Four on a journey

You never came across these terms before? Not to worry, we were in the same situation about a year ago. Travel for us meant going on our yearly summer vacation usually somewhere inside the UK when the kids were not in school and to visit family in France and Germany. We took our more or less trusty car to get there and our time was limited to our standard UK employee holiday allowances and of course our budget.

We normally stayed between a week and 10 days in a spot, always in a self catering type of space and explored the areas around us while there. We tried to see as much as possible, driven by FOMO and never thought of never coming back: “Next time, we go elsewhere to see something new, explore more”. Naturally, we spoke to some locals, we shopped local but ultimately we weren’t there to make friends.

Our goal was to de-stress from our hectic lives, see something new and charge up our batteries to get back to work once back home. We visited museums, would go for walks, geocaching, tried local take-aways etc. Can’t really say we lived like the locals because in all honesty we had barely a glimpse of insight and to the owners of our holiday homes we were one family of many they see coming and going each year.

What is fast travel?

We are certainly not talking about “fast travel in real life”, aka teleportation.

Fast travel refers to a style of traveling that is characterised by a quick pace and the desire to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. It often involves hopping from one destination to another, ticking off tourist attractions, and maximising the number of experiences within a limited timeframe.

Fast travel is ideal for those who have limited vacation days or who want to see as much as possible in a shorter period. It can be exciting and adventurous, allowing travellers to visit multiple cities or countries and immerse themselves in different cultures.

When talking about a fast pace of travel, we now think of:

• All those city trips we took: Leaving Friday after work, squeezing in a walk and meal before a late bed time despite being super tired from the week. We would be one of the first to have breakfast in order to allow for a full on sightseeing day on Saturday, where we barely have time to stop and eat unless the food itself is worth “investing time in”, another late bedtime and getting up on Sunday, mostly driven by FOMO and wanting to see another museum, getting on another tour before heading back and putting on a wash before bed.
• Anyone we see asking for a 1 to 3-week itinerary to “see Europe”. It is of course not possible to see all of Europe in such a timeframe, but one will be able to see much more than in 1 week and if planned carefully, a lot of impressions, insights and experiences can be had in even short time frames – obviously the reason for the authors asking those questions. Recommendations for such a fast paced travel will depend on how much the travelling family wants to see, do, what interests they have, their means of transport and of course budget considerations.
• In the past, we went on quite some business travels, where reasonable expenses were paid for, but we did not see much of the cities and countries we flew to unless we organised this ourselves – which frankly did not happen much as the other parent was still at home juggling trying to survive kids, work and household without help. Looking back, we can say that business travel is fast travel in it’s worst form to us.
• Fast travel also tends to be associated with around the globe journeys that are done as a whistle stop tour lasting a few weeks to months at most.

What is slow travel?

Slow travel is a concept that emphasises taking your time and immersing yourself in the destinations you visit. It is about embracing a more relaxed pace, allowing yourself to truly experience and connect with a place. Unlike fast travel, which is often rushed and focused on ticking off tourist attractions, slow travel encourages you to savour the local culture, engage with the community, and create meaningful memories.

When you choose slow travel, you have the opportunity to delve deeper into the history, traditions, and way of life of a particular location. You can spend more time exploring the hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path spots that are often overlooked by fast-paced tourists. It’s about wandering the streets, tasting local cuisine, and engaging in conversations with locals, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for the destination.

Slow travel also offers the chance to minimise your environmental impact. By staying longer in one place, you reduce the carbon footprint associated with frequent transportation. You can also support local businesses and artisans, contributing to the sustainability of the community. This type of travel allows you to be more conscious of your choices and make positive contributions to the places you visit.

Moreover, slow travel provides an opportunity for personal growth and self-reflection. It allows you to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and reconnect with yourself and your surroundings. By embracing a slower pace, you can cultivate a sense of mindfulness, finding beauty in the simplest things and appreciating the present moment.

In essence, slow travel is about creating meaningful connections, gaining a deeper understanding of the world, and savoring every moment of the journey. It may not be about checking off a list of attractions or covering a large number of destinations, but it is about enriching your soul and creating lifelong memories. So, if you are seeking a travel experience that goes beyond the surface, slow travel might just be the perfect fit for you.

So which is better? Slow or fast travel?

Sustainability

You probably can tell from my tone of voice above that we are favouriting slow travel in general, we have for the past 15 years- without even being aware of the term. Some of this came down to cost – we simply could not afford to fly around with 3 kids for a 1 week holiday and with one child on the autistic spectrum airports, flights etc were a nightmare anyway. The fact that slow paced travel is more sustainable for the local communities we visited and the environment was a byproduct we welcomed but certainly did not plan for.

Fast travel is often less work to organise – buy a package holiday or simply book a cheap flight and off you go. To the sun, grab some tasty food, take pictures for your instagram (we are guilty of this, too). The effects of mass tourism on the local communities have been known for years but especially since after Covid, those on the receiving end are more sensitive and, quite rightly so, fight back.

Duration of travel

Family holidays are what most people do. 1-3 journeys a year, more likely than not taking place during school holidays/ high season. Amount of leave of the parents and of course the academic year define the length of stay, whereas destination, travel pace & style will largely be defined by budget and the needs of the individual family. Some might spend a very relaxed holiday on a farm not far from their home city while others jet off into an all inclusive holiday in a resort or go on a trip to New Zealand to try all the adventure sports there are including helicopter flights and more. We would have enjoyed several of those options in the past.

More about our motivation behind and reasons for our currently open-ended travel will be covered in another post, but when we started researching into how to best “do this”, reading about how other world schooling, globe trotting families travel, we first came across the term “slow vs fast travel”, in fact it seemed to dominate the discussions and we could not really understand the obsession about it. Now, that we have travelled for several months we came to understand why:

Travelling as a way of life:

Broadly speaking, for many digital nomads, nomadic families and in general long term travellers, the driving factor is a different one than for families going on their one holiday a year. You will rarely hear the “what are the must see, must do activities, I have x amount of days” questions from this group unless a specific country is only providing short term visas (eg Vietnam). With the pressure of time (mostly) taken away, the dominating decision drivers for families akin to ours are: cost of accommodation, opportunities to get involved in the local and/or world schooling community, access to means of transport and shopping. A good internet connection will equally be important as many of us work while we travel – something we did not pay too much attention to during our previous “normal” holidays – in fact it was a welcome change to not read work related emails!

When you travel with children longterm, there is more of a need to make friends while on the go, to have more stability and really taking your surroundings in, maybe even learning bits of a new language. You don’t want to constantly pack and unpack and it is really hard to find time to work if there are so many adventures waiting. Changing locations every few days for months on end is very tiring – we speak out of experience!

Cost

Slow travel is generally more budget-friendly. Instead of hopping from place to place quickly, opt for staying in one destination for a longer period. Look for discounted monthly rentals or apartments with self-catering options. From there, you can explore the nearby areas without the need for expensive flights, taxis, or frequent dining out. However, keep in mind that this may not apply to busy tourist destinations or large cities, as finding affordable long-term accommodation there can be challenging. In such cases, it might be better to spend just a few days or consider exploring other locations instead.

Flexibility

Planning a long-term stay in popular tourist destinations requires careful advance planning: It can be challenging to find accommodations during peak seasons, hence many globe trotters prefer to avoid busy tourist hotspots altogether or travel during shoulder seasons. Booking flights for slow travel also requires either extensive planning or relying on last-minute deals, which can limit flexibility. Similarly, cancelling long-term stays can be complicated and tend to incur cancellation costs more likely than short term stays. Fast-paced travel offers more convenience and flexibility.

Summary

For travelling families, the choice between fast and slow travel depends on their individual preferences and circumstances. Fast travel allows families to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time, making it ideal for those with limited vacation days or who want to see as much as possible. It involves hopping from one destination to another, ticking off tourist attractions, and maximising experiences within a limited timeframe such as annual holidays. However, fast travel can also be exhausting and lack deeper connections and meaningful experiences.

On the other end of the spectrum, slow travel emphasises taking time to immerse in the destinations visited. It encourages families to embrace a relaxed pace, allowing them to truly experience and connect with a place. Slow travel involves delving deeper into the history, traditions, and way of life of a particular location. It provides the opportunity to explore hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path spots that are often overlooked by fast-paced tourists. Slow travel also allows families to minimise their environmental impact, support local businesses, and make positive contributions to the places they visit.

Slow travel is often pursued by long-term travellers, digital nomads, and families like ours, seeking a different way of life which offers us opportunities for connections with local communities but relies on potential language and cultural barriers being overcome.

In terms of cost, slow travel is generally more budget-friendly as it involves longer stays and less frequent transportation. Families can look for discounted monthly rentals or accommodation with self-catering options to save on costs. Fast travel, on the other hand, can be more expensive, especially when it involves frequent flights and dining out.

In summary we can say it is definitely not a black and white kind of thing and the type of travel one indulges in depends on two main factors: passion and privilege.

While it is easy to judge from our current position “What? You want to see Europe in 2 weeks?” we need to remind ourselves, that time constraints are most often not a choice and everyone travels their own way and rather than suggesting to take a longer holiday, we, as a nomadic family, can share our off the beaten path recommendations with others.

If we can help you and other families to have a memorable journey, our goal will be achieved. We aim to provide travel recommendations that are affordable and enjoyable. We hope to inspire families to explore unique destinations and make their trips more meaningful.

What type of traveller are you? Have you ever regretted your choice for a specific destination?