How To Slow Travel Across Europe

Photo Credits: David Marcu via Unsplash

In the last couple years, we’ve seen a large amount of travel trends begin to emerge. Travelers are moving towards sustainable ways to explore the world with a stronger focus on meaningful experiences. In fact, experiences within the local community have gained huge traction among travelers keen to acquaint themselves with local culture and tradition. 

The idea of traveling as sustainably as possible has become extremely important to travelers in an attempt to combat climate change while still allowing themselves the joy of travel. In the midst of these new green travel trends, slow travel has become an increasingly popular method of travel for those with the luxury to spend multiple months traveling. If you find yourself with plenty of time and energy to put towards traveling, we highly recommend this excellent sustainable way to travel through Europe (and other continents)! 

What is Slow Travel?

“The idea behind slow travel is to establish an emotional connection between the traveler and the destination, as well as to educate and open the traveler’s mind.”

Slow travel is exactly what it sounds like: taking your time to travel slowly around a country or continent. The length of your trip can last months, depending on how slow you would like to travel, and methods of transportation can vary from biking, to hiking, to slow trains and boats to even donkeys – how fun is that? 

According to Remote Year, slow travel “emphasizes connection to local people, cultures, food, and music.” The idea behind slow travel is to establish an emotional connection between the traveler and the destination, as well as to educate and open the traveler’s mind. 

Education is one of the main elements of slow travel as it allows travelers to allocate more time to understanding the local culture and community. Slow travel also respects the environment as many of the methods allow travelers to immerse themselves in the natural landscape of a country. Instead of quickly zipping around from country to country on a plane, slow travel brings out the true meaning of travel: to discover, explore, and understand different places, people, and cultures. 

Slow travel gets its foundations from a method of travel created in Italy in the 1980s to combat over tourism and preserve Italian traditions relating to food. It was called the slow food movement. A more globalized world was moving Italy away from its roots, bringing in international brands and leaving locally owned businesses without customers. 

The movement called attention to the importance of local food, business, and people to the community - for both tourists and locals. Slow travel holds the same ideals, by moving away from those fast paced, (wo)man made experiences, slow travel allows travelers to experience a country like a local would. And isn’t that the point of travel? 

Any Amount of Travel Can Be Slow

While it may seem like slow travel needs to span over long periods of time, it can also simply be a couple of days to a week. According to Sloww, slow travel is a “mindset and approach”, meaning that any amount of travel can be slow. Take a daytrip to another town by biking for example. 

Moreover, when traveling you need to find the right travel momentum. It does not mean spending long periods of time in one place if you feel like you’ve learned all you needed to. Travel at your own leisure, give yourself the right amount of time you need to immerse yourself in the local community and environment. There’s no right way to slow travel, as long as you are immersing yourself in the locality of your destinations and finding meaningful experiences, you’re right on track.

That is why we slow travel, to immerse ourselves into the local community so much so that we experience what it is like to be part of that community. We travel to understand culture, food, music, people, and nature. Bucketlist Bri describes slow travel as a way to “foster deeper connections with a place and its people.” 

Slow travel is important because it allows us to relax and take a step back from the crowds, instead of rushing to check off a list of the top ten tourist sites. It allows travelers to experience the point of travel: immersing yourself in culture and creating lasting connections.

The Benefits of Slow Travel

“There are many benefits to using the slow travel method, however the most important benefit is that it brings the traveler back to the original reason for travel itself: to discover, explore, and learn about cultures different to our own.”

Fast paced, check list tourism is often seen as a better way to travel. When most people travel, they want to squeeze every single last bit of sightseeing into their schedule. One of the largest arguments against slow travel is that you won’t be able to see everything if you don’t fill your travel to do list. 

The point of slow travel isn’t to skip over seeing what you want to see, it's about pacing yourself, enjoying yourself, and finding meaning within your travel experiences. There are many reasons why slow travel is a better way to tour a destination and the benefits help you grow as a person and as a traveler.  

Trying to get everything done on vacation is exhausting and stressful. The point of going away on a holiday is to relax and enjoy yourself rather than worry about dinner reservations, bus times, or crowds. By traveling slowly, you prevent what Remote Year calls “tourist burnout”. 

Prevent Tourist Burnout

Travel is meant to open your mind and relax your body while having a fun time and this is often forgotten among the hustle of the traditional tourist experience. Instead of tiring yourself out on your second day, forget your plan and explore. We recommend letting yourself get lost in the city, you might stumble on some gorgeous sites or delicious local restaurants. Don’t plan everything, let yourself explore naturally. 

The best part of slow travel is the connections you can make to the people and to the place. By traveling slowly, you need to immerse yourself in the local community, get to know the people and get to know the place as if you were one of the locals. 

Get To Know the Locals

These connections are important because they allow you to open your mind, become more globally minded, and grow as a traveler. This kind of travel is very important to spread awareness of other cultures and lifestyles as well. By immersing yourself in the local culture, you will gain more meaningful and memorable experiences which might even get you out of your comfort zone.

Less Harm on the Environment 

One of the reasons we love slow travel so much is because of the positive impact it has on the environment. Slow travel is generally a more sustainable way to travel as the methods of transportation are usually sustainable – bicycles, by foot, trains, etc. Slow travel also engages the traveler with the local community which means it helps travelers buy local, eat local, and experience local cultures. 

This is very important in order to ensure your financial support is going towards local economies. It also is important because it ensures that the traveler is engaging in authentic cultural experiences – these are the types of experiences that tourists should be looking to have.

There are many benefits to using the slow travel method, however the most important benefit is that it brings the traveler back to the original reason for travel itself: to discover, explore, and learn about cultures different to our own. By traveling slowly, you can bring yourself back to the way travel should be while supporting local communities and having a positive impact on the environment.

Tips for Traveling Slow

“By choosing Europe as a slow travel destination, you can easily explore many different countries and cultures.”

Slow travel can be complicated when you aren’t sure where to start or how to plan. It can be hard to find those niche local experiences or even engage yourself with the culture and people. Here are our tips for planning your slow trip across Europe.

Slow Travel Destinations 

Europe is one of the best places to try slow travel. There are so many countries with different cultures and people right next door to each other. Slow travel in Europe can mean the continent or a focus on one of the many diverse array of countries. By choosing Europe as a slow travel destination, you can easily explore many different countries and cultures. To make it easier for you, we’ve collected our top slow travel bases for you to start your slow travel adventure at:

1. Italy

Our first destination and one of the most popular, is Italy. In the country itself, there is so much diversity of culture, nature, and people. If you want to slow travel in one country, Italy is the place to do it. 

From South Tyrol to Sicily, there is so much to offer a traveler and it is extremely easy to get around. You will find so many small Italian towns with vibrant local communities to truly expose you to Italian culture. Plus, if you want to travel around the European continent, Italy is a great starting point to branch out to Austria, Germany, Switzerland. 

2. Ireland

Ireland is not only naturally beautiful, there are so many small, local communities to experience the true Irish culture. Ireland is a great place to explore nature by sustainable means such as biking or hiking. It is also a wonderful starting point as there are many options to travel by boat to England or France to then continue your slow travel around the British Isles or mainland Europe.

3. Portugal 

Portugal is another unique slow travel destination. With many small villages, beautiful nature escapes, and historic cities, this country offers a slow traveler so much to enjoy. 

There are many authentic experiences to be found in Portugal and it’s one of the most affordable western European countries. It’s also a great slow travel base as it is extremely easy to travel over to Spain and from Spain you can get to the rest of mainland Europe.

4. Poland 

If you’re interested in slow traveling around Eastern Europe, Poland is the place to start. This eastern European country doesn’t see as much tourism as its western European counterparts, which means you’ll find a lot of less populated areas to experience Polish culture. 

Poland has beautiful natural landscapes and equally stunning historic cities. It’s extremely affordable and is a good base for slow travel as you have easy access to both east and west Europe.

Slow Travel Transportation

When slow traveling, you want to make sure that your method of transportation is the most sustainable method you can find. The methods you choose can depend on how fast or slow you want to get around and how active you want to be. There is one transport rule: do not get on a plane. Our favorite methods of travel include: 

1. Biking

Not only is biking extremely sustainable, it’s also very beneficial for you. Europe is made for bikes, whether you’re in the city or in the countryside there are so many bike paths and areas specifically made for bicycles. Biking is a great way to enjoy the natural landscapes of Europe as well as get around cities easily when you’re tired of walking.

2. Hiking

Hiking around Europe is challenging but can be extremely rewarding as well. It’s very sustainable and is a great way to immerse yourself in the nature of a place. 

3. Boats, Trains, and Buses 

It’s unrealistic to expect yourself to bike or hike your way across Europe. We all get tired. So when you find yourself wanting an easier transportation method, look for local transportation such as buses or trains. The train system is a great way to navigate yourself across Europe. If you are somewhere coastal, hop on a boat and explore the sea. Make sure any transport you use is sustainable in some way. Giving back to the environment is extremely important.

Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Experience 

So now that you’re ready to try slow travel, how do you get the most out of the experience? How do you find those meaningful, cultural moments? How do you engage with the local community? How do you make those connections? 

1. Don’t plan everything. Of course you need to have some sort of plan in order to get yourself around Europe but leave some of your plans open ended. This will allow you to better enjoy yourself, find flexibility, and stumble into experiences. 

2. Live life like a local and become part of their community. Explore local markets and stores. Meet the locals and learn from them, find out their favorite places and experiences. Discover the languages and dialects of the places you’re exploring. Don’t expect everyone to speak your language. Engage with the communities by staying at local accommodation.

3. Enjoy the journey whether you walk, bike, or take a train there. 

4. Give back to the community. When you travel, you always want to take but make sure you give back too. Empower the local communities and economy.

5. Understand the importance of sustainability. Help preserve and conserve nature and leave a positive impact on the environment by making conscious choices.

By forgetting your plans, meeting new people, and exploring your destinations like the locals, you’ll be able to find those meaningful connections and leave with an open mind and a truly experienced traveler.