5 discounts and deals for traveling green in Los Angeles

With the gas and parking prices these days, getting around by bike, bus, rail, and your own two feet can save you quite a bit of money in Los Angeles. If you need a good green deal to get you thinking outside the car, start by hitting up these five spots for eco-friendly discounts and freebies.

1. 20% off locavore-friendly cooking. Homegirl Café cooks up contemporary Latina fare — some made with produce grown in the Cafe’s own garden — while giving formerly gang-involved women job training and education. Show your Metro pass, rail ticket, or TAP card and get 20% off your meal.

2. Free green spa gift. Willow Spa — a Santa Monica relaxation spot that offers facials and treatments with organic products — has a program called Walk to Willow on Thursdays. Simply walk to the spa, let the desk know when you check in that you did so, and get a free green gift from another local green business after your treatment.

3. $3 off a day at the zoo. Get an appreciation for nature and its diversity by visiting the L.A. Zoo — and get $3 off your admission ticket by showing your Metro pass, rail ticket, or TAP card.

4. 10% off yoga classes. At the newish Chakra 5 Yoga Studio in East Hollywood, cyclists and Metro riders get special treatment. Simply show your bike helmet or Metro pass at check-in, and you’ll get a 10 percent discount on your yoga class — bringing the total down to $13.50. Namaste.

5. 15% off car-sharing memership. So happy about the green travel discounts you decided to get rid of your car? LAXCarShare — which offers hourly, hassle-free car rentals in the L.A. area — could get you where you need to go those few times you still need a vehicle. Sign up using the code “Metro” — and you’ll get 15% off sign-up feesthrough the end of this year.

For more green travel deals and freebies, check out Metro’s Destination Discounts — an often-updated list of local benefits for Metro riders. More of a cyclist? Get a membership to the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition for up to 15 percent off at bike shops across the city. A regular membership costs $35 — but right now, you can get it for $25 if you also sign up for the L.A. River Ride happening Sun., June 5.

Know of other green travel discounts in the L.A.-area? Share them in the comments –

Photo: UCLA Transportation/Flickr