Category : Featured
After reflecting upon my 2011 in the last post, I thought I would take this opportunity, and first post of the new year, to focus on others. With that in mind I wanted to share a bit link love, and list some of the travel bloggers I think will do well in 2012. Some may already be established, and others not so much, but with the travel industry paying attention to bloggers more than ever in 2011, I feel in 2012 we all have room for growth. I see 2012 as a year that travel bloggers as a whole will continue to progress into new, uncharted territory for our industry.
(Please note: this list is in no particular order)
Raising Miro
I always love it when I find people who travel with their kids. It’s always been my opinion that travel is the best form of education for children, but seeing other people out there doing it really proves that it’s actually possible… which always results in an inspiring read.
I think what I loved most about Raising Miro though, is that the focus point is so very much on how Lainie raises her son Miro as they travel. So many blogs you read these days are purely personal, about one single person as they travel the world, but you can see here through every post how much Lainies world clearly revolves around her son, and the love they clearly have for one another. You can’t help but be drawn in by it.
This blog has only just recently came to my attention towards the end of 2011. I look forward to seeing how it progresses in 2012.
Go Mexico Guide
Go Mexico Guide formed in 2010, and has already shot into the top ranks of the travel blogging industry. With it’s founder shifting focus from seeking out freelance work to building up this website in the latter half of 2011, I see 2012 being a year that Go Mexico Guide continues progress, and add to the growing breadth of useful information and advice on travel in Mexico.
The Budget Traveller
Kash Bhattacharya is already a major player in the travel blogging industry, and has been for some time. You’ll see him regularly speaking at travel blogging conferences, and working with major companies such as Easy Jet, and Bmi Baby.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting cash in Edinburgh, and use his successful Europebudgetguide.com regularly for budget travel advice in Europe. That is why I know his latest blog, BudgetTraveller.org will be just as successful in 2012!
Never Ending Voyage
Simon and Erin’s blog Never Ending Voyage is already very established in the travel blogging industry. Why I listed them in this list is quite simply because of the rate in which they shot into some of the top travel blogging ranks in 2011. I feel shows great signs for 2012.
With their web design and development business along side their blog, the are earning a living as they go along on their Never Ending Voyage. This is a blog you may find interesting if you, like Simon and Erin, are trying to carve a career out of being a digital nomad.
Four Jandals
Four Jandals is a blog run by Cole and Adele, an adventure seeking couple from New Zealand. They did an epic 18,000 km trip across Canada, spent 10 months living in North America, and count Samoa and Scotland on the list of places they have visited. You’ll like this blog a lot if you want to hear about action packed adventure… a lot! Also, isn’t Jandals just the best name for flip flops ever?
Notes From Spain
I spent 3 months living in Spain in 2011 as part of my travels, and during that time I used Notes From Spain quite a lot. Run by Ben and Mariana, Notes From Spain has already scooped a Lonely Planet Award, and has been featured in publication such as the Guardian and the New York Times. I can only see good things for this site in 2012.
Nomadic Samuel
Nomadic Samuel has burst onto the travel blogging scene at a fast pace in 2011, already making it into many Top 100 lists. If he keeps going at this rate, I can 2012 being a fantastic year! A lot of this rise I feel has to do with the fantastic travel photography available on this blog.
Travelllll.com (technically this is a super blog!)
What happens when you get a group of successful, established, travel bloggers together, and put them all together to create one travel blogging news site and resource? You get Travelllll.com! I must admit, when I first came across this site in 2011, I couldn’t understand the name choice. Now I think it’s rather genius!
Travelllll.com is essentially a super blog, and combined project by some of the most influential people in our industry. It has shot into the top ranks of travel blogs in unprecedented time, and is by far the best place to get any travel blogging specific news in my opinion.
Backpack Forever
I love the whole idea of Backpack Forever! The blog describes itself as “a community of backpackers working together turning travel experiences into extra income.” The idea is that if you share your travel advice on the site, you’ll receive 100% of the profits from the advertising. Whether that turns into a fruitful income or not for people who share on the site, I don’t know, but it’s certainly an interesting idea, and one I’ll be watching closely in 2012.
Fearful Adventurer
Torre DeRoche has an incredible story. That’s probably why she’s ended up with a book deal, off the back of a deal she made to sell the movie rights of her Pacific Island story. With her book due to be published in the near future, it looks like it’s going to be a big year for Torre. I won’t ruin the story by going into on here. You should check out her blog, Fearful Adventurer, and buy her book when it comes out too! 
With such an extensive rail network throughout Europe in comparison to other continents, it’s no wonder train travel is a popular option for travel here. Depending upon where and when you are going, it can also be quicker and/or more comfortable than taking a plane. The question is, if you select travel by rail as you main mode of transport in Europe, should you book your ticket independently with each country’s rail provider, or do you go for something like an Inter Rail Europe train pass?
Will you save money opting for the pass? Will it be more convenient? Does it suit every type of Euro trip? Are there any hidden costs, and will it cover you for all the places you want to travel to? These are all questions that I had been asking myself before I headed out on my Inter Rail journey across Europe to review the product. I’m pleased to say through completing this trip, and travelling from Spain to Romania in the process via Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia, I was able to find answers to all of these questions.
Through this post I want to give you my conclusions on the above questions. That way if you are thinking of purchasing an Inter Rail pass or something similar, e.g. an EuRail pass if you are non-European, then you’ll have a better idea as to whether it will benefit you on your trip.
Information Overload?
The main problem travellers can find with a Euro trip in general is that with 50 countries spanning over approximately 9,938,000 km, each with their own language, customs, laws, and varying standards of transport, planning your trip can become something of a headache. You’re trying to decide where you want to go, during what time, and also make decisions that will make it the most cost-effective way for you to travel. If you don’t know the country in depth that you are travelling to, it can require a lot of research just to find out the most basic of details. Even with an Inter Rail pass, there is still research needed if you want to make the most of your pass. For a start, you have to look at what passes there are, and which would benefit you most.
To simplfy the process I thought I would list the 3 main types of pass here, a summary of what each entails, pros/cons etc, but more importantly, which type of traveller would suit what. Most people will find that they fit well with at least one type of Inter Rail pass. If you pick the right pass to suit your travels you could save a lot of money. I know I did. Pick the wrong pass to suit your trip however, and you could find you’re splashing out more than you anticipated, so it’s important to do a little ground work first to make sure you get the most out of your travel cash.
Please note: For simplicity, all prices quoted here are for youth 25 or under passes (I was travelling on a youth pass as I’m 23.) If you do not fall within this category, please check InterRailNet.com for more information.
1 month Global Pass – €409 – Unlimited train travel within or between 30 European countries – suits the traveller who doesn’t like to plan ahead, and wants to visit lots of countries.
- This is the pass I had, and is for the no fuss style traveller who likes to go with the flow, chop/change plans as they go, and not have to worry about losing money should they change their itinerary or plans last minute.
- You can travel on as many trains as you like, on any day (during the time your pass is valid of course), and in or between any of the 30 selected countries. You just go to the train station, make your reservation if applicable, and get on the train. It’s that simple.
- With some trains you have to pay reservation fees. In particular, most international and night trains charge a reservation fee. In general I found that Eastern European countries tended not to have so many reservation fees, whereas popular western countries did, and they could be quite expensive too. For instance, I had to pay a €50 reservation for a 2nd class seat to travel by Elipsos train hotel from Barcelona to Milan, but from Ljubljana to Zagreb, Zagreb to Belgrade, and Belgrade to Bucharest I paid no reservation fees at all with each local train provider. I just got on and showed my pass.
- If you chose your countries well you could easily get away with covering long distances on this trip by paying no extra. By choosing the wrong countries you could be paying hefty reservation fees, so chose wisely. If I’d have done more research before hand, I wouldn’t have been stuck with the trenhotel as my only option, so learn from my mistakes!
- Definitely suited to those who like to country hop, and see as many places as they can over a short(ish) period of time.
- Similar types of pass to the 1 month Global Pass include the “Every day within 22 days pass” (€319) , and the “Every day within 15 days pass” (€289). They are basically the same as the 1 month global pass except you get less days. You may want to consider these if you have less time to travel, your budget doesn’t quite stretch to the 1 month pass, or you’d maybe like to do part of your trip with a rail pass, and the latter part without for instance.
10 days within 22 days Global Pass – €249 – Choose your own flexi travel days – suits the traveller who wants to country hop, but have days off in between. Also good for travellers who want flexibility.
- For me the best pass after the 1 month global pass has to be this one. You have 10 days that you can travel on over a 22 day period. You choose which days, when, and in or between which of the 30 European countries available that you’d like to travel as you go along.
- There is still the flexibility of the being able to decide on the day, but you don’t have the pressure of feeling like you have to travel everyday on a train to get the most value of your pass.
- It’s also just cheaper than the consecutive travel global passes.
- Again, reservation fees apply, so check before you get on the train if you need to make a reservation.
- The most important thing with this pass is that you need to record on the form what train you are getting on, where to, when etc before you get on the train. If you don’t do this, and you get caught, you could be liable to pay a hefty fee or made to pay for a full-fare ticket amongst other things. With the consecutive passes you can travel everyday so you don’t have to bother about counting how many days of travel you have left.
- Alternatively, if you are only in Europe for a short time, there is another pass which gives you 5 days of travel within 10 days, costing €169.
One country passes – for the traveller who wants to focus on one country at a time, and see more of each destination.
If your trip is going to be focused a lot within one country, you may actually be better off getting a one country pass. Particularly with more expensive countries to travel by rail, such as Spain or France, this could save you a lot of money. Italy is also a popular option to purchase a one country pass as you often don’t have to pay reservation fees for travel within most parts of the country provided you have a pass.
- To give you an example, if you are planning to travel Spain (which is for the record quite an expensive place to travel by rail), you can pay €119 for a one country pass that allows 3 days of travel within one month. This may seem like a lot for 3 days of travel, but when you consider it costs around €117 to get from Barcelona to Madrid by rail without a pass (and this price doesn’t really change at any point across the year) then it starts look worth it.
- If you choose cheaper countries however, you can get a similar pass for as little as €49 in Croatia or Romania.
- Reservation fees still apply on some journey’s, e.g. night trains.
Does the Inter Rail Pass save you money?
I’ve heard a lot of people gripe about Inter Rail passes in the past. I think the main problem however for most of these people was that they didn’t do their research before hand, pick the right pass for themselves, or the best countries to travel in with that pass. I think you also have to look at the bigger picture.
When you’re forking out hundreds of Euros for a pass, having to pay reservation fees on top can at first seem like you’re paying too much, but you have to look at the price that ticket would have cost you without the pass you begin to see the value.
For instance, when I travelled from Sevilla to Barcelona I had to pay a €10 reservation fee. This seemed like a lot just to reserve a seat, considering the pass on it’s own costs €409. However, to take that same journey without the pass would have cost me €142.30 booked online. It’s around a Euro more if you book it at the station. With Renfe, the Spanish rail company, there never seems to be any discount on trains for booking in advance. Prices tend to stay the same there. So in one journey I’ve already recuperated €132.30 of my pass, and I still had another 29 days of potential travel left to go at that point. Make a lot of journeys like that, and you will more than get your monies worth out of a Inter Rail pass. The key is to stick to popular routes, or cover long distances. This is where you will see the value in the pass.
Please note: The folks at InterRailNet.com/EuRail.com very kindly gave me a 1 month Inter Rail Gobal Pass for free in exchange for an honest review of the pass.
When I think about how much travel I have done this past year, I have to pinch myself sometimes. Not about the fact that I have been travelling so much, but that all of my travels since I started this blog have been paid for through money I have earned from Runaway Jane. I don’t say this to boast. My earnings by no means make me rich. I simply say it because I still can’t really believe it myself sometimes.
I literally had no savings when I first started Runaway Jane. In fact, I had less than nothing. I was almost at the brink of my student overdraft, checking my account everyday to make sure I had not gone past the limit. I had this idea. This crazy idea about starting a blog, and making money from it. It was going to take me all over the world, and effectively pay for me to travel full-time. People thought it sounded crazy, but for me it felt very real.
When I came home one morning telling my mum I’d dropped out of college 3 months before graduation because I wanted to try earn money from this “blogging thing”, I can only begin to imagine what she must have been thinking! For some reason though, I was lucky enough to have been born with a really cool mum. Where other people’s mum’s may be more cautious or disapproving, I have a mum who’s open to my zany ideas, who’s always up for a challenge however unlikely or against us the odds may be. It’s probably how I turned out doing something for a living that I love, instead of being stuck behind a desk for years. Sounds silly but I always believed I was meant to do something different from the 9 to 5, because quite simply my mum always told me I could if I wanted to. She was always willing to take the risk with me, to give me a chance for something better. It was up to me to put the work in and do it, but she was always right there behind me cheering me on. I know so many people who are too scared to attempt a life outside of the 9 to 5 box, and I truly believe it’s because they didn’t have a mum like me, or someone behind them yelling “you can do it!”
So in the end I asked her to give me 6 months. “If I’m not earning money in 6 months, I’ll go get a job” I said. She agreed. She also agreed to talk to my dad, and bring him round to the idea too. In actual fact it took me 9 months to start scrimping enough money together to start paying for trips away. 12 months before I was earning anything like a full-time wage. I kept giving them a timeline. Targets I would meet based on what people like me had done in a similar time frame. They didn’t ask me to, but I felt like it bought me some time. Thankfully I met them all. Just.
Even now, almost 2 years on from when I started my travel blog, I do have down months. Like September for instance. August was one of my highest earnings months ever, but in September I earned less than I had since I began blogging. I was worried. I’m still feeling the after affects of that month, but thankfully things have picked up again at a steady pace. Still, sometimes I feel like I am just earning month to month. I never know if I’m going to earn money next month until it comes through. I feel lucky that it has come through month by month.
My reason for writing this post today though is that I have been under a lot of stress lately, with a few major unexpected bills to pay. I was really starting to worry. Sales of my latest book were going well for an independent launch, and I was still getting advertising payments, but because of these unexpected outgoings I was beginning to question whether I could make a viable income from travel blogging long-term. Then I spoke to my mum. I didn’t even mention my worries to her. The discussion was about something different, but through hearing her voice I started to think about what I have actually achieved in this short time. Every place I have travelled to, every hostel I have booked, apartment I have rented, transportation I have taken, my camera, and even the clothes I am wearing right now… These have all been purchased by money earned from this blog, or have come free in exchange for advertising on this blog. Just saying that out loud makes me realise what I have achieved so far. I’ve created something from nothing, and no one can take what I have done in the past away from me. It gives me hope, and a renewed motivation to keep going, and improving.
So whether it’s taking the first step in your travels, setting up a blog like me, or doing something completely different but equally terrifying in the beginning, I want to tell you to not give up. If you’re feeling low just keep trying. Have belief in yourself. Never be afraid of failure. The only true sense of failure is to never have tried at all.
Guest post by Mark Hodson, Editor of 101 Holidays
Towards the end of my 12 years as a full-time freelance travel journalist on The Sunday Times I would sometimes meet a fellow writer for a drink and a gossip and we would ironically call these little get-togethers The Best Job in The World Club.
It may seem hideously ungrateful, but we were both sick of constantly being told we had the perfect working life, often by friends who were earning four or five times as much as we were.
Don’t get me wrong, it was a great life, but it certainly wasn’t one long free holiday. It was hard work and offered – as well as low pay – no job security, no financial benefits and no determinable career path. Lately it’s got harder still.
I started travel writing full time in the mid-1990s. I had worked in journalism since leaving university with a 2:1 in philosophy, first on free local papers then at The Sun where I became a news sub-editor at the tender age of 23.
I quit office life at 27, never to return. I spent three years travelling in Asia and Latin America (before internet cafes or mobile phones – imagine!) then starting writing articles and mailing them on spec to travel editors at national newspapers.
Looking back, this was some of the best writing I’ve ever done but every piece was rejected on the same basis that if nobody else wanted to publish me then I couldn’t have been any good. Finally I got a couple of pieces in the Financial Times, which gave me a cuttings file and some credibility. My relationship with The Sunday Times started shortly afterwards.
Back in the 1990s, travel writing was the preserve of a rather clubby elite. There were no bloggers, no ranting reviews on TripAdvisor. The world was there for us to explore and sum up in elegant turns of phrase. There were press trip invites every day of the week but my editor at The Sunday Times (understandably) despised these cosseted jollies and instead we travelled alone, wined and dined by hoteliers from Antigua to Zanzibar, accommodated in the finest suites.
In those days a writer on a national newspaper would typically fax over 1,500 words and a couple of weeks later a cheque for £500 or so would land on the doormat. As a young man with a shared flat in London and no commitments, I was in hog heaven.
Ten years on and the fees paid to travel writers on national newspapers hadn’t gone up a penny. In fact, many publications slashed their rates. In this period – from 1996 to 2006 – the average price of a house in the UK rose three-fold from £62,000 to £179,000.
Meanwhile, I had accumulated a wife and two children. I started travelling less and churned out endless top-10 style round-ups (unheard of in 1996, all the rage in 2006). I was working harder than ever, earning less and less. I was unhappy writing round-ups about places I’d never visited (again, unheard of in 1996, common practice by 2006). Still my friends persisted in telling me I had The Best Job in The World.
And for many travel writers it was no longer enough to write. As newspaper embraced multi-media, they were instructed to take pictures, blog and run around with a video camera. For no more money.
Then came the recession and newspapers were hit by a triple whammy: falling sales, the loss of classified advertising to online and a huge slump in display advertising. One newspaper travel editor was told to lay off staff or stop using freelancers altogether. The freelancers lost.
Many people will have quietly celebrated this turn in fortunes: the pampered elite thrown out on the street. But it can be argued that a whole generation of good writers with years of experience and a great depth of specialist knowledge was being discarded.
Today in 2011 it is almost impossible to be a full-time freelance travel writer unless you have a private income. Many of my contemporaries – well-known journalists and authors – have gone part-time, topping up their income writing corporate brochures, leading tours or – in one case – renovating bathrooms. Others have given up altogether.
On the other hand, it’s a lot easier today to become a travel writer. When everyone has a blog there is no difficulty in getting published in the first place. And there are countless opportunities to see your name in lights – providing you don’t mind working for free.
Many newspapers now operate a dual economy – they continue to pay freelance travel writers for pieces that appear in print, but online travel editors are given no budget to buy in copy, so they will happily take articles and publish them on their websites, explaining apologetically that they can’t pay a fee.
When the recession first hit, it looked for a short while that the press trip might go the way of the fax machine. Airlines pulled down the blinds and refused to hand out tickets. But now tourist boards and tour operators seem as keen as ever to organise press trips, anxious for coverage both in print and online.
However, filling those press trips with bona fide travel writers is not so easy. Most travel desks are now stripped to the bone with staff working so flat out that they can barely afford to take a day out of the office. This creates an opening for young aspiring writers to get on board – providing they can persuade an editor to give them a commission.
How to get a commission? As ever, it’s who you know that counts, but the growth of internships at newspapers and magazines has provided a great opportunity for young writers to work with – and gain the trust of – editors. Cynics might point out this involves working for free in order to write for free, but many good interns are getting footholds in the industry and travelling at somebody else’s expense.
It may not be The Best Job in The World, but travel writing is still a great adventure and a wonderful privilege. Though arguably you shouldn’t still be doing it when you’re 40.
Amsterdam is an incredible city! With so much to do in one of Europe’s most visited cities, it can often be hard to decide which attractions to see, visit, or pick what things to do, especially if you don’t have a lot of time in the city. Below are my top 5 things to do in Amsterdam, based on my own experiences of the city. These offer a combination of the top tourist attractions, and a taste of local Dutch culture.
The Free Tour
On my first visit to Amsterdam I was completely strapped for cash. This forced me to look for things to do on a strict budget, and The Free Tour was one of the best! Aside from the fact it is completely free (there’s an option at the end to give the tour guide a tip if you want, but it’s completely your choice), it was also a great way to get to grips with your bearings of Amsterdam upon arrival. They take you through all the main areas of the city centre, providing a thorough insight into the history of each place and monument as you pass. It was also interesting to hear the history of the famous Red Light District, and find out about how Amsterdam became known for its “coffee shops”, as well as break down some common misconceptions on the legalities of marijuana and prostitution in the area. Tours go on every day, with two meeting points – The National Monument, and Centraal Station. Guides will be wearing bright red t-shirts so you notice them upon arrival. A point to be aware of however at the National Monument is that there is a particular religious group who also wear bright red tops, who try to recruit followers in the same area. Many of the people in my group went up to them thinking they were the tour guide, and it took a good 20 minutes to get them to leave! I’ve attached a pic of the t-shirt the guides wear beside this paragraph just in case there is any confusion!
The Anne Frank House/Museum
Amsterdam is known around the world as the party capitol of Europe (and for good reason!) Sometimes however, it is good to remember the history of this city, and the story of Anne Frank is one part of that which should not be forgotten. Being able to view the room in which Anne slept, and the stairs which the Nazi’s stormed up before taking her and her family to the concentration camps was very sobering. The price of entry was a little bit steep at 8.50 Euros, however when you compare that to the price of entry to other attractions in any of Europe’s main cities, it’s not so bad. Especially when you consider there will only ever be one Anne Frank House in the world.
Vondelpark
Vondelpark is the largest city park in Amsterdam, and is located near to the Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum, and The Van Gogh Museum. It’s a great place to go for a picnic in summer after touring the museums, or a quick city getaway if you need somewhere to chill out, away from the hustle and bustle for a bit. The one thing that’s great about Vondelpark is that it’s loved by both the local people of Amsterdam, and tourists! You will find a huge variety of people here, going for walks, jogging, roller skating, walking the dog, or just lazing about in the sun. Free concerts are given at the open-air theatre or in the summer at the park’s bandstand, and it is quite simply just a cool place to hang out. It’s also another great free thing to do in the city when you are travelling on a budget.
Have some frites!
One thing that the Dutch love is there frites! Frites are what the Dutch call fries (or chips to us in the UK), however I have heard a few other variations of the word used throughout the Netherlands. When most people think of fries however, they usually think of the kind you get in McDonalds. In Holland however, all their fries are cooked completely fresh, are served cities in little vendors all over the place, and usually come with a dollop of ketchup and mayonnaise! Of course, like anything that tastes great, it is almost always bad for you, but the Dutch love it! If you go to Amsterdam, or anywhere in Holland, you have to try the local Dutch frites! They are yum!
Head to the coffee shop
Anyone who’s heard of Amsterdam will probably have heard of its world famous “coffee shops”. Unlike the coffee shops you get in most other places around the world however, the coffee shops in Holland don’t sell coffee, they sell marijuana! Personally, I’m not that big into smoking pot, but I’m sure everyone who has been to Amsterdam at some point has smoked it, taken a space cake, or consumed marijuana in some shape of form, and taken a magic mushroom. I guess it one’s of those “when in Rome” moments. That being said however, on my travels in Holland out with of Amsterdam, I was actually surprised by how little the local people smoke it. Most café’s, restaurants, and pubs I went to outside of Amsterdam didn’t allow it to be smoked on premises, and to be honest, if you’re there for more than a week the smell of the stuff really starts to make you want to vomit (although that may just be me!) If you do want to head to a coffee shop while in Amsterdam, shop around, find the best deal, or alternatively head out to some of Holland’s other cities, such as nearby Utrecht, and get a cheaper deal!
Amsterdam is an amazing city, and somewhere that is always great fun to visit! If your time is limited in the city, or you can’t decide what to do, then the 5 tips listed above should be a good way to get you started!
As someone who is passionate about travelling green, I regularly seek ways in which to travel that pose as little effect on the environment as possible. Where I am currently based however in the UK, it seems to make less and less sense to travel green, both financially and in terms of journey time. Travelling green when you don’t have a lot of time to get to a destination can often be out of the question, and for a budget traveller it can sometimes be impossible! Something needs to change to make it more beneficial for people to travel in an environmentally friendly way. Below are some of the downsides to travelling green at present:
The Expense
Certainly in Western Europe, it is much cheaper to travel by less environmentally friendly methods such as flying. Even domestically, on short distances, where you would expect to be able to travel cheaply on public transport, it is often much cheaper and quicker to take a flight, the UK being particularly bad for this. For instance, I will be flying from Glasgow to London’s Luton Airport next week for business. The distance covered for that journey is around 383 miles (616km). A return flight from Glasgow to Luton Airport at this time is around 85 gbp including taxes. A train for the same journey, taking 4.5 hours longer costs around 200 gbp. Even when I add the cost of a 40 minute taxi from Luton Airport to where I am going (as I am restricted by time for public transport when I get there), it will still cost me much less than travelling by train. With such a saving to be made, and the fact I will get to my end destination in a total of 2 -3 hours including check in time (as apposed to 5 – 6 hours by train), it simply would not make sense to go by train. Even if I was to travel by long distance coach, I wouldn’t make much of a saving on this particular journey, and it would take me about 12 hours to get there instead of the 2 to 3 hours by plane and taxi. A journey by coach/bus would cost around 60-80gbp for a return, but aside from the added 7 to 8 hours to my journey I would also have to change buses a total of 4 times, it wouldn’t be anywhere near as comfortable as a plane, and there isn’t enough of a saving to really make it more beneficial. The expense of travelling green is a major factor in why most people choose alternative options, and it is definitely one of the main downsides if you have chosen to travel in this way.
Comfort
Until they invent an eco plane, or make travel by train much quicker, the fact that an aeroplane can get you to your destination so much quicker means that the greener modes of transport are at a distinct disadvantage where comfort is concerned. The more hours you are sitting in a seat trying to get to your destination, the more uncomfortable it is. Trains do at least allow you to get up and walk about as you want, and if the price was better here in the UK and the rest of Europe I would travel by train much more, but at the end of the day a plane gets you there much quicker. The less time you spend actually travelling to your destination (and by travelling I mean on a mode of transport, not the general term associated with backpacking etc) then the more time you have to enjoy your trip, and the less discomfort from travelling long distances.
Time
As I mentioned previously above, departing by greener methods of travel usually means adding more hours to your journey time. If you don’t have a set time to be somewhere by, then you can easily get around this and make a lot of stop offs. In fact, this can actually add to your trip as you may discover great places you wouldn’t have otherwise, but there will be times that you will have a set time limit to get to your destination. Whether it’s for business, you’re meeting someone, or you only have so much time off work. Regardless of the reason, many of us have commitments that mean we simply can not travel by greener modes, or it would cause serious inconvenience to our trip if we delayed it so. Advancements such as the Bullet Train in Japan pose great opportunities for alternatives to flying that are equally fast and comfortable, but until these positive advancements are produced more widely around the world, we are unfortunately left with this great downside to travelling green.
Travelling green is something I am particularly passionate about, and I always try to travel in ways that are better for the environment when I can. However, when it comes down to it, I will always choose travel over travelling green. If I have to get to a destination fast, or there is a huge difference in price, then I will always choose that option, because that difference in price or saving in time could allow me to travel longer, or meet commitments I could not otherwise. I hope one day there will be options available to us all that allow people to travel environmentally in a way that is affordable, comfortable, and fast. Until then however, travellers will continually have to make that choice between what’s best for the planet, or what’s best for their travels?
