Spain’s Rail Renaissance and Group Based Conservation in Belize

Welcome to my newest spherical up of reports, options and feedback on inexperienced journey. This text is written by me, Richard Hammond, the founding father of Inexperienced Traveller. If you would like to obtain the publication by e mail, please subscribe right here.

This month, I have been listening to how each Spain and France (the 2 most visited international locations for UK vacationers) have been creating extra choices for sustainable transport. Spain has been embracing the ‘open entry’ liberalisation of the European rail community. There is not any doubt that elevated competitors amongst rail operators (particularly on excessive profile routes all through Europe) has led to improved providers and diminished ticket prices. Nowhere is that this extra obvious than on the high-speed line between Barcelona and Madrid, which is now served by 4 operators, together with AVE (operated by Spanish Railways, Renfe), and Iryo (a three way partnership of Trenitalia & Air Nostrum utilizing Italian-designed Frecciarossa trains), and two low-cost operators OUIGO (a subsidy of French Railways, SNCF), and Avlo (a subsidiary of Spanish Railways, Renfe). Single tickets for the two.5 hour, 386 mile journey will be snapped up for as little as €7. I’ve written extra about this in my article:

At World Journey Market, I met with Marina Ferrari, the recently-appointed French Minister for Tourism Economic system, who advised me in regards to the work of ADEME (the French Company for Ecological Transition), and the way there are plans to develop biking all through the nation, together with e-bikes in addition to hydrogen powered bikes, at nationwide, regional and native ranges. Mrs Ferrari additionally defined at WTM how France has plans to extend rail and coach providers: “We’re working with SNCF to make sure extra vacationers use trains – however we’re additionally working to introduce extra coaches. When you put 50 folks on a coach, then you definitely’re saving 15 automobiles on the highway”, she advised TTG’s Daniel Pearce: Olympic legacy continues for France with concentrate on rail. (Congrats to TTG who had been awarded this week because the Unbiased Publishing Firm of the Yr on the PPA Unbiased Writer Awards)

Earlier this yr, I returned to Calabash Caye in Belize the place I labored as a volunteer on a marine conservation challenge for Coral Cay Conservation within the Nineties. It was heartening to listen to from Eldon August, a tourism conservation officer for the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Affiliation, about how conservation has developed since my time there and that the reef system is now being protected to advertise the ‘blue financial system’. I travelled with the journey journalist Meera Dattani who has written two great options on neighborhood based mostly journey – one on nature conservation and one other on native meals, see: Inexperienced Traveller’s Information to Belize

Practice to Cop: From Blighty to Baku

Kudos to Carbon Jacked who travelled overland from the UK to COP29 in Azerbaijan.

10 international locations, 3400 miles, 100 hours.

Travelski’s Specific prepare service to the Alps has introduced it would once more be operating this winter from London on Saturday mornings (from twenty first December) and returning the next Sunday with daytime prepare journey in each instructions and eight nights of lodging (to facilitate a full 7 days of snowboarding) as commonplace. The road-up of resorts has expanded to incorporate Chamonix and La Clusaz, in addition to Tignes, Val d’Isère, Val Thorens, Méribel, Brides les Bains, Courchevel, Les Ménuires, Les Arcs, La Plagne and La Rosiére.

Eurostar has additionally introduced that it’ll additionally once more be operating its oblique service – Eurostar Snow – the place clients change at Lille for onward connection to the French Alps on a Eurostar continental prepare calling at Chambéry, Albertville, Moutiers, Aime-La Plagne, Landry and Bourg-Saint-Maurice. For more information on taking the prepare to the slopes, see: Learn how to take the prepare to Europe’s Ski Resorts by Snowcarbon’s Daniel Elkan.

European Sleeper extends to Prague

In a single day prepare service European Sleeper has prolonged its route from Brussels to Berlin to proceed to Prague, through Dresden and Unhealthy Schandau. The evening prepare, which features a bike carriage, additionally stops in in Děčín and Ústí nad Labem within the Czech Republic, for the Elbe Cycle Path and the Czech Switzerland Crest Path. “We’re actually thrilled to be launching the brand new path to Prague lower than a yr after launching our first direct service from Brussels to Berlin”, stated Elmer van Buuren, Co-Founder, of European Sleeper. “Our aim is so as to add a brand new route annually so we will proceed to contribute to a extra built-in and sustainable European transportation community”.

The Portuguese archipelago of Madeira has been given a inexperienced seal of approval for its dedication to sustainable tourism. Unbiased auditor EarthCheck visited and evaluated the island group to evaluate its alignment with 12 key areas, together with the preservation of its cultural and pure heritage, in addition to the balanced enhancement of its environmental, social, cultural and financial dimensions.

FlixBus Launches First London – Cambridge Electrical Coach Service

Coach operator FlixBus has launched a 100% electrical long-distance coach service between Cambridge and London. The electrical car, launched in partnership with Whippet and Zenobē, will run between Cambridge metropolis centre, Trumpington Park and Trip, London Finchley Highway and Victoria Coach Station. Andreas Schorling, Managing Director of FlixBus UK stated: “Following our launch of England and Wales first electrical coach service, we’re thrilled to be trialling one other zero-emission service as we construct the most important coach community within the nation.” In accordance with the corporate, the car, supplied by Pelican Yutong, will save 167kg of carbon emissions per day pushed – two spherical journeys – on the route in comparison with the typical diesel-fuelled coach.

Keswick turns into digital railway station

Keswick has change into a “digital railway station” with guests now capable of purchase a mixed ticket overlaying rail and bus journey to Keswick within the Lake District. Regardless that it doesn’t have a railway station, Avanti West Coast has added Keswick as a vacation spot on rail journey planners so only one ticket overlaying journey throughout each modes of transport will be bought to journey there. The creation of a digital railway station means folks can view the timings of the prepare and bus departures, in addition to ebook a single totally built-in ticket for his or her complete journey. Out there for journey on the West Coast Predominant Line, the ticket can be utilized on Avanti West Coast’s providers to Penrith (gateway to the North Lakes) and Stagecoach’s X4 and X5 bus service to Keswick – stopping the necessity for a number of tickets and transactions. Clients choose ‘Keswick Bus’ as their vacation spot when reserving through Avanti West Coast’s web site and app or at ticket workplaces, to obtain one ticket for his or her full journey.

Inntravel low carbon journeys

Specialist operator, Inntravel, which is celebrating its fortieth anniversary this yr, is highlighting a sequence of low carbon self-guided journeys both on foot or two wheels. Final yr it partnered with carbon consultancy ecollective to provide every one among its 300 holidays a carbon rating. Examples embrace a food-filled break in Aracena the place company are given a glimpse of Spanish rural life, a biking vacation in Bordeaux and St Emilion, and a strolling vacation in Germany’s Bavarian Alps, which has a carbon rating of simply 7kg per particular person per day.

Ecotourism and Regeneration in Catalonia

The Catalan Vacationer Board has produced a map of 30 ecotourism areas [pdf] the place guests can keep in eco-friendly lodging and participate in outside journey seeing wildlife in its pure habitat whereas contributing to biodiversity conservation. It additionally supplies info for 4 sorts of ecotourists: passionate, curious, intrepid and household. Lodging contains Lodge Molí de la Torre – a transformed textile mill in Costa Barcelona, and Cerdanya Ecoresort within the Catalan Pyrenees.

Lengthy haul flights: the elephant within the room

Celeste Hicks of the Aviation Atmosphere Federation has written a remark piece about efforts to scale back the carbon emissions of brief haul and lengthy haul flights, within the mild of Chancellor Rachel Reeves announcement of a 50% enhance in Air Passenger Obligation (APD) on sure personal jets. In her article, she references a report by Dobruszkes, Mattioli and Gozzoli, which confirmed that “flights of lower than 500km account for 26.7% of flights, however solely 5.2% of gasoline burnt; whereas flights of 4000km or extra account for simply 5.1% of flights, however 39% of gasoline burnt”. Celeste concludes “Plainly there isn’t a different possibility however to push for all of the options without delay – together with behaviour change, modal shift for short-haul AND an enormous enhance in funding for technological advances”.

Inexperienced Traveller’s Information to Spain

We have revealed a Inexperienced Traveller’s Information to Spain, which goals to showcase one of the best of the nation’s year-round low impression experiences, encouraging guests to make use of the nation’s in depth rail community and journey in a slower extra significant means, keep longer and profit from regionally run actions.

Video of Inexperienced Traveller’s Information to Spain

The information contains function articles illustrated by our personal professionally taken pictures and video, which we have produced with the help of the Spanish Vacationer Workplace in London. Manuel Butler, Director of the Spanish Vacationer Workplace in London, says: “This video showcases a wide range of Spain’s sustainable highlights, together with the spectacular pure landscapes and the way greatest to take pleasure in outside adventures. It additionally reveals among the unbelievable delicacies that Spain has to supply, spotlighting the experiences obtainable by way of native producers and artisans. Selling lesser-known gems, it presents a glance into how travellers can delve into the historical past and tradition of the locations visited. By this collaboration with Inexperienced Traveller, the Spanish Vacationer Workplace hopes to encourage geographical diversification, low season journey and true cultural immersion, offering inspiration for a accountable go to to Spain.”

Inexperienced Traveller’s Information to Belize

We have produced a Inexperienced Traveller’s Information to Belize. I travelled there to movie journey journalist Meera Dattani who has written two great options on neighborhood based mostly journey – one on nature conservation and one other on native meals. Through the journey we met with Eldon August, a tourism conservation officer for the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Affiliation. Describing our time with Eidon, Meera writes:

“As we stroll and speak, he tells me in regards to the significance of the mangrove ecosystem for flood safety and offering a haven for juvenile species, to the seaweed farms providing various livelihoods to fishermen with its health and beauty advantages (‘mariculture’).

“Our stroll leads us throughout the hammock bridge and to the path’s fowl tower. I don’t assume I’d ever taken in such a sight. As I flip my head, I’m handled to a 360-degree view of miles of mangroves, damaged up solely by the blue hues of the Caribbean Sea. Seeing one thing with your individual eyes reinforces what you’ve simply learnt, and also you realise simply how essential it’s to guard it.”

Inexperienced Traveller’s Information to Nouvelle-Aquitaine

We have produced a Inexperienced Traveller’s Information to Nouvelle-Aquitaine showcasing a spread of lodging, locations to seek out seasonal, natural meals, sights of curiosity and low impression actions. The information has adopted per week I spent in Nouvelle-Aquitaine with sustainable comms guru Nicola Forsyth. We travelled by prepare from London to Bordeaux (Eurostar, then simply two hours from Paris) to spend three days seeing the sights within the metropolis earlier than heading out by prepare and electrical bike to discover The Dordogne Valley, together with sampling a stage of La Move Vélo – a brand new 350km cycle path that runs from the Dordogne to the Atlantic coast, passing by way of the Perigord Limousin Regional Nationwide Park and Angouleme, alongside the Charente River and the cities of Cognac, Saintes and Rochefort.

The Hautes Alps – the opposite aspect of the mountain

I’ve written a couple of journey I made with my household by prepare to the Haute Alps – a lesser-known area of the French Alps – to check out a sequence of out of doors mountain actions with Undiscovered Mountains who run multi-activity holidays all through the realm. Learn the article (watch the video beneath):

The Inexperienced Traveller journal

Get the Image – accountable images in The Farne Islands, by Diana Jarvis

Overland journey to Greece, by Rhiannon Batten

Postcard from Korvemaa, by Rebecca Miles

Menu from Catalonia, by Paul Bloomfield

Wild Swimming in Extremadura, Spain, by Ginny Mild

Courageous New World of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, by Richard Hammond and Nicola Forsyth

Mountain Highs within the Hautes Alps, by Richard Hammond

Neighborhood-based conservation in Belize, by Meera Dattani