Seven Secrets to Successful Slow Travel With a Family

A healthy dose of dedication required

Our first slow travel experience was a four-week trip: four post-COVID flights, six places to stay, seven people from three generations, and zero packaged tours. It was amazing, apart from some things that weren’t.

The advantages of slow travel, when you can afford it, are easier to identify. We can enjoy more, see more, and relax more.

But how to make it work?

If it turns out to be a miserable experience, the length of the trip will be a curse, not a blessing.

Shortly after our return, I polled everyone in our group to ask — what is the secret to successful slow travel? The answers were quite consistent — here we go:

1. Plan your absence

No surprise here.

There is more to plan for a longer absence:

• Arrange to be away from work for a longer time — get approval, clean up the projects, delegate or train your back-up.
• Secure the financial side — pay credit cards and outstanding bills in advance, ensure you have enough money for the trip and know when you will be charged for everything you reserved.
• Make arrangements with everyone who will look after what you leave behind: the house and the houseplants, lawn, and pets.
• Order enough prescription medications for the duration of the trip plus two weeks in case you end up in quarantine.
• Arrange for mail pickup or request to hold it until you return.
• Make sure all your online orders have arrived and don’t order anything new that might arrive after you left. Unclaimed packages on the porch are a security risk as they signal that everyone is away.

2. Plan all major parts of your trip

One of the benefits of slow travel is that you can afford to be flexible with your days. However, the major components still need to be pre-planned, especially in the more complicated post-COVID world.

• Plan the flights and connections thoughtfully. Short connections pose the risk of delays and missed flights. Consider a stopover instead and add some sightseeing to your intermediate destination. You can afford the time if slow travelling.
• Book all accommodations in advance, especially if you have a larger group. You can get away with winging it only if you travel off-season and with a very forgiving and small group.
• Reserve a rental car if you need it. Rental car shortages have been a major issue in many countries after the pandemic slump.

3. Research alternative activities

The beauty of slow travel is the release from pressure. You don’t have just one morning slot to see a major attraction — you have a whole week in the city and can choose when to go, including early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid, the heat, the crowds, or the cruise ship madness.

To take advantage of this, be flexible — adapt every day. If you don’t feel well, stay home and get some extra sleep. Make plans for a rainy day — e.g. a museum or another indoor activity.

When the weather is perfect — do the weather-dependent things.

For example, we waited for a cloudless day to go up to see a caldera lake — when it’s overcast, there is nothing to see.

On another scorching day, we waited until after dark to go to the hot springs. Not only the hot bath is more welcome when the sun is no longer beating from the top, but the night lights made the place magical!

To be flexible, you must do proper research on the place and have the alternatives listed or pinned so that you have several activities to choose from.

4. Leave room in your schedule

The longer the trip, the more chances, statistically, that things will go sideways. Leave plenty of room in your schedule to think and not panic when you need to change your plans.

Come to think of it, on a longer trip you need room to think regardless of how smooth or bumpy it is.

You need it to feel sane and remember that you are living your life — just in a different location for the time being. Give yourself time to digest the new information, consider the next day, and give your head a break from constant planning and organizing.

On top of that, have room for the unexpected. For example, if you planned to stay in one place for five days, plan the most important activities for two-three days. Leave the rest open in case you start to run behind the schedule, want to spend longer somewhere, or if you get a stormy day.

If you do this from the start, you will worry much less about “what ifs”.

5. Create a comfortable home base

Slow travel involves spending more time at your home base. Sightseeing all day is quite exhausting when you only have five days, and impossible for four weeks in a row. Depending on your appetite and energy, you can choose how and when to rest:

• Be active and have a rest on alternative days.
• Have an active morning, come home to have lunch and siesta, then head out in the evening — for a swim, a hike, or a stroll.
• Plan a three-day stay in a more remote location for hiking or climbing, followed by three days relaxing near a beach in more comfort.
• Rent a place for a week or more if you need to squeeze in a couple of days of work and do fun stuff on other days. Don’t check into new places or do a lot of driving for the days you have to work — settle first so that you can focus.

Your home base needs to be spacious and comfortable enough so that you can put away your things, cook, have dinner, sit around, and generally don’t feel so cramped that you are compelled to go out.

Have some fun things to do when at home — be it books, games, movies, knitting or painting. Nothing bulky as you want to pack light — but have a few items that will help you structure the time and relax.

Having an outdoor place — a yard, a balcony, or a park nearby — will help you enjoy the stay-home time even more.

You must be able to relax and rest, especially when travelling with children — otherwise, you will not survive so long away from the comforts of your home.

6. Learn about the place

Slow travel is about experiencing life as it is in each place. Try to live like a local — shop, cook, walk, take transit, and enjoy local attractions and seasonal activities.

You will be better at it if you know more about the local culture and language. You will also feel a little less foreign:

• Read about the country itself and about the towns you will be staying in.
• Learn a few words and phrases.
• Research the customs — dress code, opening hours, is there a siesta or days when everything is closed.
• Research the local transportation and tourist safety.
• Study what fruits and vegetables are produced locally and will be in season.
• Read about local dishes so that you don’t feel as lost and don’t miss tasty specialties if the menu is not in English.

And don’t be afraid to ask your hosts if you are renting a vacation property — usually, they are happy to provide more information about the locale.

7. Dedication

You must be dedicated to the idea of slow travel to go ahead with the good and the bad of it.

There will be many ways to save money (and I will cover it separately), but it will still cost you — make sure you are prepared for the expense, and then don’t obsess about it.

Once you jump in and book your flights, you will have to go through with the rest: research, plan, make arrangements, research some more, make notes, create maps, save pins, and then research again — a healthy dose of dedication required.

You must be ready for surprises.

You must commit to the limited supply of clothes you can bring. You will have to make do with them and do laundry a couple of times (more research!)

You must be ready to live in close quarters with your traveling partners or family for a while and forgive their travel quirks.

You must be dedicated to your belief that it will be worth it in the end, even when setbacks happen, or your plans fly out of the window.

With that, you are ready to go — or rather, to start planning!

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