Fast Travel vs. Slow Travel

Remember those quizzes we all loved to take when magazines were our primary source of entertainment? Which boy band member will you marry? What fall hairstyle should you try?

I wish I could make you a quiz so you could discover whether you’re the fast travel type or the slow travel type. I’ve done both and loved both, but some people enjoy one type and can’t stand the other.

We find ourselves in an era where traveling is more accessible than ever, there are endless resources on travel, and more people have jobs where they can work from anywhere. Like many things these days, it can feel like information overload. So which is right for you? You’ll have to consider factors like whether you need to prioritize rest, whether you prefer relaxing or seeing as much as possible, and your budget. Hopefully, with my tips, you can figure out which type suits you – even without the fun magazine quiz!

Fast Travel

Fast travel means you are moving around as quickly as possible to maximize the number of things you can check off your list. An example is the weekend we spent in Paris – we jetted from place to place and were tired by the end, but we had an incredible experience.

Fast travel will allow you to have a quick experience at many different sites, so if you like to keep moving, fast travel might be for you. An example would be stopping by the Louvre, seeing the Mona Lisa, and leaving to see the Eiffel Tower rather than spending hours wandering through the gallery halls. Fast travel works best if you’re visiting a city with loads of things to do. Places like Paris, New York, LA, London, and so many more have an endless list of things we’d all like to do. You could spend a week in these places going from one thing to the next and still not see everything there is to see!

Fast travel might suit you if you’re a high-energy person who likes to move from one thing to another. This often means you wake up, hit the ground running, and keep it moving until you crash at night. It can even mean waking up in a different city than you left! Fast travel can mean seeing as much as possible in a town or even hopping from country to country to pack in as much as possible.

This sounds great so far – you might wonder if fast travel has any downsides. The truth is, fast travel won’t allow you to experience a city and culture deeply. You’ll be so busy getting from place to place that you won’t have the chance to make friends with locals or share any of those surprises you encounter when you’re going with the flow. Fast travel can also mean you’ll return from your vacation more exhausted than when you started. If you’re taking a break because you need rest, fast travel might not be your best choice.

While this strategy can maximize your vacation days, it can be expensive. Hopping from place to place means you may spend more time on the move, and purchasing admission to attractions certainly adds up. You’ll also often pay more per night for accommodations, and grocery shopping may not be an option – who has time to stop for lunch? Add to that the cost of unexpected events like canceled or delayed flights, upcharges on budget airlines, and eating in restaurants, and you may be looking at quite a high-ticket trip.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for a ton of great photo ops and your bucket list of sites to visit is a mile long, fast travel might be a great way to see the world!

Slow Travel

Slow travel used to be pretty much the only way to spend your vacation. Before travel influencers and travel hacks, visiting a place usually meant you were going to settle in and enjoy it for a while. This is a way that allows you to experience a place truly, get to know the locals, and go at a pace that is more like ‘real life in your destination.

To get a picture of slow travel, imagine sleeping in, enjoying a cup of coffee, and heading out to wander around town before popping into a café for a leisurely coffee break. It might mean becoming a regular at the local lunch spot, befriending a neighbor, or earning an income at a local vineyard.

It is attractive for digital nomads, providing plenty of time to get work done and still experience the place you’ve landed for the time being. After all, digital nomads need to ensure consistent internet access, find blocks of time for getting work done and be accessible to clients or colleagues. Worrying that you are missing your chance to see your surroundings as a digital nomad can be a real downer, so slow travel allows you to get your work done stress-free and still experience everything your destination offers.

Another considerable benefit is the lack of stress. While fast travel might have you triple-checking itineraries, trying to make it from one reservation to another, and worrying about the impact of a missed flight, slow travel removes those factors. If your primary goal in traveling is to catch up on rest, slow travel will give you that opportunity. Sleeping in isn’t an option when you’re trying to pack in as much as possible, but when you’ve got a week or more to see a place, you’ll have time to rest, people-watch, and stroll aimlessly.

If you value a flexible schedule, slow travel will make it easier to change your day-to-day plans than fast travel. One of the most beautiful things about travel is when something unexpected happens that leads you down a path you would never have planned for yourself. Slow travel allows those ‘magical moments’ to happen without stressing that you’re missing something on your to-do list.

Slow travel is the vibe we were going for on our 7-day visit to Portimão, Portugal. We spent a week visiting all the beaches we wanted to visit, eating incredible food at several different restaurants, and dancing the night away at local clubs more than once. Spending a whole week there allowed us to experience the nightlife at some points and the morning scene a few times. That’s the benefit of slow travel!

Slow travel also has the benefit of being more budget-friendly than fast travel. Often accommodations will be cheaper per night if you’re staying longer, and finding a place to stay with a kitchen can cut your expenses even more. Staying longer allows you to buy (and use) groceries, drastically reducing your dining budget.

So what are the downsides of slow travel? If you’re a person that gets bored quickly, this method is not for you! Even in a big city, if you move at a fast pace when you travel, you might feel like you’ve done everything quickly. Another factor to consider is that slow travel requires a lot more time than fast travel, which can work against you if you’re traveling on vacation days from work.

So which type of travel sounds more like your style? Is it the action-packed, fast travel or the relaxing slow travel experience? it’s essential for you to know yourself and what you like! Nobody else is paying for you on this trip, so their opinions don’t matter. Whether you come back with 500 selfies in front of every monument in Europe or get a picture with the lady at the corner market, your experience is all yours, and you should make sure it’s what you like. Don’t worry about impressing people – enjoy seeing what the world offers!