10 Tips for a Sustainable Holiday
Enjoy individual discoveries instead of standing in line with other tourists. Find out more here on germany.travel or at the local tourist offices, and discover romantic villages, unspoilt landscapes and quirky boutiques to suit your taste.
A long journey can be exhausting. So if you are going on a long-distance holiday, plan a longer holiday instead of two short trips and treat yourself to some local refreshment. Within Europe, we recommend that you take the train to get to your destination: this way you get to experience the country and its people already while on your journey.
To distinguish "greenwashing" from genuine sustainability commitment when choosing your holiday providers, look for recognised certifications that can provide you with good guidance. You can find a selection of certified accommodation in Germany on our interactive "Green Travel Guide".
Fill your water bottle free of charge from the taps or at the more than 6,000 public Refill Stations (website in German, use your browser's translation function if necessary) instead of buying bottled drinking water. You can also choose a reusable cup for your "coffee to go", which is also even cheaper in some places. Fruit and vegetables are free from plastic wrapping, and fresh and inexpensive at the many farmers' markets as well as in some supermarkets. This way, you can protect the environment and save money in the process.
On foot, by bike or in a canoe, you can experience cities and natural landscapes more intensively and a lot less expensively than by car. Public transport can also be used free of charge with TouristCards in many regions of Germany. If you can't do without a car, why not rent an electric car using the car-sharing app?
Enjoy the regional cuisine of sustainable restaurants and their seasonal creations. This offers you new taste experiences, and the environment is helped by shorter journeys and gentler production methods. By the way, there is now also a large selection of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Germany.
The encounters with local people are what make every holiday a special experience. So don't be afraid to approach people and join in the festivities and events of your holiday destination. This will give you the best insight into local traditions and lifestyles.
Unique souvenirs are best found in the local craft shops, flea markets or upcycling boutiques of your holiday destination. Buy originals instead of cheap imitations - this way you will support local crafts, as well as delight people at home.
No matter how you travel, heavy luggage increases fuel consumption and is really inconvenient. So consider what you really need on holiday and leave the rest at home. The Deutsche Bahn luggage service, which will conveniently bring your luggage to your hotel, makes transfers even easier.
Every journey creates emissions. By choosing climate-friendly transport options such as bus and train, you minimise your carbon footprint. If flights or car journeys cannot be avoided, you can use a CO2 calculator to determine how high the CO2 emissions of your trip are. By supporting worldwide offsetting programmes, you can make your holiday climate neutral. For example, you can use the myclimate service (see below).
With the myclimate CO2 calculator, you can determine the CO2 footprint of your journey by air or car and offset it by sponsoring certified carbon offset programmes worldwide. Make your journey climate neutral - for a relaxed and environmentally friendly holiday!
This selection is based specifically on the publication "Anforderungen an Unternehmenszertifizierungen für nachhaltigen Tourismus in Deutschland", 2017, Die VERBRAUCHER INITIATIVE e. V. ("Requirements for company certifications for sustainable tourism in Germany", 2017, The CONSUMER INITIATIVE e.V.)