Train travel may be better than flying or driving, but the most environmentally friendly solution is also the simplest don’t go anywhere. While this may seem radical, don’t dismiss it out of hand; when’s the last time you visited a local museum or hiked through a local trail. People are often so blind to their surroundings that most New Yorkers have never been to the Statue of Liberty except as a child, most Londoners last saw the Tower in primary school, and most Australians know Europe better than their own outback. It’s a surreal experience being a tourist at home especially if you do it properly: buy a guidebook (Let’s Go or Lonely Planet, naturally), stay in a hostel, eat out every night, and don’t go home until you’ve seen everything there is to see!
