Tag: sustainable travel

The Balkans can be a bit behind when it comes to sustainability. For instance, you’ll see single-use plastic bags being handed out willy-nilly in Serbia or Montenegro, and a lack of understanding around how human activities can impact wildlife (ATV tours in protected areas are still not illegal here). Without coming across all preachy, it’s important we as visitors don’t contribute to the problem. By choosing to holiday with us, you’ve already made a positive impact by employing local people, creating meaningful cultural exchanges, and funding important environmental projects through our Book to Give Back scheme - amazing! But there are a few things you can do during your trip to help even more. Here are 10 ways to be a responsible traveller in the Balkans. 1. Go flight-free Planes chomp through the fuel - a return flight from London to Tirana releases nearly as much CO2 per passenger as travelling from London to Singapore by train. Why not make the journey part of the holiday and hit the rails instead? There are some stunning train routes across Europe and you can reach Montenegro within two days from London. In fact, the train from Belgrade to Bar is one of National Geographic’s top 10 European rail trips. Rome2Rio and The Man in Seat 61 are both great websites for help planning your route. Alternatively, you could take a coach. FlixBus is one of the largest bus operators in Europe and it offers routes from the UK. This is the best option if you’re travelling to Bosnia and Herzegovina as there have been no cross-border trains there since the 1990s war. 2. Pack light, lower emissions The lighter the load, the less energy is consumed to carry it, says co-founder Emma. '[Packing light] lowers emissions for air travel and also means the