Traveling is a great hobby that many people enjoy, but it can be an environmental burden. Seeing more of your country and the rest of the world can help you be a better citizen of the world. Once you begin traveling, you might also quickly realize that the world out there is in need of help from all of humanity. Making your trips as eco-friendly as possible can help you enjoy this wonderful activity without over-taxing the Earth's resources. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to stay green when you travel.

Eat and Drink Locally

Wherever you are in the world, if you eat foods that are grown locally, you're reducing the need for shipping food long distances. Keep this in mind when choosing your drinks as well. If you're in a wine-producing region, drink the local wine varieties rather than opting for wines and other beverages from far away places. Find local micro-breweries to keep your beer drinking carbon-friendly. A bonus to these local choices is that you'll have memories of drinks that are not available anywhere else in the world. These will always bring a smile when you think about your travels.

When you need to order food and drinks for delivery, you can choose restaurants that feature local ingredients also. This is both environmentally friendly and a great way to experience the world's varied cuisine. If your delivery service routes their drivers using digital dispatching, they can minimize their impact on the environment as well, reducing local air pollution and keeping their city cleaner.

Drive Instead of Flying

Of course, if you're traveling across oceans, then flights are not easily avoided. If you're traveling domestically, though, choose to drive when you can and have a significant impact on air pollution levels. Even if you're traveling solo, you'll still generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions in a car. That benefit is multiplied if you're traveling as a group.

Driving on your vacations has the added benefit that you'll get to see more of the country that you're visiting. Stop in small towns for great local food at mealtimes. Visit museums along the way that you would have simply flown over in an airplane. Check out a site like Roadside America to see if the world's largest ball of twine or a statue of Colonel Sanders is on your route.

Use Public Transportation

Most large cities in the world have one or more public transportation options. Walking is a great way to travel around a city and see everything the city has to offer, but when you're traveling farther than walking permits, opt for a bus or subway ride when possible to lower your impact on air pollution. Cabs and rideshare services can only transport a few people at a time, making their emissions pretty significant. Public transportation generates far fewer emissions per passenger than private cars do.

Reuse Towels at Hotels

When you're staying in a hotel, opt to have your towels and sheets washed less frequently to save water and electricity. Many hotels are moving toward providing these housekeeping services only every few days rather than daily, but even if that's not the standard at your hotel, you can request that housekeeping not replace your towels and sheets every day. You probably don't wash your towels and sheets daily at home, so it's not much different to maintain those habits during your travels.

With a few intentional choices, traveling the world can be a great way to spend your time while not increasing your carbon footprint. Travel with sustainability in mind to help keep the world safe for future generations.