Green Holidays on a Budget

Beautiful & affordable: Treshnish & Haunn Cottages, Mull

It's an often held view that going on an eco-friendly holiday is expensive. While luxury eco-lodges in far-flung countries have traditionally garnered much press attention, the good news is that there are plenty of affordable options closer to home.

We recently highlighted how to travel green on a budget, which in itself significantly cuts down both costs and your carbon footprint, as transport can often prove both the most expensive and most polluting part of a holiday. Here we'll highlight some of the best budget green holidays that you can reach from the UK without flying.

Budget Self Catering accommodation

One of the best ways to save money on your holiday is to go with self-catering accommodation, which not only allows you to decide on your food and cooking budget, but also gives you freedom with your time. We've got plenty of budget green self-catering options, and here are some of our suggestions for places to stay that you won't spend a fortune trying to get to:

• The Ferme de Candeloup, in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, is a beautifully restored, traditional farmhouse with on-site yoga centre that offers double rooms for only €50 (singles for €40). It also offers guests transfers from the station in nearby Pau - return trains from London to Pau (with a change in Paris) cost from only £111, which compares very well with flights.
• Treshnish and Haunn Cottages (pictured), amidst the beautiful, windswept scenery of the Isle of Mull, offer accommodation for 2 and 6 people, starting at only £240 or £340 per week, respectively. Mull is a short ferry ride from Oban on the mainland, and train fares to Oban start from under £20 from Edinburgh and Glasgow and a little under twice that from London (if booked as 2 part, separate single fares).
• Staying in Blighty, at the other end of the country is the charming Yarde Bunkhouse in Devon, with on-site café serving seasonal food. Prices start at only £12 per person (£8 for under 16s), and the Bunkhouse is accessible by bike or bus from nearby Barnstaple station. Train fares to Barnstaple start around £10.50 from Bristol or £37.50 from London.
• Stay in this wonderfully quirky Romany Caravan in WalesClose to the rugged coast and sandy beaches of West Wales is a charming Romany Caravan that you can stay in for only £249 for a week - it's close to Carmarthen station, which has fares from only £14.70 from Cardiff or £39 from London.
• For something a bit different, why not stay in a yurt in the heart of France's lush, historic Dordogne region - at Ecovallée you can have this unique experience for only €350 for a week (€50 per night), for up to four people. It's an easy walk from the train station in Lalinde, and Lalinde is only an €18 train from Bordeaux - with return fares on the train from London to Bordeaux starting at a very reasonable £111.

We also have some great affordable bed & breakfasts in lovely locations across Europe, including homestays in Venice and other exciting destinations through homestay website Crashpadder - offering a more intimate version of the bed & breakfast experience, and a beautifully restored Tudor farmhouse in the Suffolk countryside, costing from only £30 per person per night.

Cheaper holidays

If you want a holiday with pre-organised activities, this needn't tax you too much either - greentraveller has a variety of holidays in some of the most exciting destinations in Europe and beyond that won't leave you out of pocket:

• The coastline of Sardinia, in the heart of the Mediterranean, is justly famous for its beauty - and you can see it from a new angle on a week's snorkelling holiday that starts at only €258. What's more, the train and ferry from London to Sardinia (via Marseille) costs a total of only £150 return.
• You could also try a wonderful cycling holiday through the Alps, Dolomites and Italian Lakes, and enjoy their breathtaking scenery for €556 for a week (including accommodation and transfers) - find out how to get there by train from London to Innsbruck.
• Cycle to Lake Garda through glorious Alpine sceneryAt the wonderful eco-friendly creative retreat of Los Gazquez, in sunny Andalucia, you can take a week's art and ecology holiday for just €314 including full board accommodation - you can get there by train via Madrid and Murcia - trains from London to Madrid start from £202 return (including accommodation on a sleeper service).
• If you'd rather discover some of Britain's most beautiful and remote scenery (with a knowledgeable guide), why not take a wilderness trek through the Herbrides? With accommodation included, it comes to £395, and trains from £124.50 return from London or just £45.80 from Edinburgh (to Inverness).

Other free and budget options

Another way to go green without breaking your holiday budget is to consider alternative kinds of holiday:

• WWOOF or World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms may not fit the traditional definition of a holiday, but if you want the chance to travel for cheap - with free accommodation - and help out on an organic (and therefore green) farm, then there are any number of opportunities across the UK, Europe and the rest of the world to do this.
• The Mountain Bothies Association provides a network of shelters across remote parts of the UK (primarily Scotland), which can be used by travellers crossing these beautiful wilderness areas. There's no running water or electricity, and you may have to share with other travellers who turn up, but that's all part of the fun - you're also encouraged to help maintain these unique places to stay and be respectful whilst staying there so that others can enjoy and benefit from them in the future. For more information, check out Will Ross' blog post on mountain bothies.
• Hostelling International also has a list of specifically eco-friendly hostels across the world, including hostels accessible by train in the UK, Austria and Denmark.