Samantha Brown's writing, social media posts, and "Places to Love" travel show have given travelers some of the best travel tips out there. She's taught us packing tricks, destination ideas, and ways to let ourselves experience the world beyond what we're used to. She also keeps up with travel trends and recently spoke to Parade about one of the big ones for summer: slow travel. This is a trend that invites people to slow down and experience the feel of a place. The idea is to pick a location and stay
there, taking your time and relaxing, instead of rushing around from tourist site to tourist site. However, it's more than that. Slow travel is also about cultural immersion and learning about the way people live in other parts of the country or the world. Instead of hopping on a train every evening to get to the next experience, and packing in landmarks for your Instagram or TikTok feed, you pick a spot like Florence, Italy, and linger there, choosing activities such as local cooking lessons, art classes, or even a perfume-making masterclass.
This is the sort of trip where you don't end up saying, "I need a vacation from my vacation." It's easy to slip into the habit of making your trip a simple check mark on your bucket list, rather than learning what it's like to actually live there. To slow down, try foods you've never heard of from a street market, or perhaps a homestay is the way to go for you, where you stay with a local rather than in a hotel. To really distance yourself from the hustle and bustle, consider a farm stay in Italy, which is famous for them.
Read more: Secret US Beach Towns That Rival The Caribbean
How To Take Advantage Of The Slow Travel Trend
Most travelers have a list of hotspots, and, along with thousands of other tourists, see those attractions, hit the gift shop, and head to the next stop. It's easy to fall into that pattern. However, there are ways to slow down and take it all in more thoughtfully. First, you can splurge on a local guide early in your trip. From their insights, you can get a sense of what to see that is off the beaten path, gain ideas for where locals dine, and maybe make a new friend. Consider tailoring the tour to your favorite things to do, such as joining a Go Running tour, where you take a morning run in, say, Athens, with a local guide who takes you around an area. You can meet new people there and grab a meal together after. Another great way to enjoy the ambience of a place is to do a food tour in the city you choose, which might inspire you to take a cooking class. Or, try a month-long stay somewhere while taking a language immersion class.
Slow travel isn't just about leaving the country. There is so much variety in the United States as well. You could take a trip to Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California. It's a small island with only two towns, so you can't really jet set around. Instead, you can take a semi-submarine tour to see the local sea life, and simply wander the few streets of the main town of Avalon at night, enjoying fresh seafood for your meals. It's not about where you go -- it's about letting yourself melt into the rhythm, the feel, and the experience of the place.
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