In practice, the most emphatic way to reduce your carbon dioxide emissions when travelling is, where possible, to seek low-emission alternatives to flying, as there is a step difference in the emissions produced by air travel versus most other modes of mass transport. There are concerted efforts to decarbonise air travel using alternative fuels and methods of propulsion (such as via electricity and hydrogen), but even the most optimistic predictions support that this change is at least a decade away for most airlines.

In general, travelling by coach and train in the UK emits about five to six times less carbon dioxide than travelling by plane. Travelling as a foot passenger on a ferry has a carbon footprint that’s about half that again, though the carbon footprint of one driver taking a small petrol car on a ferry is several times that of taking the train. The ports on both sides of The Channel crossing are often well connected by public transport, so it’s easy to travel by bus or train to the ports in the UK, as well as disembark on the other side and continue the journey overland.

For travelling to Europe, there’s even more of a difference as many of the trains on the continent run on electricity rather than fossil fuels. Travelling by Eurostar, for instance, emits up to 96 per cent less carbon dioxide than travelling by plane.
To make the most of travelling overland, consider the journey as being part of the holiday. You can play cards, read the newspaper or a book, catch up on emails and texts, watch a film, enjoy a meal from the buffet carriage, or just gaze out of the window and enjoy the views as the landscape changes incrementally. When you arrive at the final railway station, instead of the hassle of baggage reclaim, you pass by bistros, buskers, and bike racks, as you emerge into the heart of city life. You already feel like you’re travelling like a local.

The seamless connection of Eurostar with Europe’s high-speed rail networks means that you can reach many wonderful European cities within 24 hours of leaving the UK. Barcelona, for instance, is reachable in one day, so too are Geneva, Milan, and Munich. You can also use the high-speed rail networks to Nice and Marseille to connect with ferries to the Mediterranean Islands of Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily; to Barcelona to connect with ferries to the Balearic Islands of Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca; and to Algeciras and Tarifa to connect with ferries to Morocco. Happy Green Travelling!