I’ve always loved to travel, but I’ll be honest there are moments when the excitement has been mixed with guilt. The first time it really hit me was in Iceland a few years ago. I was standing at the edge of a glacier, absolutely floored by how massive and beautiful it was, when our guide casually mentioned, “This used to stretch all the way to where the bus is parked.” I turned and looked, and the bus was a good ten-minute walk away. I remember my stomach dropping. It was the first time I felt like my own wanderlust the flights, the hotels, the endless movement was connected to the very thing that was melting before my eyes.
That moment has stayed with me, and since then, I’ve been trying to travel differently. Not perfectly I still book flights, I still crave faraway places but with more intention. And in 2025, the good news is I’m not the only one. Travel companies, hotels, even airlines are finally starting to step up, and I’ve been able to see firsthand how much more rewarding “eco-friendly” travel can feel.
When Hotels Go Beyond Greenwashing
I still laugh when I think about the first “eco-hotel” I stayed in. They handed me a flimsy card asking me to reuse my towels and had a recycling bin tucked in the corner of the room. That was it. It felt more like green marketing than green living.
But last year in Costa Rica, I stayed somewhere that completely changed my perspective. The entire lodge ran on solar power. Breakfast was made from fruit grown right there on the property. At night, instead of the dull hum of air conditioners, I listened to the rainforest outside frogs, crickets, and the occasional howler monkey in the distance. One morning, I had coffee on the balcony, the beans roasted just meters away, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like my stay was actually part of the place, not just imposed on it.
Since then, I’ve noticed more and more hotels doing things right. In Slovenia, my room had refillable glass water bottles instead of endless plastic. In Bali, the villas were built into the natural curves of the landscape instead of bulldozing over them. These touches don’t just make me feel less guilty they make my trips more memorable.
Flights I Don’t Feel Quite So Bad About
I’ll be real: flying is still the hardest part. I actually love flying the rush of takeoff, the little rituals of airports but every time I settle into a seat, there’s that nagging thought about the carbon footprint. For years, I tried to soothe myself with carbon offsets, but it always felt like a Band-Aid.
Things finally started feeling different last year when I booked a flight from Lisbon to New York. The airline highlighted that part of the route was powered by sustainable aviation fuel. Did it erase the emissions? No. But it was the first time I felt like airlines weren’t hiding the truth they were showing me the impact and giving me better options.
I haven’t tried one of the new electric short-haul flights yet, but a friend of mine did between Stockholm and Gothenburg. She told me it was so quiet she could hear her pen scratch across her notebook. Hearing her story made me think: maybe the day is coming when flights won’t feel like guilty pleasures anymore.
Tours That Don’t Leave You Cringing Later
When I think about my biggest travel mistakes, one stands out: years ago in Thailand, I rode an elephant. At the time, I didn’t know how damaging it was. Looking back, I cringe at the photos. I didn’t mean harm, but I also didn’t ask the right questions.
That mistake has made me extra cautious about the tours I book now. And thankfully, in 2025, I’ve found options that make me feel good instead of guilty. In Kenya, I joined a safari with a company that hires guides from local villages and funnels money into wildlife conservation. Watching elephants wander across the savannah this time felt different like I wasn’t just taking from the experience but giving something back.
Even in cities, I’ve seen this shift. In Amsterdam, I joined a tour where the guide showed us urban farms and zero-waste shops. It wasn’t flashy, but it opened my eyes to how sustainability works in everyday life. Those are the experiences that stay with me long after the trip.
How Traveling Green Changed Me
Trying to travel sustainably hasn’t just changed where I stay or how I get there it’s changed my pace. I used to be obsessed with cramming as many destinations into one trip as possible. I remember one whirlwind trip where I hit Paris, Rome, and Athens in a week. By the end, I couldn’t even tell you what I’d seen I was exhausted and disconnected.
Now, I stay longer. A month in Lisbon, three weeks in Ubud, even just five slow days in a small town in Slovenia. Staying longer reduces my footprint, but it also gives me a different kind of memory. I start to recognize faces at the local bakery, I learn shortcuts through neighborhoods, I feel the rhythm of the place. Honestly, those slower, deeper experiences have been the most rewarding of my life.
And the habits stick. I haven’t bought a plastic water bottle in years because so many places abroad normalized refill stations. I eat less meat now because I saw how easy and delicious plant-based food can be in other countries. Travel hasn’t just given me photos; it’s reshaped how I live when I come home.
Yes, It Costs More Sometimes
One of the questions I hear most often from friends is, “Isn’t sustainable travel more expensive?” And sometimes, yeah it is. Eco-hotels often charge more than budget stays. A train can cost more than a budget airline ticket.
But I’ve found that it evens out. When I stay longer in one place, I take fewer flights. When I eat local food instead of imported stuff, it’s usually cheaper and tastier. And honestly, paying a little extra for peace of mind that my trip isn’t damaging the very places I love feels worth it.
Countries That Impressed Me
Some places are really leading the charge. Costa Rica blew me away with how much of their energy comes from renewables. Iceland had entire buses powered by geothermal energy. Japan surprised me with its rural tourism initiatives that encourage travelers to spread out instead of overwhelming big cities.
But Slovenia was my favorite surprise. It felt like a country quietly doing everything right pristine lakes, farm-to-table meals, and locals who genuinely care about protecting their landscapes. Traveling there didn’t just feel eco-friendly it felt hopeful.
Living With the Guilt, Finding the Hope
Do I still feel guilty sometimes? Of course. I don’t think that’s ever going to disappear completely. But what’s changed is that guilt doesn’t paralyze me anymore it pushes me to choose better. To book the train instead of the short-haul flight. To stay at the eco-lodge instead of the chain hotel. To pick the tour that invests in the community instead of exploiting it.
And when I look around in 2025, I see other travelers making those same choices. I see airlines testing new fuels, hotels banning single-use plastics, and countries investing in green tourism. It’s far from perfect, but it feels like movement in the right direction. And that’s enough to keep me hopeful.
Final Thoughts: Traveling With Heart
For me, sustainable travel isn’t about perfection it’s about intention. It’s about choosing a solar-powered hotel where I can sip coffee grown down the road instead of shipped across the world. It’s about saying no to harmful tours and yes to ones that uplift local people. It’s about reminding myself that the reason I travel to feel connected to the world only works if the world is still there to connect to.
I still crave new places. I still love airports and sunsets in foreign skies. That hasn’t changed. What has changed is the way I approach it with more care, more gratitude, and more awareness. Because at the end of the day, the most important souvenir I can bring home isn’t a trinket or a photo. It’s the knowledge that my travels left the world just a little better than I found it.
And if that’s what sustainable travel in 2025 looks like, then I’m all in.