Cheaper Holidays: What If You Tried Green Tourism?

With inflation, the French are more than ever in search of good deals for summer vacations. However, some habits are beneficial for the planet as well as for the wallet. This reconciles the two major current concerns for purchasing power and the environment! We explain how green tourism can help you enjoy cheaper vacations.

"Why take the train instead of the plane?"

To travel cheaper, many French people will stay in France or visit our European neighbors this summer. Since Europe has a dense enough rail network, the first good plan to combine green tourism and cheaper holidays is to prefer the train to the plane.

To take advantage of the best rates, it is preferable to book tickets well in advance and to travel as much as possible outside peak periods. To pay less, do not hesitate to compare companies! If you are planning a stay in Germany, for example, know that Deutsche Bahn offers more advantageous prices than SNCF.

On the ecological level, the carbon footprint of a train journey is unbeatable. For a Paris - Barcelona trip, for example, the plane generates 120 kg more CO2 than the train! By plane, greenhouse gas emissions are 10 times higher.

Of course, the train is slower, but it allows you to better appreciate the landscapes. When traveling by rail, the journey is fully part of the holiday because it allows you to discover the regions crossed.

2- How to save money with trains?

The first tip for saving money with trains is to travel overnight. Depending on your destination in France or Europe, you can take the night train and save the cost of a hotel night. In France, night trains serve destinations as diverse as Paris, Toulouse, Lourdes, Hendaye, Perpignan, Albi, Marseille and the French Riviera! In Italy too, the choice is vast thanks to Trenitalia's night trains, which take you as far as Sicily... There is also a Paris-Vienna night train that serves no less than 8 destinations.

Another way to enjoy cheaper train holidays is to use the InterRail Pass. This pass, accessible at any age, is sold at a flat rate. It is valid for up to 11 months after purchase.

The price depends on the number of countries you want to travel in. The Global Pass gives you access to 33 countries from €194, while the pass for one country is sold for just over €100.

Note: when travelling with this Pass, you may sometimes have to book your seats and pay an additional €10 to €20 per trip.

3- How to save money with a bike?

Cycling tourism is another form of green tourism that allows you to combine a low carbon footprint with cheaper vacations. Cycling is one of the most economical and environmentally friendly means of transportation for sightseeing.

Did you know that France is the second most popular destination for bike tourism in the world? Our country offers a multitude of marked and secure routes such as the ViaRhôna, which connects the Alps to the Mediterranean or the Durance à Vélo, which allows you to discover Provence differently. It would be a shame not to take advantage of it since, in France, transporting a bike on TER trains is free.

And if you dream of more distant travels, know that the EuroVelo network of cycle routes can take you from Paris to London and from Norway to Spain!

4- How to save money with your car?

Even if you have decided to go on vacation by car, you can change your habits to spend less while polluting less. The first trick to reduce fuel consumption on the road to vacation is to properly inflate your tires and not overload your vehicle.

Nowadays GPS applications like Waze or Google Maps display the amount of CO2 emitted based on the chosen route. You have every interest in favoring the least polluting routes as they are also the least expensive in terms of fuel!

Another trick for eco-tourism and enjoying cheaper vacations is to share your car through carpooling and car-sharing. These two formulas have the advantage of lowering costs both financially and ecologically.

Note: thanks to the national carpooling plan, you can receive a €100 bonus if you share 3 trips of more than 80 km in 3 months.

5- How to save money on accommodation?

Green tourism also involves choosing accommodations with low environmental impact, such as:
• campsites in the La Via Natura network
• bed and breakfasts
• labeled cottages like the Panda cottages
• eco-responsible hotels labeled Green Key or European Ecolabel.

These more environmentally friendly accommodations are not necessarily more expensive. Often located in the French countryside, they allow you to get away from it all and experience a change of scenery without leaving France.

Even better, they are sometimes eligible for the Vacaf program (the CAF vacation aid program). It's a great way to combine green tourism with cheaper vacations!