Travelling responsibly

A piece in today's Guardian caught my eye:

Justin Francis, founder of ResponsibleTravel.com, which organises trips for eco-conscious travellers, said: "Experience for money is becoming just as important as value for money. Egypt offers a depth and range of iconic experiences at prices that countries in the eurozone struggle to match, given the weak pound."

It's hard to imagine how eco-conscious travellers can still manage to balance 'a depth and range of iconic experiences' with the increased size of their carbon footprint. I'm in my sixth year of no-fly holidays, and the trips we've had as a family has been some of the best, including two cycling trips in France that used leg power and public transport, and a couple of weeks' surfng on the west coast of Irleland, with three in the car.

Responsible travel? Eco conscious?

Forget the platitudes. Work out your ecological footprint and carbon impact first. Then, conscious of your impact, decide on your next trip.