Travel season is upon us, meaning lots of planes, trains, and automobiles to recreation destinations near and far. And since everyone’s eye is drawn to the bottom line in an uncertain economy, it’s no small boon that going green may actually save you green on your vacation.

1. Consider a Staycation Washington, DC is a fabulous vacation destination: museums, historic sites, world renowned performance venues, even great hiking and outdoors destinations nearby.

By recharging your batteries near home, you can keep your carbon footprint and your vacation budget small. Consumer Reports offers one of many good guides to a staycation that is truly a vacation with tips to help you unplug from work and other daily obligations and resist the urge to take on household projects.

2. Gotta Go? Travel Slow

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, intercity motor coach is usually your greenest mode of travel. For a trip of only a few hours, travel by bus may even take less time than flying if you consider how early you would have to arrive at the airport and baggage claim and ground transportation after your flight. For a trip from DC to New York City or Boston, there are multiple bus companies to choose from, including several that offer wireless internet en route. Sites like gotobus.com can get you started.

3. Fill the Car According to TerraPass, which has a nice carbon footprint calculator that shows the different impacts of your travel choices to various destinations, a single flight from Washington, DC to Orlando, FL has a carbon footprint of 1,563 lbs while the same trip by car has a footprint of 3,551 lbs. However, a family of three would multiply the air travel footprint by three, while the car trip footprint remains the same.

4. Skip the Rental Car

By employing public transit upon arrival, you avoid pollution and the hassles of driving in a new place and eliminate a major line-item in the family travel budget. Kids, especially those for whom it is not routine, enjoy the adventure of public transit.

Many public transit systems, including Washington DC's, now offer great trip planners online that can map your routes around town. Google maps will even do this for you. Some transit systems also offer help-lines and transit schedule update lines you can call for advice. But, if you are considering traveling to your destination by car and you drive an older or inefficient model, you may want to turn this advice on its head and rent the most fuel-efficient vehicle you can find for the entire trip.

5. Let Your Fingers Do the Walking

The internet is a fantastic resource to the vacation planner. The greenest travel plans will vary by destination and checking out your options online has never been easier.