It's vacation time! You may have already packed your suitcase and prepared your program like a chef for a dream vacation with family or friends. But if you're out of inspiration for this summer, we'll help you plan an eco-responsible vacation. This is called "slow tourism". This practice encourages more ecological travel, with low CO² emissions and which respects biodiversity and heritage.

A few golden rules

  • Avoid flying at all costs. Air traffic represents more than 7% of the French carbon footprint, and this figure is only increasing. [1]. Choose the train, which remains the least polluting means of transport.
  • Support the local economy. There are so many beautiful things to discover in our country. Discover the 4 corners of France.
  • Avoid crowded places so you don't overload sites even more.
  • Respect nature. Do not degrade the flora and do not disturb the fauna.
  • Do not throw anything in nature (waste, picnic leftovers,...)

Eco-responsible holiday ideas

We have unearthed some sites that offer unusual stays for an ecological holiday:

  • The site We Go GreenR lists accommodations committed to the ecological transition. Make the choice to travel differently by choosing one of these accommodations.
  • La via natura is a website for booking camping trips throughout France. Come and discover exceptional and preserved places to reconnect with nature.
  • Green Go selects authentic accommodation for you in all regions of France. The goal: to reduce the carbon footprint of tourism while combining pleasure and respect for the environment.

And since it's near us, we'll give you the link to an eco-place in our region:

  • Ecoland is an eco-place located in Pas-de-Calais which offers unusual accommodation. It is considered a new generation park where man and nature develop in harmony. Come and enjoy the yurts, tepees or bubble cabins while discovering the micro farm and its various activities.

Activities to do as a family

Because holidays do not necessarily rhyme with going far away but rather spending time with the people you love, we offer you some activities to do with your family with zero carbon impact:

  • Visit an educational farm. This will be an opportunity for you and your children to learn more about the life of farm animals and agricultural trades.
  • Take long bike rides to better discover and observe the superb landscapes around.
  • Picnic by the lake, remembering to throw your rubbish in the trash.
  • Test plopping: This practice comes from Sweden and consists of running while picking up litter that you find on your way. You can of course do this by running or walking. A garbage bag in hand and let's go to clean up our planet.

Prepare your zero waste suitcase

Here, your destination has been found and your holiday program is well put together. All you have to do is pack your suitcase.

We naturally favor solid cosmetics which do not take up space in your suitcase and which create no waste when finished. On top of that, there is no risk of a bad surprise by opening the suitcase with a bottle of shampoo that has spilled on your clothes.

Don't forget the sunscreen to avoid bad sunburn, and we favor sunscreens that are not toxic for the planet (we prefer mineral UV filters and we ban chemical UV filters).

To keep well hydrated during the trip, we also think about bringing your gourd with a cold drink inside (it can also be used during your hikes or bike rides).

References:

[1] BL evolution report.