The Green Traveller Digest
Welcome to my latest round up of news, features and comments on green travel. This newsletter is written by me, Richard Hammond, the founder of Green Traveller. If you'd like to receive the newsletter by email, please subscribe here.
Editorial:
This month, I've been hearing how both Spain and France (the two most visited countries for UK tourists) have been developing more options for sustainable transport. Spain has been embracing the ‘open access’ liberalisation of the European rail network. There's no doubt that increased competition among rail operators (especially on high profile routes throughout Europe) has led to improved services and reduced ticket costs. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the high-speed line between Barcelona and Madrid, which is now served by four operators, including AVE (operated by Spanish Railways, Renfe), and Iryo (a joint venture of Trenitalia & Air Nostrum using Italian-designed Frecciarossa trains), and two low-cost operators OUIGO (a subsidy of French Railways, SNCF), and Avlo (a subsidiary of Spanish Railways, Renfe). Single tickets for the 2.5 hour, 386 mile journey can be snapped up for as little as €7. I've written more about this in my article:
At World Travel Market, I met with Marina Ferrari, the recently-appointed French Minister for Tourism Economy, who told me about the work of ADEME (the French Agency for Ecological Transition), and how there are plans to develop cycling throughout the country, including e-bikes as well as hydrogen powered bikes, at national, regional and local levels. Mrs Ferrari also explained at WTM how France has plans to increase rail and coach services: “We’re working with SNCF to ensure more tourists use trains – but we’re also working to introduce more coaches. If you put 50 people on a coach, then you’re saving 15 cars on the road”, she told TTG's Daniel Pearce: Olympic legacy continues for France with focus on rail. (Congrats to TTG who were awarded this week as the Independent Publishing Company of the Year at the PPA Independent Publisher Awards)
Earlier this year, I returned to Calabash Caye in Belize where I worked as a volunteer on a marine conservation project for Coral Cay Conservation in the 1990s. It was heartening to hear from Eldon August, a tourism conservation officer for the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association, about how conservation has evolved since my time there and that the reef system is now being protected to promote the 'blue economy'. I travelled with the travel journalist Meera Dattani who has written two wonderful features on community based travel - one on nature conservation and another on local food, see: Green Traveller's Guide to Belize
Green Travel News
News from COP29
Carbon Brief has produced a handy guide to the key outcomes agreed at the UN climate talks in Baku
Train to Cop: From Blighty to Baku
Kudos to Carbon Jacked who travelled overland from the UK to COP29 in Azerbaijan.
10 countries, 3400 miles, 100 hours.
Train to the slopes
Travelski’s Express train service to the Alps has announced it will again be running this winter from London on Saturday mornings (from 21st December) and returning the following Sunday with daytime train travel in both directions and 8 nights of accommodation (to facilitate a full 7 days of skiing) as standard. The line-up of resorts has expanded to include Chamonix and La Clusaz, as well as Tignes, Val d’Isère, Val Thorens, Méribel, Brides les Bains, Courchevel, Les Ménuires, Les Arcs, La Plagne and La Rosiére.
Eurostar has also announced that it will also again be running its indirect service – Eurostar Snow – where customers change at Lille for onward connection to the French Alps on a Eurostar continental train calling at Chambéry, Albertville, Moutiers, Aime-La Plagne, Landry and Bourg-Saint-Maurice. For more info on taking the train to the slopes, see: How to take the train to Europe's Ski Resorts by Snowcarbon's Daniel Elkan.
European Sleeper extends to Prague
Overnight train service European Sleeper has extended its route from Brussels to Berlin to continue to Prague, via Dresden and Bad Schandau. The night train, which includes a bike carriage, also stops in in Děčín and Ústí nad Labem in the Czech Republic, for the Elbe Cycle Path and the Czech Switzerland Crest Trail. "We are truly thrilled to be launching the new route to Prague less than a year after launching our first direct service from Brussels to Berlin", said Elmer van Buuren, Co-Founder, of European Sleeper. "Our goal is to add a new route each year so we can continue to contribute to a more integrated and sustainable European transportation network".
Madeira gains green seal
The Portuguese archipelago of Madeira has been given a green seal of approval for its commitment to sustainable tourism. Independent auditor EarthCheck visited and evaluated the island group to assess its alignment with 12 key areas, including the preservation of its cultural and natural heritage, as well as the balanced enhancement of its environmental, social, cultural and economic dimensions.
FlixBus Launches First London – Cambridge Electric Coach Service
Coach operator FlixBus has launched a 100% electric long-distance coach service between Cambridge and London. The electric vehicle, launched in partnership with Whippet and Zenobē, will run between Cambridge city centre, Trumpington Park and Ride, London Finchley Road and Victoria Coach Station. Andreas Schorling, Managing Director of FlixBus UK said: "Following our launch of England and Wales first electric coach service, we're thrilled to be trialling another zero-emission service as we build the largest coach network in the country." According to the company, the vehicle, provided by Pelican Yutong, will save 167kg of carbon emissions per day driven - two round trips - on the route compared to the average diesel-fuelled coach.
First Bus signs five-year partnership with Flixbus, boosting daily services across the South-West of England and expanding routes in northern cities including Leeds, Manchester, and Newcastle.
Keswick becomes virtual railway station
Keswick has become a “virtual railway station” with visitors now able to buy a combined ticket covering rail and bus travel to Keswick in the Lake District. Even though it doesn’t have a railway station, Avanti West Coast has added Keswick as a destination on rail journey planners so just one ticket covering travel across both modes of transport can be purchased to travel there. The creation of a virtual railway station means people can view the timings of the train and bus departures, as well as book a single fully integrated ticket for their entire journey. Available for travel on the West Coast Main Line, the ticket can be used on Avanti West Coast’s services to Penrith (gateway to the North Lakes) and Stagecoach’s X4 and X5 bus service to Keswick – preventing the need for multiple tickets and transactions. Customers select ‘Keswick Bus’ as their destination when booking via Avanti West Coast’s website and app or at ticket offices, to receive one ticket for their complete journey.
Inntravel low carbon trips
Specialist operator, Inntravel, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is highlighting a series of low carbon self-guided trips either on foot or two wheels. Last year it partnered with carbon consultancy ecollective to give each and every one of its 300 holidays a carbon score. Examples include a food-filled break in Aracena where guests are given a glimpse of Spanish rural life, a cycling holiday in Bordeaux and St Emilion, and a walking holiday in Germany’s Bavarian Alps, which has a carbon score of just 7kg per person per day.
Ecotourism and Regeneration in Catalonia
The Catalan Tourist Board has produced a map of 30 ecotourism areas [pdf] where visitors can stay in eco-friendly accommodation and take part in outdoor adventure seeing wildlife in its natural habitat while contributing to biodiversity conservation. It also provides information for four kinds of ecotourists: passionate, curious, intrepid and family. Accommodation includes Hotel Molí de la Torre – a converted textile mill in Costa Barcelona, and Cerdanya Ecoresort in the Catalan Pyrenees.
Long haul flights: the elephant in the room
Celeste Hicks of the Aviation Environment Federation has written a comment piece about efforts to reduce the carbon emissions of short haul and long haul flights, in the light of Chancellor Rachel Reeves announcement of a 50% increase in Air Passenger Duty (APD) on certain private jets. In her article, she references a report by Dobruszkes, Mattioli and Gozzoli, which showed that "flights of less than 500km account for 26.7% of flights, but only 5.2% of fuel burnt; while flights of 4000km or more account for just 5.1% of flights, but 39% of fuel burnt". Celeste concludes "It seems that there is no other option but to push for all the solutions at once – including behaviour change, modal shift for short-haul AND a huge increase in investment for technological advances".
=====
News from Green Traveller
Green Traveller's Guide to Spain
We've published a Green Traveller's Guide to Spain, which aims to showcase the best of the country’s year-round low impact experiences, encouraging visitors to use the country's extensive rail network and travel in a slower more meaningful way, stay longer and make the most of locally run activities.
Video of Green Traveller's Guide to Spain
The guide includes feature articles illustrated by our own professionally taken photos and video, which we've produced with the support of the Spanish Tourist Office in London. Manuel Butler, Director of the Spanish Tourist Office in London, says: "This video showcases a variety of Spain’s sustainable highlights, including the impressive natural landscapes and how best to enjoy outdoor adventures. It also shows some of the incredible cuisine that Spain has to offer, spotlighting the experiences available through local producers and artisans. Promoting lesser-known gems, it offers a look into how travellers can delve into the history and culture of the destinations visited. Through this collaboration with Green Traveller, the Spanish Tourist Office hopes to encourage geographical diversification, off-season travel and true cultural immersion, providing inspiration for a responsible visit to Spain."
Green Traveller's Guide to Belize
We've produced a Green Traveller's Guide to Belize. I travelled there to film travel journalist Meera Dattani who has written two wonderful features on community based travel - one on nature conservation and another on local food. During the trip we met with Eldon August, a tourism conservation officer for the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association. Describing our time with Eidon, Meera writes:
"As we walk and talk, he tells me about the importance of the mangrove ecosystem for flood protection and providing a haven for juvenile species, to the seaweed farms offering alternative livelihoods to fishermen with its beauty and health benefits (‘mariculture’).
"Our walk leads us across the hammock bridge and to the trail’s bird tower. I don’t think I’d ever taken in such a sight. As I turn my head, I’m treated to a 360-degree view of miles of mangroves, broken up only by the blue hues of the Caribbean Sea. Seeing something with your own eyes reinforces what you’ve just learnt, and you realise just how important it is to protect it."
Green Traveller's Guide to Nouvelle-Aquitaine
We've produced a Green Traveller's Guide to Nouvelle-Aquitaine showcasing a range of accommodation, places to find seasonal, organic food, sights of interest and low impact activities. The guide has followed a week I spent in Nouvelle-Aquitaine with sustainable comms guru Nicola Forsyth. We travelled by train from London to Bordeaux (Eurostar, then just two hours from Paris) to spend three days seeing the sights in the city before heading out by train and electric bike to explore The Dordogne Valley, including sampling a stage of La Flow Vélo – a new 350km cycle trail that runs from the Dordogne to the Atlantic coast, passing through the Perigord Limousin Regional National Park and Angouleme, along the Charente River and the towns of Cognac, Saintes and Rochefort.
The Hautes Alps - the other side of the mountain
I've written about a trip I made with my family by train to the Haute Alps – a lesser-known region of the French Alps – to try out a series of outdoor mountain activities with Undiscovered Mountains who run multi-activity holidays throughout the area. Read the article (watch the video below):
The Green Traveller magazine
The latest issue of our magazine The Green Traveller features:
Get the Picture - responsible photography in The Farne Islands, by Diana Jarvis
Overland travel to Greece, by Rhiannon Batten
Postcard from Korvemaa, by Rebecca Miles
Menu from Catalonia, by Paul Bloomfield
Wild Swimming in Extremadura, Spain, by Ginny Light
Brave New World of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, by Richard Hammond and Nicola Forsyth
Mountain Highs in the Hautes Alps, by Richard Hammond
Community-based conservation in Belize, by Meera Dattani
...and much more!
Comments