The World's Best Slow Travel Routes

ver feel like you’re racing through your holiday rather than savouring it? There’s a growing movement that’s flipping travel on its head: slow travel. Instead of ticking boxes, it invites us to dwell longer, explore deeper and move slower. In this guide you’ll discover seven standout routes around the globe that are built for lingering — and you’ll get practical tips to plan your own meaningful journey.

What Is Slow Travel?

Slow travel is the art of staying longer in fewer places, embracing depth over breadth. It’s about connection, immersion and choosing the journey as much as the destination. Rather than hopping from capital to capital, slow travellers settle into a region, use local transport, absorb the rhythm of life, and travel with intention. It’s more sustainable, more rewarding, and increasingly relevant.

Why Choose a Route That Lets You Linger

Going slow isn’t just a fashion; it’s the travel equivalent of quality over quantity. You’ll remember the conversation with the café owner more than the selfie at the landmark. Plus, slower transport and fewer relocations reduce your environmental footprint. Whether you’re craving culture, nature, or simply time to breathe, a well-chosen slow travel route lets you savour place, not just see it.

7 Slow Travel Routes Around the World

• Scotland’s West Highland Line: Catch a train from Glasgow through the Highland wilds to Mallaig. The scenery is sublime, the pace unhurried, and the experience built for lingering.
• North Coast 500, Scotland: A 516-mile coastal loop around the north of Scotland. You can take your time, stop in small villages, dip into the sea, breathe in fresh air.
• South Korea's S-Train: Hop aboard the “slow sightseeing” train that winds along the coast of South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang provinces. Tea-fields, seas, local towns — no rush.
• Tuscany/Umbria Countryside, Italy: Pick a base in Tuscany or Umbria. Stay in an agriturismo, rent a bike or walk between villages, visit artisan workshops, cook local food.
• Island-Hopping by Ferry: Choose an archipelago and rely on ferry/boat movement rather than flying. Stay multiple nights on each island.
• Australia’s Outback Train: The Ghan: A true slow journey: from Darwin to Adelaide over several days aboard a sleeper train. The pace and setting demand slowing down.
• Local Cultural Route: Pick an emerging region, stay longer, support local experiences, avoid the crowds.

How to Plan Your Own Slow Travel Route

• Choose your mode of transport: rail, boat, road, bike — aim for slower.
• Pick fewer destinations; stay 3–7+ nights in each place.
• Accommodation: boutique, locally-run, homestay rather than switching hotels each night.
• Pack light, bring a journal, prepare for flexibility.
• Travel sustainably: use public transport, respect local culture, stay longer to reduce churn.

Why Slow Travel Works for You & the Planet

It’s not just feel-good. Staying longer gives you time to notice the little things: the way laundry hangs in the sun, the rhythm of a small town. It’s also more sustainable: fewer relocations, slower transportation means less carbon per experience. And for the places you visit, slower travellers tend to spend more locally, stay longer, and connect deeper — positive for community and culture.

Checklist & Next Steps

• Self-audit: Are you okay with fewer places and deeper stays?
• Choose your region: Which route appeals? What transport mode?
• Plan length: Minimum nights per base?
• Pack: Travel journal, light luggage, good book.