Park the car: eco-friendly vacation and ‘road trip’ tips

While Prius drivers can reap the benefits of pulling up to bed and breakfast and flashing their hybrid logo, here are even more ways to be a green-friendly traveler without even getting behind the wheel.

Make the most of your airfare.

Got a wedding in New England? Maybe now would be a good time to study up on those U.S. landmarks instead of flying back out there a few months later. And just think of the vacation time you’ll end up saving at work.

Take the train or bus for short trips.

Amtrak and Greyhound may take longer than a plane ride, but they’re almost always cheaper and are certainly greener than a plane or car trip. A recent Expedia.com test showed airfare from LAX to Seattle for $321 per person and up, round trip. That’s before taxes and with one stop. Amtrak takes you from Union Station to the land of Starbucks for $92 one way, before taxes. First-timer? Read up on how to ride the rails.

Get around like a local.

Skip the car rentals and climb aboard the city-managed buses, trolleys or subway cars considered the main means of transportation in other major metros. For example, consider San Francisco’s Muni system at $1.50 per adult ride. Or you can always try to find a parking meter…

Stay green.

Loads of hotels are jumping on the green bandwagon. But just because it’s trendy doesn’t mean it results in more cash out of your pocket. TravelWorm.com has a list of their 10 favorite green hotels and usually offers discounts on all of them, such as their current $100/night (pre-tax) promotion for the water-saving, paper-reusing Renoir Hotel in downtown San Francisco.

To learn more about environmentally friendly vacations by plane, train or automobile, check out websites such as Independent Traveler and Green Vacation Hub. And check out Los Angeles Times’ Emerald City blog for tips on staying green at home.

— Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

[Photo: Amtrak]

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This entry was posted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 1:29 pm by Whitney and is filed under Weekend Getaways. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.