What is a Slowmad? Guide to Slowmad Travel
At their core, a slowmad is someone who’s not in any kind of rush, and who makes time for everything they want to see, do, or accomplish while traveling.
As more and more people have shifted to remote work and prioritized travel right now (rather than later in life), the slowmad lifestyle has been gaining a lot of momentum. Keep reading to dive into the who, what, where, and why of slowmad travel in 2024.
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What is a slowmad?
As you might’ve already guessed, the term ‘slowmad’ is a blend of slow and nomad. Meaning, a slowmad is someone who travels slowly — spending anywhere from 2 to 6 months in the same place. That said, some slowmads might even spend a whole year with the same home base.
This relaxed pace allows slowmads to get to know an area on a deeper level, and really experience the community and culture there before moving on to the next destination.
Becoming a slowmad is a great option for people who’ve already adopted a digital nomad lifestyle (AKA working remotely and traveling at the same time). While a lot of digital nomads move from one country to the next within a matter of weeks, transitioning to slowmad mode could simply mean changing locations every few months.
Benefits of slow travel
Slow travel has tons of benefits for you to enjoy — from getting to drop the tourist title, to ditching unnecessary stress, and even giving you time to carve out routines.
You get to drop the tourist title
When you only stay somewhere for a matter of weeks, it’s hard to get the full flavor of that place. On shorter trips, there’s a tendency to visit major landmarks, sample the cuisine, and then pack up/head out for the next spot on the map. Essentially, you’re just scratching the surface on what that particular city has to offer or teach you.
By contrast, when you stick around for a few months at a time, you can really dig in and explore places off the beaten path. Not only that, but you have more time to learn the language, take a cooking class, try out a new activity, or even engage in some volunteer work.
There’s no way you'd have the bandwidth to do all that within a week or two — especially if you’re working on the weekdays (and can only break away on the weekends).
You can ditch unnecessary stress
Let’s face it: traveling can get pretty hectic. Regardless if you’re traveling alone, with a partner, or with your friends or family, there’s always a lot of logistics to work out for your travel plans.
Not to mention, making plans becomes even more complicated when you’re changing locations every few weeks (and/or trying to juggle work and deadlines at the very same time).
Sometimes, the stars align and everything flows smoothly for arranging your flights and accommodations. But other times, it feels like Murphy’s law — when none of your plans are coming together and everywhere you want to go is either already booked or wildly expensive.
The best way to take the headache and hassle out of this situation is by slowing things down a bit. When you’re a slowmad, you’ll find that you’re a lot less stressed since you can properly plan and organize your next steps without feeling rushed to do so. You can also make plans further in advance, so hopefully there’s more availability wherever you want to stay.
You have time to build routines
As dreamy as country-hopping and working from anywhere sounds, it can turn sour in a hurry if you’re not taking care of yourself along the way. That’s because nonstop travel doesn’t just add wear and tear to your luggage — it can also trigger burnout, if you’re not careful.
When you’re visiting 2+ countries in the span of a month, it can be tough to build routines that help you achieve work/life balance and that support your physical and mental wellbeing.
But when you opt to slow down, you can better organize your days and figure out rhythms and routines that’ll benefit your whole experience.
For example, slow travel allows you to carve out time for self-care practices like morning meditation, writing in a gratitude journal, or cooking a nutritious homemade meal. You also have more chances to move your body by joining a local gym, dropping into some yoga classes, or finding a walking trail you can take on a daily basis.
The best part? You can do all these things without feeling like they’re taking away from your time to explore or complete your work (since you have several months to get it all done).
You can deepen your friendships
One of the greatest gifts of traveling is the opportunity to meet new people. Wherever you go, you’ll be interacting with people who have different insight and lived experience than your own, which gives you an amazing chance to learn from their perspective.
Better yet, when you stay put in one place, it becomes easier to form friendships and deepen those relationships. Slow travel allows you to build meaningful connections since you’re not constantly hopping from place to place with little more than a hello and goodbye in between.
While a slowmad lifestyle isn’t completely rooted, it’s still a semi-permanent way to travel — and one that opens up for authentic conversation beyond the polite ‘get to know you’ questions.
When your connections have space to bloom, it’s possible you’ll develop long-term friendships with folks you want to see again down the road/somewhere in the world.
It’s easier on your budget
Full-time travel can get expensive, for sure — but constantly moving from one city to the next is even worse for your wallet. Frequent flights can amount to big bills, but so do short-term accommodations and eating out for every meal.
The good news is, slow travel is a lot easier on your budget. When you stay somewhere for a few months, you’ll have fewer flights (or trains) to pay for, and you can take advantage of discounts on long-term stays at Airbnbs or coliving spaces.
You’ll also have consistent access to a kitchen, so you can cook at least some of your meals yourself instead of spending money at restaurants all the time.
The cherry on top? You can use all the money you save to travel for longer stretches of time, or even visit a more expensive place you wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise.
It’s better for the planet
On top of being so bad for your budget, flying every week or two is pretty bad for our planet, too. Recent studies show that “one long flight releases the equivalent of ~14% of the annual emissions from your car.” Wild, right?
While we’re not encouraging you to stop flying altogether, we are suggesting that slow travel is better for the environment (by reducing your personal carbon footprint). That impact might feel small, but it’s definitely an important part of protecting the planet in the long-run.
What’s more, sticking around in the same place means you can travel locally using buses, trains, ferries, or a rideshare service. These *alternative* forms of transportation are much less harmful for the environment, and they can be a really fun way to take in the view, as well.
Best countries for slowmads
Pretty much anywhere in the world can be a slowmad destination if you decide to stay for multiple months at a time. Still, some countries are better suited for long-term stays than others.
Here’s 5 of the best slowmad stops for 2024:
Mexico: Mexico has so many great places for nomads to post up, from Mexico City, to Oaxaca, to the sandy beaches of Puerto Escondido. A lot of passports (like those from the US, Canada, and the EU) can stay in Mexico up to 180 days, visa free.
Indonesia: Indonesia (and Bali specifically) has been a nomad fave for years, thanks to its lush jungles, cute cafes, and general affordability. There are visas you can apply for to stay in Bali up to 6 months at a time, with the option to extend even longer.
Thailand: Thailand is another nomad hub in Asia, with its dreamy beaches, incredible street food, and affordable cost of living. Most travelers can stay for 30 days without a visa, but you can also apply for a 90-day visa (with two 90-day extensions.)
Costa Rica: Costa Rica is beloved for its tropical vibes and ‘pura vida’ lifestyle. This Central American beauty is an income tax free zone, and allows most travelers to stay 90 days visa exempt (though you can also apply for a 1-year digital nomad visa).
Georgia: No, not Georgia in the southern US — we’re talking about Georgia on the coast of the Black Sea. This country is one of the least expensive places for nomads in all of Europe, and US citizens can stay for up to a full year without a special visa.
*While there’s a lot more countries we could add to this list, those 5 are great places to live and work for new nomads and veteran travelers alike.
Things to consider before becoming a slowmad
As great as slow travel is, there’s a few things you need to think about before you start traveling long-term — AKA visa requirements, your work setup, and available banking options.
Visa requirements
In the previous section, we mentioned a few of the visa requirements for places like Mexico and Thailand. The reality is, visa restrictions are a big consideration whenever you’re traveling internationally, but especially if you’re planning to stay somewhere for a longer period of time.
A tourist visa is typically all you need for a 30-day visit — and in some countries, it’ll even let you stay as long as 90 or 180 days. However, if you want to be somewhere longer than 3 to 6 months, you’ll need to look into the specific visa options for that country.
These days, a lot of countries have their own digital nomad visa that allows you to live and work remotely for a full year (or multiple years, at that). Then there’s also work visas, where you earn your salary in the foreign country you’re visiting.
No matter what type of visa you go with, just make sure you understand exactly the length of time you’re allowed to stay so you don’t run into any issues later on.
Remote work setup
If you’re traveling out of the country on a tourist visa or digital nomad visa, keep in mind that your salary can’t come from the place you’re visiting. Meaning, you’re not allowed to conduct business or have earnings from within that foreign country. That’s only possible when you’ve applied and been approved for a work visa (mentioned above).
All that to say, it’s best to sort out your work situation before your slowmad journey begins. After all, you’ll need money to fund your travels and support your nomadic lifestyle.
Aside from working as a freelancer, you can also look for a full-time remote job (i.e. one that doesn’t require you to be in an office). Some of the best remote gigs can be found in industries like tech, healthcare, human resources, and customer service.
Banking options
As you’re living your best slowmad life, you’ll need a good way to withdraw or exchange currency. When you’re traveling for an extended period of time, it’s usually easiest to withdraw/exchange once you arrive at your destination — since it’s nearly impossible to estimate how much money you’ll need ahead of time.
One of the best things you can do is make sure you have a card that allows you to take out cash at an ATM overseas. In addition, you can look at prepaid cards or specialty debit/credit cards that are designed to make your life abroad smooth sailing. While Monzo and Wise are some of the most popular specialty cards for travelers, there are plenty of other options, too.
Note that prepaid cards make a great backup (or means for budgeting), whereas specialty cards make it a lot easier to move money around (or retrieve it from an ATM).
Lodging and accommodations
It’s usually not too difficult to find accommodations for a week or two, but it can get harder to arrange housing for several months at a time. The trick is to do some advanced planning so you can secure a space for the full length of your stay (and before the place you want gets snatched up by another nomad with the same idea).
While this definitely requires some foresight, you still have plenty of options when it comes to lodging — long-term Airbnbs, coliving spaces, and even apartment units you can lease out.
Just remember if you’re renting or leasing your own apartment, you’ll want one that comes fully furnished (AKA has all the furniture and appliances you might need). That way, you’re set up for success, and you don’t waste money on homewares you’ll only need temporarily.
Bonus points if your accommodation is near conveniences like a grocery store, pharmacy, train line, or some cute cafes/coffee shops where you can do a little work.
Slowmad travel FAQs
Learn more about slowmad travel with the help of our FAQ section.
What’s the difference between a slowmad and a digital nomad?
The term slowmad describes someone who travels slowly (spending anywhere from 2 to 6 months in the same place), whereas a digital nomad is someone who works remotely and travels at the same time. While it’s possible to be both a slowmad and a digital nomad, not all slowmads work remotely and not all digital nomads travel slowly.
Can you be a slowmad in the U.S.?
Yes, you can be a slowmad in the U.S. The foundation for a slowmad lifestyle is traveling at a slow pace and giving yourself time to discover an area on a deeper level — that is, you fully experience the culture of that place before moving on to the next destination. With that said, you can easily travel as a slowmad throughout the United States.
What do slowmads do for work?
A lot of people who follow a slowmad lifestyle work as digital nomads, meaning they sustain an income even while they’re away from home. These days, some of the best options for working remotely are in industries like tech, healthcare, human resources, and customer service.