Europe's top sustainable travel destinations in 2024

Plitvice Lakes National Park

CROATIA

As well as providing a haven for biodiversity, the beech, fir and spruce forests of Plitvice Lakes National Park rank fourth among UNESCO World Heritage sites worldwide for the amount of CO2 absorbed per hectare from the atmosphere – storing an impressive 3.8 million tonnes in total. Protecting this valuable resource is the main focus of the park management, which has also been working to improve sustainability in all areas of its work. The park now employs about 1,000 people – some 80% of the local population – who receive free bus transport to work, eliminating the need for private vehicles and the pollution they emit. All buildings in the park are now powered by 100% certified renewable energy, too, and all plastics used are recycled.

Seefeld

AUSTRIA

The town of Seefeld, in the state of Tyrol, sits on a beautiful, high plateau in Karwendel Nature Park – the largest in Austria, spanning over 73,000 hectares – and less than 40 minutes by train from Innsbruck. Though perhaps best known as the venue for various events during the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976, it’s a year-round outdoor playground – and a sustainability innovator. In 2023, the Seefeld region was one of the first two to be awarded the Austrian Ecolabel for Tourist Destinations, recognising tangible and measurable sustainability actions.

Guests arriving by train and staying for at least one night are given a guest card entitling them to free use of public transport throughout the region. The Echtes Plateauprodukt (Genuine Plateau Product) and Plateau Breakfast labels have been developed to help visitors identify and buy local products. And the region has implemented many initiatives to protect biodiversity, from replacing lawns with native flower meadows to reforesting wooded areas with a greater variety of species in order to speed up adaptation to climate change. seefeld.com/en

Gothenburg & West Sweden

The region of West Sweden, and its compact, walkable and transit-friendly main city, Gothenburg, are delivering creative, innovative projects that prove just how much better tourism can be – for climate, visitors and locals alike.

West Sweden’s online Climate Smart Holidays tool is more than just another carbon calculator. It’s a selection of five packages, with stays in unique accommodation such as glass cabins and the lowest possible CO2 emissions. Visitors are encouraged to travel by train, and can be picked up at a station in an electric car for the last stretch. All food served is sourced locally.

Exact emissions have been calculated and shared online, too, so travellers can see the massive difference taking a Climate Smart Holiday makes compared with, for example, a trip to the Canary Islands.

Zürich

SWITZERLAND

Named the city with the cleanest air in the world in 2024, Zürich is doing plenty to allow visitors to breathe easier and reduce their environmental footprint. In a city where parking is scarce, and nearly twice as many people have bicycles as own cars, the excellent light rail system and abundance of cycle lanes are boons for travellers and locals alike. Just hopping on tram 4 – known unofficially as the ‘Culture Line’, linking many of the city museums – feels like a step in the right direction.

When booking tours and excursions, look for the ‘green leaf’ logo, indicating that these either produce no harmful emissions or offset any that are produced. Many dining venues in the city have embraced plant-based and vegan eating, too. Indeed, this trend was arguably set here in 1898, with the opening of Hiltl Vegimetzg – reputedly the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world.

Switzerland

Switzerland has long led the way in sustainability, and the tourism office’s approach has developed in tandem with the ‘Swisstainable’ national sustainability strategy. Along with other initiatives to reduce carbon emissions and encourage travellers to explore lesser-known areas, the Swiss Travel Pass makes it easier for visitors to take full advantage of efficient trains, boats and buses across the country. This single ticket covers travel on public transport nationwide for three, four, six, eight or 15 consecutive days, with prices starting at £222.

Various services have been upgraded to be more sustainable; for example, in 2023 the Pilatus Bahnen near Lucerne – the world’s steepest cogwheel railway – launched trains with energy-efficient drive technology. And national carrier SWISS (Swiss International Air Lines) aims to halve its carbon emissions from 2019 levels by 2030, investing in more-efficient aircraft such as the Airbus A320neo – with each generation of SWISS planes emitting up to 25% less CO2 than its predecessor.

Bordeaux

FRANCE

Wine is life in Bordeaux – and winemakers are taking great strides in ensuring that both wine and life are greener. By 2020, some three-quarters of the region’s vineyard area had adopted a certified environmental approach to production, embracing holistic methods such as biodynamics, using draught horses to till the soil, and creating ecological corridors to enable safe movement of wildlife. Estate tours are more than merely cellar tastings these days, too; they inform and educate visitors about the benefits of organic and environmentally friendly techniques. At Château de La Dauphine, for example, visitors can tour the estate’s permaculture vegetable garden, beehives and aquaponics. At the Caves de Rauzan estate, a 5km-long family-friendly biodiversity trail runs through the vineyards, introducing the flora and fauna living here. And the city’s Bordeaux Wine Festival has been eco-certified since 2021 – waste is composted, single-use plastic has been eliminated, and emissions are measured, with efforts made to reduce them further. All in all, there’s plenty to ponder as you pedal – or perhaps e-bike – your way between these greenest of vineyards.

Julian Alps

SLOVENIA

The Julian Alps Biosphere Reserve has developed a holistic approach to sustainable tourism. Travellers are encouraged to choose lower-emission transportation and tour options, and communities receive funding to help deal with the kind of tourism-related issues that often get glossed over – such as overloaded car parks during busy travel periods. More than 185 small businesses have been assisted in earning sustainability certifications, and logos are issued to identify locally made products, encouraging visitors to buy food and other goods from the region.

Destination-specific Julian Alps Cards, some included in the cost of accommodation bookings, offer benefits including free bus travel and free or discounted excursions, tours and admission to attractions.

For adventurers keen to get out into the mountains, sustainable options abound in every season. The 290km Juliana Bike route is augmented by over 650km of digitally mapped trails comprising the Julian Alps Bike Network. Note that forest managers may close off specific areas or sections of trails during the mating seasons of endangered animal species. For the winter months, the Juliana SkiTour is a four-stage, 52km route, guided or self-guided, that avoids designated ‘quiet zones’ to avoid disturbing wildlife.

Madeira

PORTUGAL

Though island capital Funchal is a major cruise port, the rest of Madeira isn’t geared up for mass tourism. Instead, this tiny volcanic island – which already derives about one-third of its energy from hydro, solar and wind power – is increasingly embracing slow travel. A focus on small-scale, low-impact tourism has prompted more agritourism stays, organic vineyards and even a solar-powered catamaran tour. Two-thirds of the total area of the archipelago is protected, and Europe’s largest marine reserve, around the Selvagens Islands, was created in 2021. In 2020, Porto Santo – Madeira’s smaller sibling a little to the north-east, an important haven for the vulnerable Mediterranean monk seal – was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. To really minimise your footprint, hike Madeira’s extensive network of levadas (aquaducts), past natural pools and crashing waterfalls, to discover island life in the slow lane.

Valencia

SPAIN

In 2019, Valencia was the first city in the world to measure the carbon and water footprints of its tourism – and then saw those emissions decrease by nearly 8% to 2022. Efforts to make this coastal city even more sustainable are ongoing. Named European Green Capital for 2024, Valencia is working to be emission-neutral by 2030.

Various initiatives aim to create a more accessible, pedestrian-friendly city. In 2023, 150,000 square metres of space was pedestrianised in three main squares, and more bike lanes are under construction to augment the existing 200km. Further expansion is planned for the verdant Turia Garden – meandering 9km through the city, it’s already the longest urban park in Europe.

Rimini, Emilia-Romagna

ITALY

The seaside town of Rimini is removing 16km of asphalt – transforming that stretch of former road into a vast, climate-resilient urban green space called Parco del Mare (Sea Park). With many sections of the project already complete, locals and visitors can walk and cycle among native Mediterranean dune vegetation, moving through green spaces, fitness areas and playgrounds designed to evoke the movement of sea life.

True to the spirit of this laid-back resort town, which is known for its long beaches and shallow waters, the new park integrates small community squares with the aim of promoting convivial socialising – like open-air lounges overlooking the Adriatic Sea.

In addition, the most significant sewerage system modernisation project underway in Italy will be completed soon, making the waters off Rimini the cleanest, safest and most controlled in the country.

Scotland

With plenty of inspiring projects across the country, Scotland has what it takes to become a world leader in sustainable travel. VisitScotland has created a step-by-step guide to help local businesses launch climate action plans, and has built a carbon calculator to help travellers understand the different impacts of various travel choices. The promotion of public transport has seen the number of family rail journeys rise by 44% between 2022 and 2023. Through its marketing activity, VisitScotland is encouraging visitors to have more meaningful travel experiences, while the Scottish Thistle Awards celebrate and showcase businesses leading the way in sustainable practices. VisitScotland has also reduced its own CO2 emissions by 72% since 2008/2009 through a wide variety of actions – from recycling waste and using less energy to conscious business travel. 

Andros

GREECE

In summer, when tourist numbers soar across the Cyclades, the archipelago’s infrastructure faces immense challenges – there are simply more people arriving than these relatively small islands can handle. On Andros, waste output outstrips processing capacity,
a situation exacerbated by proliferating single-use plastics. Thankfully, local organisations have leaped into action. Clean Green Andros is a volunteer-run initiative working to improve waste management, conservation and education. It leads regular rubbish clean-ups, and has created a directory explaining how to properly dispose of any item of waste on the island. Since 2012, volunteers have restored and signposted 240km of paths, including the Andros Route – a 100km trail taking walkers along the length of the island, helping to increase its appeal as a destination for hiking and nature-focused holidays.

Lahemaa National Park

ESTONIA

In 2020, the communities in and around Estonia’s oldest and largest national park – founded in 1971, and encompassing nearly 75,000 hectares some 50km east of Tallinn – created the Lahemaa Tourism Association, an NGO that sets residents, local entrepreneurs and government on an even footing for tourism planning. Enthusiasm for the project is evident among the area’s sparse but engaged population of around 3,600 residents living in about 70 villages.
One result has been a push to train local people as tour guides introducing visitors to the park’s native forests, wetlands and waters – and the diverse flora and wildlife they harbour. So far, 75 guides have been trained through the sustainability-focused programme. Previously, guides came from outside the area; now locals are gaining second jobs, and tourists enjoy hearing authentic stories from the area as well as experiencing the benefits of real local knowledge. During the summer, local students manage a mobile café at Loksa bus station, where visitors can find information, bike rental and advice on public transport. The association says its goal is not to raise tourist numbers –currently around 200,000 per year – but to help those who do visit appreciate the area’s natural and cultural heritage.

Vienna

AUSTRIA

It’s easy to choose greener transit options in Vienna – just as locals do: 50% of residents already opt to use bikes or public transport for daily activities. And no wonder: Vienna’s transport network is one of the most efficient in the world. The city is also introducing traffic-calming measures and aims to increase the proportion of daily journeys made on foot, by bike or on public transport
to 80% by 2025. In 2024, some 20km of bike lanes will be added to the existing 1,721km of cycle routes around the city. And in 2025, a 6km-long ‘Climate Highway’ project will start, building a continuous cycling route where a motorway was originally planned.

Efforts to boost sustainability aren’t confined to transport. The renovated Wien Museum, which reopened in December 2023, features a solar panel installation on its green roof, and uses geothermal energy for climate control. Following examples set by British national museums, it’s also the first public museum in Austria to offer free entrance to its permanent exhibit for all visitors.

Germany

The amount of CO2 emitted for each euro generated by tourism in Germany dropped by 35% between 2010 and 2021. This reflects an enduring ethos that we’d now call sustainability. Juist Island in the Wadden Sea, known for its long, white-sand beaches, is one example: on this resolutely car-free island, visitors and locals have always travelled by horse-drawn carriage, bicycle, foot or, more recently, pedal car. Elsewhere, the village of Feldheim – two hours south-west of Berlin by public transport – began its journey to energy self-sufficiency in the mid-90s. It started with a student’s vision of installing four wind turbines, which have since multiplied to around 55 – about one turbine for every two residents. Some 31% of Germany’s electricity was generated by wind in 2023, but Feldheim remains the only settlement to be self-sufficient for energy, with its own grid for heating and electricity. The village also has solar panels and a battery system to store energy for when weather doesn’t permit production. Travellers can learn about the system at an old farmhouse converted into an energy forum, which offers guided tours and presentations about sustainable electricity generation.

Emilia-Romagna

ITALY

If you’re keen to explore Italy’s verdant spine on two wheels, try the 126km Romagna Toscana Cycle Route winding across the Apennines through Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. Around one-third of the route was damaged during extreme flooding in May 2023, but it’s now fully reopened. Restoration was very much a community effort undertaken rapidly because the trail, which connects with an extensive network of bike routes throughout Italy, is used by locals on a daily basis.

That enthusiasm for cycling in Italy isn’t limited to locals and tourists, though – and this year, you won’t be pedalling alone. On 29 June, the Tour de France will set off from Florence – the first time Italy has hosted the Grand Départ – before passing through Emilia-Romagna.