Downshift Your Next Trip

By Sarah Jio
June 21, 2011
Corbis
When we jam-pack our itineraries, we return totally tapped out and unable to remember half of what we saw
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Plan well

Cheyenne Ellis

A vacation should be exhilarating, not exhausting! But when we jam-pack our itineraries, we return totally tapped out and unable to remember half of what we saw—everything between the Eiffel Tower and the Côte d’Azur ends up being a big lovely blur.

"You’ll get so much more out of a trip if you take it slow and experience the culture," explains Robert Reid, U.S. travel editor for Lonely Planet. Make your next vacay less manic and more memorable with these speed-proofing tips.

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Grow some roots

Cheyenne Ellis

Stay in one place, Reid advises. "Not only will you be more rested, but you’ll have more time to settle in and really explore your destination."

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Skip taxis and buses

Christine Balderas/Getty Images

Whether you’re walking along Main Street or pedaling on a bicycle, choose slower modes of transportation. "You’ll experience things that you’d never see otherwise," Reid says—the smell of fresh baguettes, the sound of a street musician.

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Pick up a pen

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"With digital cameras, we spend more time overly documenting places instead of experiencing them," Reid says. Instead, stop, sit down, and write about the vista—what it looks like and how it makes you feel. You’ll notice more of the details.

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