How to slow travel on a short trip as a solo female traveller (part 1)

The way women travel is changing, they are becoming more intentional and focusing on immersion rather than visiting every single attraction or having a long list of must-see things in a destination. While prioritising slow travel may seem more of a long-journey thing, it is very doable in short trips too. In fact, focusing on slow travel can help eliminate so much of the travel stress, guilt and anxiety that can especially sabotage your trip as a solo female traveller on short trips. Slow travel matters even when you only go away for a couple of days. It allows you to actually relax and reset in a short amount of time and feel refreshed when returning home. So, today I am sharing my top tips on how to stay more grounded and avoid sensory overload that would leave you needing a holiday after a holiday.

Believe it or not, I only visited the Louvre during my 3rd visit to the French capital, that's because I learnt to slow down and leave something left to do for when I return

Before we start, make sure to grab my free Travel Wellness Routine Builder — a helpful resource for staying centred when solo travel gets overwhelming. It includes grounding rituals, emotional check-ins, and simple routines to help you feel more at ease wherever you go. This can be especially useful on short trips!

Download it here

What is slow travel?

Before I share my tips let's actually clarify what slow travel is. It's about permission to allow yourself to experience a location at your own place. It's about allowing yourself to focus on one thing and doing it right, rather than trying to explore a whole area. It's about having to make less decisions and a simplified itinerary to so that your nervous system can slow down and you can create a more genuine connection with your chosen destination. It's a little bit like romanticising the small moments that you can find in exploring a new destination, like drinking coffee as people pass by or reading a book in a local park. It's about doing less, but with intention.

So, how do you implement this mindset on short journeys?

1. Set intentions

In order to prepare for a short trip, you will have to start with setting your own pace. You have to set your intentions before you leave: how do you want to feel on this trip and after your returned, what is it that you really want to see (eg non-negotiables) and what's not that important. This is the step where you eliminate pressure to visit everything they recommend online or your friend told you about. You don't owe anyone an explanation why you didn't do or visit certain things. Wanting to visit and do all the things in a short trip often leaves people overwhelmed, almost like they can't even enjoy all the things a place have to offer because of the constant stimulation. I used to feel this pressure, but then my frontal lobe developed and I realised, I don't owe anyone an explanation on how I do my travels. One of my favourite manifestation mentors actually called the above phenomenon the 'buffet mentality', you know, where there is free food people eat even when they are not even hungry feeling like they must because the food is there. The same applies to travelling, just because there are things to do and see, it does not mean you have to do all of them. If you are naturally likely to tie your self-worth to your productivity levels, this may be the most challenging part of slow travelling. But I think the new environment and knowing that no-one knows you here may help you eliminate the pressure to maximise your trip. This is your reminder that no-one there knows you or will judge you for how you structure your days. The only person you owe an explanation is yourself. So the question is, will you give yourself permission to slow down and do things your own way?

Exploring the outskirts of Lisbon

2. Choose one area

This especially applies if you are visiting big cities or areas where there are many things to do even for days. The way you can really be intentional with your travels is if you focus on one area of a city or location, and commit to really exploring it. This is likely to make your trip more slow travel friendly because you will be more likely to be able to walk everywhere (so no need to navigate crazy metro systems or bus schedules) and you will feel more like a local.

3. Ask yourself: what would locals do?

One of the best ways to really slow down and connect with a destination is by asking the above question because locals aren't likely to run around trying to tick off locations from travel lists, they are likely to sit in a local cafe or restaurant catching up with friends, or take long walks in the park or on the shopping street, attending appointments like getting their nails done (one of my favourite things to do to feel more like a local). Of course, the destination will be new, so you will look at it with a fresh pair of eyes, but it always helps me to slow down when I add one thing per day to my activities that local people would do too. This is also a top tip if you are looking for the best food in the area, where locals go (even if it is not the prettiest or trendiest of places), is likely to be good!

4. Pair one energy-rich activity with a sensory reset per day

Instead of trying to do it all at once, pick one thing that will likely to require most of your energy for the day, for example visiting a museum or a busy market can feel overwhelming, especially if they are filled with others. Pick one of these per day, so that you can do these activities at a slower pace, without feeling rushed. Then, add an activity that will likely to bring you calm, like visiting a famous cafe, restaurant, botanical garden or lake. Pick something that is not likely to require much of your energy, but will give you a lot in return.

5. Pick your daily pillars

Mine are my morning and evening routines (and sharing these rituals and more mindfulness tips in my freebie here). I find these so important to have, even if they are only a 5 minute version of my regular morning and evening routine. The mornings always start with setting intentions, gentle movement and a slow breakfast, and the evenings are there for me to decompress and practise gratitude for all the amazing things I did and saw in that day. What your daily rituals look like may differ (this is what my freebie helps you with), but they are a great way to stay grounded no matter where you are in the world. These also help to set the tone for the day and allow you to still pick one crazy adventure for the day, without feeling a mental and physical overload.

What would locals do?

I hope you found these tips on how to be more mindful and adapt more of a slow travel style when travelling solo helpful. If you are looking for ways to implement them make sure you check out part 2, which contains sample 24, 48 and 72-hour gentle itineraries you can copy for your next trip!