slow travel routes

Kirtey Verma | 20 November 2019

Slow escapes: 15 of the best slow travel trips to book whenever you're ready.

Taking it easy can truly enhance your travel experience, in so many ways. Here are some of the very top trips for mellow, blissed-out journeys that allow you to take it all in at a much calmer pace...

1. Paddle the waterways of Canada

(Grand American Adventures)

Leave civilisation behind and paddle more than 320km of the great Yukon River on the Yukon Canoe Adventure with Grand American Adventures.

As you voyage deep into the remote Canadian wilderness, you’ll end up following the renowned gold-rush route, traversing the same waters that were once a lifeline to the miners.

Camp out on riverbanks watched by curious beavers and even glimpse the odd bald eagle stalking the skies as you roam through abandoned trading posts and settlements, such as Hootalinqua and Big Salmon Village, and revel in the absolute stillness of it all.

Who? Grand American Adventures

When? 14 July; 4 & 25 August 2019

How long?  Eight days

How much? From £979 (excluding int’l flights)

2. Get lost on the maze-like waterways in India

(Corinthian Travel)

Take your time and enjoy Kerala’s intricate lagoon network on Corinthian Travel’s Slow Kerala Backwater Cruise.

With three nights to enjoy the sleepy waters (one-night cruises are the norm here), you can fully unwind and appreciate the gentle life of the rural villages that line the shores.

On land you can enjoy unhurried cycle rides through remote communities and visit bustling bazaars and serene temples, then try your hand at private cookery classes in the spice port of Cochin.

Who? Corinthian Travel   (020 3583 6089) 

When? Year-round

How long?  Eight days

How much? From £1,145 (excluding int’l flights)

3. Sail to the heart of the Maldives

(Oana Dragan)

Attune yourself to the rhythms of the South Malé Atoll and embark on a Maldives Dhoni Cruise with G Adventures.

Sail across the islands on a traditional dhoni boat, before wallowing in turquoise lagoons, snorkelling among the coral reef and swimming alongside turtles, reef sharks and stingrays.

Then let friendly locals take you under their wing as you embrace the laid-back Maldivian lifestyle far from honeymooners and beach dwellers. Perfect for a slow, authentic escape.

Who? G Adventures (0344 272 2060)

How long?  Seven days

How much? From £1,129 (excluding int’l flights)

4. Answer the call of the wild in Tanzania

(Natural High)

Swap 4WDs for your own two feet and stroll the hills, kopjes and valleys of the northern Serengeti on a Walking Safari with Natural High Safaris.

Walking from camp to camp, slow down and become one with the landscape and wildlife as you join a cast of thousands of wildebeest and zebra on their migration.

Seek out big game by spying wind direction and the behaviour of other wildlife, and enjoy the thrill of the slow reveal.

Who? Natural High Safaris  (01747 830950)

When? Selected dates June to October 2019 & 2020

How much? From £4,750 (excluding int’l flights)

5. Stray off the beaten track in India

(Wild Frontiers)

Escape India’s chaotic capitals and see a more serene side to the country on an India in Slow Motion trip with Wild Frontiers.

You’ll stray off­ the beaten track, dawdling through Rajasthan’s rural villages and camping at the glittering Pangarh Lake.

Bangle makers and brass pottery take centre stage in Bundi’s bazaars, then relax with royalty as you spend the night as a guest of a prince in Madhya Pradesh’s Fort Ahilya, before combing the ruined city of Mandu’s majestic fortresses and temples.

Who?  Wild Frontiers (020 8741 7390)

When? 3 Nov 2019; 2 Feb & 21 Nov 2020

How long? 15 days

How much? From £2,725 (excluding int’l flights)

6. Taste la dolce vita in Italy

(Wexas Travel)

Taking the time to dine is the whole ethos of Wexas Travel's Gastronomy of Puglia trip. As you amble medieval towns and self-drive coastal wonders, you’ll indulge in gourmet dinners in centuries-old hilltop estates and go on wine tastings and cellar tours.

Spot local fishermen unloading their catch of the day in Gallipoli – right before you sample it yourself – and take in cave dwellings (Matera), castles and frescoed churches, before resting your head in country manors and townhouses.

Who? Wexas Travel (020 7590 0796)

When? April to October 2019 & 2020

How long? 7 days

How much? From £995 (including flights)

7. Uncover island life in Greece

A slower pace of life awaits on the Ionian Islands Bike & Sa il  tour with UTracks, as you set sail from Corfu and take the time to explore the coastlines and coves of its surrounding islands.

Hop ashore to pedal to the sea caves of Kefalonia, two-wheel it past olive trees and through lush valleys on Ithaca, and bike mountain villages and cli­ff tops of the mainland coast before finishing on the idyllic island of Paxos. And for those looking to take it even easier, e-bikes can be hired for a supplement.

Who? UTracks (0800 0744 135)

When? 24 August; 28 September; 5, 12 & 19 October 2019

How much? From £1,390 (excluding int’l flights)

8. Stroll through time in Croatia

(On Foot Holidays)

Meander Dubrovnik’s backstreets and Adriatic coast on The Walled City and the Elafiti Islands self-guided walking trip with On Foot Holidays.

Get lost in centuries-old monasteries and palaces, then climb atop the city’s fortifications for views over the Old Town, before ferrying over to the car-free islands of Lopud, Sipan and Kolocep where you can swim in sandy bays and enjoy fresh fish lunches – all under your own steam.

Who? On Foot Holidays   (01722 322652)

How long?  Seven nights

How much? From £830 (excluding int’l flights)

9. Take it easy in Cambodia

(Vivid Travel)

Absorb Cambodia’s rich culture and laid-back lifestyle at your leisure on Vivid Travel’s bespoke Stone, Sand and Sea tour.

Most trips typically o­ffer a mix of slow and scenic bike rides through rural countryside, alongside explorations of Phnom Penh’s busy streets and wartime relics, and the Khmer temple complex of Angkor.

Watch the sunset over the iconic Angkor Wat, before perhaps ending your trip amid the pristine beaches and deserted bays of Koh Rong island.

Who?  Vivid Travel (020 3813 2405)

When? May to September 2019 & 2020

How long? 14 days

How much? From £1,995 (including int’l flights)

10. Bliss out in Indonesia

(Dreamstime)

Leave your worries behind and slowly soak up Indonesia’s ancient culture on Rickshaw Travel’s relaxing Rice Terraces & Paradise Beaches trip.

Explore Ubud’s rich green rice terraces, stroll through perfumed plantations of coffee and clove, before taking on traditional Balinese cooking classes and resting your head in palaces.

Then you can fully unwind on the dreamy Gili islands, where you can slumber under the sun, dine on fresh seafood and snorkel with sea turtles – you’ll feel like a modern castaway.

Who?   Rickshaw Travel   (01273 934823)

How much? From £1,185 (excluding int'l flights)

11. Spring into action in South Africa

Designed to coincide with the austral spring, Naturetrek’s Go Slow... in South Africa trip presents a different side to the Western Cape.

With the wildlife slowly awakening, you can spot African Penguins at Boulders Beach or Southern Right Whales in False Bay, while enjoying the spectacular mountainous scenery of the Cape Peninsula and the Hottentots Holland Mountains. After a long day of wildlife watching,  chill out with a glass (or two) of local Stellenbosch wine.

Birdwatchers can also glimpse a vast array of their feathered friends, listening to the songs of the Cape Sugarbird and Cape Batis. You'll see some of Cape Town, and also explore the notorious Robben Island prison. 

Who? Naturetrek (01962 733051)

When? Selected dates September 2019 and September 2020

How long? 10 days

How much? From £4,295 (including flights)

12. Ride the rails in Scotland

Put the brakes on your trip and enjoy going Slowly Through The North Highlands By Train with McKinlay Kidd.

Starting in Inverness, your journey takes you through some of the remote areas of the Highlands, so you can soak up the peaceful way of life with a private tour of Plockton village, the rugged Isle of Skye, as well as the wilderness of the North Coast, all in your own time.

Then head to Loch Ness on a quiet boat trip – depending on whether the legendary monster makes an appearance. Finally, add an optional day trip to Orkney to your itinerary, if you're still keen to explore at an easy pace.

Who?  McKinlay Kidd (0141 260 9260)

When? April to October 2019

How much? From £1,195

13. Step into the Philippines

Escape to the Philippines on Foot with TravelLocal and uncover its true wonders: the world’s smallest active volcano (Mount Taal), the enchanting pyramid-like rice terraces in the Ifugao Mountains, and the peculiar primates with eyes bigger than its brains count among them.

Ride a horse along soft black lava sand to the rim of Mount Taal’s crater, marvel at the Chocolate Hills of Bohol Island, meet the aforementioned big-eyed tarsiers at Bohol's sanctuary, and spot dolphins on the small island of Balicasag.

Drift down the river on slow cruises, sunbathe on the beach and enjoy blissing out with relaxing spa treatments.

Who? T ravelLocal   (0117 325 7898)

How long? 18 days

How much? £2,140 (excluding int'l flights)

14. Sail away in Iceland

Check out of modern life and explore the atmospheric Icelandic coast on the Iceland Circumnavigation  expedition cruise with Aurora Expeditions.

Offering a new perspective on Iceland unseen by wayfarers, this brand-new itinerary navigates dramatic fjords, rocky cliffs, mud pools and geothermal springs, while shining a spotlight on black sand beaches, lava fields and extraordinary whale watching hot spots in the Hornstrandir peninsula, too.

Nature reigns supreme on this slow voyage, soundtracked by thundering waterfalls, spouting geysers and the calls of bird colonies.

Who? Aurora Expeditions (0 808 189 2005)

When? 2 to 12 June 2020

How long? 11 days

How much? From £5,232 (excluding flights)  

15. Take on dog sledding in Greenland 

Get pulled onto the ride of a lifetime with man’s best friend on the East Greenland Dog Sledding Expedition with Regent Holidays.

You’ll need a good level of fitness, but you can prepare to be completely cut off from modern life, delving into the isolated wilderness of Ammassalik Island and navigating remote settlements, mountain valleys and glaciers, all the while entirely dependent on your tough team of Greenlandic sled dogs.

You can also take in the impressive views across King Oscar’s Fjord and Sermilik Ice Fjord, before spending the night on the shores and taking things slow by scouting out seals with a local Inuit.

Who? Regent Holidays   (01174 535 920)

When? February to April 2020

How much? From £3,595 (including flights) 

Explore more slow journeys: 

Here's the best places to explore by e-bike, take it easy on a mekong river cruise, the most luxurious sleeper trains — and how to book them  , related articles, looking for inspiration.

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Slow travel to discover true wanderlust. 

Slow travel is becoming more and more popular. We think it’s the future of travel. Our Ultimate Guide to Slow Travel is all about embracing this immersive travel trend. We’re not here to judge other ways of travelling. Heck, more people travelling is a good thing any way you can! But, if you’re curious about how to slow travel then our guide is just what you need.

Find the best activities for you on our map!

Trust us - travelling slowly is exactly what you need to do to fall in love with your next travel destination. We’re not about judging how people travel, only to show you that there’s another option! We’ve put together our Ultimate Guide to cut down all those myths about slow travel, tell you why we love it so much, and tell you how to slow travel to get you started!

Say bon voyage to the tourist crowds and join us on an in-depth journey. Keep reading to have all your questions answered, plus the best slow travel destinations recommendations and sustainable travel tips! Our ultimate guide is everything you need to begin your journey down the slow travel rabbit hole… 

The slow travel basics 

These are the questions we get all the time about slow travel; What is slow travel and how do I do it? The meaning of the word “slow travel” can seem obvious once you first see it, but we’re here to share all the info you need to really dig in and get your journey started. 

What is slow travel? 

Slow travel is a way of travelling that gets to the heart of why we love the journey. Go at your own pace to discover authentic experiences as you get off the beaten track and discover local gems. The slow traveler explores their dream destinations at their own pace, avoids the traps of mass tourism, and enjoys a rich travel experience. Keep reading to get all the info you need on the art of slow travel!

Where did slow travel come from? 

Slow travel is a branch of the slow movement. You’ve probably seen the slow fashion movement that pushes against mass production of clothes in fast fashion. Maybe our foodie friends know slow food restaurants, which focus on local and seasonal dishes for authentic experiences rather than mass produced meals. Slow travel originates from the “slow food movement”, which got its start in Italy as a protest against McDonald’s. 

Some define slow travel as public transport or taking months to explore one place. None of those definitions are exactly wrong, but they miss out on what makes slow travel so great. Whether you’re enjoying a 2 day city break or taking a road trip across Europe, any trip can become a slow travel trip as long as you stick to the intention and our top tips. 

Who goes slow traveling? 

You might have gone on a slow travel-like trip without even realising. Backpacking, camping, and hyper focused city trips all fall under the beautiful umbrella of slow travel. The slow travel movement is an accessible movement for all from students on a budget, luxury travellers, and retirees. No two slow travellers look alike! Slow travel has nothing to do with age or your income. It’s all about what experience you want out of traveling. 

Since you can really customise a slow travel trip and delve in deep to a local culture, we find that slow travel is the best option for many solo travellers and those interested in getting a full and authentic experience of their destination. 

Are slow travel and sustainable travel the same thing? 

Eco conscious travel or sustainable travel does have some overlap with slow travel. But they’re not exactly the same thing. By moving away from mass tourism and into more sustainable practices, slow travel is by its nature more eco-friendly than other trips. Unlike the usual sustainable travel tips though, slow travel has its own mentality. 

While sustainable travel focuses on the effect that trips have on the environment, slow travel looks more inward. All those busy trips, crowded places, and wanderlust social media posts can have a negative effect on our mental health. In slowing the pace and taking things one step at a time, slow travel is (in our opinion!) a better experience for all involved - you and the planet! 

Can slow travel be luxurious? 

You can absolutely make slow travel trips on a higher budget. We know there’s this myth that slow travel is all about backpacking and while that type of thing does fall under slow travel, that’s not all it's about. Taste local expensive food, stay at luxury Airbnbs, and discover the best of the local culture on a luxury budget that’s right for you. 

Our top 5 reasons to travel slowly! 

Now you know what slow travel is all about. But have we convinced you to plan your next trip in the slow travel way? We’ve got all the reasons why you should hop onto the slow travel movement right here to get you thinking. 

You support the local economy 

Hey, big spenders! There’s just something nice about going to your local market and actually meeting the sellers. Slow is that, but on an even bigger scale. Major travel companies do have a habit of pushing you to major tourist spots and always giving you popular itineraries. We’re not saying that’s a bad option if that’s what you want from your travels, but slow travel gives you a local and authentic option. 

By travelling slowly, you’ll probably be spending more time in one place. Dive in deep to the local scene to discover hidden gems, restaurants, and local events. You’ll be giving your hard-earned cash to smaller businesses and local artisans who need the money a fair bit more than your average top 100 travel company. 

Slow travel can keep your budget low

We all want to travel more often! Slow travel helps to keep your travel costs down by focusing on one place and its surrounding area. You don't need a bunch of flights or train tickets to get the most out of your journey. Of course, if you’ve got a higher budget there’s plenty of slow travel destinations, hotels, and things to do for you as well! 

Many digital nomads (those who work remotely while travelling) are often slow travellers. Taking a slower pace by spending more time in one area before moving onto your next destination keeps your transport costs much lower. And, of course, you get all the benefits of seeing the most of your next travel destination. 

Slow travel can help the environment

Slow travel trips can involve public transport or some other sustainable way of travelling. Public releases way less emissions than the average plane! Slow travel can be done via the plane too, so long as you take your time at the destination, search for hidden gems, and keep your focus on the local culture. 

You meet new people 

Yes, you will meet new people however you travel! But we’ve found the slow travel community to be super welcoming. As you join in on sustainable travel groups and hunt down the best local things to in your area, you’ll find yourself surrounded by people who share the same mindset. You’re not just one in a crowd of tourists - you become an explorer ready to find the next gem. 

Of course, if you’re hunting down authentic experiences there’s nothing better than getting tips from locals. Mass tourism might bring in the money, but it can have backlash. But you’re actually here for an authentic trip, in our experience, locals are way more friendly once you express that especially in places where tourism has had some downsides. 

Remember why you love to travel 

Have you ever been stuck in the airport wishing you were back in bed? Have you ever arrived at a destination you thought was beautiful on social media, but you arrive and there’s just a queue of people taking photos? 

Slow travel gets to the core of why we fell in love with travelling in the first place.

Not to sound like a boomer, but when you travel just for travel's sake then it loses a lot of its magic. The local food that just melts in your mouth. Discovering the amazing places and hidden gems no one tells you about. Relax in the forest, up a mountain, or even in the Roman ruins inside a city park! Slow travel is about having a truly immersive travel experience. Escape your normal life and totally immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of a new place, of a new culture.  

Whatever you love about travelling, slow travel will dial it up to 11 . So what are the types of slow travel journeys and where should you go? Here are our top recommendations! 

The types of slow travel journeys 

Slow travel is more of a mindset than a pigeon hole category, but there are some holiday types that fall naturally into this type of travel. Road trips, backpacking, cycling journeys, and camping, can all be types of slow travel trips. 

So long as you’re seeking out authentic experiences and taking your time, you can make any journey into a slow travel one. But here are some of our favourite easy slow travel trip types to give you some ideas. 

Road trips 

Hop in your car and drive wherever you want! Road trips are an easy way of getting the group together and getting around to your dream destinations. Take a road trip across Europe, America, and more. Driving might not seem sustainable at first glance, but it’s better than taking the plane to each stop! Make sure to stop along the way at the best local places! Along the road, you’re sure to find a hidden gem or two. 

Backpacking 

Nothing is slower and more beautiful than getting around on foot. Take your time climbing to the mountain top and enjoy the view! Is there anything more authentic than Mother Nature? Feel the rocky cliffs and rivers beneath your feet on a slow travel backpacking trip. You can go backpacking almost anywhere. Some countries, like Thailand and Sri Lanka, have seen a major increase in the number of backpackers paying them a visit. We actually recommend visiting a less popular country for backpacking to avoid crowds and have the least touristy experience possible. 

A solid choice for any traveller! Pitch up a tent and sleep under the stars surrounded by nature. Camping is a great choice as sites tend to be not far off great slow travel attractions. It’s good to take it slow sometimes and just enjoy your time with family and friends! Use your tent as a starting point on your adventure as you make your way to the national parks or nearby cities. We actually think camping is an underrated option, especially when there’s more options than you’d expect in the camping world.  

Campsites are one of the most sustainable places to stay on your holiday, but to really max out those slow travel points we’ve found Pitchup to be super handy to find campsites in Europe that use renewable energy . 

Get on your bike and get peddling! Why wait for your flight or get stuck in the crowd, when you can peddle past them all? Explore your next destination on wheels. You’ll cycle through national parks, to castles, ruins, and make your way through the cities. Some countries are a lot better for cycling trips than others, so keep reading to find the best slow travel destinations! 

Train Trips 

Follow the tracks across the country, across continents even! On the train, you can travel affordably and sustainably across country borders. You’ll be literally travelling more slowly and taking more time to enjoy the journey as well as the destination. Europe is a super popular destination for train journeys. Check out our slow travel destinations below to get some ideas going… 

Our top slow travel destinations 

You can slow travel anywhere in the world. But at Live the World we absolutely love Europe for slow travel beginners. Here are our top slow travel destinations in Europe, plus the best things to do for each country. Take your pick! 

Netherlands 

Known for its windmills and tulips, the Netherlands is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe. SUP your way across the canals of Amsterdam, hike the beaches of the less travelled but unique Frisian Islands, or even pick out plastic as you sail across the rivers. The Netherlands is the perfect destination for a cycling trip, a city day trip, and more. 

Amsterdam is the major tourist attraction, but other cities have great activities to offer too. Check out our map to find the best slow travel places to go! 

The heart of Europe! Belgium is an underrated destination full of hidden gems and gorgeous city trips. Belgium has some of the prettiest castles and nature reserves you’d never know if you didn’t see it for yourself. A perfect pick for a road trip through Europe and city breaks, Belgium is one of our top slow travel destinations. 

Follow our 2 day itinerary in Brussels for a slow travel experience in Belgium’s capital! 

Czech Republic 

Backpack in the Czech Republic to enjoy a central European location with gorgeous mountains on its border like Sněžka. Take a city break in Prague to uncover hidden gems in its castle, local markets, and so much more. Prague is the #1 stop in the Czech Republic, but there’s great places across the country too like the beautiful city of Czechy Krumlov. 

Our top tips on how to travel slowly 

After racking our brains and hunting down the top experts in the eco-travel field, we’ve got all the best slow travel tips just for you. From ditching the packed itineraries to bamboo cutlery, these are the top tips from experts. Read even more tips on how to travel sustainably here.

1. Buy local

This top tip came up no matter who we asked! So often, tourists will stroll by all the local and independent shops and gather at only the major centres. Of course, you’re helping out the locals this way. But you’re also keeping your carbon footprint low, by reducing all the miles goods have to travel when you shop locally. We’ve found some surprises at farmers markets, from gorgeous flowers in Prague to handmade wooden clogs in the Netherlands. Check out our map to find local trading posts! 

2. Do what you can, when you can

When you’re trying to do right by the environment and yourself, it’s easy to get a bit depressed about climate change. We spoke to Coren Munday, founder of bamboo cutlery company SeaForYourselfco , to get her perspective on slow travel. Coren, like so many of us travellers, was shocked by all the plastic she saw on the beach. When you’re in that situation, what can you do about it? Coren let us know that, in the true spirit of slow travel, it’s best to focus on the here and now. Do what you can! Whether that’s picking up some plastic bottles as you backpack, swapping to bamboo cutlery, or simply taking a bag with you when you travel so you don’t leave your rubbish  behind. Every little bit helps! 

3. Electric Detox 

OK, hear us out. We know how handy our gadgets can be when you’re in a whole new world. Our friends at IndieCampers let us know how important taking some time off can be, though. Take a break from your phone and social media! I actually tried this out on a recent trip to Nottingham. It was weird going without my laptop and phone most of the time, and sometimes I did have to use my phone just to get directions. If, like me, you’re not quite ready to go cold turkey then just turn off your notifications and enjoy a stress-free day without refreshing your email inbox! 

4. Give back

The mindset of slow travel doesn’t start and end with just one person. You can spread the mindset of slow travel by giving back as you go. We don’t just mean money, though supporting local artists and events does go a long way. We mean supporting the local culture and community. Whether that’s chatting to the locals in their language when you can, supporting local businesses, or volunteering on projects around the world, you can travel in a way that isn’t all take. Sometimes we need to give back too! 

5. Take it slow - literally 

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Slow travel doesn’t just mean sticking to the train. But! We’d be lying if we didn’t include this top tip. After all, public transport is one of the best ways to get around depending on where you go. 

The main thing is not to rush about from place to place. If you’re in a rush, then you’re not enjoying the journey. You could be in the most beautiful place in the world, but if you’ve been jostled about by the tourist crowd, honked at in traffic, and need to go to the next activity in an hour, then it doesn’t seem that pretty. It’s important to take things at your own pace, so you can really enjoy your experiences. 

Everything you need to pack for a slow travel journey 

Alright, you’ve picked your destination and you basically now have a degree in slow travel. You’re ready to go. But what are the essentials to pack for a slow travel trip? Of course, having an umbrella, jacket, and spare bag for waste, are always needed. We’ve put together a list of the best things to bring! 

While you’re out exploring, you’re sure to find beautiful places and hidden gems. Get your phone camera or DSLR ready for your best shot. Slow travel is all about taking your time and enjoying the moment. What’s more slow travel than capturing the moment forever on film? The big thing to remember is the intention. If you get caught up just taking photos to show people later, then you’re not enjoying the trip anymore. Use your camera to help you remember what you love later - don’t make the camera the star of the trip. 

2. Portable phone charger

Sometimes you’ll be out hiking and your phone will run out of battery and, next thing you know, you’re following a random sign to the nearest village in the hopes of getting directions. Don’t be like me. Learn from all the mistakes of trekkers before you and bring along a portable phone charger to save yourself the stress. Perfect too for group campaign trips and city day trips. You’ll never regret bringing one of these guys along. 

3. Cross body bag

Nearly every traveller under the sun has one of these for a reason. Keep an eye on your most important belongings without lugging around a massive bag as you go. Crossbody bags are a great pick for day trips in the city and hikes too (easy access to snacks!). You can get ‘em second hand, but sometimes you just want to splash out and get something nice. For a more luxury budget with a slow fashion heart, check out STOW .

4. A notepad

Here’s a tip from me. When you’re in the pub, you’re not going to remember all the recommendations locals give you. And they give you plenty. Use the note app on your phone or go back to basics with pen and paper, to keep track of the ever growing list of things to do in the local area. You can also double up your notepad as a travelling journal. Look back on those memories years from now!

5. A map or guide

Having an actual map or guide is handy if you have poor connection. But we don’t just mean that. Use our map and guide to find things to do near you that are recommended by locals. Dive in deep on your slow travel trip and find activities to fit your interests, not just the “top ten essentials to do” that you’ll find on every blog list. Keep reading to find our top things to do wherever you go for the best slow travel trip ever!  ‍

The best things to do on a slow travel trip 

So, you banished your former ideas about travel and you’ve got our travel guide at the ready. But what do slow travelers do on their trips? We’re finishing up our ultimate guide to slow travel with some ideas to get your trip planning started. 

1. Take a hike 

Hiking is booming and for good reason! Slow things down by travelling on foot. You never know what you’ll find. We’ve seen hikes marked by artsy sculptures, a walking trail through a witchy village, or go for a classic woodland trail. Whatever flavour of hike you pick, you’ll be enjoying the local nature and taking a breath of fresh air. 

Where to hike

You can always find a good hike at the nearest national park, but we recommend using our map to find the best hikes and tips to make your trek the best one yet. You can find some good walks not too far from the city too!

2. Explore the markets 

We will keep on banging this drum. There’s no point going to a city just to explore the major shops. Sure, you’ll find some goodies there but you’re not really picking up the local vibe. Head on down to the local market to meet the artisans, the farmers, and so much more. Blend in with the local crowd!

3. Find hidden gems 

A slow travel trip is best when it includes a hidden place or two. Keep your eyes peeled for those places by asking the locals and checking out hidden gems on our map in Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and more to come soon! What we love about hidden gems is that they can be anything from a 19th century castle in the Netherlands to an alleyway covered in amazing street art.

4. Taste it!

Don’t forget to taste the local food and try out the beer and wine. Take a brewery tour, book a wine tasting, and discover local spots on our map! We’ve found amazing local food trucks, rooftop bars, and even little wineries across our favourite destinations. 

Where to eat 

While you’ll always find plenty of cafes and restaurants in the city centre, they’re usually not the most authentic. Sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re tourist traps! Wander out a little further to find the best options in the city. 

5. Go sailing! 

OK, this one depends where you are but if you’re near a lake or river then you can’t go wrong by renting a boat. Sail out onto the waters and feel that sea - or river! - breeze. Want to be even more active? You can always go canoeing or grab a SUP board. SUP is basically stand-up paddle boarding! We’ve even found SUP rentals in the canals of the Netherlands.

6. Bring your bike

Join the locals on the wheels. Slow down your travels by taking yourself from place to place. Sustainable, convenient, and a great thing to do, biking is one activity you have to add to your slow travel checklist. Cycle your way across nature reserves, past the cities, or even follow along a local ice skating route.

Our slow travel book recs

Need further reading? Want some more inspiration? We’re not here to give you homework, but you don’t have to take our word for it on how great slow travel is. Delve in deeper into the slow travel movement and community alongside these writers, backpackers, trekkers, and more. Discover new destinations and tips in their pages, then go out and explore for yourself! 

The Art of Slow Travel by Bhavana Gesota

Read the true story and personal experiences of passionate slow traveller Bhavana Gesota. When I was reading this book, I was amazed by how deeply Gesota experienced each place she visited. But this book doesn’t just focus on the places. The Art of Slow Travel is one of the best travel books you can read as it actually goes into the internal journey we go on when we travel. 

Slow Travel: A Movement by Penny Watson 

This is your basic introduction to slow travel. Best for inspiration rather than a how-to guide, this book might not have all the answers you need to understand slow travel but it will pull you in and leave you wanting more. Discover beautiful places, tips, and tour company recommendations. We recommend Watson’s books for beginners to slow travel! Thanks to its fairly recent publication in 2019 and iconic photos, this book always ranks highly and our booklist would not be complete without it. 

The Idle Traveller: The Art of Slow Travel by Dan Kieran

This book is essentially a longish essay on why you should slow travel. Reflect on why we should travel and if we have lost that purpose… Keiran’s book is best for those interested in the mindset of slow travel and the philosophy behind it. Some of the best parts of the book are Keiran’s adventures and anecdotes from his travels across the UK and Europe. More limited in location than The Art of Slow Travel by Bhavana Gesota, but still an interesting read.

Fancy embracing the slow travel way on your next trip? Check out our map for 100s of local, authentic activities that’ll perfectly fit a slower style. Find the best activities for you on our map! Psst! Try selecting Green Horizons and Local Trading Posts for some of our slow travel faves… If your chosen slow travel destination isn’t there yet, don’t worry, we’re working on it! Follow our socials to be the first to know when we launch a new destination. In the meantime, happy (slow) travelling!

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The first slow travel guide

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Culture Trip's Top 12 Slow Travel Destinations

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Slow travel allows us to experience different destinations in a way that is both relaxing and enriching. It’s all about forgoing hectic city itineraries and whistlestop tours of never-seen-before destinations in favour of taking the time to actually get to know them – embracing the local culture and different ways of life . From road trips in California to exploring Kyoto by bike, here’s our pick.

Slow travel doesn’t have to be in an exotic destination; it could be as simple as visiting your nearest seaside town or national park, or even taking the scenic but slightly longer route to your nearest train station. The point is to appreciate what makes a place unique, and make the most of the time you have there. When travelling abroad, that means staying local wherever – and whenever – possible.

California, USA

California is a spectacular location to visit for any number of reasons, but how to make the most of a trip to this vast state on the west coast of America? There’s the obvious glitz and glamour of Hollywood in Los Angeles , but the vibrant Downtown district offers a much more laid-back experience. Street food is a major draw here and there’s arguably no better way to discover the City of Stars than by hopping from one food vendor to the next.

To explore the rest of the state, you could take things slow with a road trip on some of the famous highways that run between destinations such as San Diego and San Francisco . There’s no need to rush, and these seven outstanding sustainable hotels provide a great selection of places to stay right across the state.

Isle of Skye, Scotland

A popular film location , the Isle of Skye certainly feels cinematic when you first lay eyes on it. The largest island of the Scottish Inner Hebrides, Skye boasts a spectacular mountainous landscape that wouldn’t look out of place in The Lord of the Rings . You can catch a ferry to the port of Armadale and there’s a small airfield for private use, but by far the easiest way to reach this destination is via the Skye Bridge. If you don’t hire a car, you can take either the bus or train from mainland cities Glasgow and Inverness .

The Talisker Distillery is a popular attraction on Skye. We recommend visiting to warm your cockles with a single malt whisky before setting off on a ramble around this unspoiled Scottish gem . For resting tired limbs, we recommend a stay at one of these boutique boltholes .

Travel has never been anything but slow in Sri Lanka . This large Indian Ocean island nation was once part of the maritime Silk Route – an ancient trading route that connected China and Roman-controlled ports in Egypt – and in modern times it has emerged as a favourite destination for taking it slow. The ancient Anuradhapura region is strewn with temples and ruins, while there are cultural treasures to be found on every other corner in the country’s capital, Colombo .

There’s an extensive road network that connects all the major points of interest, but by the far the most magical way to get around is by rail. Photogenic trains and stunning scenery combine for the defining images associated with slow travel, while luxury resorts and relaxing retreats complete the experience.

Tulum, Mexico

Tulum was once a sleepy beach town that few people outside of Mexico had heard of, but the slow trickle of visitors has turned into a constant stream in recent years. Nevertheless, there’s still a way to enjoy the Mayan ruins, sandy beaches and local culture without feeling as if you’re stuck in a tourist trap. The key is to avoid staying in an overcrowded beach hotel. Instead, pick a boutique property in the heart of Tulum itself. It’s a good 20- to 30-minute walk from the town centre to the coast, but you can easily hire a bike and cut that journey time down.

If you go, pick a place to stay for a few nights and take each day as it comes. There are lots of things to do around town, but there’s no need to plan more than a day or two in advance.

Matera, Italy

This rocky outcrop of Sassi di Matera, in the Basilicata region in southern Italy, was largely abandoned until the 1980s ,with only a few inhabitants left. After considerable investment by the Italian government towards improving living conditions, visitors have slowly returned and now Matera is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

If you really want to embrace the relaxed way of life in Matera, do as the locals do and book a stay at one of its incredible cave residences . Unlike other places, these rock-hewn properties aren’t a gimmick and provide an authentic way to immerse yourself in la città sotterranea (the underground city).

Kyoto, Japan

Japan’s cultural capital Kyoto may be one of the more crowded destinations on this list, but there are a great selection of places to stay across the city that allow you to live like a local , from traditional ryokan to luxury modern hotels with onsen facilities. There’s also a thriving street food scene that any visitor ought not to rush – check out this article on the must-try meals around the city .

Kyoto is an essential stop if you’re planning to travel around Japan by train , but you might want to make it your final destination as it’s a hard one to leave behind.

We recently showcased Costa Rica for its nationwide focus on sustainability , and we’re sticking with it for this slow travel guide. The country’s diverse ecosystem has allowed a number of innovative property solutions to develop organically in recent years, and the result for visitors is a great range of ecofriendly lodges to stay in. Unlike other countries where green tourism initiatives are becoming increasingly central, Costa Rica has already done this at scale, keeping the costs low for consumers and providers alike.

If you’re looking for a place to take the family to in 2021, you should consider a trip here as there are also a wide array of family-friendly tours we can recommend.

Cappadocia, Turkey

Central Turkey is often overlooked by tourists in favour of coastal cities in the north and south, but this region is truly unmissable. Cappadocia is home to breathtaking natural parks, remarkable geological features and countless cave dwellings still lived in by locals today. Many of these properties now also function as hotels – check out our pick of the best you can book in this article – offering outsiders the chance to experience a more sedate travel experience either before or after they take to the skies in an unforgettable hot air balloon ride .

Cappadocia is a semi-arid region with lots of natural rock formations, so it’s a place you can easily unwind, and there are more than enough things to keep you entertained should you wish to extend your stay .

Wanaka, New Zealand

With its mountains and coastline, the South Island in New Zealand is a year-round magnet for outdoor adventurers, and Wanaka remains beautifully unspoilt thanks to strict protection rules. Historically, the area was a fishing and hunting spot for the Maori people – something you can still do today .

Rolling vineyards are a relatively new addition, although the beautiful landscape has remained largely unchanged over time – film boffins might recognise the lakes and peaks from The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time (2018). If you’re tempted to visit, keep your carbon footprint to a minimum by staying at one of these fabulous ecofriendly places to stay .

Vancouver Island, Canada

If you cast your eyes away from the cities skyscrapers, Vancouver Island , on the west coast of Canada, feels miles away from the BC capital. To get here, you can take commercial flights to cities such as Victoria and Nanaimo, or hop on a seaplane for a special adventure . You could also catch a ferry across the Strait of Georgia – a good option if you’d like to bring your own car. However you get here, there’ll be a whole brochure of things to do when you arrive – from wining and dining in the Cowichan Valley to hiking in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and whale watching offshore .

Whatever you do, though, just take it slow. Here’s our suggested itinerary for a four-day trip , and a curated selection of the best places to stay on the island .

Granada, Spain

Granada is best known for its mesmerising Alhambra Palace, a centuries-old Moorish citadel that sits atop a vibrant hill overlooking the city. The Sierra Nevada mountains – home to Europe’s southernmost ski resort – beckon on the horizon to complete the pretty picture seen from the El Mirador de San Nicolas on the other side of the valley. You’ll do well to avoid the crowds here – such is the popularity of the viewpoint – but you can find quiet through the narrow, labyrinthine streets of the whitewashed Albaycin , which winds down the hillside below.

There are some stunning hotels in the city – and amazing hotels, lodges and apartments beyond its borders too – that we highly recommend. To get a real flavour of the Andalusia region and its North African heritage, consider a two-week break to give yourself time to explore the cities of Seville and Cordoba , both home to equally captivating Islamic-era landmarks of their own.

There are countless reasons to visit Singapore , from its colourful streets to its modern architecture, but best of all is the hawker culture, especially if you’re a street food fanatic. This food scene is so legendary, in fact, that it has attained Unesco recognition . In essence, this practice boils down to enjoying an open-air meal in one of the many hawker centres around the city-state. It’s one of the best local experiences you can have – a fantastic way to taste authentic Singaporean food and support small local businesses while you’re at it.

Singapore is a world leader when it comes to sustainability , proving that megacities can actively, and effectively, reduce their carbon emissions through renewable energy sources. You can do your part by picking a forward-thinking place to stay when you visit, and making greener choices about how you get around the city.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

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25 slow travel experiences to transform your travels

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If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that travel should be savoured. These immersive experiences – in some of the world’s most intriguing destinations – will convince you that slow travel is the only way to go.

Slow down, take your time, be mindful, and focus on your journey rather than the destination. You will find a deeper cultural experience, increased mindfulness and authentic experiences. Not just for you, slow travel is better for the planet too.

From walking the wild plains of Zambia to sipping tea in Sri Lanka, there are endless wonders to discover when you take the time to immerse yourself in your travels. Slow travel is taking off, and these incredible experiences will leave you feeling inspired, grounded and connected.

1. See the best of Zambia on foot

Deep in Zambia’s savannah, listen to baboons bark and monkeys chat from your camp’s open-air bath in the South Luangwa National Park. Part of a walking safari with Abercrombie & Kent , where elephants are within arm’s reach.

Days are spent deep in the national park. Your main mode of transport is walking, because there’s no better way to experience this slow travel experience with exotic wildlife.

Trek between your luxurious bush camps and walk high along the banks of the Luwi River with hippos below.

Further out, large elephant herds roam, zebras gallop past and there are few places in Africa where you will see as many leopards. Dine on gourmet food and bed down in tents with plush four-poster beds, large picture windows and private open-air bathrooms.

Then fly to UNESCO World Heritage-listed Lower Zambezi National Park. Here, the big game thrives – elephants, buffalo, lions and leopards. Drift silently along in a boat. You won’t need binoculars; instead, you’ll hear the wildlife rustle among the trees and turn to see that it’s you who is being watched.

Abercrombie & Kent’s Best of Zambia 11-day walking tour starts from $17,450 per person.

2. Cruise with Holland America

Cruising is the ultimate slow travel experience, allowing travellers to uncover hidden gems and immerse themselves in each port they visit. Holland America has been wowing passengers on the world’s oceans since the 1800s and it’s full steam ahead to mark its latest milestone.

It’s the only cruise line with a dedicated culinary council, a floating art gallery valued at more than US$4.1 million, world-class live music performances, and 500 itineraries to more than 470 ports.

To celebrate its 150th anniversary, Holland America has launched a collection of ‘Heritage Cruises’ taking in destinations across Alaska, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Hawaii, South America and Mexico.

These curated journeys will take in the quintessential sights – the storied laneways and cerulean waters of the Mediterranean, Hawaii’s volcanic beaches and the picturesque wine regions of New Zealand. All the while, you’ll be accompanied by Holland America’s exceptional hospitality, award-winning dining and 150 years of cruising expertise.

Read more: Holland America’s 48 ‘Heritage Cruises’ celebrate the cruise line’s history

3. Explore Okinawa Japan

Okinawa is Japan, but not as you know it. The pace is slower, the culture and history distinct, and the natural landscapes sublime.

Comprising 160 islands at the southwestern tip of Japan, Okinawa has a friendly, relaxed island vibe. Immerse yourself in Okinawa by renting a car and cruising along the stunning coastal roads of the main island. The further north you head, the more stunning the scenery becomes as you enter the UNESCO Heritage-listed Yanbaru National Park. Take a stroll along a trail of elevated boardwalks around Gesashi Bay. Or join a three-hour kayak tour and paddle to the sea.

The food you’ll find here is unlike anything you’ll find on the mainland. Okinawan cuisine is big on fresh vegetables and other nourishing ingredients. It’s one of the key reasons local people live long, healthy lives – Okinawa is one of the world’s Blue Zones with a higher-than-average life expectancy.

For an even slower pace, explore Okinawa’s stunning outer islands each with their own relaxed vibe and local experiences. One highlight is a visit to Hatenohama Beach on Kume Island – the whitest beach in the region.

Read more: 13 reasons why Okinawa is Japan’s hottest travel destination

4. New Zealand by train

As the sun sinks behind snow-capped mountains, travellers on board the TranzAlpine press their faces to windows and think, yes, this is why we came to New Zealand. The scenic slow travel experience takes you from the South Island city of Christchurch, through the heart of the Southern Alps, to Greymouth on the West Coast. You’ll pass breathtaking viaducts and soaring mountains. The West Coast is the place to enjoy endless walking trails, historic mining towns, and nature abounds. You’ll also have the opportunity to sample local brews at Monteith’s Brewery.

Or for vast ocean views and wineries, take the Coastal Pacific through the heart of the Marlborough region and to the top of the South Island. Leaving from Christchurch, your train glides along the rugged Kaikōura coastline, where giant sperm whales are the year-round residents. Sip wines on board as you pass lush vineyards and, on arrival, head to the countryside and learn the secret to this region’s winemaking success. Whether you choose a day trip, package or tour, travel in this stunning landscape will stay with you.

Keep reading :

• The music-lovers guide to British rock and pop venues
• The French wine region you have to try

5. Dive in a vibrant underwater world at Wakatobi

This Indonesian dive resort sits pretty in Southeast Sulawesi, in the heart of the Coral Triangle. Wakatobi Resort boasts exclusive access to a privately funded marine reserve.

Explore some of the world’s best reefs, including a House Reef with shallow coral gardens extending 80 metres before plunging into the ocean.

But a stay at Wakatobi isn’t just for dedicated dive travellers. The resort blends five-star comfort with aquatic adventures and is just as appealing to snorkellers or young families. Relax in a traditional bungalow or oceanfront villa with plunge pool and garden shower. Guests can enjoy a meal at the beach restaurant, a cocktail at the jetty bar or an indulgent massage.

Your stay at Wakatobi Resort supports local communities to honour no-take fishing zones and funds patrols and cleanings to protect and preserve the reef.

Read more: Diving your vibe? This Indonesian island resort is one of the best places in the world to do it

6. Lounge with lions in Canberra

Sip Moët & Chandon and dine on decadent dishes of native macadamia-crusted snapper and roast lamb while lions laze in front of you – albeit behind glass.

The lion accompanied dinner is part of an overnight stay at Jamala Wildlife Lodge , a five-star retreat within Australia’s National Zoo & Aquarium, Canberra. The family-run property has seven African-inspired rooms and suites. Think a safari-style lodge with its own shark tank and tropical gardens and rooms overlooking the Molonglo River, where giraffes linger at windows. Or jungle bungalows where you can soak in a bubble bath as lions, tigers or Malayan sun bears saunter by.

When you’re not admiring the animals pour a glass of fine wine (it’s free-flowing), sit on the terrace and take in the sunset. All the while knowing your stay is helping fund education and breeding programs for the conservation of these incredible creatures.

Read more: What makes Jamala Wildlife Lodge a ‘wild’ sleepover?

A stay at Jamala Wildlife Lodge starts from $1,750 per night.

7. Raft in the wilds of Canada

Canada’s Tatshenshini River is known as the wildest river in North America, but beginners are still welcome on this Nahanni’s 11-day rafting trip.

Make your way from Whitehorse, Yukon, through the largest bio-preserve in the world. You’ll paddle by large glaciers, through a lake dotted with icebergs and past riverbanks popular with grizzly bears, moose and mountain goats.

Birds flying overhead, your days will be spent floating along peaceful waters and whooping with excitement on stretches of whitewater before bedding down for the night in riverside camps.

A short flight via bush plane will transport you back to your starting point – invigorated and with a lifetime’s supply of fond memories.

Tatshenshini River Rafting 11-Day Expedition costs $8,915 (CAD) per person.

8. 10 days in a nomadic Mongolian community

If you’ve been looking for a way to leave your worries behind, this out-of-the-ordinary travel experience may well be it. Black Tomato has curated a 10-day immersion into the lives of Mongolia’s nomadic communities. You’ll venture into remote deserts and national parks, ride horses over mountain passes and raft on the Tuul River.

Accommodation ranges from lodges and eco camps to a family’s home, where you’ll spend two nights joining in local life. Try your hand at herding cattle and making fermented airag (horse’s milk) and traditional buuz (steamed meat dumplings). The trip culminates in some shopping in Ulaanbaatar, before a farewell dinner that will leave you hungry to see more of this unique country.

Black Tomato’s Explorer in Mongolia 9-night tour stars from £6,300 per person.

9. Slow travel throughout Australia

The NRMA’s Sloways network directs you away from fast-paced highways and through regional towns you’d otherwise miss out on seeing. Sloways is a collection of slow-drive routes for caravanners and motorhome holidaymakers wanting to take their time.

Choose from a selection of slow-drive routes in each state or plan your own trip with suggested stops and stays to create your own slow travel experience.

10. Stay in historic hotels

Sleek and modern hotels have their own kind of appeal. But buildings with history invite us to slow down, rest and return to a simpler time. New on the accommodation scene in Australia and New Zealand is Historic Stays , a booking platform for gorgeous holiday lets with authentic period charm.

From converted gaols and wool stores to graceful homesteads and shearers’ quarters, Historic Stays represents a curated selection of beautifully restored and decorated properties in which to unwind. The history of each property is outlined on the website, along with details of its transformation. You’ll also find information on what to expect during a stay, and what to do in the local area.

11. Scuba in Cuba

With balmy seas and great visibility, the little-explored waters around this Caribbean island are undisturbed. Safety comes first on the 14-day Havana-to-Havana tour with Simply Cuba Tours , which will have you exploring sunken ships off the coast of Trinidad, vibrant fish in the pristine waters of Cienfuegos Bay and the coral reefs off Playa Girón.

It’s not all about the diving, as spectacular as it is. Nightlife and activities range from salsa dancing to rum tasting. What else would you expect in Cuba?

12. Icelandic nature therapy

Reconnecting with nature is blissful anywhere, but in Iceland, it is extra restorative. On this four-night mindful experience with Slow Adventure , you’ll hike through hills overlooking a glacier, go island hopping by kayak, practice outdoor yoga and meditation, and soak in geothermal baths.

Outdoor cooking is also on the cards at the summerhouse of your local guide. Deep sleeping is almost a given after stress-free, outdoorsy days. Each night, you’ll bed down at a peaceful local farmhouse close to the mighty Vatnajökull glacier. A maximum of six people can join this tour.

Icelandic Nature Therapy costs £1,025 per person.

13. Remote photography expeditions

Lovers of photography can indulge their passion without distraction on one of True North’s photographic expeditions. Accompanied by experienced guides, venture to remote parts of Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Throw yourself off an adventure runabout to hone your underwater photography skills, capture aerial shots from the onboard helicopter and drone, and access difficult-to-reach locations. With your guides navigating the best on-the-day-locations, amateur and professional shooters alike can focus on fully immersing themselves in their craft.

14. The Highlands and Hogwarts by rail

Fans of Outlander and Harry Potter will love ByWay’s four-night rail journey from London into the Scottish Highlands. The spectacular route takes you to Fort William, where you’ll stay overnight in an old police station. Then, channel your inner Harry, Hermione or Ron as the train traverses the 21-arched Glenfinnan Viaduct to Mallaig and on to Inverness. You’ll spend two nights aboard the train in a sleeper cabin, and another in an Inverness mansion dating back to 1786. What you do at each stop on this slow travel experience is up to you. In Inverness, take a cruise on Loch Ness and visit the Culloden Battlefield or feast on Haggis-loaded fries and other Scottish delicacies.

The Highlands & Hogwarts route via sleeper train journey starts from £570 per person.

15. Alpine Italy

Warning, hiking from one alpine hut to another through pristine pastures is highly addictive. Setting off from Morbegno in Northern Italy’s Valtellina region, Slow Adventure’s six-day itinerary will take you out of your comfort zone and into the heart of the Italian Alps.

You’ll trek anywhere from three to six hours per day with elevation gains of up to 1000 metres – and absolutely incredible views. At night, you’ll live simply in stone huts, sharing good food with your guide and fellow adventurers.

Embrace Slow Living in Alpine Huts Slow Adventure costs £876 per person.

16. Walk the Camino de Santiago

Lace up your hiking boots for this famed ancient pilgrimage. With an Intrepid Travel leader by your side, you can skip the hassle of organising accommodation and luggage transfers and just enjoy the journey.

Intrepid’s 10-day walk (up to 29 kilometres each day) begins in Sarria, Spain. From here, you’ll walk the Camino trail’s final 100 kilometres, culminating in Santiago de Compostela. Along the way, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the route with a small group of like-minded travellers.

Walk the Camino de Santiago tour starts from $1,795 per person.

17. Trek through the desert by camel

Enrich your trip to Morocco with Berber Camps. The four-day Sahara Desert trip from Fes to Marrakech includes an overnight camel trek in the Merzouga Desert, crossing the Atlas Mountains and camping under the stars. Sandboarding from the highest sand dune of Erg Chebbi (one of Morocco’s red sand dune ‘seas’ formed by desert winds), walks and shopping are also part of the exciting itinerary.

18. Slow travel in Sonoma Country, California

Sonoma County in Northern California is well known for its towering redwoods and sustainably produced wine. But there are also more than 80 kilometres of dramatic Pacific Ocean coastline to explore. Keen hikers will enjoy the five-kilometre Bluff Top Trail that winds from Gualala Point all the way to the beach. From November to March, migrating whales can be seen from the shore.

Further inland, Lake Sonoma beckons with opportunities to fish, swim, canoe or paddle board. Beyond the beach, Sonoma County is home to dozens of spas and wellness centres. Soak in a healing alchemy of a cedar enzyme bath and get a skin refresh bespoke to the region with a ‘Crushed Cabernet’ scrub. Then, enjoy an al fresco massage or visit Sonoma Roots for a vitamin boost with B-12 shots.

19. Tea time in Sri Lanka

Be waited on hand and foot at Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Tea Trails . Stay in one of five historic tea planter bungalows perched high in cool-climate hills. Here, you’ll greet the day with a cup of tea (poured by your butler) and take a stroll through the lush tea fields before settling in for an afternoon at leisure. A bath ritual, croquet on the lawn or relax by the pool, perhaps?

20. Big-game walking safaris

Encountering a big, toothy wild animal is enough to scare the pants off you from the comfort of a safari vehicle, but imagine the exhilaration of spotting one of the big five when you’re out on a walk. Fortunately, you’ll have an armed guard by your side in case the wildlife saunters a little too close for comfort, along with mobile camps and a support crew to ensure you’re well fed and sleeping comfortably (and safely).

Natural High Safaris leads walking tours in Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia. Each day, you’ll head out for a walk in the morning, enjoy some downtime in the heat of the day, then take another walk in the late afternoon. Surrendering to the natural rhythms of nature is the ultimate way to unplug.

21. Journey to the Ecuadorian jungle

The G Adventures Local Living tour into the Amazon Rainforest proves you don’t need to have a big budget to enjoy an exclusive travel experience. This immersive seven-day tour delivers a week of surprise and adventure. Departing from Quito, a maximum of 16 guests can head into the jungle to meet a local Quichua family.

You’ll be hosted in their village for the next four nights where you’ll learn about local traditions and medicinal plants. You’ll also walk to a jungle waterfall, visit an animal rescue centre by canoe, and hone your blowgun skills. Accommodation is otherwise in simple hotels and rustic wooden bungalows with shared bathrooms.

The G Adventures Local Living tour starts from $1,049 per person.

22. Horse riding in the South Island

Saddle up and mount your steed for the trip of a lifetime on New Zealand’s scenic South Island. Adventure Horse Trekking runs a six-day ride from Queenstown to the iconic Glen Lyon Station. The station is nestled on the banks of Lake Ohau in the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky International Reserve, so expect some sensational star gazing. You’ll ride along rivers, deep into mountain-flanked valleys and into the heart of the Southern Alps.

The Iconic Glen Lyon Station Pack Trail ride starts from $4,450 (NZD) per person.

23. Ride the Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin

The journey from Adelaide to Darwin – and back – is a lot of ground to cover. But on the AAT Kings Outback Tracks tour you can rest easy knowing you have 19 days to do it. Not just that, but on the return trip from Darwin you’ll sleep on board The Ghan, one of the world’s greatest rail journeys.

With guides and a tour director by your side, you’ll explore Indigenous rock art, the lunar landscape and opals of Coober Pedy, and the wonders of Australia’s Red Centre. Historic pubs, vast cattle stations and wildlife-rich national parks await. You’ll take a billabong cruise (look out for crocs), scenic flight and cooling waterhole swims. It’s an unforgettable adventure in our own rather large backyard.

AAT Kings Outback Tracks tour starts from $13,225.

24. Europe by bike and river

Uniworld River Cruises has teamed up with Butterfield and Robinson to cycle and cruise in style. Exploring Germany, Austria, Hungary on the lavish new river boat, SS Maria Theresa . The boat will serve as your base as you float down the Danube River. Along the way, take in stately cities, historic sites, charming villages, towering castles, farms and forests.

Guided shore excursions will have you cycling along quiet roads through picturesque valleys and zipping about on bike lanes in some of Europe’s most interesting cities. A hybrid or racing bike is included on the Danube River Cruise Biking trip, depending on whether you want some motorised help when your legs get tired or want to go it alone.

The 8-day Danube River Cruise Biking tour stars from $10,595 (USD) per person

25. Slow travel Peru

If you’re travelling all the way to Peru, it makes sense to spend some time getting to know the place. Responsible Travel’s 22-day in-depth tour will have you taking in the highlights like Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and Lima. You’ll also spend a full week in the Sacred Valley and Colca Canyon, the second-deepest valley in the world.

Walk two different Inca Trails, including the final 12 kilometres to the Sun Gate, where you’ll get a great view of the site. The trip includes the opportunity to learn about indigenous cultures during community immersion days, which help fund the area’s local education and health facilities.

Looking for more inspiring Vacations & Travel stories? Try these…

Tags: Adventure , cruise , eco travel , Rail , slow travel , Wildlife

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What Does Slow Travel Mean? (And How To Do It)

The first time I traveled on my own, I was 19 and studying abroad in the Netherlands. Every weekend was a mad dash to see a different city in 48 hours, and to experience as much of each city as possible — no museum, cathedral, park, or touristy attraction left unturned. 😵‍💫

“That breakneck speed, while a great tool to check destinations off a list, was no way to truly experience a destination.”

Spring break was the maddest dash of all, encompassing four cities in nine days and about half as much sleep as I should’ve gotten. Barcelona to Rome to Florence to Venice, then back in time for an 8 a.m. class on Monday.

I was beyond lucky to have had that experience, learning how to travel on my own, how to figure out a new city’s public transportation, and how to manage my time and budget. But that rapid pace began to set the tone for future trips I’d plan. A week in France? Make it two nights in every city. Three days to travel the whole of Ireland? No problem. 

That breakneck speed, while a great tool to check destinations off a list, was no way to truly experience a destination . During the weekdays while abroad in the Netherlands, I absorbed characteristics of the culture: The 10 a.m. coffee break everyone seemed to take, the food folks would eat for lunch, the way no one drew their shades at night. But the quick trips were something different. Sure, I checked Prague off my list — but I couldn’t even tell you how to say “thank you” in Czech, which sort of makes you question what the purpose of travel is in the first place.

“‘Slow travel’ presents an alternative to the see-every-country ethos.”

“Slow travel” presents an alternative to the see-every-country ethos. It tells us to accept that we won’t experience the entire world in one lifetime, and presents more sustainable travel options. 

What is slow travel?

Like slow living , slow travel comes from the mother of all “slow” movements: Italian political activist Carlo Petrini’s International Slow Food movement, founded in 1989. 

“At its core, I think slow travel is about intentionality and connection,” says Gi Shieh , a slow travel content creator. “It’s about spending more time at a destination to immerse yourself fully in the beauty and uniqueness of the land and its people.”

“Simply put, traveling slowly means staying for longer in one place.”

Simply put, traveling slowly means staying for longer in one place. Say you have nine days to travel — instead of hopping to three different cities or countries, consider spending all nine days at one destination, really getting to know the area.

Slow travel might also look like choosing destinations more off the beaten path, avoiding over-toured spots. According to CNN, some of 2023’s worst destinations for overtourism included Amsterdam, Phuket, and Venice, but some less traveled, alternative destinations might include the Netherlands’ Utrecht, Thailand’s Chiang Mai, or Italy’s Tuscan countryside.

Take the opportunity to connect with local people at your destinations. Stay in smaller bed-and-breakfasts, dine in small, locally owned restaurants, and chat with shop owners. 

“In general, move around less — and when you move, move slower.”

And when choosing transportation methods, you’ll want to think about the most sustainable options. When possible, replace planes with trains; or car rides with bikes and walks. In general, move around less — and when you move, move slower. It might take a few more hours to get from point A to point B, and that’s kind of the well, point. You’ll understand the landscape of a country from your train window, or the way the wind smells while you’re riding a bike. 

“Slow travel also means taking the time to note all the little details that make a place beautiful,” says Shieh, who also runs a blog on slow travel and sustainable fashion. “Like, how the Mediterranean sun hits the laundry drying on a balcony in the south of Italy or the specific cadence of honks of Vietnamese motorbikes during rush hour in Hanoi.”

What are the benefits of slow travel?

Besides lowering the carbon footprint of your trip, traveling slowly gives you a more mindful connection to the place you’re visiting. You likely won’t remember the time spent waiting in line to enter a popular sightseeing destination, but you will hang onto the conversation with a friendly local or the way you felt after a long, leisurely lunch.

“Traveling slowly gives you a more mindful connection to the place you’re visiting.”

Less time spent on planes or tour buses zipping around to new spots means more time (and money) to spend at restaurants that cook with local ingredients or wandering a town and picking up a handmade trinket that catches your eye. And when you choose less heavily toured destinations, it takes pressure off of over-toured spots with thinly stretched resources, like Hawaii or Bali.

Tips on traveling more slowly

1. plan to take some extra time..

“Unfortunately, in today’s society, it’s hard to step away for an extended period of time,” says Shieh, noting that travel itself is a luxury. “It’s important to acknowledge that slow travel is a huge privilege,” she says. “I feel so lucky to be able to experience the world at a slower, more intentional pace, and not everybody has the opportunity to do so!”

“If you only have a short travel window of a few days, use it to explore destinations closer to home that don’t require a flight.”

Not everyone has two weeks or more to spend leisurely roaming a foreign country, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still travel more slowly. Plan trips many months in advance and for as long as you feel comfortable — maybe a six-day trip becomes a nine-day one that you spend in just one place. And if you only have a short travel window of a few days, use it to explore destinations closer to home that don’t require a flight.

And while traveling, “don’t overpack your itinerary,” says Lauren Fremont, executive director of the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley , a small wine region known for slow travel and sustainable practices. “Leave room for unexpected delights and meaningful connections. That’s where the magic happens.”

2. Do your research.

“Think about going beyond the pictures you’ll take for social media.” – Matilda Reuter Engle, proprietor of Middleburg Hospitality

With a little extra time and planning, slow travel becomes a lot more feasible. Do your research on destinations, rather than just heading out where you’ve seen others go. Think about what you want to learn and experience during a trip, says Matilda Reuter Engle, proprietor of Middleburg Hospitality , which is focused on preserving historical traditions via hospitality in Virginia Piedmont. “Think about going beyond the pictures you’ll take for social media,” she says. “Identify the lifestyles, history, and ancestral traditions that ignite your curiosity.” 

If you’ve planned for a bit more time, consider stacking destinations relatively close to each other to make your travel more sustainable. For example, instead of spending a week in a European country this year and a week in a different European country next year, try doing the entire two-week trip in one go.

3. Stay at B&Bs or small hotels.

Once you have your destination, look for small business accommodations. Bed-and-breakfasts are fantastic — usually independently run, they pretty much hand you the opportunity to engage with the owners and the local community.

Choose small hotels over larger ones, especially all-inclusives that tend to use resources like food and water inefficiently. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule — some hotels have fantastic sustainability practices, but finding those involves, again, lots of time and research.

“If you go the Airbnb route, consider renting a room in house rather than an entire place to yourself.”

If you go the Airbnb route, consider renting a room in house rather than an entire place to yourself. Your host should have a wealth of information about exploring the area like a local, and staying with residents helps minimize your impact on the area’s housing stock.

4. Find ways to connect with the culture.

Along with accommodations that prioritize sustainability, Fremont looks for “experiences that showcase the region’s unique history, food, and traditions,” she says. “It’s about seeking authenticity and supporting businesses that share our ethos.”

“Maybe you join a fishing crew for the day and get to eat your catch, or your do a cheese tasting at the farm where it’s made.”

Read up on tours and activities that immerse you in the local culture — maybe you join a fishing crew for the day and get to eat your catch, or you do a cheese tasting right at the farm where it’s made, or you take a cycling tour from town to town.

“Go with the intention of honoring diverse ways of life, and stepping away from the fast-paced, technological world so many of us reside in on a daily basis,” says Engle. And if language is a barrier, Shieh offers that Facebook events and expat forums can be particularly helpful.

5. Ease yourself into it.

“Try not to put too much pressure on yourself to change your travel habits right off the bat,” says Shieh. If your travel history has looked anything like mine, that pedal-to-the-metal mindset won’t change overnight. 

“If your travel history has looked anything like mine, that pedal-to-the-metal mindset won’t change overnight.”

Maybe you start by bringing more intentionality into your domestic trips. If you’re traveling for a wedding, consider spending the week before or after exploring the area. Perhaps next year you spend a week somewhere you would’ve typically spent a few days, or you replace one or two flights with train rides. And then take it from there.

“We have an entire lifetime to travel.” – Gi Shieh, a slow travel content creator

“We often feel this pressure to see it all while we’re young,” says Shieh, “but actually we have an entire lifetime to travel.” Something that helped me feel better about doing and seeing less while traveling? No matter how fast you travel, you’ll never see, let alone experience, the entire world.

“By spacing your travels out over the course of a few years or even a few decades, it removes some of the pressure and allows you to fully settle into the experience that is happening right now,” says Shieh.

Make peace with not seeing the whole green earth, and it will allow you to make deeper connections in the places you do. 😌

Natalie Gale is a Boston-based freelance journalist. When she’s not writing about art, food, or sustainability, you can find her biking to the farmers’ market, baking, sewing, or planning her next Halloween costume. Say hi on Instagram !

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An Easy Slow Travel Guide to Mastering the Art of Experiencing More

Posted by Francesca Brooking | Sustainable Travel | 2

Curious about slow travel and wondering how to do it? This detailed slow travel guide features tips and ideas to help you revolutionise the way you travel. 

Itineraries longer than our arms, endless tickets to book, queues at attractions, and underlying stress simmering below the surface… we’ve all been there. 

Holidays are supposed to be a relaxing break from our busy lives but more often than not we return home needing a holiday FROM our holiday. 

But what if you could experience more without running yourself ragged? What if you could travel in a way that benefits you and the place you’re visiting? What if you could be a sustainable traveller but still feed your wanderlust? 

The answer is slow travel. 

This comprehensive slow travel guide tells you how to experience more while doing less on holiday. 

What is slow travel?

To put it simply, slow tourism is a form of travel which involves ditching planes for overland transport such as trains, walking, cycling, or boating. 

On a deeper level, slow travel is a mindset focused on human connections and authentic experiences rather than viewing travel as a commodity. 

Slow travellers take their time to experience a destination instead of just passing through it. They seek real, first-hand connections with the people who live there rather than encounters designed for the tourist’s benefit at popular attractions. 

The aim of slow travel is to see MORE by doing LESS. This might seem counterintuitive but it’s the quality of the experiences that matter, not the quantity.

For example, rather than cramming all of Italy into a two-week itinerary, you spend a week or two getting to know Tuscany. 

Slow travel is sustainable travel. It gives you the opportunity to go off the beaten path, contribute to the local economy, and enjoy the journey rather than focusing only on the destination. 

It benefits you too. You feel more rested and fulfilled, and with a deeper understanding of the place you’ve visited.   

What are the origins of slow travel?

Slow travel has its roots in the slow food movement which ignited in Italy during the 1980s to fight against McDonald’s opening near Rome’s Spanish Steps. 

The fast food chain represented all that was wrong with the way life was speeding up alongside people’s dwindling interest in the food they were eating. 

Officially founded in 1989 in Piedmont by Carlo Petrini, Slow Food International sought to rekindle the appreciation for the small, local producers, chefs, artisans, and farmers that make Italy’s food so renowned. 

The same principles behind the slow food movement form the basis of slow travel too. Just like slow fashion and slow living in general. 

Who is slow travel for?

First, let’s bust some misconceptions. Slow travel is not just for retirees or digital nomads with buckets of time and money to travel. 

Slow travel suits everyone young and old from budget backpackers to luxury travellers as well as families, couples, and groups. There are no restrictions!

Travelling slowly isn’t about the amount of time you have, it’s about what you DO with that time. Your five-day trip can still count as slow travel. 

The only requirements to slow travel are being open, going with the flow, and enjoying the journey as much as the destination. I’ll share more about how to do this later. 

The benefits of slow travel 

Here are some top reasons why the slow travel movement is so important. 

You experience local culture 

Slow travel invites you to interact with the local community away from the tourist attractions. 

You can get to know the local culture by taking part in a traditional activity or event, learning the language or finding the best restaurant that tourists don’t know about. 

You get to see what it’s like to live there and meet people with fascinating stories to tell. 

Plus, getting an authentic cultural understanding helps bust prejudices or misconceptions about a place. Read my guide to taking ethical travel photos to find out more. 

It benefits the local economy 

The longer you stay in a place, the more money you will spend on shopping, days out, and buying souvenirs from local businesses etc. 

In other words, your hard-earned cash goes directly into the local economy rather than the pockets of large international companies – otherwise known as tourism leakage. 

A sustainable way to travel 

Slow tourism is more sustainable because your positive contributions to the local area outweigh the negatives. 

You support local businesses, go off the beaten path, use public transport, avoid tourist hotspots, and travel at a slower pace rather than rushing around. 

It lowers your carbon footprint

The faster you travel (flights, driving etc) the bigger your carbon footprint. The slower you go (hiking, cycling or staying put in a place for longer), the lower your impact. 

That’s not to say you can’t fly at all as a slow traveller. You should just make sure to use lower-impact transport when you’re there. 

Slow travel relies most on public transport which requires less fuel and has fewer carbon emissions than planes. 

For example: 

• A return flight from London to Amsterdam is 136kg per passenger
• A return train journey from London to Amsterdam is 27.2kg per passenger

A note on cars: driving isn’t always more carbon-efficient than flying. Your carbon footprint varies depending on the number of passengers, the car’s model, and what it runs on. 

Slow travel saves money 

Since you’re spending longer in places, it’s easier to budget. You don’t have to pay for expensive plane tickets or tourist attractions. 

Instead, you live more like a local by eating at cheaper restaurants, cooking at your accommodation, and using public transport. 

You see more 

Slow travel asks ‘what do you want to experience?’ rather than ‘where do you want to go?’ By spending longer in a region or place, you start to really see it. 

Perhaps you’ll have a chance to see market day or experience a local custom? Maybe you’ll find a new favourite coffee shop or discover something that’s not on your original itinerary!

Travel shouldn’t be about following a cookie-cutter itinerary of the next person. It’s an experience uniquely tailored to you. Giving yourself the time to experience a place makes it unique to YOU. 

You meet more people 

It’s a given that if you’re going to spend longer in a place, you’re going to meet more people – and that’s exactly what travelling should be about! 

It reduces overtourism 

Slow travel reduces the impact of overtourism because it’s less about chasing the thrill of a ‘must-see’ and more about authentic experiences. 

As a slow traveller, you’re not following the well-worn tourist trail to the top attractions. Instead, you stay in fewer places, avoid expensive tourist hotspots, and go off the beaten path. 

This alleviates the pressures of overtourism in busy places and gives money to overlooked areas. 

You feel less like a tourist 

When you travel at a slower pace, you see what the destination is like from a local’s point of view. 

You might become more familiar with the culture and infrastructure (like how the public transport system works) or learn some of the language. 

In other words, you feel more connected to the place and its people!

It’s better for you

Our daily lives are hectic enough without making our holidays busy too. Slow travel allows you to enjoy your trip rather than cramming as much as you can into your itinerary. 

Trust me, you’ll feel much more refreshed when you arrive home from your slow travel holiday. 

This is what travel is all about!

Slow travel reminds you why you love to travel in the first place. It takes you further than what you read online or see on social media for an immersive experience that’s unique to you.  

Ecotourism and slow travel 

Ecotourism and the slow travel experience go hand in hand because they both benefit small off-the-beaten-path communities in an eco-friendly way. 

Like ecotourism, slow tourism helps to develop our cultural awareness and understanding of nature in the places we travel. 

Many experiences rooted in ecotourism are already examples of slow travel. Read my list of ecotourism activities to see the connection. 

The best ways to travel slowly 

These are some of the best slow travel activities: 

Backpacking 

Typically associated with twenty-year-olds travelling on a budget (most likely in Southeast Asia), backpacking is an easy way to travel slowly too. 

You move slowly from one place to the next using public transport as it’s often the cheapest way to travel. 

Perhaps you’ll stay in a hostel for a few weeks at a time, maybe working for six months and travelling for the next six? There’s no rush. 

Housesitting 

What if you could get all your accommodation for free when you travel? Housesitters take care of a homeowner’s property and pets while they’re away in exchange for free accommodation. 

You do basic cleaning, water house plants, feed the pets, and collect any mail for the agreed-upon length of time. It’s a great way to get to know the area and live like a local. 

Always go through a proper website like Trusted Housesitters for your safety. 

Remote working 

It’s never been easier to work from anywhere and adopt the digital nomad lifestyle. Remote working gives you the chance to settle down and experience the place for longer. You live there rather than travel through it. 

While being a digital nomad in itself is legal, digital nomads tend to travel on tourist visas which is a legal grey area. You’re not supposed to work on a tourist visa. 

However, an increasing number of countries are launching their own digital nomad or remote working visas.  

A note on renting: If you decide to stay in an Airbnb, try to avoid areas that have housing issues. Many communities are being priced out of their homes or can’t find anywhere to move because of holiday rentals. 

Cycling holidays

Cycling is one of the most sustainable ways to travel since carbon emissions are reduced to a minimum.

It allows you to slow down and take in your surroundings. Plus, it’s great exercise, gives you lots of fresh air, and a digital detox!

Make sure you’re comfortable on a bike and you’re physically able to handle the long days of cycling. That doesn’t mean you have to be a fitness fanatic though. You can go at your own pace and watch your stamina grow each day. 

Create your own cycling itinerary or find guided and self-guided tours at Skedaddle, Much Better Adventures, and H+I Adventures. 

Train travel 

Many new train routes and sleeper trains are cropping up, making it easy to travel around mainland Europe without flying. 

Travelling by train invites you to enjoy the journey. There are few luggage restrictions, no extra waiting around at airports, and you can sit back and watch the changing geography unfurl outside your window. 

Trains in Europe are affordable and if you opt for a sleeper, it saves you the cost of a hotel room for the night. These trains are modern and comfortable too with sleeping arrangements to suit your budget. 

See the Man in Seat 61 for train route itineraries in meticulous detail. I hope to take the train from London to Italy one day!

Homestays 

Where better to live like a local than with a local? During a homestay, you stay with a local family in their home as their guest. 

Homestays give you the opportunity to stay in places that might not have hotels or other tourists. It’s also a great way to try home-cooked dishes, get travel tips, and support the local economy. 

Stay safe by booking your homestay through a legitimate platform. Homestay is an obvious one. Another good option is Workaway if you want to combine a homestay with volunteering or a working holiday. 

Multi-day hikes 

Hiking is a fantastic way to connect with the place you’re travelling through. Plus, it’s easy to build a hiking itinerary to suit your interests. 

You can hike through the countryside, passing through small towns and villages as you go. Stay in hotels or go camping, incorporate the history of the local area or make the focus food and wine.

A hiking trip can be as long or as short as you like. Remember to follow the Leave No Trace principles and ensure you’re physically up to the challenge you’ve given yourself. 

Slow travel tours

Intrepid Travel runs guided small group tours all over the world and each one is led by a local guide, focuses on local experiences, and incorporates homestays throughout. 

If you prefer the self-guided approach, Byway Travel creates bespoke itineraries without a single flight involved. 

Original Travel uses local concierges to help you get an authentic experience of the place you’re visiting. For more tour ideas, read my guide to the best sustainable travel companies.

Off the beaten path 

Going off the beaten path is a key part of slow travel. This means avoiding the well-worn tourist trails and opting for lesser-known places that appreciate your custom more. 

It’s not about visiting places that are unsafe. You’re choosing regions that tourists don’t know about.   

Think of alternative destinations to the most popular places. For example: 

• Riomaggiore instead of Cinque Terre in Italy 
• Foelgandros instead of Santorini in Greece
• Choquequirao instead of Machu Picchu in Peru 
• Doubtful Sound instead of Milford Sound in New Zealand
• Lombok instead of Bali in Indonesia 

You get the idea!

Farm-to-table experiences

Farm-to-table experiences mean getting to know where your food comes from in the local area. Absolutely no food air miles and no fast food! 

So what does a farm-to-table experience look like? How about seeing how halloumi is made in a Cypriot village before eating it at the restaurant around the corner? 

Or perhaps doing a wine trail tour in the Central Otago region of New Zealand’s South Island? The possibilities are endless (and utterly delicious!). 

Easy slow travel tips 

Here are some quick tips to help you master the art of slow travel: 

Leave gaps in your itinerary 

Don’t try to plan every moment of your trip. Allow yourself to go with the flow and see where it takes you. 

Have a few must-dos in place but be flexible in case you want to move things around. Leaving gaps in your itinerary will allow you to stay curious about the place you’re visiting. 

Pay attention to how you’re feeling too. Don’t fancy doing that walking tour? Don’t! It’s your trip. 

Choose alternative ways to travel 

If you’re travelling closer to home, look at alternatives to flights. We’re more connected than ever and it has never been easier to get the train rather than fly. 

Similarly, when you’re travelling, use public transport rather than flying to multiple places.

Look for authentic experiences 

The best way to see below the surface of a destination is to ask the locals for recommendations. Start with the local Visitor Centre or ask the reception staff at your hotel. 

Avoid big tourist attractions which will only have you fighting through crowds just to get a photo. Most of the time, they just aren’t worth the hassle. 

Slow travel destinations and holidays

Any country in the world can be a slow travel destination!

Here’s a quick list of some of the easiest countries to slow travel in, and some trip ideas to get you started. 

New Zealand 

New Zealand is a beginner-friendly destination for backpackers. It was the first destination I visited as a solo traveller.

I spent over three months travelling from the top of the North Island to the southern point of the South Island. 

Slow travel ideas: Backpacking! New Zealand has an easy-to-navigate backpacking culture. You can find cool hostels, flexible backpacking tours, and amazing scenery.  

Australia 

Australia is so vast that slow travel is the only way to do it any amount of justice. You can spend from six months up to one or two years here and still not see it all. 

Australia’s landscape differs throughout the country so you’ll always encounter something new. The lively travel culture makes it a no-brainer for many backpackers.

Slow travel ideas: Australia has an abundance of epic road trips like Coral Coast to Broome in the west. Hop in a campervan and feel the freedom of the open road. 

Another vast country with so much to see, there’s a reason why so many Americans rarely venture outside of it. You can find every type of landscape here from deserts to mountains. It’s a land of contrast. 

Slow travel ideas: USA is well-known for its national parks such as Yellowstone and Rocky Mountains National Park. If you’re a nature lover, why not pick one to explore either by road or on foot?

Canada 

Canada offers plenty of opportunities to embrace slow travel and get off the beaten track. 

Sample the quiet fishing village life in Newfoundland where the seasons are part and parcel of life. Or get deep into nature at a remote retreat surrounded by rainforest. There’s so much to see and do.

Slow travel ideas: Road-tripping is an amazing experience in Canada but if you don’t drive, you can enjoy a 1200-mile train journey through Western Canada for just over $100. 

Mainland Europe 

Mainland Europe provides ample opportunities for slow travel as it’s so diverse and interconnected. 

Interrail is a fantastic way to get around and you can find a pass that suits your budget and timeframe. 

Notable countries include: 

Portugal 

Portugal is one of the cheapest countries to visit in Western Europe. It’s also easy to get around with FlixBus (I did this when I spent three weeks in Portugal during the summer!). 

Slow travel ideas: Make Lisbon your base and explore the Algarve or wine-producing Alentejo region. Or why not make the most of Portugal’s new digital nomad visa and work in a sunny beach town? 

France 

France is well suited to that slower pace of holiday – and it’s so easy to get there by train from the UK. Get outside Paris and find picturesque French towns nestled within a beautiful and diverse countryside. 

France has plenty of road trips you can do but more eco-friendly options include the high-speed TGV train or cycling holidays. 

Slow travel ideas: France is known for its cycling (Tour de France!). 

Why not cycle the Garden of France aka the Loire Valley? The 800km cycling route takes you through a UNESCO World Heritage Site with castles and wineries to look out for. 

Italy 

Where better to enjoy slow travel than in the birthplace of the slow food movement? Head out of the cities and discover a slower-paced life in the regions of Piedmont, Umbria, Emilia-Romagna, and Tuscany. Or explore Italy by train in search of ‘La Dolce Vita.’

Slow travel ideas: Walking holidays mixed with wine-tasting and cooking classes are popular. 

Or why not go wilder still with a multi-day hiking adventure in the Italian Dolomites? You could also create an Italy by train itinerary – something I’m keen to do myself too!

United Kingdom

The UK has plenty of slow travel opportunities (despite trains being expensive). Enjoy walking routes, such as the Hadrian’s Wall Path, the Cotswolds Way, and the Snowdonia Way. 

Wales is also a great place for cycling holidays, and you can camp or road trip your way around Scotland and Northern Ireland. The possibilities are endless!

Slow travel ideas: Why not explore Britain’s waterways by narrowboat? You can hire a boat with a skipper or learn the ropes yourself.  

Spain is one of the most popular countries to visit in Europe, but you can still find a slower pace of travel off the beaten path. 

The Balearic islands of Mallorca and Menorca are quieter than some of their party-hub neighbours. Here, you can find pretty fishing towns and incredible seafood. 

Alternatively, Northern Spain is less touristy (if you avoid Barcelona), the scenery is breathtaking, and the food and wine are exceptional. 

Slow travel ideas: Northern Spain’s Feve trains run on a trio of railways that are often hidden from railway maps. 

Running on 1000mm narrow-gauge lines, they connect Bilbao in the Basque Country to Ferrol Galicia with more than 100 stops along the way. 

Slovenia is the first country in the world to be declared a Green Destination. Its capital Ljubljana is one of the few cities in Europe with a car-free centre. 

Public transport is easy to use and accessible both inside and outside of the cities so slow travel is a no-brainer!

Slow travel ideas: Slovenia’s tourism board has put together an exciting new cycling route which is perfect for foodies and nature lovers. 

The Green Gourmet Route passes boutique sustainable wineries and Michelin-starred restaurants. It takes about two weeks to complete and it can be guided or self-guided. 

Slow travel FAQs

Does a cruise count as a slow travel holiday?

While you’re technically travelling overland, cruising doesn’t count as slow travel. Cruises contribute to overtourism as they unleash thousands of passengers on a port at a given time. 

Passengers rarely spend longer than a few days at the port so they don’t have a chance to support the local economy or get to know the culture. 

A passenger on a cruise ship emits about two times more CO2 than someone who flies and stays in a hotel! 

Boat travel tip: look for smaller expedition ships like Hurtigruten or container ships instead of enormous passenger cruise liners.

Does flying count as slow travel?

The further away you want to travel, the more time you need. An endless amount of time to travel isn’t a luxury that most can afford. 

While flying isn’t technically viewed as slow travel, you can still embrace its core principles when you reach your destination. 

As a slow traveller, you don’t have to give up flying altogether as long as your intention is to fly less while experiencing more. 

Does slow travel require lots of time and money?

No, anyone can enjoy slow travel. They don’t have to be retired, rich, or digital nomads. 

This guide should give you plenty of slow travel inspiration whether your trip is a weekend or several months!

Can families travel slowly? 

Yes! Slow travel is an enriching experience for children . Plus, spending longer in a place is much less stressful than attempting to cram as much as you can into an itinerary. 

How do you prepare for your slow travel trip?

Ditch your rigorous itinerary but don’t forgo research! I recommend reading up on your destination so you know what you’ve got yourself into. 

More tips include: 

• Learn about the customs and traditions 
• Learn a little bit of the language like ‘please,’ ‘thank you,’ and ‘hello’ 
• Wise up on exploitation so you know what to avoid 
• Pick a few activities you would like to do but leave time for wandering

Slow travel guide final thoughts 

I hope this slow travel guide has helped you see the benefits of a gentle travel pace.

When it boils down to it, slow travel holds many of the core reasons why we travel – for meaningful connections, new adventures, and memories that last a lifetime. 

What’s not to like? 

If you have any questions about how to slow travel or would like to discuss the topic further, my inbox is always open.

Looking for more sustainable travel tips? These articles can help!

• What Is Sustainable Travel and How to Do It?
• 10 Amazing Ecotourism Activities To Do Around The World
• 15 Best Ethical Animal Experiences Around the World
• No-Fly Holidays: London to Barcelona by Bus (Review)
• What is Ecotourism and Why is it Important?

This post may contain affiliate / compensated links. As an Amazon Associate, I also earn from qualifying purchases. For full information, please see my disclaimer here .

About The Author

Francesca brooking.

Francesca Brooking is the Founder of Little Lost Travel. A travel expert with a passion for the planet, Francesca is on a mission to help you travel well. From Costa Rica to Jordan, she's travelled all over the world. When she's not off on an adventure, she's reviewing sustainable travel products and writing travel guides.

Good to know that slow travel is catching up with travellers. It is a good way to experience more without getting tired. Moreover, slow travel is good for reducing the carbon footprint.

You’re right, it’s an excellent way to reduce your carbon footprint while travelling!

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Hello, I’m Francesca

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Last Updated on 13/10/2023

Budget slow travelers in early retirement

Slow travel itinerary planning on a budget

Last Updated on January 1, 2024 by Ellen

Slow travel itinerary planning with serious effort can set you up to see the world on a budget, despite rising costs of everything from airfare to travel insurance.

We’ve used a budget slow travel itinerary to see the world since 2015, so we know it works!

This is post is a 15-minute read with 2,800 words for readers who are serious about seeing the world on a budget. If you are new to the idea of a ‘vagabond’ lifestyle, you might prefer to start at this shorter post .

Budget slow travel is simply long-term travel with limited funds.

Limited funds means we do not rent cars or fly first class. In fact, we fly as little as possible. We save money and it’s better for the environment!

Long-term means we stay at a location for a month or more — not your typical week or two as in a traditional vacation. We save money and learn more about the culture of the places we visit.

Budget slow travel doesn’t cost as much as you might expect. You’ll learn why — and more — by the end of this post.

This post will:

• prove how cost effective a budget slow travel can be
• help you identify your own slow travel route
• give you money-saving ideas on travel costs
• provide examples of slow travel routes we have taken

Your slow travel itinerary can be anything you want it to be. Your plans will be different from ours, but these principles are proven to work all over Earth .

Let’s get started!

Budget slow travel itinerary planning

Quick examples, travel costs: 12.7% of our annual budget, watch airfare before you commit to a slow travel itinerary, discount airlines, vpns, different devices, tuesday bookings, save money on land travel with apps, get your money’s worth from visa costs, thailand – 2 months, philippines – 4 months, vietnam, thailand – 3 months, northern africa / western europe – 5 months, western mexico – 3 months, hotels for budget slow travelers, local rentals booked in person, budget slow travel for you, how to pick destinations.

Ask yourself:

• Have you been there yet?
• Can you get there cheaply?
• Can you live there cheaply?
• What’s the visa situation for Americans (if you are American)?
• What do you want to see at the location?

Remember these five questions as you read on.

First, we get to someplace new as cheaply as possible. Next, we ‘live there’ for a month or so, and take that time to explore that region at our leisure. When it’s time to leave, we go to the next place by land if possible.

What better way is there to budget slow travel? After all, the faster you go, the less you’ll see .

Without frequent airfare and with plenty of time, going from destination A to B won’t cost an arm and a leg.

We used a discount airline to get from Indonesia into the Philippines. We used regional buses to go across Philippine islands, and we took ferries to new islands.

Think about regional sites you want to see.

We took a regional bus from Croatia to Bosnia, back to Croatia, and then went by bus down to Montenegro; Montenegro to Albania by van; Albania to Greece by ferry; around Greece on boats and buses.

Further down you will see more detailed itinerary examples with prices.

Also, don’t forget about trains! These are cheaper than plane rides, and can supplement your slow travel on ferries and buses.

For example, we have traveled all over India on trains. And we covered much ground by train in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Spain.

Vast regions of Earth can be covered by trains, buses, shared rides. You don’t even need a rental car.

Most of the world enjoys a robust public transportation system, unlike the United States of America.

Factor in slow travel costs

What is your monthly budget?

If you can easily answer that, you know what you can spend on rent, food, incidentals. That will give you an idea on what you can spend on actual travel by bus, train, or ferry tickets, and visas.

You might want to stay in a country two months or more, so your travel expenses can be spread throughout several months, or even over a year.

As you make your plan, ask yourself Question #2 – can you get to a country cheaply? How much do you want to spend on getting from destination A to B within that country?

Let’s use one of our travel experiences as an example. Below is a pie chart that shows how travel costs fit into our budget. In 2019, our budget was $2,000 per month for two people.

The chart shows many of our spending categories. On background, our ‘travel category’ includes long-distance expenses such as overnight ferries, regional buses, long train rides, visa costs, and also infrequent airfare.

At 12.7%, travel is was the fourth highest spending category for us that year – $3,048 of our $24,000 annual budget. That’s actual costs to get to and get around in six countries that year!

That is so low because we only flew when absolutely necessary. Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam – by bus and train. Vietnam to Thailand – discount flight. To Indonesia – discount flight. To the Philippines – discount flight.

Discount flights are harder to secure during inflationary times, but it’s still possible.

Let’s look at how to do that, next.

How to lower airfare expenses

Airfare is still necessary for budget slow travel around the world. Prices depend on so many factors, but there are ways to stack the deck in your favor.

Those five questions all come into play big time here. The earlier you ask yourself those questions, the earlier you can start looking at the price of airfare to those destinations – from other destinations.

Please note: This is an independent site. We do not work with any affiliates or sponsors. There are no ads here, and we don’t use AI.

Start watching airfare early – even if you are not ready to book a flight.

For example, I might be surfing around on Facebook when I decide to pop onto a site like Skyscanner to check flight prices a few months in the future. I might look at Singapore or Kuala Lumpur to Tel Aviv while I’m still in Thailand.

Then, as we slowly make our way further south over the next month or two or three, I’ll check that airfare again and I’ll pay more attention.

Ultimately, we will go where the cheap fare is – unless we have a compelling reason to pay more for a specific destination. (Remember question #5 above?)

Travel light, pack patience, do your research. If you can do those three things, you can probably get over no leg room on a discount airline.

Many lower-fare companies will be unknown to you when you start your own budget slow travel lifestyle.

This was certainly true for me.

For example, I had never heard of Volaris – a Mexican company – until we looked at flights from out of Zihuatanejo , Mexico (a fabulous place!).

I never heard of Batik Air until we went to the Komodo Islands in Indonesia.

No idea Cebu Pacific existed until we flew from Denpasar to Cebu Pacific in the Philippines for only $126 total.

I had never used Scoot Airlines before we flew from Athens to Singapore for under $400 .

More recently, we spent $450 for two people to go from Caticlan, Philippines, to Bangkok, Thailand.

Not as good as pre-pandemic prices, but we understand this is a new normal.

And it’s why we budget slow travelers use planes as infrequently as possible.

Related : Onward travel proof that’s legit and cheap

Use Virtual Private Networks to mask your location; check airfare from different devices; look at bookings for flights on a Tuesday (or Wednesday).

These are old-school ‘hacks’ and we still use them — because they work!

If you don’t live in Asia or Europe, you’ve likely never heard of mobility apps — apps that are about regional and local travel.

Different regions of the world use different apps. For example, BlaBlaCar and Grab.

BlaBlaCar is popular in Europe. Consider it like a regional Uber. We used it to go from Spain to Portugal at a reasonable price.

Grab is the Uber of Asia. We’ve used it all over.

During the pandemic, Grab expanded to include deliveries of everything from groceries to take-out food.

Slow travel tip : Look for communication apps not used in your home country. Asia uses WhatsApp and/or Line, for example, while other parts of the world use Messenger or Telegram.

If we get a 60-day tourist visa in a country, we stay the full time – especially if we have to pay for that time.

Some countries like Mexico are issue free tourist visas. Other countries charge fees, especially if you stay longer than 30 days.

We overstayed our tourist visas one time. Luckily, we did not have to pay the full fine for each person. An immigration agent in Thailand charged us only for one person, because we are married and we made an honest scheduling mistake.

You’ll see that ‘overstay’ cost added to one of our slow travel itinerary examples in the next section.

5 budget slow travel itinerary examples

Pick your route based on your answers to those five questions.

Below you will find a few examples of the many routes we’ve taken. These are long-haul travel costs — local taxis and side trips are not included.

You can see how the actual costs of travel add up fast, thanks to airfare and visa costs.* And COVID-related costs are clearly a bummer. All the more reason for good planning.

Prices below are for two people.

• Airfare from Caticlan, Philippines, to Bangkok, Thailand – $445
• COVID insurance, testing, mandatory quarantine – $333*
• Bus tickets from Bangkok to Hua Hin – $12
• Visas – $112
• * COVID entry costs have since been relaxed reduced
• Prices from 2022
• Airfare from Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia to Cebu City, Philippines – $128
• Total cost (ferry, fees, and one private van) to get from Liloan, Cebu, to Tagbilaran, Bohol – $76.25
• Ferry from Tagbilaran to Negros – $29
• Private van from Dumaguete port to Valencia (we needed room for the bicycle with us) – $20.50
• Private trike (motorcycle and side car as a taxi) from Valencia to a rental up a mountain – $4
• Bus from Dumaguete to Bacolad – $20
• Ferry from Bacolad to Iloilo – $18.50
• Bus from Iloilo to Carles – $7.75
• Bus from Carles to Malay – $6.50
• *Americans can stay in the Philippines for up to three years on a tourist visa if they remain in good standing, and keep paying renewal fees.
• Prices from late 2019/early 2020
• Bus tickets from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat, Vietnam – $19.25
• Bus fare from Da Lat to Nha Trang – $11.50
• Tickets for train from Nha Trang to Da Nang – $48
• Train from Da Nang to Hue – $11
• Train from Hue to Dong Ha – $5
• Bus from Dong Ha to Phong Nha – $8.75
• Cab and train from Phong Nha to Ninh Binh – $31
• Bus from Ninh Binh to Cat Ba – $28.75
• Bus from Cat Ba to Hanoi – $20
• Visa costs in Vietnam: $86
• Airfare from Hanoi to Chiang Mai, Thailand – $130
• ‘onward travel proof’ out of Thailand – $24 (for info, read this )
• Mini van / taxi from Chiang Mai to Pai – $13
• Mini van / taxi, Pai to Chiang Mai – $13
• Airfare from Chiang Mai to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – $117.25
• Visa costs in Thailand: $122.75
• Thailand overstay charge (!) : $16.25 (agent charged us half the official amount – this is the price for one-day overstay – be warned!)
• Prices from 2019
• Bus from Marrakesh to Mhamid, Morocco (for Erg Chigaga) – $29
• Bus from Mhamid to to Casablanca – $35
• First-class train, Casablanca to Fes – $38
• Train from Fes to Chefchaouen – $30
• Shared cab from Chefchaouen to Tangier – $15
• Ferry to from Tangier to Algeciras, Spain – $94
• BlaBla Car from Algiceras to Seville, Spain – $31
• BlaBla Car Seville to Lisbon, Portugal – $80
• Train from Lisbon to Porto, Portugal – $37.25
• Airfare from Porto to Barcelona, Spain – $112
• Prices from 2018
• Overnight ferry from Mazatlan (after two-month stay) to La Paz – $183 for two people (2017)
• Regional bus from La Paz to Cabo San Lucas (short stays) – $36.75 total
• Flight from Cabo to San Jose, California – $284
• No visa costs for Americans in Mexico
• Prices from last quarter of 2017.

Slow travel itinerary: accommodations

Some years ago, we wrote a ‘how to’ post on continuous Airbnb living as monthly renters . Below is a summary of that post .

We like Airbnb for these reasons:

• Airbnb owners have the option to give a monthly discount
• You have protection if the rental is not as promised
• Greater chance to meet locals for an authentic experience

In the new normal of the COVID-era, hotels seem to be offering more month-long stays as well. That is always an option if you want certain amenities such as housekeeping, and if you don’t need or want a full kitchen.

However, we prefer to clean our own space, and we like kitchens. We usually prepare most of our own food.

Budget slow travel tip : If something is in the middle of nowhere – with limited or no public transportation – buy a bicycle (used if possible!).

You could always stay somewhere booked online a few nights, and go physically explore a location to find your dream rental in a great location.

That’s what happened in the first picture below. Theo looked around for a waterfront apartment to rent for three months in Mahahual, Mexico. Note his happiness – with beer and beach!

2023 Airbnb video tours: Kochi, Kerla, India // Istanbul, Turkiye // Varna, Bulgaria // Bucharest, Romania // Rishikesh, India

However, there is more risk involved by renting through locals. Keep in mind: you won’t get the protection that comes with booking sites and apps like Airbnb when you book in person.

One way to get leads on rentals is through Facebook groups . I join location-specific groups to get help and information from fellow travelers and expats.

Fun travel posts : Swimming with whale sharks ; Living with elephants ; Watching dragons fight

When you get to your dream destinations, whether those are La Paz , Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, Cinque Terre in Italy, or Bali and the Komodo Islands in Indonesia, you will be inspired to keep going, once you realize that this is totally possible – and enjoyable – with adequate planning.

And you will learn as you go, like we have.

For example, we now know about some less-touristed destinations, such as Krabi or Pai in Thailand instead of Phuket . Krabi and Pai are cheaper, more authentic, with fewer tourists. Nothing wrong with Phuket – we simply want to see what else a country has to offer. Just like America has so much more to see than Disneyland.

Adventures : Active volcano hike ; Surf lesson ; Cave exploring in Belize and Vietnam

With high inflation and geo-political angst, we still have our dream destinations. We know how to plan slow travel thanks to years of experience that allows us to adjust to the ‘new normal’.

We will continue enjoy the budget slow travel lifestyle, one destination at a time.

And we hope to see you out here!

This is a revised article from the original “Long-term travel planning: How we do it” – which was posted in September 2020 as an answer to a reader’s question.

Thanks for reading, “Slow travel itinerary planning on a budget.”

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The Slow Travel Trend Is Here to Stay

By Elaine Glusac

The influential 2003 book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die and the 2007 movie The Bucket List both contributed to the travel trend that has dominated this century: the manic race to visit as many places as possible. This imperative has been spurred on by the proliferation of competitive airfares, the growth of the global middle class, and, during the last decade, Instagram envy. But more recently countervailing forces have emerged, like flight-shaming and restrictions imposed by destinations suffering from over-tourism , like Iceland and Angkor Wat. Then came the reset of COVID-19. As travelers made do with cocktails on Zoom and Duolingo Italian lessons, the air in India became clear enough to see the Himalayas again and Barcelonians reclaimed the usually thronged Las Ramblas for themselves.

Now, as the world begins to open back up, many providers are seeking to preserve those benefits by embracing the growing ethos of slow travel. The new Dolce Tempo trips (that's Italian for “sweet time”) from Backroads focus on what the outfitter calls “easygoing” hiking and biking itineraries in locales like Zion National Park and the Loire Valley meant to draw in travelers who might ordinarily opt for the view from the tour bus. Since the pandemic, the Arctic-focused operator Secret Atlas has added a 15-day circumnavigation of the island of Spitsbergen, in Norway's Svalbard archipelago, aboard a 12-passenger ship, a route larger cruise lines do in eight days. And New York -based travel agency Embark Beyond created Embark Longer, devoted to stays of a month or more at roughly 95 resorts worldwide. In this time-out from checklist-driven travel, fast-and-furious ambitions bow to slow-and-curious immersions.

This article appeared in the December 2020 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here .

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Welcome to FlightlessTravel.com  

A unique community dedicated to the sharing of flightless travel experiences and adventures. Our aim is to bring people together to share their own slow travel experiences so that we can help each other to create our own slow travel routes.

If you're a green overland traveller, interested in slow travel, enjoy adventure holidays, planning a gap year or perhaps you have a fear of flying then let us help you plan your own overland tour.

• This site provides a platform to let independent travellers share key information on specific journeys to build up a database on flightless routes around the world.
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• The site has been designed with the developing world in mind where clear and reliable travel information is hard to come by. Many bitcoin traders find it difficult to handle their trade during travel. Bitcoin robots can be of great help for investors and traders during their trips. They will handle the trading on behalf of the investor or trader. Read the bitcoin buyer legit or scam blog to get rid of all your confusion regarding the bitcoin buyer.

What is Slow Travel?

You will see that we use the term 'slow travel' regularly on our website. But what is slow travel? Well it means different things to different people but for us it's a fairly simple definition. It's about taking your time when travelling through a country so that you can meet local people and watch the landscape change as you move from one region to the next. It's about trying new food and drink and trying to speak the local language, it's about fully immersing yourself in the local culture.

Michael Palin's Thoughts on Slow Travel

The closure of major parts of European air space over five days in April 2010, due to the volcanic ash cloud from the Icelandic Eyjafjallajokull volcano, propelled slow travel to the front pages of European newspapers and lead to a number of radio shows on slow travel.

On the 23rd April 2010 BBC Radio 4's programme “You and Yours” dedicated a whole show to the “Ash Cloud Travel Chaos”. For those Aussies out there we apologise as the show starts with a few moaning poms but it turns more positive from chapter 2 onwards with a poem from Ian McMillan! The show starts to focus more specifically on slow travel in chapter 4 with a few interviews including one from our Co-Founder Tom McMillan.

So what about Michael Palin we hear you ask! Well he enters the show to talk about slow travel in Chapter 4, 33 minutes into the programme. Click here to listen to the You and Yours show.

2015 Mongolian Overland Charity Rally - The Ultimate Overland Adventure

Travel overland for 10,000 miles and encounter strange borders, deserts, mountain ranges and locals with eagles for pets along the way ........it's the only Mongolian rally all for charity!

The Mongolia Charity Rally is the original charity rally to Mongolia, it's run by UK registered charity Go Help, and staffed by volunteers, helping to keep the entry fee to half that of other rallies to Mongolia for the overland adventure of a life-time.

Think you can do this? Then sign up here (and don't forget to quote FLIGHTLESSTRAVEL_DISCOUNT).

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We have added a shop to the site with a great selection of Books, DVDs and some useful travel equipment which we hope will help you plan your own overland travel tours. We have spent hours sifting through Amazon to try and find the products that will be of most interest to you and have only listed rated items when they have received at least a minimum of 4 stars. Click here to check the shop out.

Newspaper Articles - Be Inspired!

New high-speed train whisks you from finland to russia.

Train travelers can zip from Helsinki, Finland, to St. Petersburg, Russia, in less than four hours, thanks to a new high-speed rail service. LA Times

Top 10 tips on overland travel

Antonia Bollingbroke-Kent and Jo Huxster set off on an overland trip from Bangkok to Brighton in a tuk-tuk. After 12,500 miles on the road, they share their tips to trouble-free freewheeling. Guardian

How To Stick to Keto While Traveling

Staying on a ketogenic diet while traveling has been made possible by this keto boost review . They share top tips and keto travel plan for your next trip! Daily Mail

Harley Davidson gran plans round-the-world trip

A 62-year-old grandmother from South Yorkshire is set to sell her house to travel the world on her beloved Harley Davidson. Daily Mail

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My Five Acres

Make Travel Truly Transformational

15 Reasons to Travel Slowly + 10 Tips on How to Do It!

Do you want to travel slowly? Or are you just curious about what slow travel is? Fast travel can be stressful and exhausting, but slow travel has the power to transform . Read our slow travel guide to find out why you should try travelling slowly and get tips on how to do it.

What’s in our guide to travelling slowly?

As full-time travellers, sometimes we travel slowly, sometimes we travel fast. When Stephen’s yoga teaching schedule is in full swing, there are times when we have to be in a new city every weekend.

Fast travel is stressful, exhausting, and soul destroying.

That’s why, when our schedule is our own, we slow down as much as possible. We book a place and stay for a week or more. Or we rent bicycles and move from place to place at 15 km per hour.

Our days of leisurely travel remind us why we started travelling in the first place. These are the moments we live for — and the ones we will remember for the rest of our lives.

If you want travel to be truly transformational try travelling slowly.

If you want to become a slow traveler, read on for our top…

15 Reasons to Travel Slowly + 10 Slow Travel Tips

Get More from Your Travels Grab our 63 tips for a truly transformational trip , our guide to eco-travel and our tips on being a greener traveller .

What is Slow Travel?

Why people travel too fast.

We meet a lot of people when we travel and, naturally, the conversation turns towards where they’ve been and where they’re going during their travels.

It usually goes something like this:

Us: So, where were you before this? Traveller: Well, we started in Paris, then flew to Rome, Amsterdam, London, Venice, and now we’re here. Us: Oh wow, how long have you been travelling? Traveller: 10 days. Us: [Silence as we nod slowly, trying not to let the shock and dismay show on our faces.]

It’s no mystery as to why people do this to themselves. Many feel that this trip to Europe or Asia or America is once-in-a-lifetime. If they don’t see it ALL now, they never will.

First of all, that’s just not true. Most of us, as long as we make travel a priority in our lives, will get to see more of the world than we think.

Second, if it is your only chance to travel, do you really want to spend the whole time rushing from place to place, never really seeing anything? Do you want to be so focussed on the next destination, the next experience, that you forget to enjoy the moment you’re in?

One of my favourite novelists puts it this way:

We residents sometimes pity you poor tourists not a little—handed about like a parcel of goods from Venice to Florence, from Florence to Rome, living herded together in pensions or hotels, quite unconscious of anything that is outside Baedeker, their one anxiety to get ‘done’ or ‘through’ and go on somewhere else. The result is, they mix up towns, rivers, palaces in one inextricable whirl. E.M. Forster, A Room with a View

This style of travel, where tourists see everything but absorb nothing, is the antithesis of slow travel. And it’s becoming increasingly common.

In our Instagram world, most people only spend as long in a place as it takes to get the perfect shot, then it’s on to the next sight without ever stopping to appreciate or understand what they’ve just seen.

So what is slow travel?

There’s no single definition of slow travel — and you don’t need a long vacation to try it. You can travel slowly for a weekend, a week, or take years — it’s up to you.

More than anything, slow travel is a way of thinking about travel that prioritizes immersion and experience over sights and tourist attractions. It’s a preference for sinking your teeth into the culture, rather than following the guidebook blindly.

Slow travel gives you the chance to learn not only about the culture you’re visiting, but about yourself as well.

Done right, travelling slowly has the power to transform your life.

Why Travel Slowly?

1. travel slowly to save money.

Not only is slow travel better (at least we think so), it’s cheaper!

First, slow travel helps you save on transportation costs, often the biggest travel expense. Accommodation can also be cheaper because you can avoid booking big chain hotels that are usually right next touristy attractions. Instead, stay further out to experience more local life at cheaper prices.

Slow travel also helps you save on food. You’ll have time to explore local restaurants and avoid the tourist traps that charge more for less.

2. Travel Slowly to Save Time

If you just have a short break it might seem smart to travel faster, packing as many places in as you can. But the flipside is, whe you travel quickly, you waste a ton of time in the act of travelling. Transferring to and from the airport, sitting on trains and busses, checking in and out of hotels, queuing up for attractions and tickets…

All of this time could be spent relaxing and absorbing a new culture.

3. Travel Slowly to Save Energy

Have you ever needed a vacation from your vacation? We’ve been there, trust us!

If you pack every minute of your itinerary with a different activity or sight, you’ll be exhausted by the end of each day. Pile a week or two of busy days on top of each other and, by the time you get home, you’ll need a week off to recover.

Travelling slowly gives you time to sleep in, take a nap in the afternoon, or just sit sipping coffee while the world goes by.

Slow travel gives you time to relax — and isn’t that what a vacation is really for?

4. Travel Slowly to Save the Planet

Airplanes suck (and not just because they treat you like cattle). Planes are extremely destructive to the planet — and they’re my least favourite thing about our travel lifestyle.

If you can take a train or bus to reach your destination, definitely do it, even if it takes longer. And if you have to fly to get there, don’t compound the problem by taking a lot of short hop flights during your trip.

Overland travel, by bus or train, will help decrease the environmental impact of your trip.

Staying in homestays, apartments, or small hotels, which is easier if you are travelling slowly, also reduces your impact, since these places tend to be more eco-friendly and less wasteful than big hotel chains.

5. Slow Travel Helps you Avoid Tourist Crowds

One of the biggest bonuses of slowing down your travels is getting away from other tourists!

On a slow trip you’ll have time to explore off-the-beaten track places and destinations. And when you do choose to visit the big sights, like the Sistine Chapel or the Louvre, you can choose a day and time when crowds are thinner. You’ll avoid the queues and have more time to spend in a staring contest with the Mona Lisa!

6. Make a Bigger Impact

This is one of our favourite things about slow travel. Fast travellers book their hotels for proximity to the biggest sights, and these hotels usually belong to international conglomerates.

When you travel slowly, you are more likely to stay in independently owned accommodation, like a family Airbnb or an out-of-the-way homestay. This means your travel money makes its way directly into the local economy and benefits local people.

7. Connect with People

When you choose to stay in locally owned accommodation, you’ll have contact with locals (the hotel owners) from the second you arrive. We’ve had amazing, enlightening conversations over dinner or coffee with our hosts around the world.

They are also able to recommend independent drivers, restaurants, and other attractions — you might be the only tourist there! Locals are naturally curious about a tourist who manages to find their favourite haunts, so don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation and learn what it’s really like to live in a destination.

8. Connect with the Culture

You’ve heard the expression “going native”, right? OK, it probably has racist origins, and it can be used in a derogatory sense. But we’re not ashamed to adapt to foreign cultures.

Staying in one place a little longer lets us learn all the similarities and wonderful differences between our culture and the one we’re living in. We are happy to adopt aspects of the local culture that seem better than how we do it back home.

9. Connect with Yourself

Not every moment of your slow trip will be spent partying with the locals. Perhaps our very favourite aspect of slow travel is that it gives you time to absorb what you’ve experienced.

Instead of seeing a bunch of stuff back to back to back, you’ll have time in between experiences to consider them, contemplate, and decide what they mean to you. As you learn more about the world, these slow reflective moments will teach you more about yourself, too.

10. You’ll See More Travelling Slowly

This one sounds counter-intuitive. How will you see more if you’re moving around less? Well, what we mean is, you’ll see more of your destination and less of the airports, train stations, busses, trains, and taxis.

Travelling quickly often means taking long journeys between places — all you’ll remember is the tarmac flashing by outside your bus window. With slow travel, you might tick less off your bucket list, but can go deeper in one place, allowing yourself to follow the unexpected twists and turns of a slow journey.

11. Slow Travel is Where Adventure Lives

When you have time to follow intriguing pathways, duck down twisting alleyways, or say yes to unexpected offers, something incredible happens — your holiday turns into an adventure!

We’ve been invited into stranger’s homes for coffee, taken on hikes in incredible hidden places, and found beaches that only locals know about.

The world is full of hidden marvels and when you slow down you have a chance to discover them.

12. You’ll Make More Lasting Memories

Some itineraries are so jam-packed that there’s no time so sit back and absorb the experiences. When we don’t have time to think, our brains don’t have a chance to make permanent memories. One sight or city pushes the memories from the last place out of your mind.

(I think that’s why people take selfies at iconic places. It helps us remember places that we didn’t really experience at the time.)

When you get home after a period of fast travel, the trip might seem hazy, like a dream, each memory indistinct. When you slow down, you give your brain more time to form complete memories, and you’ll be able to call up the scents, colours, and feeling you had for years to come.

13. You’ll Learn to Live with Less

If you take a longer trip and travel slowly, you might just start to realize an important truth.

You don’t need all the gadgets, gizmos and tchotchkes you have at home. When you’re out in the world with just what you can fit in your suitcase, you start to realize that it is more than enough.

You might find a sudden urge to declutter, minimize, and downsize when you get back home.

14. Travel Slowly to be Happier

Modern life tends to prioritize being busy over being happy. We rush from here to there, every moment of the day scheduled to the last second, until we fall into bed, exhausted.

(That’s exactly how most people travel, too.)

Travelling slowly is a great way to prime you for living more slowly when you get back home. We hope you’ll realize that the most valuable moments on your trip were the slow, silent moments — and start to build those into your regular life, as well.

Once you do that, you’ll make room for happiness to grow.

15. Travel Slowly to Change Your Life

If we believed the glossy marketing in travel magazines and on billboards, it’s the grand (expensive) travel experiences that change you. We’ve found the opposite to be true. The big experiences and sights, shared with hundreds of other tourists, are interesting enough. But there’s nothing transformational about wrestling 100 other tourists for your chance to glimpse the Mona Lisa.

Wandering down a quite alleyway, sipping espresso in a cozy cafe, hiking up a peak, cycling the outskirts of a busy city… these moments make travel special.

The moments when it’s just you and your sense of adventure, are the moments that tug at your heart, feed your soul, and call on you to transform into the person you’ve always wanted to be.

How to Travel Slowly — 10 Tips to Change the Way you Travel

1. plan to not plan.

Whether you’ve got two weeks or two months, it’s easy to let travel planning take over your life. Before our big bike trip, I spent hours with a map, planning our exact route, what sights we would see, and where we would stay. It only took about 24 hours before the plan was shot and were winging it.

It’s hilarious when I think about it now, but what a waste of time!

Travelling slowly means leaving the moment-by-moment plan far behind and letting the world take you where it wants you to go.

So for your next trip, plan the bare outlines of your journey, and let the blanks fill themselves in as you travel.

2. Don’t Fly

Sure, you might need to fly to get to the country or region you want to visit (if you don’t need to, don’t!). But from there, use only ground transportation, preferably busses and trains.

You don’t usually have to book ground transport ahead of time, so it’s far easier to change your plans on the spur of the moment.

Ground transportation is also more efficient, better for the environment, and allows you to actually see the place you’ve come so far to visit.

3. Rent a Room in an Apartment

If you really want to become part of local life, rent a room in an Airbnb apartment. No, don’t rent a whole apartment — get a room in someone else’s house. If you find a good one, you’ll get a chance to chat with your host, or maybe even share a meal, and learn about what life is like from their point of view.

4. Try Housesitting

If you really want to “try on” somebody else’s life, housesitting is the perfect way to do it. We have experienced what it’s like to be an expat in Hanoi, Brno, Brighton, Casablanca, Riga, and lots of other places around the world. Housesitting is brilliant, too, because it’s free accommodation (woohoo!) and if you’re lucky, you’ll get a fluffy pet to keep you company.

We recommend TrustedHousesitters to find your next house sitting gig.

5. Make Time to do Nothing

For some of us, doing nothing sounds like heaven. For others, it’s the worst punishment ever. If you’re in the second category, I suggest you deliberately schedule “nothing” time into your travel calendar. But don’t worry about being bored. Doing nothing in a strange place is the quickest route to adventure that we’ve ever found.

6. Learn a Few Words in the Local Language

Since you’ll be travelling slowly, you can take a little time to learn a few words of the local language.

Start with “hello” and “thank you”. Then work you way up to “how are you?”, “what’s your name?”, and other phrases of small talk. Even if that’s all you can say, it’s worth it to see the expressions of delight on local’s faces when you actually adress them in their own language.

7. Get Lost

Wander wander wander. If we have one rule for slow travel, this is it. Put down your map, people, and just go!

The “do nothing” time you built in your schedule is the perfect time to wander. Keep your eyes open, observe the people, the buildings, and the life around you.

Once you’ve had enough wandering for the day, pull out your smart phone and use your favourite map app to get unlost.

8. Take a Tour

We used to think that tours were only for fast travellers or travellers who didn’t know what they were doing. Now, we realize that good tours are like your backstage pass to a destination!

A good guide will open doors that are usually not accessible to tourists. Of course, you want to avoid big group tours that chug you from place to place in a giant, smelly bus. Look for small group tours with companies who focus on independent-style travel. These types of tours can reveal facets of your destination that you would never experience on your own.

For independent and transformational small group tours, we love Intrepid .

9. Try a Cycle Tour

Cycle touring is not for everyone, obviously, but if you’ve ever felt the sheer joy of hopping on a bike, we highly encourage you to try a cycle tour.

If it’s your first time travelling by bike, we recommend joining a short multi-day tour. That way, everything is provided for you, you’ll have all the right gear, and a guide who can show you the ropes.

I don’t think it will take long for you to discover the indescribable joy of travelling by bike — our favourite method of slow travel.

If you want to get out on a bike anywhere in Asia, we recommend Grasshopper Adventures .

(Related: Read Jane’s post The Truth About Cycle Touring to see if it’s right for you) →

10. Book a Retreat

If you really want to make your slow travels transformational, a retreat is a good option. You can spend your entire trip on a retreat, or just dedicate a few days of a longer trip to a retreat.

Many retreats include yoga, others teach you about nutrition or cooking, while still others focus on your mental wellbeing and include lots of massages! Whatever style you choose, a retreat will give you vital time to slow down, peel away the busy-ness of life, and remember who you are and what makes you happy.

If you’re looking for a retreat, you’ll find a great selection on BookRetreats .

So, are you ready to try to travel slowly? Can you let go of your guidebook, your minute-by-minute plans, and your checklists and just let yourself slip into the local lifestyle? Where will you slow travel to next?

♥   Happy transformational travels, Jane & Stephen

We’re not going to lie, it takes a LOT of work to create travel guides like this. But it’s easy to help us out! If you book or buy something using one of our personal links in this post, we’ll earn a small fee at no extra cost to you. Of course, we would never recommend anything we didn’t 100% believe in! Huge thanks in advance! –S&J

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About Jane Mountain

Hi, I'm Jane, founder and chief blogger on My Five Acres. I've lived in six countries and have camped, biked, trekked, kayaked, and explored in 50! At My Five Acres, our mission is to inspire you to live your most adventurous life and help you to travel more and more mindfully.

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What is slow tourism and why is it so good?

Disclaimer: Some posts on Tourism Teacher may contain affiliate links. If you appreciate this content, you can show your support by making a purchase through these links or by buying me a coffee . Thank you for your support!

The slow tourism industry isn’t one that is necessarily well publicised. In fact, many people have never heard of slow tourism. It does, however, comprise a significant proportion of the broader tourism industry worldwide. In parallel with an increased awareness of the importance of sustainability amongst the general public, the slow tourism movement is now bigger than ever before.

As part of my types of tourism series, this post will discuss the concept of slow tourism.

What is slow tourism?

Slow tourism definitions, the origins of slow tourism, the three pillars of slow tourism, slow tourism and sustainability, backpacking, business travel, volunteer tourism, visiting friends and relatives (vfr), hiking/cycling/active pursuits, southeast asia, the united states of america, slow tourism: conclusion, further reading on slow tourism.

Slow tourism is based on the concept of speed. It involves travelling for a prolonged period of time at a slow pace, allowing the tourist a deep, authentic and cultural experience.

An alternative tourism form, slow travel is typically associated with sustainable practices, taking into consideration the impacts of travel on the environment , society and economy .

Slow travel can be undertaken in any destination, but is particularly popular amongst traditional backpacking routes in destinations such as South East Asia, Central America or Australia . It is also commonly identified in popular road trip areas, such as Canada, Australia or the United States.

Defining slow tourism isn’t as easy as it might seem. Whilst at the core of the term is the notion of speed, there is indeed more encompassed in the concept of slow tourism than this.

There is a general consensus amongst academics that, contrary to its title, slow tourism is not solely about speed. In fact, it is indeed focussed more predominantly around the notion of sustainable travel , allowing for a more cultural and environmental friendly solution to travel.

Dickinson and Lumsdon (2010) define slow tourism as:

‘A conceptual framework that involves people who ‘travel to destinations more slowly overland, stay longer and travel less’ and who incorporate travel to a destination as itself an experience and, once at the destination, engage with local transport options and ‘slow food and beverage,’ take time to explore local history and culture, and support the environment.’

Lipman and Murphy (2012) pertain that sustainable consumption through ‘slower’ transport and products, reduced mobility, and ‘less’ travel are fundamental to the concept of slow tourism.

Furthermore, Moore (2012) emphasises that in order for tourism to be ‘slow’, it must redact the principles of traditional ‘fast tourism’, such as package holidays and organised tours.

Whilst said academics are in agreement that travel must be ‘slow’, there is little consensus on what ‘slow’ actually means and how it is practiced or interpreted in relation to different tourism contexts, cultures, and mobilities” (Fullagar, Markwell, and Wilson 2012). In other words, what is ‘slow’ in one situation, to one person, may not be ‘slow’ in a different circumstance.

The notion of slow tourism derives from the food industry.

The slow food movement was developed in Italy during the late 1980s (Dickenson, 2002) and has become more and more popular throughout the decades. The aim of slow food is to prevent local food cultures and traditions from disappearing, to counteract the rise of fast life and to raise public interest in the food we eat, where it comes from and how our food choices affect the world around us.

The premise between slow food and slow tourism is the same: both industries are interrelated with many other aspects of life, including culture, politics, agriculture and the environment.

Dickinson et al. define slow tourism according to three distinct pillars.

• 1- Doing things in the right speed
• 2- Changing the attitude towards speed
• 3- Seeking quality over quantity

Now, it is important to note that the above statements are subjective. What is the ‘right’ speed? What type of attitude should one have? How do we define ‘quality’?

Generally speaking, people tend to associate slow tourism with a slower pace of life. Many of the stresses associated with travel are alleviated or reduced. Slow tourism involves spending longer in one place, getting to know the area and the community. Slow tourism involves the tourist slowing down, and often doing less, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the surroundings, community, and authentic culture.

Some suggest that slow travel should avoid the use of air and car travel. Instead, tourists should use alternative means of transport that are more environmentally friendly. Whilst may often be the case for slow tourists, it is not, in my opinion, a defining characteristic.

Slow tourism demonstrates strong links with sustainable tourism .

Slow travel will often involve getting to know the local community within which you are staying. Perhaps tourists will stay in a homestay or a local Airbnb.

Instead of racing to see the top sights before your return flight home, slow tourists will take their time sightseeing. They will typically read all of the exhibits in the museums, sit an enjoy the sights and sounds over a coffee or whilst reading a book and see many of the lesser-known attractions in the area.

Because slow tourists will often be embarking on long-term travel plans, they are often more money conscious than the tourist who is taking their annual vacation. These tourists are more likely to eat in local restaurants and are less willing to spend their money in Western chains that are expensive in comparison.

This type of behaviour promotes positive social impacts of tourism ; allowing tourists to learn more about the local culture and have an authentic travel experience . It also promotes positive economic impacts of tourism as money is more likely to stay within the community, demonstrating less economic leakage from tourism .

Lastly, the negative environmental impacts of tourism are often mitigated or reduced through slow tourism, because travellers tend to think more consciously and will often choose more environmentally means of transport.

Types of slow tourism

So now we understand what slow tourism is, but what does it look like in practice?

Well, there is no straight answer to this question, because slow tourism comes in many shapes and forms! But here are a few examples:

Backpacking is typically a form of slow tourism because of its speed. Backpacking trips can range from month-long adventures in Europe to round the world backpacking tours.

Whilst backpacking trips do not always demonstrate the sustainable mindset that is often associated with slow travel amongst tourists (particularly young backpackers travelling to party destinations in Thailand or Australia), there is an inevitable proportion of social benefits that will naturally raise from slow travel. Backpackers might still choose to fly, but they have probably chosen to eat and stay local, too.

Roadtrips are categorised as trips that involve substantial travel by road. OK, so the use of a car or motorhome isn’t the most environmentally friendly mode of transport, but a road trip will allow a tourist to have a slow experience, if this is what they choose.

One of my favourite family travel bloggers, Travel Mad Mum , for example, is about to embark on a road trip from the UK to New Zealand with her husband and two young children. This is a great example of slow travel!

Many people will travel on business. Business tourism can be either long or short term and it can involve travelling to one destinations or multiple different places.

Business travel can be a form of slow tourism because it can require the traveller to spend long period of time in a destination. I met a lady on my travels to Jeju with the kids who has been working in India for several months on a project as part of her job. She travelled to many different areas for business and had a deep cultural experience. This was a good example of slow tourism.

Volunteer tourism is the act of visiting a destination for the purposes of undertaking voluntary work.

Volunteer tourists can take part in many different types of projects, including those that work with the environment or the local community. Either way, volunteer tourism projects typically last for a month or more in duration and involve a significant level of integration with the host community.

Visiting friends and family is one of the largest areas of the travel and tourism industry, and it continues to grow. More and more of us are relocating or expatriating and then use our leisure time to visit our friends and relatives, wherever in the world they may be based.

Prolonged trips can be considered a type of slow tourism. Often such trips will allow the tourist to immerse themselves within the local community and to have a deep cultural experience. Since moving to China , I have had friends that have come to visit. Most people who visit Hangzhou will spend only a couple of days here, whereas my visitors have stayed for several weeks and have had a highly cultural and deep experience.

Travel involving the environment is popular amongst slow tourists. Hiking and cycling are two examples. When I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro , for example, this could be considered slow tourism because of the slow pace that was taken. Likewise, many cycling tours are considered forms of slow tourism.

Slow tourism destinations

Slow tourism can take place anywhere around the world. However, there are some parts of the world that are particularly popular with slow tourists and are that are well known for the types of tourism noted above.

Here are some examples of popular slow tourism destinations.

Southeast Asia is a popular route for slow travel, particularly amongst twenty-something backpackers.

Thailand , Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam are popular hotspots for young travellers looking for an authentic travel experience with some of their favourite commodities from home, a few familiar faces and a great party atmosphere thrown in.

Travelling on the sleeper buses through Vietnam or by slow boat in Laos are great examples of slow travel that allow the traveller to experience a deep cultural and authentic travel experience.

Australia is another popular destination for slow travel. This vast country attracts intrepid explorers as well as holiday makers.

If time isn’t an issue then you can easily spend months travelling through Australia. Many people choose to undertake slow travel in Australia using a motorhome.

Another slow travel destination that is popular work road trips is the Unites States of America.

America is huge so the options are endless! Personally, I would love to road trip Route 66 someday…

Interrail passes have given slow travel a boost in Europe. These affordable train travel passes have encouraged many people to travel through Europe and have helped to boost tourism in some areas.

Slow tourism is an area that is growing in popularity. Changes in societal attitudes and awareness regarding sustainability issues have contributed to the growth in slow travel. Slow tourism has also grown due to increased holiday time offered in jobs around the world and because of the many options to work remotely nowadays.

Despite the growth in slow tourism, however, it remains to be relatively under researched. If you want to learn more about the slow tourism industry, there are a few key texts listed below.

If you would like to learn more about slow tourism, I would recommend that you consult the following sources:

• Slow tourism experiences and mobilities – An edited book which introduces and places the concept of slow tourism. This is the most commonly cited text on the subject.
• Slow tourism, food and cities – Offers key theoretical insights and alternative perspectives on the varying practices and meanings of slow from a cultural, sociological and ethical perspective. It is a valuable text for students and scholars of sociology, geography , urban studies, social movements, travel and tourism, and food studies.
• Slow Travel and Tourism (Tourism, Environment and Development) – This book defines slow travel and to discuss how some underlining values are likely to pervade new forms of sustainable development.

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Go on a slow travel trip and rediscover the feeling of having time .

What's a secret trip like.

Start at your nearest train station Get your secret trip in your inbox 3 days before you leave. Start from your train station. Sit back and get ready to explore!

Explore new places by foot or bicycle Follow your unique itinerary and discover unknown places along your way. We've got you covered. The road is yours, enjoy!

Camp in a garden or sleep inside ‍ Meet our fantastic Welcome To My Garden ambassadors or stay inside in slow travel-friendly places. Recharge for the next day!

How it works, your journey starts now. let's explain, plan your trip, get prepared, start exploring.

Create your secret trip.

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What makes slowby one of a kind.

Highly-curated slow travel trips

Planned in a few clicks, made possible by welcome to my garden ambassadors, travel stories, read the stories of slow travellers who already left on a secret trip..

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Our mission is to create positive societal impact through slow travel..

A secret slow travel trip as you like it.

Slow travel made easy..

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Get your equipment and get ready to explore:

Personal day-by-day roadbook, nice hand-picked stops along your way, camp in a garden or sleep inside (new), direct personal contact with us, what we take care of: planning your unique slow travel experience.

• You select your pieces of the puzzle and we put it all together. You receive a roadbook with your itinerary including curated points of interests.
• With our fantastic ambassadors of Welcome To My Garden, we arrange a nice and safe spot for you to camp for the night. For each stay in a garden, a €5 donation goes to a positive impact initiative chosen by the WTMG ambassadors.
• During your trip, you can always reach us via WhatsApp to ask a question or just share your excitement.

What you take care of with our support

• You will be travelling with your own camping equipment & bicycle. Don't worry if you don't have everything, we'll give you the best tricks and tips to find them.
• From your railway station, you can either start cycling or first take the train. If you want to take a train, we will suggest you what tickets you need and you can buy them directly at the station.

🎉 New: gift cards for secret trips!

Give a secret slow travel trip to your friends or family. (normally €150), unlimited access to.

• Our full collection of highly-curated trips, with the possibility to easily find trips leaving from your nearest railway station.
• Our community platform so that you can meet, exchange and learn from other travellers.

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• Members help us sustain and further develop Welcome To My Garden as a not-for-profit network.

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THE ULTIMATE BACKPACKING ROUTE FOR MEXICO (full itinerary)

Mexico is a country of vibrant culture, stunning scenery, and rich history, making it an ideal destination for backpackers looking for adventure and a unique travel experience. Whether you’re a first-time backpacker or a seasoned traveler, Mexico offers endless opportunities to explore its diverse landscapes, indulge in its world-renowned cuisine, and immerse yourself in its fascinating culture. From the bustling streets of Mexico City to the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean coast, Mexico has something for everyone. In this blogpost, I will show you my ultimate backpacking route through Mexico, covering some of the country’s most iconic destinations and hidden gems, as well as some practical tips to make your journey smooth and unforgettable.

I recently just got back from a 5 month solo backpacking trip through Mexico, and even after that I didn’t get to see everything because Mexico is HUGE. Below is the route I took and I honestly think it was the best route to take if you’re really trying to experience the beauty this country has to offer, I suggest the slow travel route through the reliable bus system of Mexico. I also suggest having this as a loose itinerary and not booking too ahead of time just in case you are loving the place you are visiting and want to spend more time there- room for spontaneity is key when traveling (if you have time).

Table of Contents

IS MEXICO SAFE FOR SOLO FEMALE TRAVELERS?

YES ! I personally did never felt unsafe during my 5 months exploring through Mexico. There are many hostels throughout the country and many travelers making the same journey as well. If you are nervous, stick to more popular destinations first than ask your hostel about the other places you are going to, but like I said, I visited a lot of cities and towns throughout Mexico and never felt unsafe. It also doesn’t hurt to have a basic understanding of Spanish before you go so you can get around easier.

A lot of people assume Mexico is dangerous because of the gang related activities like the cartel, however, they aren’t really interested in messing with the tourists as it would shed a bad light on the country. Like any place, there are areas to avoid and minor crimes to look out for (petty crimes like stealing, pickpocketing, etc.).

Read more on 7 basic travel tips for any female solo travelers to help you stay safe and confident wherever you go here.

USEFUL THINGS TO KNOW:

Before you go:

• 20 things to know before you go to Mexico
• Everything you need to be packing for Mexico

Useful websites & apps to use on your mexico journey:

• google maps
• google translate

Seasons to be aware of in Mexico:

• Whalesharks: “Whale shark season in the Yucatan Peninsula, including Cancun, Isla Mujeres, and Isla Holbox, runs from June to September. Whale shark season in Baja California Sur runs from October to May”
• Turtle releasing: on the Pacific coast you can release turtles from August-December
• Bioluminescence: bioluminescent plankton in Isla Holbox from April-November but you can see them in a lagoon near Puerto Escondido almost all year round (go when there is no moon out for better visibility)
• Butterfly migration in Michoacan: November-March

If you’re a nature lover and want to make sure you’re seeing the most nature possible, I made an Ultimate Nature Travel Guide for Mexico you can checkout here!

SAMPLE ITINERARY: *you can do this route from West to East or East to West of Mexico, this is West to East*

Since I was starting from the west coast of the US, I chose to fly from LA to Puerto Vallarta. However, I wasn’t aware of the beauty in Baja California until after I started my Mexico journey started. So if I was to start again, I would actually fly from San Diego to Tijuana then Tijuana to Cabo to explore and do a work exchange in Baja California then fly from Baja California to Puerto Vallarta.

Fly into Puerto Vallarta , spend 3 days there then take a bus 40 minutes away to the little surf town of Sayulita .

I spent a month in Sayulita doing a work exchange in a surf hostel and loved every minute of this little slow town. Spend at least a week in Sayulita (you will love it I promise) then head back to Puerto Vallarta.

*you can either take a bus to Guadalajara & Tequila then take a bus to CDMX or take a flight for $40USD to Mexico CIty (CDMX)* I chose to skip Guadalajara although I wish I hadn’t since it was on the way already.

From Mexico City you can take a ton of day trips! Day trips you can take from Mexico (inorder) I took were:

• Grutas de Tolantongo for the hot springs, full video on how to get there without a tour here
• San Luis Potosi for the various waterfalls and blue waters
• Nevado De Toluca to hike the volcano
• Tepoztlan a pueblo magico that has a great mountainscape for hiking
• Michoacan to see the butterfly migration
• Cholula to hike the second and third highest volcanoes in Mexico and eat yummy vegan food
• Guanajuato (my friends went here however I did not- i heard it was a cute colorful town)
• Teotihuacan (pyramids near Mexico City that have hot air balloons)

After taking some day trips, you can take a bus from Mexico City to Oaxaca City . You really only need 3 days there to try the famous mole, go to Hierve de Agua and Monte Alban. Before leaving Oaxaca City make sure to withdraw some cash since there are no ATM’s until Puerto Escondido.

The best way to get to the coast and see some beauty along the way is to take a the Lineas Unidos bus from Oaxaca City to San Jose del Pacifico . San Jose del Pacifico is a small mountainous town that is known for its famous mushroom journey and beautiful sunsets. You can find the cozy cabin mountain vibes here that allow you to disconnect and enjoy the scenery. I stayed at Bostel Rancho Viejo Hostel and it was probably one of the nicest hostels I have ever stayed at- it felt like you were renting a cabin with other travelers. I also heard La Cumbre was a great hostel with mushrooms being sold at the check in counter. *you can spend max 3 days here & BRING CASH BECAUSE THERE ARE NOW ATMS*

From San Jose del Pacifico you can take a van aka “the bus” (the same kind of van you took there) towards the ocean coast to Zipolite . I loved Zipolite! It’s known for its legal nude beach and a chill hippie town vibe. *there are NO ATM’s here*

• you can visit Playa Del Amor and Playa Zipolite (both nude beaches) and eat at the yummy Mai Mai Thai Cuisine restaurant for some yummy food

From Zipolite you can head to the next little hippie town which is only 10-15 minutes away by collectivo, Mazunte , which has more restaurants, shops, and things to do. In Mazunte definitely hit up El Tiburon smoothies for a really delicious smoothie or juice and head to Punta Cometa to watch the sunset. If you stay at Cabanas __ here you will see the most beautiful sunrises from your room on top of the hill.

From Mazunte, you can take a collectivo to San Augustine and take the bus to Puerto Escondido. Puerto Escondido is another surf town on the Pacific Coast of Mexico but is much larger than Sayulita. Here there is more of a party scene, restaurants and professional surfing. This is also another place I did a work exchange, I stayed in Centro and volunteered at Puerto Dreams Hostel with Worldpackers! You can look into and apply to the here.

My Ultimate Puerto Escondido Travel Guide with 50 pinned locations including hidden waterfalls, the best snorkeling spot, and hidden hot springs.

For better surfing (especially for beginners/intermediate surfers) you can take a collectivo, taxi then a boat to a little “island” called Chacahua . I loved Chacahua! It is a TINY little beach town surrounded by a lagoon and ocean; it is a beautiful place to disconnect, focus on surfing and camp on the beach. If you have a tent (which I could use free by working at the hostel) you can just camp on the beach and wake up to beautiful sunrises.

Just take the same route back towards Puerto Escondido and take the bus to Tuxla or I personally chose to catch the sunset at Punta Cometa in Mazunte, eat dinner at my favorite vegan Moroccan place and then take a taxi to catch the night bus from Pochutla to Tuxla.

In Tuxla my friend and I stayed at Hostel Centro Tres for two nights (although you could do one night here) so we could visit Sumidero Canyon the next day. The hostel offers a pretty nice tour that takes you to the Canyon, plus 4 miradors and drops you off in San Cristobal De las Casas -and yes you can take your bags into the tour van to bring with you to San Cristobal de las Casas.

San Cristobal de Las Casas is a beautiful town that is very lively, has a lot of good restaurants (many vegan options), and markets. Many people take tours from the famous Cascada El Chiflon and Lagos de Montebello, but I chose to take a bus from San Cristobal De las Casas two hours away to Comitán to avoid taking a tour.

In Comitan a friend and I stayed at the GOES Place (300 pesos for one night so 150 peso each) which was literally a 5 minute walk from the collectivo pick up to head to the waterfalls- video with all the details you need below. *you can get it for cheaper in person, pay for one night then ask to pay in cash and it will come out to 300 pesos per night)

Take a bus back to San Cristobal de las Casas to catch a night bus to Palenque . The actual drive to Palenque is only 5 hours but the bus takes a different route when it’s nighttime to avoid a dangerous road, so the bus ride is about 10/11 hours long. You can either visit for one day or two days. I suggest at least two so you don’t feel rushed, especially if you are going to see the ruins. In Palenque, you can visit Cascada Agua Azul, Cascada Misol-Ha and the Palenque Ruins.

From Palenque you can take a night bus towards Merida since the journey is about 12 hours. There are many cenotes near Merida that you can visit by renting a moped to visit them. I liked Merida, however I think the best cenotes were in Valladolid. To visit the cenotes in Merida you need to drive an hour and a half away to get to them.

From Merida, you can take a bus two hours away to Valladolid which is a good halfway point between Merida and the coast. I suggest at least 3 days in Valladolid so you can go explore the cenotes, Chichen Itza (one of the wonders of the world) and enjoy the cute town!

From Valladolid you have a couple options to either go to Cancun or go up to Chiquila to visit Isla Holbox. I actually skipped it since there wasn’t enough time for me to explore but I’ve heard great things about Isla Holbox so you should definitely go (although it is expensive so budget well for this).

You have two options once you get to Cancun: bus down the coast and hit Tulum, Playa del Carmen and end your Mexixo journey in Bacalar before heading towards Belize to continue to Central America OR you can go down to Bacalar, hit Playa del Carmen and Tulum on your way back up to Cancun and take a flight from there.

From Cancun I took a Bacalar (since I wasn’t continuing on to Central America)! My friend stayed at Casa Lahar hostel which was a little out of the way (40 minute walk from Centro) but also it was $15 a night and right on the lagoon. You can stay in Bacalar for at least 3 days and then take a bus to Tulum .

In Tulum you can explore cenotes, enjoy the beaches and ruins. You can take a bus north towards Playa del Carmen to explore the party scene on 5th avenue and island hop to Cozumel to snorkel and dive. You can continue heading back up the coast back to Cancun and then island hop to both Isla Mujeres and Isla Contoy as well.

This itinerary just hits most of the main points of Mexico but like I mentioned before, MEXICO IS HUGE! If you truly want to see the most of Mexico I would definitely suggest at least 3 months, but you can always focus on one or two states at a time.

If you want the grand tour of Mexico, all the places below I highly recommend:

• 2- 3 days Puerto Vallarta
• 1 week in Sayulita
• 2-3 days in CDMX
• 2 days in Grutas de Tolantongo
• 3-4 days in San Luis Potosi
• 3-4 days Cholula
• 2-3 days in Oaxaca City
• 2-3 days in San Jose del Pacifico
• 2-3 days in Zipolite
• 2-3 days in Mazunte
• 1 week in Puerto Escondido
• 2-3 days in Chacahua
• 1-2 days in Tuxla
• 2-3 days in San Cristobal de las Casas
• 2-3 days in Merida
• 3-5 days in Valladolid
• 3 days in Isla Holbox
• 2-3 days in Cancun
• 3 days on Isla Mujeres
• 2-3 days in Playa del Carmen
• 2-3 days on Cozumel
• 5 days in Tulum
• 3-5 days in Bacalar

I hope this blogpost helped you get a good idea on how to get around and what to see in Mexico during your backpacking trip. Make sure to subscribe to my blog so you dont miss out on future blog posts with travel tips and itineraries.

Happy traveling xx

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What’s Slow Ways?

B enefits of Slow Ways

Who’s behind Slow Ways?

Slow Ways is an initiative to create a national network of walking routes connecting all of Great Britain’s towns and cities as well as thousands of villages.

Using existing paths, ways, trails and roads, people can use Slow Ways routes to walk or wheel between neighbouring settlements, and combine them to create longer distance trips. It’s designed to make it easier for people to imagine, plan and go on walking journeys.

There are currently over 8,000 Slow Ways stretching for over 120,000km. This network of routes was created by 700 volunteers during the Spring 2020 lockdown, creating a unique Slow Ways map in the process. 

The current challenge is to walk, review and verify them all – checking 120,000km of Slow Ways in the process. 

Slow Ways aims to inspire and support more people to walk more often, further and for more purposes.

While there are thousands of miles of paths linking places across Great Britain, there isn’t a comprehensive and trusted network designed to help people walk off-road between towns and cities. That’s what the Slow Ways initiative, with its distinctive geometric connections, is creating.

The vast majority of Slow Ways routes start and finish in populated places, with varied transport links, food and accommodation options. This makes it easier and more affordable to plan short, medium and long-distance journeys.

As people walk and wheel, review, rate, survey and create new routes this is evolving into a network of ‘verified’ routes, ones that can be used with confidence. Over time, this will help people with specific needs and desires easily find routes that meet their requirements.

Slow Ways is a positive and timely initiative. Walking can improve health and wellbeing, help tackle climate and ecological emergencies, save people money, improve our environment, create memories and bring joy to people’s lives.

Slow Ways is a collaborative effort:

• 70 people helped test the idea at a Slow Ways hack day in February 2020
• 700 people helped plot a first draft of the network during the spring 2020 lockdown
• 80,000 people registered to help walk and review routes by winter 2020

Because of this scale of support, Slow Ways CIC was formed in 2020 as a not-for-profit community interest company.

All of the route information that’s collated will always be free to browse, search, view, share and download. 

We plan for versions of the verified network of Slow Ways walking routes to be released under a Creative Commons license so that people and organisations can freely download, share and innovate with it.

Up for helping? To get started, sign up , then:

1. Choose a Slow Ways route

2. Walk, or wheel it 

3. Review it

▴ Back to top

Benefits of Slow Ways

A large number of potential benefits have been identified by volunteers, partners and backers in developing the Slow Ways initiative.

These include, but are not limited to:

Community benefits

• sharing a positive, empowering, rewarding and inclusive project at a time of national crisis and recovery
• offering a source of community‌ engagement, focus, ‌identity‌ ‌and‌ ‌pride‌
• boosting the equity of use of path networks
• increasing the use of currently under-used paths – thereby keeping them open and valued

Health benefits

• ‌improving ‌health‌ ‌and‌ ‌wellbeing‌ ‌by‌ ‌encouraging‌ ‌physical‌ ‌activity‌ ‌for‌ ‌short‌ ‌trips‌ and ‌longer journeys 
• helping to mitigate the causes and effects of Covid-19, being part of recovery plans, and offering public transport alternatives 
• creating opportunities for people to connect with friends, family and colleagues

Environmental benefits

• reducing ‌pollution and ‌emissions‌ through active travel options as an alternative to carbon-based transport
• contributing to the decarbonisation of local and national transport systems and helping to address the climate emergency
• connecting people to ‘nearby nature’, heritage, places and communities

Transport benefits

• encouraging modal shift – supporting more people to walk more of the time, for more purposes
• providing ‌safe, ‌direct‌ ‌and‌ ‌enjoyable‌ ‌routes‌ ‌between neighbouring‌ ‌towns‌ ‌and‌ ‌cities ‌
• linking active travel to public transport hubs
• promoting greater use of existing paths, trails, networks, and the connections between them

‌Economic benefits

• saving people money by encouraging ‌an‌ ‌inexpensive‌ ‌form of travel
• spreading economic activity by inspiring visits to, and stays in, more places

In the news

Here’s a selection of news stories about Slow Ways:

• “ Walk this way: army of hikers will road-test new map of footpaths ” The Guardian
• “ Slow map: Mapping Britain’s intercity footpaths ” BBC News
• “ Can the ‘Slow Ways’ project change how we travel? ” The Telegraph
• “ New national walking network gets thumbs up from town council ” Frome Times
• “ How you can help plot the future of UK walking – from a standstill ” National Geographic
• “ How the Slow Ways network could change walking in Britain ” The Guardian 
• “ New network of 7,000 walking routes connects Britain’s towns, cities and villages for the first time ” Country Living
• “ Britain’s all new Slow Ways to bring back the old ways ” Times of India
• “ Life after lockdown: one man’s plan to get the UK back on its feet ” Positive News
• “ New hiking network in the UK connects 2,500 towns, cities and notable spots ” Metro
• “ A new hiking network links thousands of towns around Britain ” Lonely Planet
• “ Can a network of 7000 walking routes transform the way we travel? ” Euro News

Who’s making it happen?

Hundreds of people have contributed to Slow Ways. Some have invested massive amounts of time and energy creating, sharing and checking routes. Without this incredible effort Slow Ways would not exist. 

Slow Ways started as a simple idea. Since then, the scale of the challenge has grown rapidly. Fortunately, so has the level of support for the initiative. 

The main organising and delivery team is spread across Great Britain.

Dan Raven-Ellison (founder), Darren Moore (web developer), Julian Lipton (chief operating officer), Saira Niazi (community stories), Hannah Engelkamp (culture and imagination), Lara Kramer (partnerships), Joao Soares (software engineer), Jane Taylor (network-making coordination), Andrew Mackay (network-making coordination), Cristie Moore (responding to enquiries), Charlie Peel at Urban Good (beautiful maps) , and Toney Calvert at Colourform (design).

A sounding board has been formed to help shape and guide Slow Ways. This group includes people from across Wales, England and Scotland who have a range of interests and backgrounds, including David Lintern, Claire-Jane Carter, Rowena Macaulay, Kelly Tourle, Cherelle Harding, Kamalpreet Badasha, Mohammed Dhalech, Tim Simons, Rosie Watson and Yetunde Kehinde.

Slow Ways has had additional Geographical Information Systems support from volunteers at Costain, including Sophie Stouki , Georgia Roberts, James Cunningham and Monika Swiderska.

Slow Ways has kindly received funding from:

We would also like to thank our friends at Costain, ESRI and Ordnance Survey for advice and support.

Got a question or need help? Please visit our Help Centre and forum .

Going on a Slow Ways journey? Want to help make Slow Ways a success? We’d love to hear from you.

General email: [email protected] Report an issue: [email protected]  

Twitter: @SlowWaysUK  Instagram: @SlowWaysUK  Hashtag: #SlowWays

Our team is spread across the country, but we have a forwarding address in central London. Don’t try and visit as we’ll not be there. If you would like to post us anything please send it to: Slow Ways CIC, 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London, England, EC2A 4NE

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Two nights, three provinces, and 1,600 miles. A sleeper train through Maritime Canada is slow travel at its best.

Via rail’s sleepy eastern route brings travelers through rural villages and towns in quebec, new brunswick, and nova scotia..

C HARLO, New Brunswick — I woke up with the sun peeking through the curtains of my sleeper car, and I couldn’t wait to see what was happening on the other side. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning, a kid with noticeable flecks of gray hair in his bedhead, but a kid just the same. I sat up, wrapped myself in the bed’s comforter like a burrito, and yanked back the drapes.

I was suddenly looking at a sunny snowscape in northern New Brunswick. This was a thrill because when I boarded the Via Rail train at Montreal Central Station the day before, there was no snow, and the sky was the color of dishwater. Having experienced little to no winter in Boston, seeing this Bing Crosby landscape was a refreshing change of pace.

While I slowly woke up, the train rumbled along the tracks, and I watched the broad blue expanse of Chaleur Bay slowly pass by. Across the water, the hills and cliffs of the Gaspé and Acadian peninsulas were visible. It was as if the entire scene had been timed perfectly for the morning entertainment of the train’s passengers.

I was traveling Via Rail Canada’s Ocean route from Montreal to Halifax. The train wasn’t as glamorous as the Rocky Mountaineer, nor was the scenery as grand as the Winnipeg to Churchill trip. But Via Rail’s 22-hour route is a lovely travel throwback with gorgeous scenery. Thanks to the strength of the US dollar against the Canadian dollar, I was able to score a sleeper car with a private bathroom (complete with a shower) for $400 a night. It also helped that I was traveling during mud season. Rates go up during the summer and into foliage season.

The fare included all meals, which were served in the dining car on actual plates with actual flatware. I reasoned that I was getting a room, all meals, and the constant entertainment of the ever-changing landscape for $400 a night. That seemed like a decent deal. I decided to book my return to Montreal on the train as well. That would give me a solid 44 hours on board.

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The train departed Montreal at 7 p.m. on Friday and was scheduled to arrive in Halifax at 5:51 p.m on Saturday. I was curious to see how Via Rail, Canada’s national rail company, compared with Amtrak, particularly its sleeper cars. As I cased out my room, I watched the Farine Five Roses sign and the rest of the Montreal skyline disappear behind us. My cabin was designed for two people, but I wanted a room with an en suite bath and shower. The cabin was about 30 square feet (not including the bathroom). It had a sofa that folded down to a bed, with a bunk bed that folded down above it. There was a narrow closet, and in the bathroom, there were towels, a bottle of shampoo, and a bar of soap.

It wasn’t the Ritz, but it was clean and cozy. These cars were built for the canceled European Nightstar train service in the late 1990s. The trains would have used the Chunnel to take passengers from London to cities in mainland Europe. When the project failed to materialize, Via Rail bought the cars and shipped them to Canada in 2000. Despite being in service for nearly 25 years, the train was in good shape.

After inspecting and unpacking, it was dinner time. We were well on our way to Quebec City by the time I sat down and perused the menu. I opted for leek-crusted chicken with wild rice pilaf and roasted butternut squash. This was better than any meal I had ever consumed on an Amtrak train . I was seated with a retired sports editor (pure coincidence) from New York. He had taken most of the Amtrak overnight trains in the United States and now wanted to sample Canada’s offerings.

He agreed with me that the food was better than Amtrak, and the train cars were generally in better condition, but he pointed out something I hadn’t noticed: The staff was much friendlier than the staff on Amtrak, and it made a huge difference. One of my chief complaints, particularly on Amtrak’s Silver Meteor, is that the staff often seemed surly.

By the time I finished dinner and returned to my room, the attendant had made up the bed. I decided I would try sleeping in the bunk, but I quickly soured on the idea when I realized the only way in and out was a narrow ladder. The bunk seemed a bit high for my liking. I folded it back and slept on the lower bed. The bed is 6 feet long and about 2½ feet wide, so it may not be ideal for taller passengers. The mattress was comfortable, and the comforter was wonderfully thick. Each cabin has individual temperature controls, so even though the temperature was in the single digits outside, I was tucked away comfortably for the night. I’m a light sleeper, but I dozed off quickly.

The next morning, it was time to test the shower. To my shock and delight, the water was hot enough, and the pressure wasn’t bad. I went to the dining car and tried the breakfast poutine. I concluded that poutine is a perfect all-day meal. I wrote “open 24-hour poutine restaurant” in my notebook and watched as the train gradually made its way inland. My breakfast companion was a retired teacher from Montreal who was going to visit her grandchildren in Halifax.

“Don’t you dare write anything bad about this train,” she sternly warned me as only a teacher could. “It’s my favorite way to get to Nova Scotia. If it shuts down I’ll blame you.”

The scenery out the window was always changing. When I left Montreal, it was gray. Coastal New Brunswick was snowy and bright, and as the train descended south, the snow disappeared, and the sky darkened. By the time we neared the Bay of Fundy, it was snowing, and then it was raining, and then the sun started peaking out.

The biggest frustration was that the train was running two hours behind schedule. I had made dinner reservations in Halifax for Saturday night but missed them because of the delay. I had one night in the city before getting back on the train the next day and lost precious time.

Another frustration I faced was that the train’s observation car was no longer used. One of the best parts of taking a scenic train is, well, watching the scenery. I could still see the countryside from my room, the lounge, or the restaurant, but the glass-domed observation car on the Ocean route was removed two years ago because of a track change in Halifax. Having that car would have made the experience even more special.

I got back on the train Sunday afternoon, settled into my new room, which was identical to the previous one, and headed back to the cafe car for lunch. All of this investigative reporting was really adding inches to my waistline. I tried the gnocchi pomodoro and decided to treat myself to a glass of local wine. Unlike Amtrak, alcohol is not free in Via Rail’s sleeper class. Again, I was impressed with the menu options, service, and food.

I watched the small towns blur past from the lounge car, one of the few places on the train where the internet was available. Even so, it was usually empty. The pace of train travel, devoid of the internet, is a rare treat. Eventually, a pair of sisters came into the lounge car and asked me if I wanted to play cards with them. I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I played cards, so I put down my camera and began a game of rummy. I can imagine that this was what travel was like before planes or even cars. Without screens, I was actually looking up, talking to people, and playing a game that wasn’t on my phone.

That night, before I went to bed, I opened my laptop and started scrolling through the photos I’d taken throughout the trip. I frantically scrolled up and down, looking for a big “wow” photo. I needed a picture with pizazz. Then I stopped scrolling and looked at the pictures together. This trip wasn’t about flashy sites or Instagrammable moments. It was a long weekend of fluffy waffles, snow banks, blue rivers, and expansive brown fields.

Mostly, however, it was about taking a moment to slow down and breathe.

Christopher Muther can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him @Chris_Muther and Instagram @chris_muther.

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Trains Moscow to Elektrostal: Times, Prices and Tickets

• Train Times
• Seasonality
• Accommodations

Moscow to Elektrostal by train

The journey from Moscow to Elektrostal by train is 32.44 mi and takes 2 hr 7 min. There are 71 connections per day, with the first departure at 12:15 AM and the last at 11:46 PM. It is possible to travel from Moscow to Elektrostal by train for as little as or as much as . The best price for this journey is .

Get from Moscow to Elektrostal with Virail

Virail's search tool will provide you with the options you need when you want to go from Moscow to Elektrostal. All you need to do is enter the dates of your planned journey, and let us take care of everything else. Our engine does the hard work, searching through thousands of routes offered by our trusted travel partners to show you options for traveling by train, bus, plane, or carpool. You can filter the results to suit your needs. There are a number of filtering options, including price, one-way or round trip, departure or arrival time, duration of journey, or number of connections. Soon you'll find the best choice for your journey. When you're ready, Virail will transfer you to the provider's website to complete the booking. No matter where you're going, get there with Virail.

How can I find the cheapest train tickets to get from Moscow to Elektrostal?

Prices will vary when you travel from Moscow to Elektrostal. On average, though, you'll pay about for a train ticket. You can find train tickets for prices as low as , but it may require some flexibility with your travel plans. If you're looking for a low price, you may need to prepare to spend more time in transit. You can also often find cheaper train tickets at particular times of day, or on certain days of the week. Of course, ticket prices often change during the year, too; expect to pay more in peak season. For the lowest prices, it's usually best to make your reservation in advance. Be careful, though, as many providers do not offer refunds or exchanges on their cheapest train tickets. Unfortunately, no price was found for your trip from Moscow to Elektrostal. Selecting a new departure or arrival city, without dramatically changing your itinerary could help you find price results. Prices will vary when you travel from Moscow to Elektrostal. On average, though, you'll pay about for a train ticket. If you're looking for a low price, you may need to prepare to spend more time in transit. You can also often find cheaper train tickets at particular times of day, or on certain days of the week. Of course, ticket prices often change during the year, too; expect to pay more in peak season. For the lowest prices, it's usually best to make your reservation in advance. Be careful, though, as many providers do not offer refunds or exchanges on their cheapest train tickets.

How long does it take to get from Moscow to Elektrostal by train?

The journey between Moscow and Elektrostal by train is approximately 32.44 mi. It will take you more or less 2 hr 7 min to complete this journey. This average figure does not take into account any delays that might arise on your route in exceptional circumstances. If you are planning to make a connection or operating on a tight schedule, give yourself plenty of time. The distance between Moscow and Elektrostal is around 32.44 mi. Depending on the exact route and provider you travel with, your journey time can vary. On average, this journey will take approximately 2 hr 7 min. However, the fastest routes between Moscow and Elektrostal take 1 hr 3 min. If a fast journey is a priority for you when traveling, look out for express services that may get you there faster. Some flexibility may be necessary when booking. Often, these services only leave at particular times of day - or even on certain days of the week. You may also find a faster journey by taking an indirect route and connecting in another station along the way.

How many journeys from Moscow to Elektrostal are there every day?

On average, there are 71 daily departures from Moscow to Elektrostal. However, there may be more or less on different days. Providers' timetables can change on certain days of the week or public holidays, and many also vary at particular times of year. Some providers change their schedules during the summer season, for example. At very busy times, there may be up to departures each day. The providers that travel along this route include , and each operates according to their own specific schedules. As a traveler, you may prefer a direct journey, or you may not mind making changes and connections. If you have heavy suitcases, a direct journey could be best; otherwise, you might be able to save money and enjoy more flexibility by making a change along the way. Every day, there are an average of 18 departures from Moscow which travel directly to Elektrostal. There are 53 journeys with one change or more. Unfortunately, no connection was found for your trip from Moscow to Elektrostal. Selecting a new departure or arrival city, without dramatically changing your itinerary could help you find connections.

Book in advance and save

If you're looking for the best deal for your trip from Moscow to Elektrostal, booking train tickets in advance is a great way to save money, but keep in mind that advance tickets are usually not available until 3 months before your travel date.

Stay flexible with your travel time and explore off-peak journeys

Planning your trips around off-peak travel times not only means that you'll be able to avoid the crowds, but can also end up saving you money. Being flexible with your schedule and considering alternative routes or times will significantly impact the amount of money you spend on getting from Moscow to Elektrostal.

Always check special offers

Checking on the latest deals can help save a lot of money, making it worth taking the time to browse and compare prices. So make sure you get the best deal on your ticket and take advantage of special fares for children, youth and seniors as well as discounts for groups.

Unlock the potential of slower trains or connecting trains

If you're planning a trip with some flexible time, why not opt for the scenic route? Taking slower trains or connecting trains that make more stops may save you money on your ticket – definitely worth considering if it fits in your schedule.

Best time to book cheap train tickets from Moscow to Elektrostal

The cheapest Moscow - Elektrostal train tickets can be found for as low as $35.01 if you’re lucky, or $54.00 on average. The most expensive ticket can cost as much as $77.49.

Find the best day to travel to Elektrostal by train

When travelling to Elektrostal by train, if you want to avoid crowds you can check how frequently our customers are travelling in the next 30-days using the graph below. On average, the peak hours to travel are between 6:30am and 9am in the morning, or between 4pm and 7pm in the evening. Please keep this in mind when travelling to your point of departure as you may need some extra time to arrive, particularly in big cities!

Moscow to Elektrostal CO2 Emissions by Train

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CDOT performs maintenance operations on CO 67 culvert south of Florence

Travel advisory.

Fremont County — Motorists should plan for delays next Monday, April 29 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. while the Colorado Department of Transportation performs maintenance operations on a culvert on CO Highway 67 from mile point 6.5 to MP 7.5. Commercial Motor Vehicles are advised to take an alternate route.

Traffic Impacts

• Plan for daytime traffic delays April 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Expect lane shifts guided by flaggers, cones and signage.
• CMVs are advised to use an alternate route.
• Drivers are urged to watch for workers and their equipment, slow down and drive with caution.

Know Before You Go

Travelers are urged to “know before you go.” Gather information about weather forecasts and anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road. CDOT resources include:

• Road conditions and travel information: COtrip.org
• Download the COtrip Planner app: bit.ly/COtripapp
• Sign up for project or travel alerts: bit.ly/COnewsalerts
• See scheduled construction lane closures: bit.ly/laneclosures
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Remember: Slow For The Cone Zone

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow rages over Cameron strike remarks, warns of 'direct escalation' and threatens Denmark

During a visit to Kyiv, Lord Cameron said Ukraine has a "right" to strike inside Russia, just as Moscow's forces are doing. Meanwhile, the fall of the eastern town of Chasiv Yar looms closer. Listen to a Daily podcast on whether the UK should send troops to Ukraine as you scroll.

Friday 3 May 2024 19:17, UK

• Cameron: Ukraine has 'right' to strike Russia using British-supplied weapons
• Fall of Ukrainian city a 'matter of time', Ukrainian intelligence officer says
• Russia's 'three-point plan' to victory
• Moscow rages over Cameron remarks
• Exclusive: UK plans to ramp up weapons production for Ukraine
• Analysis: Will US aid help turn tide on Russia?
• Your questions answered: Why can't Ukraine destroy key Crimean bridge?
• Listen to the Sky News Daily above and  tap here  to follow wherever you get your podcasts
• Live reporting by Lauren Russell

That's it from our live coverage for today - thanks for following along. 

Before we go, here is a quick reminder of today's updates: 

• Lord Cameron has been in Ukraine where he told Sky News that the UK will appoint a new envoy to oversee a plan to ramp up the production of weapons and ammunition, which is now a "national priority";
• Russia is planning to launch a three-factor plan to destabilise and claim victory in Ukraine, a top Ukrainian military intelligence officer has said;
• The Kremlin branded Lord Cameron's comments about Ukraine striking inside Russia "dangerous and worrying";
• Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has praised the "new regions" troops have taken control of in Ukraine since the start of the year.

Now to Georgia, which is not directly involved in the war in Ukraine, but whose future is seen as highly significant in the context of Vladimir Putin's ambitions for Russia.

Draft legislation, known as the "foreign agents" law, is winding its way through the Georgian parliament and would require organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence.

The proposed law has been attacked by opponents as authoritarian and Kremlin-inspired.

Protesters have taken to the streets of capital Tbilisi for weeks to show their opposition, while the European Union and the United States have urged Georgiato drop the legislation or risk harming its chances of EU membership and a broader Euro-Atlantic future.

The stand-off is seen as part of a wider struggle that could determine whether Georgia, a country of 3.7 million people that has experienced war and revolution since the fall of the Soviet Union, moves closer to Europe or back under Moscow's influence.

Video below shows protesters in Tbilisi blocking traffic as part of their efforts to prevent the bill being passed.

A regular feature of news coverage surrounding the war in Ukraine has been the frequently bellicose statements that have emanated from one of Vladimir Putin's most prominent allies, Dmitry Medvedev.

The deputy chairman of the security council of the Russian Federation is notorious for his inflammatory language and repeated invocation of Cold War-style nuclear threats, which tend to be widely dismissed by most Western commentators.

Indeed, some analysts have suggested the former president's penchant for such wild outbursts are specifically designed to frame himself as an erratic character who could not be considered a viable rival to Mr Putin - thus avoiding the fate of other figures considered a threat to the leader's authority.

It is through that lens that many will view his latest comments, which ostensibly cover his thoughts on the Ukraine peace conference due to take place in Switzerland in June - to which Russia has not been invited.

His assessment is perhaps unsurprisingly dismissive, even going as far as to imply the summit represents positive news for Moscow.

"What is Russia's gain of the Swiss 'peace conference'?" he asks in his post on social media.

 "It's actually threefold. First, it will come as yet another proof of failure of the so-called peace plan by the halfwit zelensky (sic)."

He follows that by referring to Ukraine's leader as "the bandera b******", seeking to associate him with a Ukrainian far-right leader of the mid 20th century.

The Kremlin has long sought to depict Ukraine's leadership as far-right neonazis, efforts that have been widely dismissed by commentators on the region.

"Second, it will be visible evidence of the full impotence of the present-day western elites, who have performed painful self-castration of their own potential to stop the military conflict," Mr Medvedev continues.

"What's more, it has been done on direct orders given by a group of senile doctors from Washington.

"Third, it will allow our Armed Forces to further cleanse Malorossia's [little Russia's] territories from neonazis without any hindrance and regard for some c***'s 'peace initiatives'."

After forecasting "the final collapse of the former Ukraine’s political regime", he concludes: "Thank you, the land of cheese and watches!"

Russian officers has been welcoming foreign military attaches in Moscow today during their visit to an exhibition of Western military equipment captured from Kyiv forces during the fighting in Ukraine.

The event organised by the Russian Defence Ministry features more than 30 pieces of Western-made heavy equipment, including a US-made M1 Abrams tank and a Bradley armoured fighting vehicle.

More now from Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who has been speaking to journalists this afternoon.

She has said any move by Denmark to restrict the freedom of navigation of Russian ships in the Baltic straits will be seen as a hostile act and draw retaliation.

It is unclear exactly what prompted the threat, but we'll bring you any more detail as we get it.

Denmark has played down suggestions it will begin checking Russian tankers moving through its waters to establish whether they have the correct documentation.

The country allows ships calling at Russia to use its waters due to a longstanding freedom of navigation treaty, although the country's armed forces have said it is standard procedure to track them.

The Baltic straits - the only natural exits from the Baltic sea to the North Atlantic - are notoriously difficult to navigate and international maritime authorities strongly recommend the use of pilots with specialist local knowledge.

However, it is believed more than 20 tankers - so-called shadow vessels - transporting Russian oil but with unknown ownership, have declined offers to use Danish pilots since the start of 2024. 

And the Danish Maritime Authority said in a statement in March that a tanker from Russia's shadow fleet was involved in a collision near Denmark.

The incident involving the 15-year-old Andromeda Star oil tanker took place on 2 March.

A Russian activist has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to set fire to a military conscription office in protest against the war in Ukraine. 

Angel Nikolayev, 39, was convicted on charges of terrorism for placing two bottles of a flammable substance in the windows of a conscription office in the eastern city of Khabarovsk and setting them alight. 

He was also convicted of damaging Russian flags that were put on the graves of soldiers killed in Ukraine at a local cemetery and removing symbols of Russian military action from a bus stop and several vehicles.

Since 2022, hundreds of people have faced criminal charges in Russia over protests and remarks condemning the war in Ukraine, and thousands have been fined or briefly jailed.

Russia is ready to consider "serious" peace talk proposals to settle the conflict in Ukraine, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

Speaking at a press briefing this afternoon, Ms Zakharova said the talks must be based on existing "realities" and Moscow's security concerns. 

She said part of the proposal would include Ukraine pledging to remain militarily neutral in future.

Russia proposing the possibility of peace talks is nothing new. 

Despite suggesting it is open for discussion, it always seems to blame Ukraine or the West for the breakdown of negotiations.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said troops have taken control of 211 square miles (547 square kilometres) of Ukrainian territory this year.

He referred to the territory as Russia's "new regions".

Mr Shoigu told a group of senior military commanders that Ukrainian forces were retreating along the frontline and that Russian troops were breaking a network of "Ukrainian strongholds".

"Over the past two weeks, the Russian armed forces have liberated the settlements of Novobakhmutivka, Semenivka and Berdychi in the Donetsk People's Republic," he said.

"The Ukrainian army units are trying to cling on to individual lines, but under our onslaught they are forced to abandon their positions and retreat."

Ukraine's top commander said last week that a number of troops had fallen back to new positions in villages on the eastern front.

The advances mean Russia now controls around 18% of Ukraine.

As reported here earlier, Moscow has had a predictably indignant reaction to Lord Cameron's statement's yesterday during his trip to Ukraine (see 10.34am post).

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has offered a further reflection of displeasure within Vladimir Putin's regime, claiming the British foreign secretary's comments amounted to an acknowledgement that the West was waging a war against Russia using "Ukrainian hands".

Lord Cameron said yesterday that Ukraine had a right to use weapons provided by London to strike targets inside Russia, and that it was up to Kyiv whether to do so.

"Cameron's words are further evidence of the hybrid war the West is waging against our country," Ms Zakharova said.

"Russia is responding to that and will continue to respond."

Russian's Vladimir Putin is planning to visit China later this month to meet President Xi Jinping, according to a report by Bloomberg News.

The visit is scheduled for 15-16 May, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the Kremlin's plans.

It comes after the White House said it remained "deeply concerned" that it was not seeing China make any changes amid accusations it is helping Russia's military with its war in Ukraine. 

Next week, Mr Xi will visit Europe for the first time in five years.

Beginning in Paris, France, he will visit Hungary and Serbia, the latter of which is a close ally to Mr Putin.

China has always maintained that it remains an objective and just party over the war, adding that its trade relations are "above-board".

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• 公开课 --> 公开课

您IP所在的地区，暂不支持官方真题素材

建议使用其他功能进行阅读练习

EXTRA3 According to paragraph 2, all of the following were true of Moscow EXCEPT

显示生词 Tip: 色块区域 是你划选过的生词,查询次数越多,颜色越深哦～ 显示重点词 Tip: 加粗单词 为本章重点词哦！

A. It was near several important waterways.

B. It was surrounded by open areas that were easily crossed.

C. It was located at a place where several travel routes came together.

D. It was protected from attack by its position in the bend of a river.

名师1对1，深度分析薄弱项，高效提分

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