Take a clean break

You won't leave much of a carbon footprint travelling by bicycle

Green and glorious: The fjords of Norway are stunning

Worried about your carbon footprint? Fretful that your holidays are hurting the planet? From Marrakech to Norway, Chris Leadbeater finds ten flight-free breaks for eco-friendly folk...

Go green in the UK countryside

If you really feel like planting some new eco-friendly roots, you could try a holiday in a British rural retreat where protecting the environment is half the pleasure. Ecocabin (01547 530 183; www.ecocabin.co.uk) is a tiny hideaway in Obley, a hamlet buried deep in the Shropshire countryside (15 miles from Ludlow).

It is built from native wood and uses solar power to heat water, so it's an ideal base for a few days of green-and-clean walking and cycling (the cabin sleeps four, and costs £420-£575 a week). Similarly, on the far side of the Welsh border, the forward-thinking Bryn Elltyd Guest House (01766 831 356; www.accommodation-snowdonia. com) uses wood fires and solar power to provide heating and hot water, and is a handy spot from which to explore Snowdonia National Park (www.eryri-npa.co.uk). Prices start at £24 per adult per night, including breakfast.

Two wheels between two coasts

Fancy a slow-and-steady, open-air journey across the UK? Saddle Skedaddle (0191 265 1110; www.skedaddle.co.uk) does a five-day self-guided coast-to-coast cycling break that crosses the north of England from the Irish to the North Sea. It's a 140-mile route, taken at a sedate pace (four days on the bikes), using quiet country lanes and cycle paths to idle eastwards, from the beach at Whitehaven to the seafront at Tynemouth via the Lake District, the North Pennines and Newcastle. The trip costs £330 pp (two sharing), including four nights' B&B accommodation, emergency back-up and luggage transfer to your next overnight destination (but not bike hire — £80 extra). You can also book the break as a guided tour (£345 pp, leaving August 17).

Around the UK on the Orient Express

While the idea of travelling on the Orient Express to a golden-age-of-rail destination such as Venice or Istanbul remains the height of travel extravagance, it still leaves the problem of having to catch a non-eco-friendly flight home from the end of the line. Thankfully, you can now enjoy an Orient Express (0845 077 2222; www.orient-express.com) break without leaving the UK.

The rail firm's next seven-day Grand Tour Of Great Britain leaves London Victoria on September 7, calling in at Castle Howard for afternoon tea en route to a three-night stay at the five-star Caledonian Hilton in Edinburgh. From there, the train (the Northern Belle) makes a day trip up through the Highlands before heading to Chester (another three nights). Then it's excursions into Wales and down to Bath, before the return trip to London. The trip costs £3,200pp (two sharing).

Feel the fresh air in the fjords of Norway

Norway's fjords count as some of the finest natural scenery in the world. Two fjords — the Geirangerfjord and the Nëroyfjord — gained UNESCO World Heritage status in 2005 and happily, you can visit the area without flying. P&O Cruises (0845 678 0014; www.pocruises.com) has a Nordic Delights voyage planned for next May. This seven-night jaunt begins and ends in Southampton, and calls at the cities of Bergen (The Gateway to the Fjords) and Stavanger, the Sognefjord (the world's longest navigable fjord) and the Jostedalsbreen (the largest glacier in mainland Europe) from £709pp. Alternatively, DFDS Seaways (0871 522 9955; www.dfds.co.uk) runs Newcastle-Bergen ferries — from £322 return (in total) for two adults with car.

Across the Dordogne by pedal and paddle

If you fancy a holiday that looks after your own body as well as the environment, you could try a Dordogne Adventure break with Explore (0870 333 4001; www.explore.co.uk). Designed for families, this mildly active jaunt takes eight days to cut a leisurely east-to-west swathe through 50 or so miles of pristine French countryside, following the River Dordogne by foot, bicycle and canoe. The route crosses from the walled village of Beaulieu to the town of Souillac, and calls at highlights such as the cliffside pilgrimage site of Rocamadour and the village of Lacave, with its intricate network of caves and tunnels. Places are still available on a tour aimed specifically at families with teenagers that departs on August 26, costing £499 per adult (aged 12 and up), including seven nights' camping, breakfast and return rail travel.

See the Seine the leisurely way

If you like the idea of a little watery Gallic scenery, but think that rivers should be travelled by luxury boat rather than paddled by canoe, there's always the Seine cruise offered by Peter Deilmann Cruises (0845 310 4400; www.deilmann.co.uk). This eight-day round-trip starts and ends in Paris, and follows the waterway as far as the Channel at Honfleur. In between, it stops off at the glorious royal ego trip that is Louis XIV's Chateau de Versailles, Richard The Lionheart's similarly majestic (albeit now ruined) 12th century fortress of Chateau Gaillard at Les Andelys, the historic Joan-of-Arc-burning city of Rouen and Monet's garden at Giverny. The MV Cezanne has 50 ensuite cabins, and departs at least twice a month until November. Prices start at £1,185pp (two sharing), including return Eurostar travel, all meals and transfers.

A weekend in France's second city

The Eurostar has made Paris an ecofriendly city-break staple, but such is the quality of the French rail network that Lyon is just as accessible (depending on connection time in Paris, the journey takes between four-and-a-half and six hours from London). It's a trip worth taking. Dissected by both the Rhone and Saone, France's second city is home to a glorious hillside basilica (Notre Dame De Fourviere; www.fourviere.org), the country's oldest Roman amphitheatre, and excellent restaurants galore (try Le Layon; www.lelayon.com) in the old town. And don't miss the traboules — a network of covered passages built by 18th century silk workers, and used by resistance fighters in the war. A three-night stay in the four-star Hotel Le Royal Lyon costs from £293pp (two sharing) via Eurostar (08705 186 186; www.eurostar.com), including return rail travel.

Discover the delights of northern Spain

Spain's north coast could not be more of a contrast to the Costa Del Sol — and is accessible by sea. Brittany Ferries (0870 907 6103; www.brittany-ferries.co.uk) sails twice a week from Plymouth to Santander (a return ticket for two adults, with car, in an inside cabin in September, costs £653). This small port is a useful starting point for your explorations. To the west, the peaks of the Picos De Europa national park provide excellent terrain for walking, while there are quiet beaches galore — including Oyambre Beach, near Comillas. To the east, Bilbao hosts some fine restaurants and the Frank Gehry-built Guggenheim Museum of modern art (www.guggenheim-bilbao.es). Double rooms at the four-star Hotel Ercilla in Bilbao cost £72.20 per night via Hotel Connect (0845 230 8888; www.hotelconnect.co.uk).

Go mad for Marrakech by train

The Moroccan city of Marrakech, with its walled old town and bustling markets, has become a budget-airline destination of late. But you can also reach the mesmerising metropolis by rail — and see far more than the inside of a plane on the way. Great Rail (01904 521 936; www.greatrail.com) runs an 18-day Marrakech Express jaunt that includes three nights in Marrakech, but also traverses the North African country by train, taking in the capital Rabat, Casablanca, Fez, the Atlas Mountains and the Roman ruins at Volubilis. The itinerary rolls gently through Europe, visiting Madrid and Ronda on the route down from London, with ferry rides across the Straits of Gibraltar included. Places are still available on three remaining tours this year (September and October) from £2,550 per person (two sharing).

See the whole world from the Queen Vic

The world is full of jaw-dropping sights and fascinating cities. But how do you see all (or a large proportion) of them without leaving a huge carbon footprint? Well, if you have 108 days and a large bundle of cash to spare in the New Year, you could try the maiden round-theworld voyage of Cunard's (0845 071 0302; www.cunard.co.uk) new box-fresh super-liner, the Queen Victoria.

The voyage leaves Southampton on January 6 (arriving back on April 22) and calls at New York, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, Mexico and Los Angeles before the end of the month. February is Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. March sees visits to Malaysia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, India and Dubai, while April is the home stretch via Egypt,Athens, Naples, Rome, Barcelona and Lisbon. Prices start from £11,999 pp (for an inside cabin).