Stay, eat, and buy local. Forgo the international chains and book your stay in a locally owned hotel or B&B or an Airbnb Tap into the knowledge of guides and drivers with deep roots in the community.

 Stay, eat, and buy local. Forgo the international chains and book your stay in a locally owned hotel or B&B or an Airbnb Tap into the knowledge of guides and drivers with deep roots in the community.

 Sample regional delicacies in a restaurant where you’re the only foreigner in sight. Cherish the skill of the indigenous weaver who crafted the embroidered poncho you just purchased. Insider tip: Look into the possibility of house sitting for a local family. In exchange for keeping an eye on their home and probably caring for a pet, you’ll have free accommodations and maybe even the use of a vehicle.

Don’t overschedule. Forget about bouncing from attraction to attraction snapping photos all day every day in a greatest-hits frenzy. With slow travel you purposely leave gaps in your itinerary to be spontaneous, perhaps by planning one activity and leaving the rest of the day to freely explore. Or by resisting the urge to “stay on schedule” and leaving an entire day open.

Don’t miss: This 82-year-old woman ended up traveling alone in France for 3 weeks, and it turned out pretty great

Why to consider slow travel

Richer experiences. Have you ever found yourself looking at travel photos trying to figure out where the heck you were? Or what you are even looking at? And you’ve only been home a week?

Savoring each day. Having stories to tell for years to come about a meal shared in a local’s home. Remembering the taste of the fresh artisanal goat cheese you bought at a small farm. Returning home energized instead of exhausted. That’s slow travel.