as well as increasing the productivity (and happiness levels) of their staff.

Planet: Less carbon emissions from travel
Money: Not paying for travel and accommodation
Time: Staff could be working rather than travelling
Productivity:  More time spent working - more targets reached
Happiness: Not leaving family for days on end - and being tired!

Also: Updating your business’ technology and reducing your climatic impact can also be seen by others as a positive attribute - and could therefore improve your customer base, ‘green-up’ your company image as well as letting other businesses know that you are a serious player in the future of your industry.

See for yourself at Climate Care Day.

posted by Catherine on Mar 7

Going on a riding holiday can throw up a few uncertainties for you.

Rather than just book anything and turn up with just your suitcase, you really need to consider a few important things before cantering off along the beach!

So the following 10 tips might answer a few of your questions:

1) The Horses:
Make sure that someone you can trust has either been there themselves or has seen or heard about the horses used.  You really don’t want to be funding an organisation that doesn’t care for their horses as you would care for your own.

2) The Human:
Make sure that you haven’t over estimated your ability and comfort zones!  Could you really sit on a horse for hour after hour crossing mountains or rivers?  Can you keep up with everyone else if they are going to be galloping up hills and around the edges of volcanoes?

It’s not just the horses that have to be fit for these adventures!

3) The Weather:
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to check the weather for your destination as people do better in certain environments - and getting wet isn’t any fun either.

Will you get sunburnt the higher you go up a mountain?  Will you get sand blown on your eyes if you are cantering across a desert?  Will it be raining or misty when you head through the cloud forest?  Make sure you are prepared for it all…..

4) The Facilities:
Depending on where you want to go riding, there will be different facilities - and you need to be happy with this - as rather than releasing in a nice hot bath after 6 hours racing through the wilderness - you might only get a warm shower and a night in a tent!

And, make sure the clothes and toiletries you pack take this into account to - and throw in some extra first aid supplies too!

5) The Agenda:
If you are going to spend your money on your perfect holiday, then make sure you only settle for what you want rather than something that looks ‘ok’.  For example, if you want to ride from one accommodation to the next every day rather than returning to the same place day after day, then don’t settle for something else because the rooms are nicer or the price is cheaper.

You might only get one holiday like this for a year or 2, so spend the extra and get what you want out of it.

6) The Room Mate:
Is your accommodation going to be for just you, with a friend or with a complete stranger.  Maybe it is is bunk beds shared with everyone!

Check these things out in advance - as for a small amount extra you could plan alternative arrangements before you arrive.  However, if you don’t realise this until you arrive - it could be too late to make changes.

7) The Food:
If you have dietary requirements that stray from the ‘I’ll eat anything’ rule, then make this clear when booking your trip.

Most companies can be flexible with food and make vegetarian options almost as standard, but never assume anything and make sure you check the alternatives or nearby restaurants you could use instead!

8) The Equipment:
It is always recommended that you take your own riding hat, as although these will be supplied by the riding centre, they may not be certified to your home countries high standards if you are riding abroad - but even riding at home could mean wearing a hat that isn’t quite the right size, but was the best fit at the time!

Your own riding clothes and gloves are essential for your own comfort, but crops, reins and spurs may or may not be accepted.

9) The Insurance:
It might be worth checking out the riding centres insurance policies with regards to any injuries to the horse.  If you are riding a horse when it becomes injured, are you free from all costs - or should your insurance cover this? 

Have you even checked that your holiday insurance covers horse riding without exclusions?

10) The End Result:

 Make sure that this is really what you want to spend your money on!  There will be a lot of things to consider on a vacation like this, so make sure that you want to even start with a long trip, especially if a) you have never used this company before, and b) if this is the longest horseback trip you have been on in a while!

Use your holiday time and money wisely, and you can make even a great holiday even greater!

posted by Catherine on Feb 1

Use the MOT test requirements to check your car’s road worthiness for your vacation!

The annual MOT car test for cars covers a whole list of things to check that make your car safe to be on the road. So you can use this before heading off on a long journey like a vacation to make sure that you and your family will be safe.

Obviously, there are parts of the MOT that are not something you can check - like you cars emissions - but that isn’t a safety feature anyway…….

So here is a quick checklist of things to do or look out for on your car before heading away from home (and away from car mechanics, garages and motor stores!):

Seat Belts:
Make sure that all seat belts fit securely into their holders even if you are not planning to use them - as you may need them at some point! Make sure that when sharply pulled they jam up as they should. And all seats should be able to be secured in the upright condition to allow the seat belts to work properly.

Mirrors:
All the mirrors in your car are clean and not cracked. It is not illegal in the UK to drive with a damaged or missing passenger mirror, but obviously inhibits your ability to drive as normal, and could cause you to look behind you when driving to check for other cars.

Boot & Bonnet:
Both of these need to be able to close securely as do all the doors on the vehicle - which also need to open freely as well for exiting the vehicle safely.

Lights:
Check that all your lights are working either with a friend watching in the evening, or by reversing close to a window or mirror in the dark to see that everything is in order. If someone can’t see you are braking or want to turn left or right, they could come right into the back of you!

Windscreen:
Obviously there needs to be nothing on this that restricts your view forward and the windscreen wipers need to clean the entire windscreen and the washer fluid must exit freely. Obviously, a large crack in the windscreen on the drivers side is very dangerous - and that a small crack left untreated could cause the entire pane to crack at any time!

Tyres & Steering:
Your tyres have a minimum tread allowed before they are illegal and too little tread will mean that they will not grip the road safely, especially in difficult weather. So make sure that they are fully inflated as per your guide book and that they have ample tread depth.

If tyres are not properly inflated they will make steering a little bit harder and will also damage the tyre itself and the frame itself. Steering can also be a problem if there is too much ‘pull’ to one side or the other when driving at speed, so make sure this is all checked before you head off on the motorways.

Brakes:
It goes without saying that your brakes need to be responsive to touch otherwise your vacation could be cut very short indeed - so judge for yourself if they could do with being checked before you head off - as a car loaded up with people and belongings can take a lot longer to stop at speed than and empty one!

And finally…..

Recovery Services:
Ideally before you set out on a long journey or if you drive regularly, you should make sure that you a a member of a roadside and recovery company. That way if anything you can’t check for above goes wrong - someone will be at hand to help fix it or to take you to a garage that can!

posted by Catherine on Jan 16

Take a break in the countryside and leave the car at home - 4 legs is all you need!

There are thousands of places across the globe that specialise in horse riding holidays where you turn up and saddle up!

Some are only a few days long and others can last a week or two.  Others just keep coming back to the same place every night, and others trek across vast wildernesses like Patagonia, Canada and Mongolia.

You can do it for pleasure, to learn a new skill or to raise money for charity - but you can do it!

Eco Friendly Transport!
You can cover more distance on a horse when you want to explore and they don’t churn out dangerous emissions and use up valuable gas!

Once you have arrived at the farm or ranch, you can relax and slip into a different world for your vacation.

Instead of sight-seeing in a town or city where you have to drive around to get to anything, you can just walk outside of your lodge and meet your partner.

Even if you want to travel many miles, it will only cost you a few swigs of water to get you there and back!

Reach Those Difficult Places:
Also on horseback you will be able to travel to those places where 4 heels just can’t fit, like up a mountain pass to see a magnificent sunset, or down steep valley sides to get to the isolated waterfall.

And being high up offers you views you might not see on your own 2 feet!

Horse trails use up far less land than car trails - and no trees need to be pulled down to make a road, or habitats destroyed to cater for wider vehicles.

Riding through the landscape therefore has much less of an impact than other forms of transport and it gives you the opportunity to enjoy the whole experience more - as you don’t need to watch your step - the horse does that!

You can watch the landscape change colour in the sunlight, observe the colourful wildlife and birds pass you by - even if they are behind you.  Just hold on to the saddle and enjoy the ride!

Next Holiday?
So next time you are thinking of taking a short break close to home, or farther afield - why not consider a horseback one?

You don’t need to be an experienced rider either - unless you are hoping to ride up an active volcano - there are plenty of riding centers that take on complete beginners right up to regular riders.  Just make sure the school know your real level before you book.

I once went on a ride for the day and when we started galloping along the beach the chap behind me started making a lot of noise!  When we all stopped to find out what happened he said he had only ever walked on a horse before.  He put down that he was ‘experienced’ because he had ridden a horse that was walking loads of times!  He wasn’t experienced in the right sense - and it nearly lost him his saddle!

So, Tally-Ho I say!

posted by Catherine on Dec 21

Internal flights across all of Europe are a thing of the past with the fantastic train network!

Even though the UK is an island and separated from the rest of the European mainland by the English Channel - you can still get there by train.

And, no.  There isn’t a great big record-breaking bridge between the 2 - there is the Channel Tunnel to Ashford Railway Station; a straight through train route taking as little as an hour to pass from France to the UK and costing as little as €89!

Train Travel:
Although you may have to fly to Europe in the first place, trains are a great way to see the countries you are visiting - and to meet the people.

Sitting on a plane would normally see you enclosed in your own little space, watching a movie no doubt.  And if you did talk to anyone it would only be the person sitting right next to you or the steward.

On a train, you can see everyone, hear everything and watch the great views pass you by outside.  You won’t need movies and inflight magazines to entertain you: you will have mountains, cities, great rivers and tiny villages.  All a magical part of your vacation experience!

Arriving in the UK:
Just hop on any train from Paris or Brussels that’s heading to Ashford International Station - and the UK is a few short hours away!

Once your high speed train emerges from the tunnel and into the UK, you can visit anywhere else in the country if you alight in Ashford - or maybe consider staying onboard and head straight through to London.

The train carriages are sold as sitting only, so you all have your own designated seat and no standing passengers - meaning the experience is all the better!  Almost luxurious!

If it’s only a fleeting visit, go straight to London - stay a few nights.  Explore the many sights of London and a night at the Theatre, then hop straight back on the high speed train at St Pancras and you will be ordering croissants and coffee in Paris for lunch!

Travel Europe:
There are many travel deals for train travel throughout Europe - like buying a 2 week pass, or a multi-destination ticket - many of which include travel to the UK.

Many international train stations around Europe also include other transport links such as long distance coach and bus stations and indeed airports for your departure flights.

And if you are from the UK itself or have been living there, then why not visit Ashford International’s website for information on departing train times, prices and all other relevant details like parking and connecting trains or buses.

There is no excuse now to fly to the UK when exploring Europe - just hop on board a train!

posted by Catherine on Dec 14

This is the story of an amazing 20-month journey around the world without flying!

Nick Tuppin and Holly Gee decided that they were going to travel the world together, but not by buying a round-the-world plane ticket and bouncing across the globe in 6 months!

They wanted adventure - and they wanted it to be an eco adventure.  Whether it’s walking, cycling, buses, trains, or freighters - they will use it!  Talk about inspiring!

And they wanted to give back to the communities they were visiting as well, so they volunteered and worked their way around as well. Working in a school and helping to set up a website are just some of the things that they became involved in along the way.

The Route:
Starting out in France in September 2008, they passed through Spain and across the Atlantic to the Caribbean.  On from there to Columbia and up through Central America, the States and finally out the top through Canada and Alaska in September 2009 to Korea, China and ending up in Nepal for The New Year.

In 2010, the journey will continue across Mongolia and Russia, then down south to Turkey and up across eastern Europe on the Danube river, then hopefully home for May 2010.

So far they are right on track and their latest blog posts show them in Kathmandu.  The articles are certainly detailed and shows how they are getting by - including an impromptu job interview!  It also details about the attempts of locals to get into the British Gurkha Army and their participation in a house blessing ceremony!

They have included some great photos of their journey - every step of the way.  They include maps and historic images along the way too - making you feel like you are part of the journey with them.

Although they do have a history of travel - they are just two ordinary people who had normal jobs and just wanted to make a difference.  So they got up and did something about it!

That could be you!

posted by Catherine on Dec 8

Responsible Travel in association with Virgin Holidays have announced the winners for 2009!

As always, r:travel magazine is being distributed to everyone to let us know which travel companies are exceeding the standards for eco holidays, eco tours and responsible tourism.  Helping you choose a better holiday - and making sure that those companies that make a difference are recognised!

Here is a sneak peak at some of the winners - or go to their own website for more details:

Best In A Marine Environment: Whale Watch Kaikoura - New Zealand:
Offering some of the best whale watching tours - totally staff and owned by the native Maori population.  Not only have they grown this company from nothing for themselves, but the tours are all low impact, and the money has allowed them to purchase some of their ancestral land!

Best Low Carbon Transport And Technology - Alcatraz Cruises - USA:
This small company are really striving to make their tour boats as eco friendly as they can, investing in new technology to reduce nitrogen and carbon emissions - and they have created the worlds first hybrid ferry boat which uses solar energy for power!

Best Volunteering Organisation - People And Places - UK:
Rather than a large scale operation for everyone to choose where they want to go for their volunteering, this smaller company match up your skills to where they are most needed and will be most useful. 

This ensures that your time is well spent doing things that you enjoy and are good at - and you get the results for the community that they desperately need as you are a perfect match!

Best Destination - Cape Town - South Africa:
This destination has been chosen as the best overall location for eco friendly travel and tourism.  Building up for the 2010 World Cup has seen many companies and organisations here investing in huge eco improvements and schemes with support from the Cape Town Responsible Tourism Policy & Action Plan.  Making sure that important eco policies are adopted from the start of projects through to the end.

Hope it helps you choose your next eco holiday!