A List of Alternatives to Flying

CO₂e Emissions by Transport Type

CO2 Emissions by Mode Source: Stay Grounded

This diagram compares the climate impact of different modes of transport.
Note: The data is from Europe, where electric rail is largely powered by renewables. In the U.S., only the Northeast Corridor Amtrak trains are electric — most others run on diesel.

How Amtrak Compares

Amtrak Efficiency Comparison Source: Amtrak

This graph, published by Amtrak, compares the energy efficiency of different travel modes. However, it does not include aviation’s non-CO₂ warming impacts, which would place planes at the bottom of the efficiency ranking.
Also note: Car efficiency varies based on vehicle type and number of passengers.


Planning Resources

Travel Planning Websites

  • Google Maps
  • Wanderu – Easy interface for planning ground trips
  • Rome2Rio – Discover how to get anywhere by train, bus, ferry, or car

Train Travel

Bus Travel

Bicycle Touring

Car Trips

An airliner gets roughly 30 mpg per passenger, similar to a compact car.
However, compact cars with multiple passengers outperform airliners in efficiency — and they avoid the high-altitude, non-CO₂ warming impacts of aviation.

Cruise Ships

Cruise ships can be more polluting than flying.

Cargo Ship Travel

Sailing

  • EcoClipper – Professional emission-free transport and travel by engine-less sailing ships
  • Find a Crew – Find a sailboat and join as a crew member

Virtual Conferencing

Virtual Tourism