Lyon Metropolis. Eco-friendly travel: "We're reducing our carbon footprint but increasing our intensity."

Alongside explorer Rémi Camus, he closed the series of roundtables at this first edition of the “Ici on agit” (Here we act) trade show in Lyon. Siméon Baldit de Barral, who became known after a world tour by bike, which he made into a documentary, agreed to share some tips for those who want to travel eco-friendly. A “model accessible to all and less expensive,” promises the man who dreams of Africa and the Middle East by combining hitchhiking and cycling.

“It’s super broad. You have to ask yourself where you’re starting from and how much time you’re giving yourself. If you want to go very far, it’s a rare trip in your life. For me, it’s every five to seven years to a destination I’ve dreamed of for a long time, where I’m going to stay for a long time. You tell yourself that you’re going to have very powerful experiences and that you might come back transformed. So you’re going to take your time. On the other side of the world, it’s at least a month. I’m going to find out the price, etc. If I just want to go away for a weekend: I’d travel locally.”

"The worst is still the plane, then there's the ferry, the motorboat, the car. The most eco-friendly options are the bus, the bike, hitchhiking, the sailboat, the canoe-kayak. We're almost at zero. I went down to Ardèche with my 3 and a half year old son. He had a blast. Finding the right way, the right train, can also become a game. Often we'll go less far, we'll do fewer things, but we'll experience them more together, decide on them. There will be little hassles too, but it's still a little adventure. We're reducing our carbon footprint but gaining in intensity."

“There are plenty of things to play with. Regarding food: vegetarian or not, local or not. For accommodation, there are labels like “green key,” but you can also stay with locals. It happened to me often. I remember a night in a stable in Turkey on hay and a rug with a delicious meal served by the family even though it was cold… Over time, you learn to know how to tinker, find tricks. It has become a habit and a pleasure.”