When we first began traveling the world we quickly became weary of the “normal” tourist schedule. We were rushing from one tourist attraction to the next, or one country to the next without even stopping to take a breath! We returned home more exhausted than when we left, and we felt like we didn’t even really see the foreign country we spent our hard-earned money visiting.
We discovered that we needed to slow down. We didn’t try to fit 4 countries into a one week vacation. We didn’t visit a museum or major sight just because the guidebook said it was a “must-see.” Instead, we immersed ourselves into the local culture. We spent more time with private guides so that we could have an in-depth experience of a sight or find a “hidden gem” that is barely mentioned in the guidebooks. We still see major tourist sights, but we do it in a more calculated way and we balance tourist sights with relaxing in our new city: such as sitting with a glass of rosé wine and watching Paris pass by!
Slow travel does not mean that you will miss seeing major sights. Some of our privately guided tours will include major sights. And, you will have ample free time see that bucket list attraction if it isn’t on our agenda.
But, remember that some of those major destinations take a long time (those lines!) and may not always live up to the hype. I have always said that I don’t want the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower, I want a view of the Eiffel Tower (preferably with wine in hand!) Slow travel is all about finding that balance.