Slow Travel Explained
[Video Transcript]
Slow Travel is coming into a spacious place, witnessing new and wonderful sights, and staying for just long enough to let it set your heart alight.
My name is Kat, welcome to episode 8 of The Slow Living Guide, where I give you the A to Z on Slow Living, and hopefully provide a pocket of calm in your day. In last week’s episode we chatted about how to cultivate a slow home, so if that’s of interest to you, then do be sure to check it out at the end of the video and subscribe for future content.
Pandemic aside, travel has become so much more accessible in the last few years, what with cheaper flights and package holiday deals. As an avid travel lover, and having lived in multiple countries over my lifetime, I think this is generally a good thing – travel has the capacity to widen peoples’ perspectives and tourism is a really awesome industry that helps boost local economies.
However, this travel accessibility has been problematic in some ways.
Firstly, travel seems to have become almost competitive and more about the destination than the journey. There’s this mentality and I feel almost expectation that if you can go somewhere famous, then you should. I live in Europe so there are dozens of famous cities and locations within just an hour or two by air or even train from where I live – so you can imagine the temptation to just hop to Paris for a weekend trip, post a couple of Instagram photos, then move onto the next thing. I’m aware that probably sounds pretty mad to my some of my viewers, but that is really how easy and inexpensive travel has become throughout Europe, and I’m sure a similar principle applies in other parts of the world.
This kind of travel is based on going to the most touristy destinations and making sure that you tick every important landmark of your checklist otherwise the trip feels wasted. It means, for example, going to see the Mona Lisa even if you have no real personal interest in art. You may end up sacrificing a walk in a beautiful park or a coffee at a little-known café for something that, if you’re being honest with yourself, you never really wanted to do in the first place.
Probably the biggest problem with high paced travel though, is that it’s really not the most kind to the environment.
For so long, I’ve let the vanity of my travel checklist take precedence over the environmental protection of the very places that I’m traveling to, the places that I claim to love. Slow travel on the other hand offers a refreshing alternative.
Slow travel is, first and foremost, about slowing down as you travel to deeply experience the local culture, rather than skimming over it in a rush to get to the next thing. Here are some ideas for how you can implement slow travel in your own life:
#1 Research the Culture
As much as it is possible to aesthetically enjoy a country without being informed on its history, the best way to deepen your appreciation of the culture is to do some research beforehand. This will not only help you plan your sightseeing but will also give you an understanding of what each sight means on a more personal level for the people of the country.
#2 Travel Slow
Where possible, choose slower methods of transport, at least once you arrive at your destination. Walking and cycling are awesome because you have the freedom to stop off anywhere you choose and will likely experience a more authentic version of the country you’re visiting. However, if you’re in Scotland and it’s been raining for 8 days straight, traveling by train is also a good option.
#3 Stay With Locals
The heart of culture is found in the people so staying with a host family is an incredible way to experience this to the full. For a start, you have immediate contact with local advice for the best things to see, places to eat and tips on avoiding tourist traps! /A great alternative to staying with a host family is Air B ‘n’ B, which will still put you in touch with locals while giving more freedom and flexibility.
#4 Learn The Language
As a linguist I am admittedly biased for this tip, but I cannot express just how much knowing even a small amount of the local language can transform your trip. Not only will knowing the language be useful from a practical standpoint, but it will also allow you to build rapport, and even friendships, with locals. In the words of Nelson Mandela,
I know most of us are currently stuck at home and not getting to travel much at all these days but hopefully things will free up a bit in the next year or so. When they do, perhaps you’ll take a slow travel approach and stop to smell the roses. In the meantime, you can let us know in the comments where you dream of travelling to in your lifetime and why.
If you’re enjoying the video or have learned something new, do be sure to hit the like button and share the video with a friend who you think might benefit from the message. Although this is, for now, the final episode in The Slow Living Guide I will be continuing to make slow living, sustainability content as well as giving as well as sharing a bit more of my life in Scotland, so if that’s of interest to you, do be sure to subscribe and hit the notification bell.
Until next time, it was lovely to have you here.
