7 ways to travel more sustainably in Scandinavia this summer

For the second year in a row, Sweden has been voted as the world’s most sustainable tourist destination at travel conference ITB Berlin. It’s a great accolade that highlights the wealth of green and eco-chic travel experiences on offer in the country.

So, we’re taking a little inspiration from it to look at how to travel more sustainably in Scandinavia this summer. Camping in your backyard is not the only low-impact travel option available: take a look at these ideas to help plan a more sustainable summer trip.

Train travel is back. There’s often less difference than you might think between how long it takes to travel by train and plane when you take into account out of town airports and pre-flight check-in times. And with sleeper train services linking Copenhagen and Stockholm in six hours, and many more due to follow through Europe in the next few years, travelling by train is about to get even better.

Take a look at how to travel through Sweden by train here, and through Norway, which has some of the best rail journeys in the world, here. As most train stations are in the centre of their town or city, it’s a great benefit that you arrive right in the heart of the action.

Hot tip: For train travel planning around Europe from Scandinavia, use the website Seat61.

This one is really easy in Scandinavia. There are so many places to choose from - including outstanding out of the way remote hotels, treehouses and nature hideaways. To make sure you book somewhere that has as low a carbon footprint as possible, look out for these labels or badges: Green Key, an ecolabel for sustainable hotels, B Corp, which independently verifies business including UP Norway, and Swedish Welcome, which helps verify and develop sustainable tourism businesses in Sweden. In Finland, look for the label Sustainable Travel Finland, while in Iceland, look for Vakinn.

Hot tip: According to VisitCopenhagen, the majority of the hotel rooms in Copenhagen, including those at the sustainable and luxury-focused Villa Copenhagen, are eco-certified.

Norway, in case you didn’t know, is the e-car capital of the world. Even with the long distances you can drive in this mountainous country, you can do it by electric vehicle, thanks to great planning with charging stations all over the map. There are plenty of car options to choose from, so if you’re renting a car in Norway, make it a green one.

What you pack and how much it weighs can make a real difference. After all, the heavier your plane (or car), the more fuel is burned and the more carbon dioxide is produced. The answer is to pack light. That means you have to make some more difficult decisions - pack the ‘must haves’ and don’t take items just in case. Simplify your colour palette so you can mix and match everything you take, and make plans to do laundry if you’re there for over a week so you don’t need to pack so much.

Food miles count. Local sourcing puts money back into the local economy, encouraging growth and development. Wherever you have a choice during your travels, buy local. That could mean staying in an independent hotel, rather than an international chain; challenging yourself to eat brunost rather than your usual cheese, or booking an independent tour guide over a global organisation. Great things happen when money flows back into local economies, supporting the community and its future.

Just because there are mini shampoos in the bathroom, it doesn’t mean you have to use them. Just because someone can clean your villa and replace your towels every day doesn’t mean they should. And just because there is a bottle of water set out for you, it doesn’t mean you should take it. Wherever you have the option to make a better choice in terms of renewable resources and single-use plastic, do it.

Hot tip: Pack a reusable water bottle - water all over Scandinavia is drinkable and it cuts down on your plastic waste.

If you really have to fly, do what you can to mitigate your impact on the planet by buying a carbon offset. Carbonfund.org works with the likes of National Geographic and JetBlue and invests in forests, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Their site includes a carbon calculator and air travel offsets - flights for up to 10,000 miles are offset for 32.50 euros.

Hot tip: Copenhagen-based sustainable travel firm Good Wings helps businesses mitigate their carbon footprint, removing business travel emissions cost-free. Worth a look if you’re a frequent business flyer.