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This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of environmentally friendly consumers. It examines differences in holiday transport mode choices by persons’ general level of environmental commitment across lifestyle domains. Adopting a marketing perspective, the study also explores transport mode perceptions and underlying product attribute preferences that may shape holiday transport mode choices.

The study adopted Kaiser’s (1998) General Ecological Behaviour scale to measure commitment to environmentally friendly behaviour. ANOVAs were run to examine differences in actual holiday travel behaviour and transport mode perceptions by level of environmental commitment. Pattern models were calculated to estimate differences in the relative importance of selected transport mode attributes (price, travel time, punctuality, accessibility, flexibility, comfort and environmental impact).

The study findings suggest that differences exist in transport mode choices for train and car use, but not for plane use, namely, train users tend to be more environmentally committed and car users less so. Differences were also noted in transport mode perceptions, with more environmentally friendly consumers holding more favourable views of the train. Those who are more environmentally committed also placed greater importance on environmental impact and less importance on comfort and time in mode choice.

The study applied an environmental scale thus far not used within tourism research. It also adopted a marketing perspective focused on product attributes to support the development of strategies to encourage environmentally friendly holiday transport mode choice.