8 Principles of Slow Travel
Principle 1: Go slow and experience the culture. Plan to return.
Slow travel is where it’s at. Focus on a few things in depth rather than many things lightly. Experience the culture rather than collect sites. Rushing from one place to another for 10 to 20 minutes gets in the way of true appreciation of the culture. You have to believe that you will return and that quantity of sites doesn’t equal quality of trip.
Principle 2: Adapt and learn new things.
Trying new things leads to adventures and stories that you’ll never forget. Remember that it is not our hosts’ responsibility to make things “just like home” — give up the catsup — it’s our responsibility to experience and enjoy the differences and to make their home ours. Instead of ordering spaghetti bolognese, order cacio e pepe.
Principle 3: Travel cheap.
Expensive franchise, four-star hotels, and tourist-based restaurants shelter you from the local people, culture, and best food. They prey upon your insecurities. (The number of stars in a hotel’s name relates to how many services the hotel provides, not cleanliness.) Take a leap: use the one, two, or three star hotels and look for the less expensive restaurants where locals eat. So what if the menu is not in English — go for it. The fewer euros you spend, the more you need to interact with people and the more fun you have. It costs nothing to join the evening passeggiata, but it is an unforgettable experience. Visit the Saturday market and buy something you didn’t think that you needed.
Principle 4: Come to “tour” and to “live.” Set up a Base.
When touring, do everything you can to be a “local,” to live there. Put your clothes in the drawers, closets, and wardrobes — even just for a couple of nights. Walk slowly through the streets looking for restaurants. Shop for meats, cheeses, and wines for a picnic. Look around and tell yourself, “I live here.” Get to know the neighborhood. Use a base to reduce wasted time moving from place-to-place and to get to know a place well.
Principle 5: Put your camera and phone down and look around.
Pictures are nice — memories are better. It’s a richer experience to see through your naked eyes first rather than in a viewfinder. Don’t wait to see your vacation until you watch the video at home or on YouTube. Skip the selfies, which irritate the hell out of everyone around you and for heaven’s sake do not use a selfie stick!
Principle 6: Respect your hosts.
We Americans often shock our hosts because in our excitement we tend to be loud in voice and dress. Never hide the fact that you are an American but fly under the radar. Locals don’t wear T-shirts and baseball caps with advertising. Be humble and respectful in actions, low in voice, and dress appropriately to earn our hosts’ respect and gratitude. Ask about the culture. Trust your waiter and ask, “What is best today? What do you recommend?” Enthusiasm for the culture and asking for advice wins people over.
Principle 7: Does €25.00 really matter?
Money flows like water while traveling and it’s possible to get too obsessed with it. You may decide to forgo a restaurant meal for a couple of pizzas and drinks for €25.00. A three-course meal for two at an authentic local restaurant might cost you €50.00. One month later, when you are home, will you really worry about that €25.00? Or, will you wish that you’d tried that restaurant?
Principle 8: Pack light, walk easy.
No one ever returns home from a trip and says, “I wish I’d packed more.” I live out of a carry-on for two months. You want to be flexible and to travel quickly without dragging 100 pounds of large suitcases to the hotel. Lay everything out on the bed before you leave and put half of it away — then do it again. You’ll probably never see those people again and they don’t care whether you’ve worn the same shirt and pants five days in a row and washed out your underwear in the evening.
Take light clothes of synthetic fabrics (make sure that they are breathable) that you can wash easily in the sink and that will dry fast — I’ve learned from painful experience to leave my cotton knit shirts and jeans home. I have found that a shirt that is only 50% cotton dries quickly and is very comfortable.Experi