When someone mentions the idea of carpooling, you might think of schlepping the kids to school. But ride-sharing can also be an economical and eco-friendly way to manage your travels.

If your travel plans involve a cab, check out a site called RidePenguin.com.

This service brings travelers together to and from the airport.

Right now it’s being tested out for air travelers in Seattle and Las Vegas.

The way it works is you fill out an online form, and if there’s a match based on your location and time of travel, you’ll get a text notification.

The cool thing is you don’t have to schedule it ahead–you can put out a query as soon as you’re ready to go.

Another site called Zimride.com is a carpooling network in major cities like New York and London, and is used on 150 college campuses.

These guys have partnered with Zipcar and integrated with Facebook so you can find a carpooling partner whose preferences and schedule match yours.

And then there’s PickupPal.com, which is a free service and is thought to be the largest ride-sharing program in the world.

Go on online, fill out the form, and look for or create a group.

It’s more geared toward those who are commuting to work or school, but can also be used to get to special events or destinations.

Reducing the cost of transportation while reducing CO2 emissions … now that’s smart traveling.

For more ways to travel green, visit our Eco-Travel section.

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