Eco-Friendly Travel Through the Balkans
Going green is the topic on everybody’s lips at the moment – and rightly so! Small differences we make to our daily life and travel habits can help contribute to making a big difference to our beautiful planet. Travel in general is not always an eco-friendly activity. However, there are definitely ways you can travel more green. Check out these top tips on eco-friendly travel through the Balkans.
Why its Important to Travel Green
Global warming is already here and can be seen in action all over the planet with severe weather patterns ranging from drought to floods, tornadoes to tsunamis. Travel is a contributor to this effect, there’s no escaping it. However, that doesn’t mean we have to stay home. There are many ways in which we can try to make our travels more eco-friendly.
Can Everyone Travel Green?
Yes, there is something that everyone can incorporate into their travels to make it a greener process. All of these small changes contribute to making a significant difference. Eco friendly travel through the Balkans doesn’t have to be difficult or awkward!
Where Can you Go?
When choosing an eco-friendly Balkan destination there are a few things to consider.
- Consider Eco-Friendly Locations –
A recent article in the NY Times highlighted Slovenia among one of the best countries to visit if you intend to travel green. Ljubljana in particular has been praised for managing sustainability; showed commitment to protecting natural resources, people and heritage; and reduced energy consumption, among other factors
In 2016 Ljubljana, was voted Europe’s greenest city by the European Union. This was mostly due to the amazing public transport network, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, commitment to protecting green areas and saving waste water.
- Consider Going off Season
If you intend to visit busy tourist areas, consider visiting off season when it’s quieter (and often cheaper). Stay for longer in a sustainable accommodation try bookdifferent.com which ensures claims to sustainability are checked by third parties
It’s also a great idea to find local activities that give back to residents in the area.
- Consider a Recovering Area
Another option is to visit an area that is recovering after war or disaster. This way, your hard-earned dough is going straight into a struggling community.
A good example of this in the Balkans is Kosovo. After going through yet another Balkan war in 1999-2000 they are still building their lives back. There is a lot to see and do in this beautiful country and it’s definitely an Eco-friendly way to travel through the Balkans.
How to get Around Once you Arrive
So, you have selected the destination. What are the most Eco-friendly ways to travel through the Balkans? Normally, trains or electric cars are considered the most green form of transport. However, there are not many trains or electric charging points in the Balkans yet.
With this in mind there are a few other options. Hitchhiking is common in the Balkans. However, it’s not really for everyone.
Minibuses, or furgons, are most commonly used to transport people around the Balkans. They are cheap and cheerful but very old and definitely spout out something vile.
Walking is great for short distances, especially when the weather is good. Many people also use car shares like bla bla car.
But if you have to hire a car, get one with a smaller engine so it doesn’t guzzle quite as much gas!
What to pack for Eco-friendly Travel Through the Balkans
Firstly, pack light where possible. The more a plane weighs, the more carbon emissions it produces. Here are some essentials for eco-friendly packing
- Hard shampoo and toothpaste to reduce plastic packaging
- Facecloth to avoid using wipes
- Bamboo toothbrush
- Bamboo hairbrush or comb
- Water bottle with filter to reduce plastic bottle use
- Reusable coffee cup
- Sunscreen – many sunscreens contain oxybenzone, which is poisonous to some algae. Bring along a reef-safe option, such as Raw Elements, instead.Â
- Ladies, it’s worth considering plastic free or reusable sanitary products such as the moon cup
- Sustainable tote
- Solar power battery charger
- Natural deodorant
- Re-useable cutlery if you plan to eat on the go
What to Eat and Where
Eating out is one of our favourite parts about discovering new places. Eco-friendly travel through the Balkans is definitely possible when considering the following issues.
Try vegan restaurants in the Balkans. Yes, they love their meat in this part of the world. However. every day a new and delicious vegan place pops up. We loved Ejona in Tirana, Albania, and Pipers Green in Podgorica, Montenegro.
Try to eat and drink locally sourced products that are in season. This means the produce has not had to clock up the airmiles to reach its final destination. It also helps to support local farms and businesses.
Avoid all inclusive deals where possible. There is a lot of waste from this tourism model.
What Eco-Friendly Souvenirs Can I Buy in the Balkans
As with food, try to buy locally made products and crafts. They support local people and often the quality is far superior and you can take home a genuine piece of the countries culture.
It is helpful to bring a reusable bag to carry all of your goodies
Try shopping for vintage clothing. It is not as common in the Balkans as it is in many western countries. However, you are likely to pick up some great deals as well as helping the environment.
How to Stay Green when Hiking in the Balkans
We love hiking because it brings you close to nature and the wilderness. any small thing we can do to keep nature beautiful is so worth it. Eco-friendly hiking through the Balkans is easy when you follow these few simple steps.
It’s advisable to always stay on marked trails and keep a safe distance from wild animals that share the same space. Going freestyle might also mean you could damage plants.
On a similar note, avoid picking flowers or plants. They could be endangered or even poisonous
Take everything home with you. As the saying goes, “Take nothing but photos and leave nothing but footprints.”
Eco-friendly travel through the Balkans
Eco-friendly travel through the Balkans is easier than you might think. Any little change that can help our stunning planet is always worth doing. Every time we return to the region we find more progress towards a greener world/ We can all work together to help preserve our beautiful world.
Where to Next?
Inspired by the beautiful Balkans? Have a look at these Jaw-Dropping Balkan Lakes for some inspiration. Fancy some hiking? Find out how to Hike Mount Vitosha, Bulgaria.
Final note: Things change in the Balkans all the time and there is not much information online in English. As a result, we would definitely advise checking with a local where possible. We found people to be really friendly and super helpful.
Have you visited the Balkans, do you have any green travel tips? Are you planning a trip and need more information? Drop a comment in the box, we’d love to hear from you!
Hi, Thanks for reading! Building personal itineraries is, unfortunately, not a service that we currently offer. Hopefully our blogs will provide plenty of information for your Balkan adventure. However, if you have a specific question feel free to give us a shout!
I want to visit all Balkan countries from albania. Please give me best route map and inform me best public transportation and best places for vegetarian food
I try to travel as eco-friendly as possible, so these tips for the Balkans were really interesting to read. The idea of car sharing is great and I didn’t know that was an option here so that’s really good to know when we head back to this area of Europe.
Heading to the Balkan soon and this is a great post with many tips I can apply there. Thanks for sharing
I have always wondered how the dry shampoo works. Does that work fine?
Great post. It’s not always easy to travel sustainably in areas like the Balkans (I took many trips on dodgy buses!) but there are some great trips here. Thanks for sharing!
These are some really helpful tips Katy! Especially in times like this we need to rethink the way we travel and change to a more sustainable kind of travel.