How to Sustainably Road Trip with Kids
From packing less to park cleanups, a road trip with kids can be so much more than “are we there yet?” Here’s how we hit the road responsiby.
A family road trip can be both the most exhilarating adventure as well as challenging, as far as travel goes.
Visions of winding switchbacks, one hundred thousand “are we there yet”s and improvised roadside playgrounds can make for a tale your family will tell around the campfire for years to come. Having adventures to be part of your family story is so important, and a good old fashioned road trip does just that.
So how can we do it in a way that doesn’t bog down the environment? The good news is that it’s much more possible to do it these days with better gear and accessible tech that allows us to be so much more intentional with our planning. We’ve come a long way from the days of Thomas Guides with a Big Gulp in hand. Here are a few of our favorite ways to make a family road trip more eco-friendly.
Pack light.
We are big fans of bringing as little as possible, both for the sake of mom’s shoulders but also because the lack of stuff shows us that we really, truly don’t need it all. Of course it depends on your family’s activities—hikers, bikers, campers and everyone in between. If you can drop a few things, it will lighten the load, increase your vehicle’s efficiency and use up fuel more slowly.
2. Think local.
When on the road, stay at local lodges, guest houses or boutique hotels, and avoid chain hotels where possible. According to the UN’s World Tourism Organization, less than 5% of money spent by travelers actually stays in the communities they visit. Most hotels completely accommodate to young children (and are usually so happy to have them). Also, if using booking.com, use the Travel Sustainable filter to select hotels that prioritize verified sustainability practices.
Other ways to redirect your flow of funds is by support small, locally owned businesses, putting money directly into the hands of locals. Prioritizing the small neighborhood restaurants & cafes, local guides, and hand-crafted goods that support indigenous artisans are great ways to keep the currency in the community. Our kids have a huge collection of trinkets they’ve lovingly collected form around the world that have so much meaning to them, and as parents we know we are mutually supporting the work, craft and story of a community.
3. Bring the reusables.
Reusable water bottles, utensils, shopping bags, straws, coffee cups, snack containers, a foldable cooler for the snacks. Fill up water bottles and pack any extra breakfast items (avoiding food waste and having to stop in a 7-11 for snacks) in reusable bags for the road.
Normalizing the use of these products at home, at school or on long car rides will set the tone for your kids to naturally opt out of single-use convenience items as they grow up. This also applies to world travel, air travel, and even heading out to the park back home.
4. Recycle and be a steward of nature.
Trying to find a local recycling center might be tough in, say, Taiwan, but with a bit of curiosity you can end up figuring out how certain countries manage their trash. Taiwan, formerly called “Garbage Island”, has one of the most successful recycling programs in the world now. Just ask your hotel if they can recycle your trash for you.
And even though there can be painfully long hours between stops, especially for younger children, there are still so many way that energy can be positively channelled. If coastal or in nature, do a mini beach or park cleanup, Your children’s attitude to the environment is dictated fundamentally by your own. Check out Surfrider, Surfers Against Sewage, beach cleaner or for how you can connect with nature with your littles while on the road. Connect with park rangers if visiting national parks, they are true unsung heroes and detail the land so well, especially for kids.
5. Don’t rule out public transportation.
If staying near an urban center on your road trip and wanting to explore a city for a day, consider taking the train or bus in. These forms of transportation typically consume half the fuel of flying or driving. green way to explore a destination that kids absolutely love. Not only are you reducing your carbon footprint, you’’re not spending money and time looking for parking. Children enjoy taking buses and trains, and you experience more of your destination this way as well.
6. Offset your trip.
If you want to go above and beyond, you can pay to offset the emissions produced by your wheels. Mossy Earth, Sustainable Travel International and Terrapass all have tools to help you calculate your emissions from a trip and then pay a fee to have those emissions offset through restoration and conservation projects like replanting native trees and investing in renewable energy initiatives. Though offsetting shouldn’t be used as a silver bullet for making any form of travel more environmentally friendly, it’s oftentimes a good practice to keep us engaged and involved as citizens of the world.
Sometimes, depending on the country you are road-tripping in, you can’t be all that sustainable. If visiting a country that doesn’t have safe drinking water, you must buy plastic bottles. Instead, buy the large gallon just and refill from that.
