Sawday’s responsible travel: How to travel better

For us, responsible travel is about creating a deeper connection to the places you visit and the people who call them home. 

That might mean taking trains, ferries, bikes (or horses!) instead of flying, staying longer in one place to experience local life properly, venturing beyond the guidebook hotspots, or choosing independently run places that keep tourism rooted in local communities.  

At Sawday’s, we’ve spent over 30 years championing small, characterful places, run by people with a genuine connection to their surroundings. As a certified B Corp, we’re committed to using business as a force for good. Here, you’ll find inspiration, practical advice and stories to help you travel more thoughtfully, wherever you’re headed. 

What we mean by responsible travel

Lower carbon travel​

Choose rail, ferry and public transport where possible, making the journey part of the adventure​

Stay independently

​Choose owner-run places that keep more of your spend within local communities​

Go beyond the hotspots​

Seek out quieter destinations and lesser-known corners that offer a more relaxed and authentic experience

Stay longer, experience deeper

Spend more time in fewer places, giving yourself the chance to slow down, settle in and experience local life more fully

 

Start planning your next trip 

Read our guides designed to help make responsible travel the slow, soulful joy it really is. Discover rambling train journeys, off-season adventures and places rooted in local communities.  

 

Sawday’s quick tips on how to travel responsibly

Responsible travel doesn’t have to mean doing everything perfectly. Often, small choices can make a big difference, both to your experience and the places you visit.

 

  • Travel outside the busiest times: Spring, autumn and even winter can reveal a quieter side to popular destinations, while helping tourism support local communities year-round. Plus, you’ll spend less time queueing for coffee behind a hundred matching sun hats.
  • Look beyond the obvious: Some of the most memorable experiences happen away from the busiest spots. Exploring lesser-known towns and regions often means fewer crowds, more interesting conversations and the satisfying feeling that you’ve discovered somewhere for yourself.
  • Start small: Responsible travel isn’t all or nothing. You don’t have to Interrail across Europe for a month. Choosing a train for part of your journey or staying an extra night somewhere is a good place to begin.
  • Take your time: Spending longer in fewer places often leads to richer experiences and a stronger connection with local life. It’s hard to become a regular at the café round the corner if you’re checking out after only two mornings.
  • Trust locals, not your phone: Apps will offer you (and everyone else) the top 10 things to do, but locals, like the owners of our places to stay, will give you the best insight. Ask your hosts where they eat, walk and spend time for a more authentic experience.
  • Choose lower-carbon transport where you can: Trains, ferries and public transport can turn the journey into part of the holiday. They also spare you the joys of unfamiliar roundabouts and arguing with sat nav.
  • If you drive, go electric: Not every destination is reachable by rail, and that’s okay. If you’re hiring a car, choosing electric where possible is one small switch that can make a difference.
  • Support local businesses: Family-run cafés, farm shops, village pubs, markets and independent places to stay all help keep more of your spending in the communities you’re visiting. Plus, the cake is usually better.
  • Pack light: Rather than bulldozing locals off pavements and buses with a noisy wardrobe on wheels, take something you can sling over your shoulder. Florentine residents say the soundtrack of the city is now suitcase wheels on cobbles – a warning to us all.