10 Best Green Travel Guides

If you’re a traveller who gets upset when you see beautiful natural areas spoiled for the sake of tourism, or think about the downsides of staying in a large resort with a huge carbon footprint, then maybe it’s time to look for travel alternatives. With the right green travel guides, anyone who’s environmentally-conscious can plan a fantastic vacation that fits their ethical and environmental principles. If you’re trying to plan a green getaway, but haven’t quite decided on where to go yet – check out our eco travel guide.

1. Fodor’s Green Travel: The World’s Best Eco-Lodges & Earth-Friendly Hotels

This is a great resource for anyone looking for a LEEDS-certified or other environmentally conscious places to stay, anywhere in the world. It features one hundred lodges and hotels that don’t just do their part to protect the environment; they work to sustain their local economies, as well. Whether you want a getaway that won’t drastically increase your carbon footprint, or you want to experience an ethical vacation, Fodor’s guide can point you there.

2. The Eco Travel Guide

The Eco Travel Guide is another must-have for travellers concerned about more than just their accommodations. It’s no secret that airline travel, among other things, is a huge contributor to pollution. This guide doesn’t just cover green hotels and resorts; it goes over all of the intricacies of how to make your next vacation truly green. It covers eco-friendly travel products, as well as ideas to help travellers minimize their impact on an area during their stay. While choosing green accommodations is important, the tips outlined in The Eco Travel Guide can help voyagers take it even further.

3. Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World

In this guide, the authors cover green vacations that are a little off the beaten path. These holidays aren’t for the faint of heart, or for travellers who prefer to spend their time in resorts, they are adventure trips that offer a truly unique experience, while minimizing their environmental impact at the same time. There are five hundred ways for people to see the world in fun and unexpected ways, and help the local people and environment while they do it.

4. The Green Travel Guide, Australia E-book

For travelers who want to see Australia, or Australians looking for eco-friendly getaways that are close to home, The Green Travel Guide gives readers all of the latest news and exciting destinations in ecotourism down under. More than just a guide to environmentally-conscious tourist destinations, the guide also provides tips and tricks for travellers to minimize their environmental impact, and ensure they have a safe, exciting trip.

5. The Green Travel Sourcebook: A Guide for the Physically Active

For especially adventurous explorers, The Green Travel Sourcebook: A Guide for the Physically Active, the Intellectually Curious, or the Socially Aware is everything its title promises and more. This gives travellers tips, hints, precautions, and resources for investigating the natural work, interacting with the local populace, and learning all they can about their chosen destination. This guide also gives the names and information for eco-tour groups in areas all around the world.

6. Green Places to Stay: From Beach Huts to Eco-Chic Hotels, All Over the World

If you or your family has your vacation all planned and just need to find the perfect place to stay, then Green Places to Stay from Alastair Sawday’s Special Places to Stay series has you covered. Many hotels call themselves green, but the fact is that green standards vary from area to area. This comprehensive guide covers all of those accommodations that take a few extra steps to ensure that their guests’ stays are environmentally-friendly ones, while they offer their guests a luxurious, relaxing stay.

7. The Ethical Travel Guide: Your Passport to Exciting Alternative Holidays

Adventurous travellers will also want to pick up a copy of The Ethical Travel Guide. For any traveller who’s tired of tourist traps and typical vacations, this guide covers all of the exciting, little-known places that other guides leave out. It has lists of places to visit in over sixty countries, and covers more than just environmental responsibility – it also promotes places that do their part to support the local economy, and provide an ethical means of making a living for the local people.

8. Volunteer: A Traveller’s Guide to Making a Difference around the World

One of the newest trends in ethical vacationing is taking volunteer vacations. Far from just spending their time following tour groups, vacationing volunteers help make a difference to the countries they visit, by helping to build houses, provide medicine, and teach English. Volunteer: A Traveler’s Guide gives travellers ideas and information for how to have a more meaningful vacationing experience, and give a little something back to the beautiful places that they visit.

9. Green Traveler Guides

Green Traveler Guides has collated personal guides for all of the best eco-friendly locations in the world. They cover everything from restaurants that source their produce locally, to green inns and hotels, to local organic markets and green shopping destinations.

10. Code Green: Experiences of a Lifetime

Last but not least, travellers that are looking for a more meaningful, memorable travel experience than relaxing on a simple vacation should pick up a copy of Code Green from Lonely Planet. This book covers nearly one hundred different vacations chosen for their little impact on the environment, and the way that they affect the people and economies around them. No matter what your travel budget may be Code Green has an experience that you will be able to afford easily, and will treasure for decades to come.