A petrol car driving 5,000 kilometres produces roughly 800–1,000 kg of CO2, similar to one passenger's return flight from London to New York. Shared between two or more people, and driven carefully, a road trip can do better than that, and it puts money into rural places that rely on visitors.
This guide covers the changes that make the most difference, starting with the biggest: how you drive. Then EVs and hybrids, where you stay, a reusable kit, food, offsetting and spending locally.
Fuel-Efficient Driving: The Biggest Impact You Can Have
How you drive affects fuel consumption far more than most people realise. The difference between aggressive and efficient driving can be 25% or more in fuel use over the same journey. On a long road trip, that translates to hundreds of kilograms of CO2 and a significant amount of money.
Techniques That Make a Real Difference
- Maintain a steady speed. Constant acceleration and braking is the biggest fuel waster. Use cruise control on motorways whenever traffic conditions allow.
- Drive at the speed limit, not above it. Fuel consumption rises steeply with speed. Driving at 110 km/h instead of 130 km/h on a motorway cuts fuel use by roughly 15-20%. Our guide to fuelling up in Europe covers where to buy it.
- Anticipate traffic. Look well ahead and ease off the accelerator early rather than braking late. Coasting in gear to a red light uses zero fuel in modern cars.
- Keep windows closed at motorway speeds. Open windows create aerodynamic drag that increases fuel consumption by 5–10% at high speeds. Use the ventilation system instead. Below 60 km/h, open windows are more efficient than air conditioning.
- Avoid unnecessary idling. If you are stopped for more than a minute (not in traffic), switch off the engine. Restarting a warm modern engine uses very little fuel.
- Check tyre pressure before departure and weekly during the trip. Under-inflated tyres use more fuel and wear faster. Most petrol stations have free air pumps.
Vehicle Weight and Aerodynamics
Every extra 50 kg in your vehicle increases fuel consumption by roughly 1–2%. On a road trip, this adds up:
- Remove roof boxes and bike racks when not in use. A roof box increases fuel consumption by 10–25% at motorway speeds due to wind resistance.
- Pack light. A lighter car uses less fuel, handles better and stops shorter.
- Carry only the fuel you need. A full 60-litre tank weighs about 45 kg. In areas with regular petrol stations, keeping the tank between a quarter and three-quarters full reduces weight.
Most modern cars have a real-time fuel consumption display. Use it. Watching it shows you the link between your right foot and fuel use faster than any guide, and after a few hours efficient driving becomes habit.
Electric and Hybrid Options for Road Trips
Electric vehicles are increasingly viable for road trips, though they require more planning than petrol or diesel cars.
EV Road Trip Planning
- Use route planners designed for EVs: A Better Route Planner (ABRP) calculates routes accounting for your specific vehicle, battery state, elevation changes, and weather. It identifies optimal charging stops along your route.
- Plan charging around meals and activities. A 30–45 minute rapid charge fits a lunch stop, and you needed the break anyway.
- Carry a charging cable for destination charging. Many hotels, campsites, and Airbnbs now have standard EV chargers. Overnight charging at your accommodation means you start each day with a full battery at a fraction of the cost of rapid charging.
- Download multiple charging apps before your trip. Coverage varies by network: Ionity for motorways across Europe, Tesla Superchargers (now open to non-Tesla vehicles in many countries), and local networks like Fastned (Netherlands), EnBW (Germany), and TotalEnergies (France).
Hybrid as a Compromise
If a full EV does not suit your route, a plug-in hybrid offers a middle ground: electric driving in cities and towns (where emissions matter most) with petrol backup for long motorway stretches and areas without charging infrastructure. Even a non-plug-in hybrid usually uses noticeably less fuel than its petrol equivalent, especially in towns. Low-emission cars also have an easier time in city low emission zones.
Eco-Friendly Accommodation Choices
Where you sleep matters too (our accommodation guide compares the options).
Lower-Impact Options
- Eco-certified hotels and B&Bs: Look for EU Ecolabel, Green Key, or Green Globe certification. These properties meet verified standards for energy, water, waste, and local sourcing.
- Camping: The lowest-impact accommodation if done responsibly. Use established campsites with proper waste facilities rather than wild camping in sensitive areas.
- Locally-owned guesthouses: More of your money stays in the local economy compared to international hotel chains. Small properties also tend to have lower energy consumption per guest.
- Agriturismo / farm stays: Common in Italy, France, and Spain. You stay on a working farm, eat local produce, and your money directly supports agricultural communities.
At Your Accommodation
- Reuse towels and decline daily linen changes. This is standard in eco-conscious properties but you can request it anywhere.
- Turn off heating, air conditioning, and lights when you leave the room.
- Avoid the minibar: individually packaged products mean a lot of packaging.
The Plastic-Free Road Trip Kit
Road trips generate a surprising amount of single-use waste, mostly from food and drink stops. A small investment in reusable gear eliminates most of it.
Essential Reusable Items
- Refillable water bottles (one per person). Many European cities have drinking fountains and refill stations, and the Refill app lists places that will fill your bottle (mainly in the UK, with some elsewhere).
- Reusable coffee cup. Many cafes offer a small discount for bringing your own.
- Cutlery set and a small plate or bowl. Eliminates the need for disposable utensils at takeaway stops and picnics.
- Cloth shopping bags for groceries and markets. Many European countries charge for plastic bags or have banned them entirely.
- A small cool bag or box. Lets you buy fresh food from markets and supermarkets instead of relying on heavily packaged convenience food from service stations.
- Bar soap and shampoo bars instead of miniature plastic bottles. They last longer, take up less space and don't need plastic bottles.
Assemble your plastic-free kit in a single bag that lives in the car for the entire trip. If it's to hand you'll use it; if it's buried in the boot you won't.
Eating Local: Better Food, Smaller Footprint
Local food is usually fresher, travels less far and supports local producers, and it's better than motorway services food. Our road trip food guide covers markets and picnics.
Practical Strategies
- Shop at local markets and farm shops. Almost every European town has a weekly market. Plan your route to pass through towns on market days. You get good produce and the money goes directly to local growers.
- Buy regional specialities. Every region has them. Cheese in the French Alps, olive oil in Andalusia, smoked fish in Scandinavia. These products have minimal supply chain distances and support traditional producers.
- Cook when you can. If your accommodation has a kitchen, use it. A meal made from market ingredients generates far less waste and emissions than a restaurant meal, and it is often a highlight of the trip.
- Reduce meat consumption on the road. You do not need to go vegetarian, but choosing plant-based options for one or two meals a day significantly reduces your trip's carbon footprint. Italian, Turkish, Greek and Lebanese restaurants are particularly good for vegetarian food.
- Avoid food waste. Buy quantities you will actually eat. A cool box in the car keeps perishables fresh between stops. Overbuying at markets because everything looks good is a common road trip pitfall.
Carbon Offsetting: Honest Advice
Carbon offsetting is controversial, and for good reason. The quality of offset projects varies a lot, and offsetting should never be used as a licence to emit freely. That said, combining genuine emission reduction with carefully chosen offsets is better than reduction alone.
If You Choose to Offset
- Calculate your trip emissions honestly. Use a calculator that accounts for your actual vehicle, fuel type, and distance. The UK Government’s published conversion factors put an average petrol or diesel car at roughly 0.16–0.17 kg CO2 per kilometre.
- Choose Gold Standard or Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) projects. These have the most rigorous verification processes.
- Prefer projects that remove carbon over those that avoid emissions. Direct air capture and biochar are higher quality than avoided deforestation, though they cost more.
- Treat offsetting as the last step, not the first. Reduce what you can through efficient driving, smart routing, and conscious choices. Offset the remainder.
Supporting Local Economies and Communities
Where your money goes matters too.
- Stay in locally-owned accommodation rather than international chains when possible. A far higher percentage of your money stays in the community.
- Eat at independent restaurants rather than franchise chains. You get better food and your spending supports local employment.
- Buy souvenirs that are genuinely locally made. Mass-produced "local" products imported from overseas help nobody. Ask where things are made.
- Pay for experiences, not things. A guided walk, a cooking class, or a local wine tasting creates employment, supports cultural preservation, and gives you better memories than a fridge magnet.
- Visit outside peak season. Shoulder-season travel spreads tourism income across a longer period, reduces pressure on infrastructure and natural sites, and is usually a better experience for you too, with fewer crowds, lower prices and milder weather.
The most sustainable road trip is often the slowest one. Driving fewer kilometres a day means less fuel and more time in each place.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better for the environment to fly or drive?
It depends on the distance, number of passengers, and vehicle efficiency. For a solo traveller covering 1,000+ kilometres, flying is usually lower-emission per person. But a car carrying three or four passengers over the same distance often beats flying per person. Road trips also eliminate the emissions of local transport at the destination, since you already have your car. For distances under 500 kilometres, driving is almost always the lower-carbon choice for two or more passengers.
Can I rent an electric car for a road trip?
Yes, most major rental companies now offer EVs in Western Europe. Availability is best in Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and the UK. Book well in advance as EV stock is still limited. Check that the rental includes a charging cable and a charging account or card. Plan your route using A Better Route Planner (ABRP) before confirming your booking to ensure charging infrastructure exists along your planned route.
What is the single most impactful thing I can do?
Drive slower. Reducing your motorway speed from 130 km/h to 110 km/h cuts fuel consumption by roughly 15-20% and emissions with it. On a 600 km motorway day it adds about 50 minutes. It costs nothing and the savings start straight away.