Top books for sustainable travel

Thinking of getting away but don’t want it to cost the earth? Well, Charlotte Reid has been looking at some books that will help explain sustainable travel and eco-tourism, to make sure you have the holiday of a lifetime.

A good book for beginners is the Guardian Green Travel Guide by Liane Katz and Alastair Sawday. The book helps to cut through the jargon of sustainable travel and tells people what is important for an ethical holiday. It also includes information about carbon neutral hotels, as well as writing about ways that allow you to measure the carbon footprint of your holiday.

If you already know a bit about eco-tourism, then there is Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World by Richard Hammond and Jeremy Smith, and Green Places to Stay: Eco-Lodges and Other Green Places to Stay by Alastair Sawday – both of which list great sustainable destinations for the ultimate holiday.

If you want to stay closer to home, then there are books showing off the best environmental holidays available right on your doorstep. During the economic downturn, many people have already opted to have holidays in the UK, and made savings by visiting British coastal towns instead of flying abroad.

But, if you want to know which places in the UK use organic produce or their own home-grown products in their hotels or B&B’s, then Organic Places to Stay in the UK by Linda Moss is the book for you. It also puts the spotlight on places in Britain that are overlooked in favour of jet-setting holidays.

If you do want to go further afield, then there is the Good Alternative Travel Guide by Mark Mann and Zainem Ibrahim. It contains information on how you can contribute to the local economy and help out local people and tour operators when visiting places in the developing world. But these trips also offer the curious traveller the chance to visit some beautiful places whilst also witnessing the reality of developing countries.

If you know where you are going on holiday, then there a number of travel guides available for specific cities or countries that talk about the green aspects of those places as well as the iconic places to visit. Rough Guides and Lonely Planets are always a good place to start.

When looking at sustainable travel it is good to get clued up on your destination and how it will benefit the environment. If you want any more information visit Green Traveller who provide information on how to have a green holiday.