The Awesome Benefits of Slow Travel

09 Mar The Awesome Benefits of Slow Travel

When you think of traveling, what comes to mind?

Flying to a destination and checking out the top points of interest? Going on a road trip with a few stops along the way? A cruise that balances time at sea with a few ports to get a taste of a new place? Itineraries, activities, trying the top local restaurants?

What if you had more time? Would you visit more destinations or spend more time in one place getting to know it better and interacting with the locals?

Consider This

Maybe I’m wrong, but I feel that because many Americans have limited vacation time (especially compared to Europeans), and because we’re a further distance from other countries (excluding Mexico & Canada) when we go abroad, we jam-pack our schedules. I’m sure the same can be said for when we stay stateside unless we’re hanging out at a beach or partaking in an activity-based trip such as skiing or camping.

And it’s hard not to overload your schedule because it is so enticing to plan a trip with multiple (new!!) destinations and see as many top spots as those places have to offer. You might see it as maximizing your experience. (Note: it likely also comes with multiple zeros on the price tag.)

European Vac-exhaustion

For example, in 2013, Daniel and I took our first trip abroad together. Detracting travel time, we spent ~9.5 days in Europe. The first portion of our trip was in Barcelona (Daniel was attending an MBA study-abroad course) and then we decided to visit Paris for the remaining 4.5 days. As the trip approached, I ended up having a big work assignment that took me to South America right before this trip. It’s not every day you get to do that, so I was pretty excited. That excitement turned to anxiousness as I flew 14.5 hours back to JFK, ran home to shower, quickly repack and head back to JFK in a 4 hour period and fly to my third continent in 24 hours. When I landed in Barcelona, I was destroyed. And the jet lag did not subside quickly.

Needless to say, I was a bit inactive while Daniel was in class and I missed out on precious time to explore Barcelona. A few days in I finally recovered, only to take a ridiculously early flight to Paris (it was the cheapest!) after a late night out with all the students. We didn’t even make it to dinner that night – Daniel fell asleep fully dressed with his shoes on. The next 3.5 days we raced around Paris on foot and metro, eating and seeing as much as we could while dodging long lines (to climb the Eiffel Tower, to go inside Notre Dame Cathedral). We pathetically went into the Louvre for only 40 minutes to see the wing with the Mona Lisa, and then raced back to our hotel and grabbed a taxi to the airport.

Going to work the next day was hard. We needed a vacation from our vacation. And yes, while I can say I ‘went to Barcelona and Paris’ I certainly didn’t enjoy every minute of that experience. While trying to maximize our vacation in Europe, we ended up exhausting ourselves and didn’t allow ourselves to truly become familiar with either destination.

The Awesome Benefits of Slow Travel

Whether you’re traveling for a long weekend, 1 week, 2 weeks, a month, or an indefinite amount of time, there can be a lot of value and unique experiences to be had in slowing down.

It can be a very enriching to observe and experience the local culture.

To actually relax, sit in a cafe and people watch, or leisurely walk around and take in the scenery…maybe even without a plan or destination in mind. You can practice the language a little, possibly even take an intensive course through a school that might also offer cultural classes or excursions. And while your vacation days might be limited, you will likely spend a little less than you typically would…so who knows, maybe you can plan another trip for your remaining days.

If you have a few weeks or more, you can settle into your destination.

Go to the local market and try to cook a traditional recipe from that region. Start up a workout routine, discovering a park or river path to exercise in.

Go in search of unique, under-discovered places with the Trover website & app. Also, check out the free Lonely Planet Guides and Momondo apps.

Now that your mind isn’t fixated on the plans for the next day, you’re opened up and maybe inviting discussion with the table next to you at dinner. Hang out with people from your hostel, guesthouse, in your hotel lobby or consider meeting up with other travelers, expats, and locals by joining an online community such as Nomad List and/or Internations. When you’re traveling for a longer period of time, it’s especially wonderful to make new friends on the road. Not only will you miss yours back home and need some cheering up, but it’s fascinating meeting and befriending others from different walks of life!

Maybe there’s a craft that the region is known for and you can try it out – such as weaving, painting, and pottery, or sports like skiing or surfing.

What’s nearby? Maybe there’s a day trip or a short overnight trip that’s worth checking out.

Your trip highlights will become your personal immersion, the cultural exchange, learning some of the language, and the people you met and won’t forget.

There’s no question there’s more (financial) value in slowing down.

Since you’re not moving around as much, it might make sense to seek out an apartment or other longer-term accommodation. Usually weekly and monthly discounts are offered that make traveling much more affordable. If you have a place back home, maybe you can even rent it out for the length of your trip? You can also save costs by cooking your own meals and spreading out tourist activities. And with a more open schedule, plan these activities during low volume times, like the middle of the week, early or later in the day for a less chaotic and more enjoyable experience. To further save on your trip, consider visiting your destination during its shoulder or off-season periods. Accommodations, transportation, and tourist activities will all cost you much less than its busy season.

If you’re working while traveling, then slowing down has obvious pros.

You can more easily stick to some sort of routine. You can distinguish between work time and play time. Juggling meetings and deadlines won’t have the added pressure of being on the go as well. If you have to be working at odd hours in order to coincide with another time zone, then you’ll be minimizing the complications by having a more stable environment.

And if you need to change it up, you can always speed up for a period of time. No harm in enjoying that either!

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Need some more guidance on how to determine your ideal traveling pace? Check out our post, What Is the Best Travel Pace for Your Next Trip?

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How have you enjoyed slow travel? Leave a comment!