The Best Slow Travel Guide Books

Now that society is back up and running and Covid-19 restrictions are becoming a thing of the past, travelling is back on the minds of many.

Being an eco-tourist and causing no harm to local communities, economies, and the environment is the best way to get exploring.

Thanks to pebble’s expert list, slow adventuring has never been easier.

What is slow travel?

Slow travel and tourism is all about travelling sustainably to not cause harm to the planet.

Put simply, slow travel is taking trains, cars, bikes, and anything that isn’t a plane.

Aviation is responsible for 12{6932ee47e64f4ce8eedbbd5224581f6531cba18a35225771c06e4f1b3f0d9667} of all transport carbon emissions, and was one of the biggest sources of pollution before the pandemic.

Opting for slower travel will allow you to get back out in the world while reducing your environmental impact.

Our favourite slow travel guides will help you plan your eco-friendly trips.

1. The Eco-Conscious Travel Guide, Georgina Wilson-Powell

Excited to start travelling again post-pandemic, but want to do it in an eco-conscious way? This is the perfect travel companion for you.

Being an eco-conscious tourist is all about travelling without causing any harm, whether direct or indirect to local communities, economies and environments.

In fact, being eco-conscious on your travels even includes aiming to enhance or protect them.

The Eco-Conscious Travel Guide offers a range of ways you can do this, from protecting natural environments, creating authentic relationships with locals, conserving cultural and biological diversity, and even empowering local communities.

Compiled by pebble’s own Georgina Wilson-Powell, this travel guide is comprehensive for all your eco-conscious tourism needs.

Georgina not only founded pebble, but is also an expert in sustainable tourism, ethical fashion, and plastic waste.

She advised the Duke of Sussex on his Travalyst launch, launched Lonely Planet Traveller in the Middle East, and has written for a range of publications, including The Times, Monocle, USA Today, BBC Good Food, and Time Out.

Georgina has the best no-fly European adventures in store for any person eager to get globetrotting once again with a brand new mindset.

Explore 30 themed routes, including Alpine Ambles, Ski Escapes, Chocolate, Cheese and Carb Delights, and Wine-fuelled Wanders. There’s an eco-conscious trip for everyone.

• Rail-ly Good: Top 5 European City Adventures By Train

Out now. Paperback £12.08 from Bookshop.

2. The Beaches of Scotland, Stacey McGowan Holloway

Discover Scotland’s dramatic landscapes with Stacey McGowan Holloway’s hand-picked beaches in The Beaches of Scotland.

With over 150 featured in the book, Stacey has a gem for everyone on the Scottish coast.

The book journeys from the mainland to the Outer Hebrides, and then north to Orkney and Shetland.

Stopping by beaches such as Kilmory, Singing Sands, Dornoch, and many more, this is the guide for any traveller looking for a UK staycation with otherworldly landscapes.

These beaches have been selected because they offer adventure. Surfing, snorkelling, kayaking, camping, and cold water swimming are just a few of the things you can get up to on a Scottish coastal getaway.

• Scotland’s got a new snorkel trail

Stacey is an adventurer herself, often found hiking or spending time on the beach. She is a Radiotherapy Physicist but also has a passion for outdoor writing and Scotland’s wild places.

Having written for Outdoor Swimmer, Women’s Running and Like the Wind, Stacey is an expert in all things outdoor adventure.

The Beaches of Scotland will give you no reason to leave the UK for your holiday, and will rather send you wildlife-spotting at the likes of Keravig or admiring the scenery at Berneray’s West Beach.

Available 7th April 2022. Paperback £18.60 from Bookshop.

• Dive In: Why You Need To Embrace Wild Swimming This Summer

3. ZERO ALTITUDE: How I learned to fly less and travel more, Helen Coffey

Meet the travel journalist who never steps foot on a plane, Helen Coffey, reveals how she keeps her feet on the ground while still going on adventures.

Flying emits around 860 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, and the aviation industry was one of the world’s fastest-growing polluters until the Covid-19 pandemic.

Zero Altitude has the answers as to why we should be aiming to reduce this and how to go about it.

Helen shares both climate-change investigation and memoirs of her travels by train, car, bike, and sometimes boat.

The book voices what climate experts and activists have to say about the importance of the flight-free movement, while Helen shares her tips for travellers looking to stay on the ground.

As the travel editor of The Independent, a regular guest on BBC News, BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 4, and LBC, Helen is an expert when it comes to how to be eco-friendly on your travels.

Helen will help you swap the middle seat for the open road with adventures in Europe and beyond.

Available from 26th May 2022. Hardback £15.79 at Bookshop.

• Rail-ly Good: Top 5 European City Adventures By Train

4. Ecotourism: The Top Sustainable Destinations to Travel Green, Maddalena Stendardi

Keeping the 80’s concept of the eco-tourist alive, Maddalena Stendardi explores what it means to travel with local people and places in mind.

The guide offers tips for eco-travel, including canoeing, kayaking, cycling, and even on horseback.

You can also find advice for the best accommodation that reduces the impact of tourism on local communities. Choose from hotels, bed and breakfasts, and even beautiful farmhouses that use renewable energy sources.

Maddalena offers 50 routes for eco-travel all over the planet, planning your next trip with travel directions, maps, and much more.

Find out about the best on-foot trails across the world, including in Iceland, Scotland, and Costa Rica.

Hop in a canoe in Sweden, or opt for horseback in Spain.

From mountains to small villages, Maddalena has somewhere to inspire anyone in need of a new adventure.

Published 28 May 2020. Hardback £25.

5. The Sustainable Travel Handbook, Lonely Planet

Part of Lonely Planet’s handbook series, The Sustainable Travel Handbook, encourages responsible travelling.

From reducing carbon emissions to how to watch wildlife, The Sustainable Travel Handbook, has everything on offer.

Get advice from a sustainable travel expert on the best places to go for a mix of culture, beautiful landscapes, adventure, wellness, and more.

The handbook also touches on the use of electric transport to reduce carbon emissions, how to reduce plastic waste when travelling, and how to respectfully explore indigenous communities.

The handbook also summarises the best places for different activities and how to do them in a way that leaves no trace of tourism.

The Lonely Planet experts know everything about travel, so this handbook offers everything you need for some inspiration to explore more sustainably.

Discover a mix of off-the-map and popular destinations, including Guyana, Palau, Uruguay, Costa Rica, and Jordan.

Paperback £12.08 from Bookshop.

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