Sustainable Travel

Posted
4th September 2024
in blog, Volunteering

This month, Lizzie, our volunteer champion for environmental sustainability, looks at alternatives to flying.

If you have visited Elizabeth Gaskell’s House (or read the blog), you will probably have seen Elizabeth’s passport and heard about her foreign holidays to various European countries. Travelling in the 1850s was a matter of boats and trains, but it can still be the case today with a bit of planning. (read more about Elizabeth’s travels on the blog here)

Rather than automatically clicking on budget airlines websites, why not think about reducing your carbon footprint and take the train instead? Flight Free UK (https://flightfreeuk.co.uk) is an organisation that helps travellers consider green alternatives to flying.

Their website has loads of useful tips and inspiring stories from individuals who have made the choice to explore different ways to go on holiday – and discovered how much more enjoyable it can be to take time over the journey. There are plenty of holiday destinations accessible without flying, for example Spain, France, and Italy. It is also possible to get to Morocco, Sardinia or Greece by a combination of train and boat. Not flying doesn’t have to mean compromising on holiday destinations.

Fed up of British weather? It’s not always terrible compared to European resorts, especially when considering the recent heatwaves in Greece and elsewhere. Unpredictable weather is made worse by an excess of greenhouse gases, so it’s even more important to avoid flying to holiday destinations to preserve the weather for the generations to come.

Attracted by cheap air fares? Yes, there are some low prices out there, but that’s because there’s no tax on aviation fuel, giving flights an unfair advantage over other forms of transport. But it’s not always cheaper to fly, once you factor in transfers and luggage allowance etc. Book in advance or save with Interrail to get the best fares. Take a look at the budget tips https://flightfree.co.uk/post/how-to-travel-on-a-budget/.

If flying is the only option for you, why not try to travel sustainably whilst in your holiday destination. Like lots of Manchester visitor attractions, Elizabeth Gaskell’s House has bike racks in the courtyard and is on the Bee Network https://tfgm.com/plan-a-journey so you can travel by bus, tram and train within Greater Manchester to get to us. Whilst in Manchester you can also hire bikes from Bloom and Bicycles (pictured above) and Beryl Bike Scheme.

Lizzie Gent, Volunteer Environmental Sustainability Champion for Elizabeth Gaskell’s House

Read Lizzie’s blog about Plastic Free July here