So you’ve decided you want to go for a weekend away with a group of friends. You’ve booked an apartment or a cottage, maybe overlooking the sea somewhere on the south coast, or in the Welsh hills. You’ve packed everything into the car, just about leaving room for the two of you, and you wave goodbye to your friends as they leave in their car, arranging to meet them there… What is wrong with this picture?

There is no need to take separate cars! You could easily hire a minibus and all travel together. You don’t need to have a special license to drive a minibus, although there are certain restrictions, and you have to be at least 21. So what are the advantages of taking a minibus rather than cars? Well, although you may save money due to reduced fuel costs, the biggest advantage is an environmental one. Let’s look at some facts:

FACT 1: The average car will be able to travel around 30-50 miles per gallon. A minibus would probably be able to do around 25-40 miles. If there are 12 people in the minibus, that’s probably 6-12 cars so you can see that the figures make sense for you to take a minibus to reduce overall fuel consumption.

FACT 2: Vehicular exhaust emissions are harmful to the environment. They include water, oxygen and nitrogen which do not harm the environment but also Carbon Dioxide which contributes to climate change, and also other harmful chemicals and gases such as Carbon Monoxide, Oxides of Nitrogen, Sulphur Dioxide, Hydrocarbons, Benzene, Lead and small particles of matter. These chemicals can lead to acid rain, smog and many health problems. So it is important to try and reduce exhaust emissions as far as possible. Sharing a minibus will help with this.

FACT 3: Car washes use an incredible amount of water. Depending on the programme you choose, it can be anything from 75-300 litres. In addition to this, many car washes use harmful chemicals which can damage the environment. If you use a minibus instead of several cars, you will reduce the amount of these chemicals used, and also reduce the amount of water used.

With this evidence, it is clear that whether you are planning a group outing for a day, a longer trip, or considering a tour around the country, a minibus is a far better choice for the environment.

Sally is a journalist and freelance writer. She loves to write about travel and green issues and writes a blog for Coupon Croc .

What do you think when you think of coach travel? Do you think of cheap holidays ? Do you think of noisy, cramped school trips, with everyone trying to rush for the back seats? Or do you think of long, boring, hot, motorway trips with no food, drink or entertainment, and only scheduled service station stops for comfort breaks? Well, modern coach travel has come a long way in the last ten years. Modern coaches are comfortable with air conditioning, a decent amount of leg room, hot drinks and snacks, entertainment, and even on-board toilets. Safety features are also much improved, with all coaches now being fitted with seatbelts. Coach holidays are regaining their popularity now, as the convenience and comfort levels have increased so much.

Why choose coach travel?
Whether you are simply travelling from A to B, or touring around, coach travel has a number of benefits.

1. Coach travel is cheap: Usually cheaper than a train, and certainly cheaper than flying, coaches are a great choice for those who are looking carefully at their budget.

2. A safe way to travel: Statistically, coach travel is one of the safest forms of travel now. Safety features such as seatbelts, and tough regulations for drivers have made it much safer.

3. Environmentally friendly: This is possibly the most important benefit of coach travel. The time taken by a coach is comparable to that a car will take to do a similar journey, but there are many environmental benefits of travelling by coach.

Firstly, there is the exhaust emissions. Imagine how much pollution 30 or more cars will make. It’s not a pleasant thought. A coach will make little more pollution than one of those cars, so the reduction in carbon emissions if people choose coach travel rather than car travel is huge.

Secondly, there is the fuel consumption issue. Even though a coach will use more fuel than one car, the savings on even a half-full coach over the equivalent number of cars is considerable. Fossil fuels are not unlimited, so anything we can do to conserve them helps the environment.

Thirdly, there are some areas which are being seriously damaged by the number of tourists and the cars they bring into an area. One coach will cause less impact to an area than 30 cars, and additionally it helps local economies be more efficient if they are catering to tourists who arrive in groups rather than in dribs and drabs.

Coach travel is definitely something you shouldn’t neglect, and it’s rise in popularity is testament to that fact.