If you have kids, you know that everything you once took for granted pre-kids (sleep, staying up late, going out on a whim, just simple privacy) are all a thing of the past. The thought of traveling with children can be frightening, but then add to that trying to be eco-friendly when you travel and the thought can be overwhelming.
It can be done, though. Here are some tips for traveling green with your kids.
1. Pack light. Before you even go, your trip might seem doomed to fail when you feel you have to bring every single thing you own on your trip. Eco-travel 101 is pack light. But is that even possible with kids? Sure, just take the absolute must-haves like clothes and wait until you get to your destination to figure out what you truly need, then buy it local.
2. Pack lunches. Skip the drive-thru while traveling. Pack a lunch instead and have a picnic. You know what your kids like to eat anyways, so this will mean less waste. Often kids don't eat all of the food ordered for them that they swore they would eat.
3. Stay in condos or rental homes with a kitchen and cook your own meals. You'll make one trip to the grocery store for everything you need for your stay and then not have to go back with all the kids in tow. Plus, again you'll be able to control better what the kids eat and how much waste they produce.
4. Consider how you'll get around at your destination. Taking public transportation will be a fun and new experience for the kids, and you'll all get to see more of where you're staying this way. Consider renting bikes when there. If the kids are too small to ride a bike everywhere, then make sure you get a bike that has a baby carrier attached or a little wagon that can be pulled behind the bike you're riding.
5. Bring water bottles for everyone in the family.
6. Avoid amusement parks and fun centers with the kids. Instead, visit parks and nature reserves. There is so much to explore and even learn at these places.
7. Use a mesh laundry bag for your dirty laundry instead of plastic bags. If you're staying in a home or condo, you might have access to laundry facilities so you won't even need to have laundry bags or take dirty laundry home. You can keep up on your laundry.
8. If you do stay in a hotel, you can take advantage of the shampoo and conditioner provided by the hotel. Make sure you finish it off.
Traveling with kids might seem like a daunting task and of course it's not like it used to be pre-kids, but then what is? You can have a lot of fun and create great memories with your kids, while also teaching them some great eco-friendly ways to travel someday when they go off on their own - creating the next generation of environment warriors. What could be better than that?