How does one travel green? Be as conscious when you travel as you are at home - re-use, recycle, turn off lights and limit water usage. Patronize eco-minded locales from restaurants to hotels. Offset your carbon emissions and conserve natural resources. All three will help reduce the footprint of your family trip.

How do you teach kids about green travel? Model their behavior but don’t beat the subject to a pulp. And always remember, good habits don’t stay home.

Include them. Let them help plan the trip, locate eco-friendly lodging and find green ways to get to your destination. “Eco-lodges” and “Green Hotels” are popping up all over the world.

Educate them about carbon emissions, and how these can be cut by using eco-friendly rental car companies, renting scooters and bikes, and walking rather than driving at your family travel destination. Buy ‘green’ books and DVDs for the flight or drive.

Your kids will thank you later.

Copyright © Rhonda Crone. All rights reserved. Rhonda is the author of the blog RhoRho's Bistro.