Eco-friendly family holidays at Austria’s Kinderhotels

Caring for the environment is simply regarded as common sense at Austria’s ultra-family-friendly Kinderhotels. And the best bit: sustainable family holidays don’t come at a premium price here.

Austria is years ahead when it comes to energy-efficiency, renewable energies, public transport and waste management. It was the first European country where renewable energies made up more than 50% of national energy production and 60% of all waste gets recycled. As highlighted in a recent BBC Newsnight report, looking after the environment is part of national culture in Austria:

“In Austria they boast that when they see a European waste directive, they try to beat it - such a different instinct from the UK”, says Liz MacKean of BBC Newsnight.

Many Kinderhotels share this national ‘green habit’ and strive to even exceed the strict legal requirements. That is why four Kinderhotels have recently reaped awards in environmental excellence - among them, the European Eco-Label and the BIO Austria certificate. Every single Kinderhotel separates waste into at least five categories (plastic, glass, food waste, paper and metals) and many invest in alternative energy and heating systems.

But a holiday at a Kinderhotel can contribute to sustainability in other, less technical ways, too. While staying at a Kinderhotel the little ones will learn a lot about nature, animals and where food comes from. At Smiley’s Working Farms they can help to look after cows, sheep, pigs, horses and chickens, pick fruit from the garden and even learn how to bake bread. Together with the many outdoor activities this helps children understand the importance of looking after the environment. At Kinderhotels, you don’t have to worry about hidden ‘green extras’ as all of this is included in the price.

An increasing number of families are choosing sustainable ways to travel to Austria – and loving it!

A rail journey can be an exciting experience for the whole family. For example, you can leave London in the early evening and arrive at your Kinderhotel by mid-morning the next day, with most of the journey time spent sleeping in a comfortable overnight cabin, playing, enjoying the on-board service and watching the landscape glide by.

There are excellent night train connections from various cities in the UK to Austria (via Paris, Brussels, Strasbourg and Cologne) and families benefit from various generous discounts such as the BahnCard. Depending on where in Austria your Kinderhotel is located, the journey time is between twelve and fifteen hours.

For rail tickets to Austria visit Bahn.co.uk.

If you prefer flying or driving to Austria, there are ways of reducing the environmental impact of your journey by offsetting your emissions using a reputable carbon offsetting scheme such as TICOS (Tourism Industry Carbon Offset Scheme) on ticos.co.uk.

Get into the green habit and take the family away with a good conscience by booking a trip to one of Austria’s Kinderhotels this summer.