Slow Travel: A Guide to Intentional and Eco-Friendly Adventuring

Slow travel is a movement that encourages more conscious, greener traveling. The idea encompasses all aspects of the travel experience, including transportation, food, and respect for wildlife. It is simple to adopt for your next vacation, even if you only do it in part. 

Some may argue that eliminating traveling is more sustainable. However, it is crucial to see the world, because it exposes you to other cultures and ways of life. It promotes compassion, empathy, equity, and natural appreciation. So, instead of feeling guilty about taking a plane multiple times a year, adopt these strategies for slow travel and change your perspective.

1. Have the Mindset

Slow travelers are appreciative, intentional, thoughtful, and passionate. Every trip is a learning experience that focuses on mindfulness rather than spending lots of money, following trends, and potentially disrespecting cultures and their resources by not understanding the region and its people. Slow travel also wants to be low-impact on the planet, so being dedicated to the planet is another necessary mindset shift. Do adequate research and engage respectfully with the land and communities before departing.

2. Stay Awhile

You may feel enticed to pack in a lot at once — being caught in a tornado of trains and planes, going from city to city. However, slow travelers celebrate staying put. They unpack and become familiar with a location as if they were local. They get curious, build connections, and find ways to stay interested without needing a constant change of scenery. This lowers the vacation’s carbon footprint while increasing your appreciation for the area, its residents, and its offerings.

3. Pack Thoughtfully

You should always pack your low-waste essentials, including a reusable water bottle, shopping bags, and more. However, you have to be sure not to overpack. Heavy luggage adds weight to whatever vehicle you are using to get from place to place. This makes the plane or car use more fuel than it needs to. While it may not feel like a big impact, light, zero-waste mentalities should be a part of every suitcase and carry-on bag.

4. Choose Eco-Friendly Transport

Don’t feel bad for taking a plane if you have to. Sometimes, it is the only option. The same goes for a ferry or a car. No matter what you have to use to get to where you need to go, simply choose the lowest-impact option. Many flight platforms show which planes are taking a lower-carbon route, prioritizing direct flights over layovers. 

If you’re taking a personal car, try sharing it with others on the trip. You may also take public transit, such as trains. Once you get to your destination, try to avoid renting a car. Use local transit systems or rent bikes and other no-carbon options. You can also get a few steps in by simply walking! Overland travel is always the best choice.

5. Look Into Shoulder Seasons

Overtourism may sound like a benefit, but it can burden small communities of their resources. Traveling outside peak times can enhance your slow travel experience. There are fewer crowds, which allows you to get a more in-depth glimpse into the region. It is also, oftentimes, cheaper, since companies like to price-gouge tickets, travel, and accommodations during the most-trekked seasons. The experience will feel more genuine and memorable, especially when you are not constantly frustrated or misinterpreting the true image of an area because of its tourists.

6. Go Quietly in Nature

If you are participating in eco-tourism, tread lightly and leave no trace. If you are hiking in national parks or visiting historic sites, stay on marked paths, follow tour guides’ advice, respect local regulations, and avoid interacting with wildlife. It is important to develop a positive connection with nature, which means you have to be a part of it — sometimes traveling long distances to do so. Make it worth it by keeping a respectful distance between nature’s processes and your personal experience. Resisting the temptation to pet a wild animal or mark your initials in a nearby tree is all part of a slow travel endeavor.

7. Stay in Ethical Lodging

There are many controversies surrounding privately owned vacation rentals on platforms like Airbnb, including gentrification and the displacement of housing needed by locals. Many major hotel chains also have a host of issues, including unethical labor practices. You must do your due diligence by finding an eco-conscious and considerate host. Local hotel chains, homestays, and communal housing are great options for reducing impact while respecting laborers and residents.

8. Be Local

Living like a local can be interpreted in a few ways. Slow traveling deeply encourages local participation, especially in the economy. Instead of going to a familiar chain grocery store, try a nearby market. Instead of buying tickets to a hypertourist attraction funded by a company from your native country, try finding a tour or experience that directly supports the economy. This is crucial to being a conscious consumer and a slow traveler, because otherwise, your money is only being funneled back to your home country.

Additionally, you can also develop connections with locals. Go to the same coffee shop every day and ask the barista questions about the area. Talk to local tour guides about how they feel about living there. This is your opportunity to gain a more in-depth social experience and potentially develop friendships with individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. When you return to your normal life, it will feel enriched because you made the effort to step outside your comfort zone and cultural bubble.

The Ultimate Guide to Slow Travel

Even if you only take one of these strategies for your next trip, it will make a monumental difference in the long term. Challenge yourself to experiment, adding more and more techniques each time until you adopt a comprehensive slow travel mindset. Those you travel with will feel inspired as you lead by example, encouraging more productive discourse in travel circles and showing that it can be eco-friendly and ethical to go on an adventure.