Eco Winter Holidays: For Couples

Whether you fancy a romantic weekend in Paris, a sweet time in rural Cornwall or shooting down the slopes in the snow, MoreEco have found you the best eco-holiday destinations!

Snow Carbon:

Without a doubt, ski-ing is a romantic past time. The combination of amazing scenery, great cuisine, romantic weather and stunning chalet’s means there can be no better vacation for you and your loved one. This winter, why not make your romantic escape a little eco-friendly by travelling by train. The stunning scenes and old-school glamour of travelling by train make this the best romantic getaway there is!

Why Go By Train?

It’s good for the planet…

All travel has a price in terms of harmful emissions, but if you take the train rather than fly to a ski resort you can slash your carbon footprint by up to 90%.

A round trip by plane to the Italian resort of Sauze d’Oulx, for example, produces around 180kg of CO2, according to the carbon emission analysts, Best Foot Forward.

Don’t think you’ll be helping the environment by driving there. An average car making the same journey will produce 450kg of CO2.

By contrast, a return trip to Sauze by rail – with just a single change of train in Paris – produces only 20kg of CO2. So you could have a ski holiday every winter for the next nine years and create the same carbon footprint as another skier flying just once.

A 2007 study by a French Government agency and Mountain Riders found that 73% of an average ski resort’s carbon footprint is created by visitor journeys

It’s good for you…

Travelling by train is often a more hassle-free and comfortable experience. With SnowCarbon you also get two extra days on the slopes and it’s often worth it for the views alone!

Please see Snow Carbon’s information pages for more details…

http://www.snowcarbon.co.uk/why-go-train

Paris:

The Eurostar – see above for details of how going by train is good for the planet!

Eurostar’s ‘Tread Lightly’ campaign - Eurostar promised to cut their carbon emissions by 25% per traveller, which they have already done, and are now aiming for 35%

Where to stay

For a romantic break there can be no better, nor greener, place to stay than Hotel Regents Paris .

They have committed to the eco-label agenda:

In order to continually meet the demands of European Ecolabel certification and to uphold the values on which the business is built, the management and staff at the hotel have put in place an action plan spread over two years, with the aim of reducing the consumption of water, gas and electricity, and the amount of waste produced.

For this reason the hotel has fitted its rooms with:

• low energy lighting (compact fluorescent and LED bulbs)tap systems with aerators allowing a reduction in the flow of watersensors which automatically switch off the air-conditioning when the windows are opened
• a card system for the automatic switching on and off of the lights
• complimentary products without individual or excessive packaging in keeping with strict environmental standards

The rooms and bathrooms are cleaned exclusively with products which meet environmental standards. Certified as carrying the European Ecolabel these products allow us to use only the amount of water that is absolutely necessary.

Products served on the breakfast buffet, as well as some being certified, are selected according to certain criteria (choice and quantity of the product) in order to limit waste and the excess production of rubbish.

All their staff make a point of separating rubbish and switching off all lights and appliances left on unnecessarily. They have also been trained to work together to control and limit their ecological footprint. Equally, the staff are an integral part of the “new quality” that we aim to offer guests, and which is present in our values of authenticity, conviviality and respect for others.

Consistent with this, the garden has been cultivated using natural methods and is equipped with a rainwater collection system and lit by extremely low energy LEDs (1 watt).

When it comes to the running of the hotel, particular effort has been made to reduce stationery consumption (recycled paper, refillable toner cartridges) and deal with harmful waste. Additionally, they aim to promote other approved products such as those labelled AB (organic) or Max Havelaar (fairtrade), which contribute both to the quality of service we provide, as well as to your well-being and that of many others, for example:

In the rooms:

• duvets made from cotton supplied by a fairtrade company (Max Havelaar)
• shower gel and soap with the European Ecolabelcourtesy trays containing products sourced from fairtrade companies (in certain room categories)

At breakfast:

• a selection of teas and coffees sourced from fairtrade companies (Max Havelaar)
• organic muesli and cereals (certified AB)
• organic jams, compotes and spreads (certified AB)

Also:

• a selection of organic wines (certified AB or Demeter)

For more information please see their site

>>> Eco Winter Travel Guide

>>> Eco Winter Products