Slow travel with kids is an approach that values authentic experiences and time spent in a destination over a list of tourist attractions. When we stopped trying to see everything with our kids and learned the real value of being in a new place, our explorations got a lot richer. Here’s why.
I used to be a person who tried to cram in as much as possible on vacation. A full check list, itemized by day, with little-to-no wiggle room with what would get left off. It was all happening.
We would hit a city or a new place and I’d start checking off that list until it was all done, tied to the idea that you needed to see everything if you really wanted to say you had been to that place.
And then I had kids.
Kids change a lot, including your capacity to go full speed and pretend like you’re not dragging through the end of the day. But for me, the one thing my kids do that has changed me the most is that they don’t desire to rush on to the next activity.
If they like the thing they’re doing, they want to stay in that moment, enjoying the present and what’s in front of them. They embrace it instead of being worried about what’s next on the list, shortchanging themselves in the process.
My kids have taught me that slowing down, lingering, and not always seeking out those tourist check box items is the clear way to make the most out of travel.
And I love that. I love what I have learned through them. Sometimes the best part of a new place is the soaking in that you do when you just decide to stay in the moment for a little longer. That might mean you have to leave something on the table.
The slow travel approach
Now, let me be honest. I am still a person that wants to make the most of a trip or a limited amount of time in a place. No sleeping in super late or spending a lot of time watching TV or whatever else.
I want to make the most of the day. But I guess the thing that has changed for me is what counts as “making the most.”
Slow travel doesn’t mean doing nothing.
So what does slow travel mean?
Slow travel means not creating an endless list of tourist experiences, tours or events that create an ongoing pace when visiting a place.
It’s choosing the experience of being somewhere over a list of attractions. We take in the natural environment, stopping to throw rocks in the river. We take long walks in the city, stopping at local parks or coffee shops that look interesting.
It’s choosing the bike ride through the park with the kids, even if it takes longer than you were thinking and you have to make a million stops. It’s letting that simple, laid back adventure be just as important as any other part of the trip.
We embrace a more authentic experience in a destination, living a more normal version of life in a different place as opposed to going from line to line to hit the Trip Advisor top 10 things to see.
Let’s use a real life example of this approach.
I’ve been to London a few times now and it’s a city I love. It’s also struggling a lot right now with overtourism. There are crowds everywhere and there are a million tourist attractions from the Tower of London to Houses of Parliament to the London Eye.
My first few times there, I tried to build in as many of those experiences as possible. It’s an approach that piles up the expenses, constricts your time, and forces you to stand in a lot of lines.
Our last time in the city (for a 10-year-old birthday trip), we opted for a different approach. A morning playing in Hyde Park, a visit to the local farmer’s market for our evening meal, afternoon tea and then a long evening stroll along the River Thames, crossing the iconic bridges as they lit up, spotting Big Ben and St. Paul’s in the distance, but not feeling like we needed to purchase tour tickets to each attraction.
The highlight? Climbing down on the banks of the river to explore and throw rocks in the water with a dreamy view of London at night. Something that wouldn’t happen if we were stuck in a line to get on the London Eye.
It might feel like a minor shift in approach, but it makes a world of difference.
What slow travel doesn’t mean
Slow travel does NOT mean that you can’t see any of those tourist spots that you had in mind. Of course you can. It just means that you buffer the tourist experience with more natural experiences along the way.
Slow travel doesn’t mean that you have to go in with no plan and just go along with whatever happens. I mean, you should do that if it’s what you enjoy. I like to have a loose plan, with one or two objectives (like visiting a specific park, or going to a specific museum) that can then change as needed.
You don’t have to totally freestyle, but you don’t have to be over scheduled either.
Tips for Slow Travel
Prioritize your top choices
If you’re going to Paris, you want to see the Eiffel Tower. But maybe you’re cool with bringing a picnic to the park, watching it light up in the evening from down below and letting your kids run around while you people watch as opposed to standing in line to get inside of the tower. Maybe that’s important to you, and if so, great. Make it happen! But maybe make it happen after an afternoon of slowly strolling the Seine or your local neighborhood instead of busting it through the Louvre before hauling across town to make the Eiffel Tower ticket time.
Here’s the key: not every tourist experience is worth the cost or the time you’ll spend on it. Sometimes, it’s enough to be in the city, see the Eiffel Tower in the sky, and know you’re in Paris.
Leave room for down time
Give yourself an early evening or two that isn’t spent out “doing things,” but that allows you time at your lodging or somewhere nearby it to just be. Wander the neighborhood, play in the back garden, have a family game or movie night, watch the sunset from your patio with a glass of wine. Whatever it means for you to unwind a bit, and however you can do it in that place.
Instead of booking a tour at the winery after a full day on the go, grab a bottle and drink it on the river bank while the kids are in their element.
That simple shift in experience is so valuable, and it’s probably what you’ll remember the most fondly.
Choose a rental home
We are huge fans of renting a vacation home when we travel with kids. It makes such a difference in achieving that vibe that we’re looking – trying on a new home away from home, exploring, and genuinely connecting with life in that place.
Highly recommend looking for a VRBO in your next destination. You can truly find some incredible experiences just in the place you choose to stay, making the time you spend at your place just as special as those tourist spots.
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Stay longer in one place
Rushed travel can short circuit your experience of a place. Staying one or two nights creates a lot of time spent packing up and moving, preventing those moments of lingering. You simply don’t have time to explore in a way that lets you get to know a place.
Sometimes these short stays are a necessity of travel, but when possible, choose intentional time in a place over as many places a possible. Less really can mean more.
Turn to nature
There’s no better teacher of authenticity than nature. Look for ways to get into the natural world with your kids wherever you are, even in cities.
Nature somehow forces you to slow down and really soak in where you are. I think it’s one of the most valuable experiences you can have anywhere.
Make your peace with leaving things on the table
Learn to value the depth of your experience over the number of attractions you saw. You may not be able to say that you went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, but maybe that’s ok because you really got to connect with Paris via the everyday life of the city.
One last win in slow travel
Yes, slow travel can be a huge benefit for the kids, allowing them a slower pace to which to learn and enjoy your explorations.
But it’s also amazing for YOU. Less time herding people from place to place, checking your reservations and google maps to stay on top of timing. Less rush. Less stress. Isn’t that what we want on vacation, even when we’re traveling to a new destination?
Here’s hoping we can all learn a little something from our kids the next time we travel – we don’t need to see everything in order to enjoy time together in a new place. Let’s just love where we’re at.
For more on our approach to travel…
Why You Shouldn’t Avoid Historic Sites with Kids
