Austria is years ahead when it comes to energy-efficiency, renewable energies, public transport and waste management. It was the first European country where renewable energies made up more than 50% of national energy production and 60% of all waste gets recycled. As highlighted in a recent BBC Newsnight report, looking after the environment is part of national culture in Austria:

‘In Austria they boast that when they see a European waste directive, they try to beat it - such a different instinct from the UK’, says Liz MacKean of BBC Newsnight.

Many Kinderhotels share this national ‘green habit’ and strive to even exceed the strict legal requirements. That is why four Kinderhotels have recently reaped awards in environmental excellence - among them, the European Eco-Label and the BIO Austria certificate. Every single Kinderhotel separates waste into at least five categories (plastic, glass, food waste, paper and metals) and many invest in alternative energy and heating systems.

But a holiday at a Kinderhotel can contribute to sustainability in other, less technical ways, too. While staying at a Kinderhotel the little ones will learn a lot about nature, animals and where food comes from. At Smiley’s Working Farms they can help to look after cows, sheep, pigs, horses and chickens, pick fruit from the garden and even learn how to bake bread. Together with the many outdoor activities this helps children understand the importance of looking after the environment. At Kinderhotels, you don’t have to worry about hidden ‘green extras’ as all of this is included in the price.

An increasing number of families are choosing sustainable ways to travel to Austria – and loving it!

A rail journey can be an exciting experience for the whole family. For example, you can leave London in the early evening and arrive at your Kinderhotel by mid-morning the next day, with most of the journey time spent sleeping in a comfortable overnight cabin, playing, enjoying the on-board service and watching the landscape glide by. There are excellent night train connections from various cities in the UK to Austria (via Paris, Brussels, Strasbourg and Cologne) and families benefit from various generous discounts such as the BahnCard. Depending on where in Austria your Kinderhotel is located, the journey time is between twelve and fifteen hours.

For rail tickets to Austria please contact: Deutsche Bahn UK Booking Centre on 08718 80 80 66 (8p per minute) or email sales@bahn.co.uk or visit www.bahn.co.uk.

If you prefer flying or driving to Austria, there are ways of reducing the environmental impact of your journey by offsetting your emissions using a reputable carbon offsetting scheme such as TICOS (Tourism Industry Carbon Offset Scheme) on www.ticos.co.uk.

Get into the green habit and take the family away with a good conscience by booking a trip to one of Austria’s Kinderhotels this summer!


Editors note:
The brand new 2008 Kinderhotels brochure has arrived and can be ordered on www.kinderhotels.co.uk. Kinderhotels is a unique brand of more than 46 hotels that cater especially for children and their busy parents. Appreciated by visitors from German-speaking countries for over 16 years, as a name you can trust and rely on. 28 of those have committed themselves to cater especially for English-speaking guests offering the very highest standards of accommodation, superb organic, locally produced food as well as dedicated children’s facilities and absolutely free of charge childcare for up to 60 hours a week provided by fully qualified childminders.

Kinderhotels provide a truly unique holiday experience. Everything has been designed with the whole family in mind and is guaranteed to take the stress out of your holiday. Parents can even pack light because most baby and toddler equipment is provided on site and free of charge.

Mainly located in the glorious Austrian countryside, with breath-taking views of lakes and mountains, Kinderhotels pride themselves on never breaking a promise. This is achieved through stringent, independent checks of all its hotels which are owner managed. Inspection takes place at least once a year to ensure that quality never slips. Because the hotels are independently owned, they are not all the same. Some are luxury hotels with spas, swimming pools and tennis courts. Others are simple Alpine farmsteads. But all share the same philosophy: children are not just tolerated, but treasured.

Getting to a Kinderhotel is easier than ever before. There are daily or frequent scheduled or low-cost services from Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Coventry, East Midlands, Exeter, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton and Bournemouth to various airports in Austria.

For more information on Kinderhotels click www.kinderhotels.co.uk or call 0845 0822 422 (UK); 1850 930 430 (Ireland). For flight connections check the Austrian National Tourist Office web site www.austria.info or contact your travel agent.

For UK & Irish press enquiries, please email pressuk@austria.info or call 0044 207 440 3838.

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