CO₂ is a natural component of the air around us. It is produced with every combustion process, hence also every time you travel by auto, airplane, bus or rail, unless the energy to drive it comes from sustainable energy sources (e.g., hydroelectric power).

Which mode of transportation is the best?

Because CO₂ is a greenhouse gas, low CO₂ emissions mean environmental friendliness and conservation of energy. Vacation travel can make significant differences based on:

• the distance
• the number of people (advantage of car pooling, ride sharing)
• the mode of transportation

For long distances, a lone traveler can save CO₂ via air travel, while a whole family is better off via auto. For short distances or if a whole family flies, the effect is reversed.

The leader for CO₂ savings is rail travel; in addition, in cities you save the trouble of finding a parking place. Certainly some vacation destinations are hard to reach by rail. Thus the choice of optimum mode of transportation varies from case to case.

Source: VCÖ (Travel Club of Austria)

To compute the CO2 emissions for your vacation, use our CO₂-calculator!Under Transport you can easily compare emissions for reaching various destinations.

By the way, in return for a contribution, certain initiatives offer to neutralize your CO2 emissions by planting a corresponding number of trees (e.g., http://www.myclimate.org/en.html).