6 Cool Advantages Of Slow Travel

The best part about the world around us is that there are so many places to explore. We never intentionally decided that slow travel was the way we wanted to go. It was just something that we stumbled into.

You see, we loved the idea of connecting with a place and exploring it thoroughly before we moved on to another. It was only as time passed by that we became more environmentally conscious and realized that slow travel meant good things for the environment. I will get to that in a bit. Let’s first talk about what slow travel is first.

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What Is Slow Travel?

There are a lot of ways to travel and there are many reasons why people travel. Seeing iconic parts of the world seems to be high on the list of reasons why people choose to uproot themselves and explore places that they have not been to before.

This urge to see popular spots in the world combined with how accessible different locations in the world have become has led to the rise of a phenomenon called Overtourism.

People try to pack as much as they can into a single trip often hoping between countries in a very short time frame. The popular Europe tour in ten days is just one example.

Slow travel is exactly the opposite of this and is often used to combat overtourism. It is all about spending a longer duration in a single location. In fact, one might go so far as to say that it isn’t a type of travel but a mindset.

People who embrace it often quote ‘there is always another trip/vacation’ when asked why they don’t rush around from spot to spot. The slow pace ensures that when you get back you don’t need a vacation from your vacation as is so often the case.

Is Slow Travel For Everyone?

I would like to think that it is, but I do understand that not everyone thinks the same way. One of the main reasons is because not everyone has the luxury of time which is one of the prerequisites of this kind of travel. Another reason is becomes people find slow travel lonely.

On the other hand, some people love the whirlwind of activity and the adrenaline that comes from hopping from location to location. That is perfectly understandable.

People who book their travel in the form of tours will find that their itineraries are anything but slow. In fact, if you want to perfect the art of slow travel you need to plan the trip yourself. That being said, once you have had a taste of it, it is hard to go back.

Advantages Of Slow Travel

There are so many advantages that slowing down your pace when travelling brings. Like I said before, these advantages are for the traveler, the environment, the local economy and much more. Let’s take a look at how the way you travel has a wider scale of impact than you think.

1. It Is Less Tiring

Reducing the pace at which you travel means that you can take a breather and enjoy yourself. Sit by the beach sipping a beer or not worry that you spent an entire day just strolling through a city aimlessly. There is less pressure on you to complete a long list of places to visit and more time to relish the places that you are in.

2. It Helps You Immerse Your Self In Each Location

When you travel with a checklist of popular spots, you often find yourself very focused on what you want to get done. When you allow yourself to spend a longer time in a single destination, you have time to look around and visit less popular locations, observe local customs and make friends with the locals in the area. In a bid not to see a lot in a day, you actually land up seeing more than you anticipated.

3. It Is Kinder On Your Budget

One of the biggest expenditures that drains a holiday budget is the transportation costs. Staying in a single location for longer means that you can eliminate a lot of the bigger expenditures that involve getting from one place to another. If you work out a deal with your host, you can also get your accommodation for cheaper since the host will be quite happy to have one guest for a longer time.

4. You Help The Local Economy

When you stay in one location for a long duration of time, you begin to explore the local stores and to shop local. This is good for the local economy. People who slow travel also choose to stay away from the conglomerate hotel chains and prefer to stay in local Bead and breakfasts or guest houses. Not only does that help them connect with the local community, it also helps the small businesses in the area.

5. It Is Easier On The Environment

Sustainable travel is something that everyone is talking about. With global warming raising its ugly head, everyone should try to do their part to ensure that they contribute to preserving the environment around them.

Slow travel helps do just that since it reduces the number of flights that you take. People who follow this mindset tend to use public transport and cycle or walk from place to place which makes things more economical too.

6. Slow Travel Can Be Done Anywhere

People often ask me which countries are the best for this kind of travel. My response is that you can go anywhere and slow down the pace. While Europe was once a popular spot for this kind of travel, south east Asia quickly caught on too. Nowadays people around the globe are following the technique.

Tips To Start Your Journey

Want to give slow travel a shot but don’t know how? Don’t worry. We have put together a few tips to help you get started.

Let Go Of The Reigns A Little

It is really unnerving but the best advice that I can give anyone who wants to travel is to let go of the reigns a little. Don’t over plan. When we started travelling, I started trying to plan every second of our trip. I stuffed our itinerary as much as I could and I found that not only was I tired at the end of the day, I found myself disappointed if I did not check everything off my list.

If you aren’t quite ready to just go with the flow and plan as you go, don’t worry. I totally understand how you feel. What I do now is research all the locations I like. Find out the spots that interest me along the way. I then allocate a certain amount of time to each location.

With that done we head to the spot and then wing it there. That way the broader trip is planned but the minute details are not. Definitely helped me transition into the slow travel lifestyle.

Go Local

The motto of most slow travelers is to go local. This includes trying to find local accommodation that is not part of the large multinational chains. Head out to the markets to buy local produce and cook at home to reduce costs. You will find that it is a lot of fun to live like a local temporarily. You may even find yourself beginning to put down roots.

So would you indulge in slow travel? Or have you already embarked on a slow journey? Let us know about it in the comments below.

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