If you're looking for a planet friendly holiday, Dorset offers lots of ways to keep your carbon footprint low as well as enjoying the best of our beautiful county.
From sustainable shopping and charging your electric car to reducing plastic and refilling waterbottles, our businesses are doing their bit for mother earth.
If you need some inspiration for planning a sustainable holiday to Dorset, check out our blogs about eco-friendly holidays and how to be an eco-friendly traveller.
Let the train take the strain
Why not leave the car at home and travel to Dorset by train, coach or ferry?
Arriving by train is easy from London and the rest of the UK to Bournemouth, Poole, Wareham, Dorchester, Weymouth and other local railway stations, and if you are travelling from the west you can use the Bristol to Dorchester train line.
National Express and Megabus coaches offer routes from a variety of towns in the UK, or you can catch a ferry from Europe or the Channel Islands to Poole.
Once you have settled in, you can travel around car free by using our network of boats, buses and trains. You could also choose one of our 5 walking routes which start from towns with railway stations or walking trails starting at bus stops.
By staying in accommodation accredited by Green Tourism, you will be helping the environment whilst on holiday! Businesses are awarded Bronze, Silver or Gold based on energy and water efficiency, recycling, wildlife, local produce and more. Many of the actions taken add to your comfort and enjoyment while making sure that your eco-footprint is minimal.
Want to camp where the environment matters? Then look out for campsites with a David Bellamy Conservation Award. The awards are assessed by local nature groups and are given to holiday parks and campsites which show active concern for the environment. They cover almost every aspect of park management from the protection of habitats to the efficient use of energy and recycling. Helping visitors learn more about conservation is also part of the experience.
Walking and pedal power
If you'll be walking or cycling during your holiday, why not look out for accommodation in Dorset which is recognised as Walkers Welcome or Cyclists Welcome?
You will be able to find places to stay which include boot scrapers, facilities to dry wet clothes, somewhere to safely store your bike, and collection from the train station if you are a walker. Maps and reference books, first aid kit, emergency puncture repair kit and weather information will also be available.
If you are not bringing your bike with you, there are lots of cycle hire shops in Dorset where you can hire a bike for the day, or longer. Some of them also hire out electric bikes to make your day out that little bit easier.
Charging your electric car
If you are bringing your electric vehicle with you to Dorset, you will probably want to find somewhere to stay that has an EV charger or the facility to charge-up overnight. There is a small, but growing number of places to stay which offer these facilities.
EV charging points can be found in most Dorset towns including Blandford Forum, Bournemouth, Bridport, Christchurch, Dorchester, Gillingham, Lyme Regis, Poole, Sherborne, Swanage, Weymouth and Wimborne Minster. Some are located in council car parks and at supermarkets, or you can find other charger points on the Zap Map website.
ReFill Dorset
Save the planet and your pennies by refilling your water bottle or reusable coffee mug at cafes, shops, hotels and businesses – just look out for the ReFill logo. They will refill your bottle with tap water for free and you may get a discount off your hot drink for bringing your own mug.
There are also many refill and zero waste shops throughout Dorset - there is at least one in almost every town now. Either bring your own containers or pick some up in-store and fill up on pasta, cereal, eggs, milk, fruit and veg and even peanut butter!
From farm to fork
Look out for local produce and Dorset specialities on the menu while eating out in our cafes, restaurants and pubs. You can also stock up on Dorset's fine organic and local produce, available from farm shops, farmers' markets and food festivals.
By choosing locally reared lamb, pork and beef, you will not only be getting food that tastes good, it will have been helping to look after the environment and have low food miles!
If you're feeling energetic, why not choose one of our walking or cycling routes which pass by award winning breweries, farm shops, vineyards or cider farms?
Get involved
Are you visiting one of our beautiful beaches or coastal towns? Take 2 minutes out of your day and do your bit to reduce the amount of plastic pollution in our oceans - find out more about the 2 minute beach clean.
Plastic Free Communities
Thanks to a Surfers Against Sewage campaign, the towns of Lyme Regis, Swanage, Wimborne Minster, Charmouth, Ferndown and Dorchester are now plastic free communities, where single-use plastic is becoming a thing of the past. And the good news is that more towns across Dorset (and the country) are joining in.
So, when you are grabbing your picnic lunch or coffee to go, be sure to ask for plastic free options and recycle wherever you can.
Sustainable Breaks
