1. Try Biking or Walking

If you bike or walk instead of drive when you're at your vacay destination, you can help decrease the amount of carbon dioxide your car is emitting.

In addition, walking and biking more often can save you money on gas! If you're traveling to an area where all of the shops are within walking distance, like Gatlinburg for example, then walking or biking should be an easy option.

2. Pack Reusable Items

One big way that you can help care for the environment is by packing reusable items. Packing items such as grocery bags if you're planning on shopping, reusable water bottles, or packing reusable straws will help reduce the amount of waste from a road trip.

Road trips can generate the most waste, especially when you're buying snacks or drinks on the road. This is why packing reusable items can prove to be extremely helpful for caring for the environment!

3.  Recycle

When you use any items such as plastic water bottles or paper, make sure to recycle them!

Try bringing a small recycling bin if you have to, or collect recyclable items in a plastic bag if you can't find a recycling bin.

If you're in a hotel, you will most likely find a recycling bin that you can use to recycle items.

4. Reduce Energy Use

If you want to take care of the environment while traveling, you can try reducing energy use by turning off lights when not using them in your hotel room. You can also make sure that you're taking chargers out of outlets when they're not being used.

5. Get A Hybrid Car Rental To Save On Gas

Hybrid cars can not only help you save on gas but they can also help save the environment! If you're planning on getting a rental car, opt for getting a hybrid in order to lessen the amount of carbon dioxide that you're emitting.

Hybrids are a good option, since they don't use as much gas as an ordinary car which will actually help save you money on gas!

6. Eat At Local Restaurants

A lot of fast food restaurants will often produce tons of waste or be less eco-friendly than local restaurants. Eating or drinking locally is better, since local places tend to be more self-aware about producing waste within their community. They know that they need the tourism and are likely to want to recycle rather than litter.

7. Stay At An Eco-Friendly Hotel

Believe it or not, there are hotels that are specifically oriented toward eco-friendly travelers! You've most likely seen hotels that market their efforts to conserve more water or are built with solar panels.

If you find one, try opting to stay at a hotel like this when you travel. This site will help you search for one at your destination.

8. Reuse Items

If you use any waste or items that can cause waste such as plastic, you should try reusing them.

You can reuse items such as plastic water bottles or plastic bags. You could even use plastic bags for trash bags, which can save you money!

9. Be Wary Of Animal Tourism

When you are doing any activities while on vacation, be careful about doing activities related to interacting with animals.

For example, if you're doing any activities that involve interacting with animals such as riding elephants, you should make sure that the animals are treated well or the company is educated on the health of the animals. It also helps if the company is putting their money into conservation efforts.

10. Conserve Water

Lastly, you should make sure to conserve water if you want to care for the environment. Water is usually something that gets wasted during trips, especially when you're using towels for the pool or leaving water on.

There are a lot of hotels that will often tell you to reuse your towels to conserve water used in the washer. Try reusing towels if you can and make sure you're not wasting too much water by taking longer showers!