B2 reading: The case for slow travel

For many people, a holiday means seeing as much as possible in the time available: three countries in ten days, a different hotel every night, and a camera full of famous sights. Slow travel is a deliberate rejection of this approach. Its followers choose to spend longer in fewer places, travel overland where they can, and get to know a place rather than simply visit it.

The idea grew partly out of the slow food movement, which began in Italy in the 1980s as a protest against fast food and the loss of local food traditions. Slow travel applies a similar philosophy to tourism. Instead of rushing from one attraction to the next, a slow traveller might rent a flat in a village for two weeks, shop at the local market, learn a few phrases of the language and take day trips by bus or bicycle.

Supporters say this way of travelling has several advantages. It is often less stressful, because there is less packing, less checking in and out and fewer early-morning departures. It can also be cheaper: a weekly rental usually costs less per night than a hotel, and cooking some meals yourself saves money. Perhaps most importantly, staying in one place gives you the chance to notice details that hurried visitors miss: the café where the same old men play cards every afternoon, the festival that is not in any guidebook, the shortcut that only locals use.

There is an environmental argument too. Flying is responsible for a large part of the carbon footprint of a typical holiday, so travelling by train or bus, and taking fewer trips, reduces that impact. Slow travellers also tend to spend more of their money in small local businesses rather than in international hotel chains.

Slow travel does have its drawbacks, however. The most obvious is time. Many workers have only a few weeks of holiday a year, and a journey by train that takes two days each way may simply not be possible. Overland travel can also be more expensive than a budget flight, especially when booked late. Families with young children may find long train journeys tiring rather than relaxing.

Supporters respond that slow travel is a mindset rather than a fixed set of rules. You do not need a month off work to travel more slowly. Even on a long weekend, choosing one city instead of two, walking instead of taking taxis, and leaving some time unplanned can change the experience. "The point isn't to see less," says Marta, who has written a blog about slow travel for eight years. "It's to see properly."

In a world where many of us feel constantly busy, the appeal is easy to understand. A holiday that leaves you more relaxed than when you started may be worth more than a long list of places you have technically been to.