I’m guilty! I bet you are, too. We engage in rapid-fire travel. We try to jam as much as possible into our limited vacation time. 

When you only have two weeks a year away from work, you have to make every second count.

But visiting the most tourist attractions possible can be exhausting. At the end of your trip, you need a vacation from your vacation. 

Rushing through vacations might get you the most social-media-worthy photos, but it won’t get you a worthwhile experience. Enter slow travel. Instead of bouncing around like a pinball, you truly soak in your surroundings. 

In this article, we’ll examine four reasons why slow travel is the way to go:

1. Slow travel leads to spontaneous adventure
2. Slow travel allows you to experience the culture
3. Slow travel can save you money
4. Slow travel is better for the environment 

It’s time for a better getaway. Let’s get started. 

1. Slow Travel Leads to Spontaneous Adventure 

Some of the best moments in travel happen when you least expect them. If every second is meticulously planned, you don’t allow for spontaneity to offer experiences you never could have dreamed of.

Here’s what I mean: 

• You could be taking a walk through a park and find a free Salsa class. You meet some new friends and end up dancing the night away. 

• You overhear a conversation in your native accent and introduce yourself. The couple you talk to has a yacht in the harbor and takes you out for a tour of the islands. 

• You meet fellow travelers who are going to go on a lesser-known hike in the mountains. You join them the next morning and watch the sunrise greet the day. 

Everyone who goes to Paris sees the Eifel Tower. But how many of them end up at a dinner party with friends they met the night before? Let the magic happen.  

2. Slow Travel Allows You to Experience the Culture 

One of the most rewarding parts of visiting a new place is getting to know the culture. The food. The streets. The people. 

When we’re rushing from city to city, we’re often preoccupied with getting to the next destination. We fail to be present. 

You can’t expect to truly get to know someone in three or four days. How can you expect to understand a city in such a short amount of time?

To understand the local cuisine, you’re going to need to have more than three meals. If you want a taste of the local music scene, you’ll want to have multiple nights out to sample the different genres. To get a feel for the language (and maybe pick up a phrase or two), you’ll have to spend some time. 

Let your destination become a part of you. Learn its secrets. 

3. Slow Travel Can Save You Money

Vacations can be expensive. But slow travel can keep your spending under control. 

Spend Less on Transportation

If you’re going to just one destination, you’ll spend much less on transportation than if your itinerary has multiple cities. 

Last year, I went to Hungary, Croatia, and Montenegro…all in less than two weeks. I spent a lot of time traveling. I also spent money. Planes, cars, and boats. It was too much. 

When you stay put in one new city or town, you don’t have to worry about the cost (or headache) of moving from place to place. 

Spend Less on Accommodations 

Many accommodation sites (like Airbnb) offer discounts if you stay for a week (and even bigger discounts if you stay for a month). In some cases, you can save up to 50%! 

Spend Less on Food 

If you stay in the same place for a longer period of time, you can cook instead of always going out to eat. 

This is a great way to save money. If you’re always traveling from city to city, this can be tough. You might not find the time. But if you’re in the same place for a couple of weeks, its a breeze! 

4. Slow Travel is Better for the Environment

As much as it pains me to admit it, traveling isn’t great for the environment. Every plane ticket comes with the cost of increasing our carbon footprint. 

But we can make decisions that help keep our planet healthy. By visiting one destination instead of four, we decrease greenhouse gas emissions. 

If you do end up traveling to more than one place, consider taking a bus instead of a plane. Traveling by bus can also help you learn the culture (buying bus tickets can be an adventure) and save you money. 

The Earth’s beauty is what makes travel so special, so we should do what we can to preserve it. 

Conclusion

Last September I spent two weeks racing through three countries in the Balkans. This September I stayed put in Rio de Janeiro for two weeks. I can’t overstate the difference. 

Slow travel eliminates the stress and exhaustion that can accompany travel. You save money, have better experiences, and immerse yourself in culture. It’s travel how it should be.