Slow Travel with Kids: 10 Real Benefits (and the Trade-offs) From Our Family

Our Slow Travel Story

Twelve years ago, Marty and I set off on a two-year trip around the world. Parts of it were fast. Parts of it were very slow.

We spent nine months working at a lodge at Milford Sound in New Zealand, on a roster of ten days on and four days off. Living somewhere that remote was something we’d never done before, and we loved it. 🏔️

We also stayed 90 days each in Hawaii, Canada and Australia. (Hawaii taught us to count visa days very carefully, a story we share in our guide to staying longer without a digital nomad visa.)

Those long stays taught us something we still live by. When you stay put, you experience the local lifestyle and start noticing what’s around you. When you try to fit too much in, you feel it. Travel fatigue is real.

Now we travel with our sons, Louie (9) and Leo (2). For our family, slow travel isn’t a style choice any more. It’s how we make family life work abroad.

We spent a month in Da Nang. Right now we’re spending 11 days in Ninh Binh, where most visitors only come for a day trip. Next is more than three weeks in Hanoi, then about two and a half months in Chiang Mai. 🌏

This guide covers what slowing down has given us, what it costs (in money and in goodbyes), and how to start if you’re wondering whether it could work for your family.

What Is Slow Travel?

Slow travel means staying in one place long enough to live there, not just visit. For families, that usually means weeks or months in one base, instead of a new town every few days.

There’s no official minimum. Our stays run from under two weeks to about three months, depending on the place, the weather and our visas.

In practice, slow family travel usually looks like this:

• A rental with a kitchen and a washing machine, rather than a hotel room
• A weekly rhythm of work, schoolwork, markets and rest days
• Walking, bikes and local transport instead of daily tours
• Loose plans that can change when the weather or the kids need them to

10 Benefits of Slow Travel for Families

These are the benefits we’ve actually noticed, along with the catch that comes with some of them.

1. You Live the Local Lifestyle

After a week or two, you stop being tourists. You know where to get coffee, which café the boys will happily sit in and which street is quiet at nap time.

In Da Nang, our go-to was Roots, a plant-based café. We loved the oat milk coconut coffees, the Mexican bowls and the lovely staff. 🥥☕

The kids’ cafés became part of our week too. There are so many to pick from, and they’re a great way to get out with Louie and Leo. Our favourite was Hanni Hanni Little World, which was new, clean and quiet when we were there.

2. You Notice So Much More

When you’re not rushing, you see things. The morning routine of the street, the way people greet each other, the rice fields changing from week to week.

Kids notice even more than we do. In Ninh Binh, Louie’s questions about the limestone cliffs turned into a lesson nobody had planned. We tell that story in our unschooling guide.

3. Rest Days Are Allowed

This one matters more than people think. If you want a rest day, you take one. Nobody is paying for a tour you’re missing.

Travel fatigue is real, especially with a toddler. Slow travel gives you room for a lazy day without feeling you’ve wasted the trip.

4. Little Ones Get a Routine

Leo is two, and his naps and routine keep our whole family running. That’s much easier when the bed, the kitchen and the walk to the park stay the same for weeks.

A predictable base can also help children who need stability, including kids with additional needs or anxiety about change.

5. Learning Has Time to Sink In

Louie’s bookwork takes about one and a half to two hours a day. The rest of his learning comes from wherever we are.

When you stay longer, a topic can grow over weeks instead of being squeezed into one outing. Our homeschooling on the move guide shows what our days really look like.

6. It Can Cost Less Per Month

Monthly rentals, cooking at home and fewer flights usually bring the monthly cost down. It isn’t automatically cheap, though. Popular cities can cost more than you’d expect, and flights for a family of four are a big upfront expense.

Our Da Nang guide has our real numbers from a month there. For a wider comparison, see what it really costs to live abroad with kids.

7. You Have Time to Find Community

Friends don’t appear just because you stay longer. You still have to show up at groups, playgrounds and events. Staying longer simply gives those connections time to form.

Our guide to building community as a travelling family covers where to start. For the kids’ side, we share what has worked for helping Louie make friends.

8. More Time Together as a Family

Slow travel means more shared meals, walks and ordinary afternoons. That’s a real gift.

It can also be intense. There’s no school run and no office, and most days it’s just the four of us. We’re honest about that side in our digital nomad family guide.

9. A Lighter Footprint

Fewer flights and a normal kitchen mean less waste and lower emissions than hopping between cities. It’s not zero-impact, but it’s a meaningful step. More ideas are in our sustainable family travel guide.

10. A New Place Starts to Feel Like Home

This happens faster than you’d think. In Da Nang, and now in Ninh Binh, we found our favourite spots and started to feel at home.

That’s the best part of slow travel. It’s also what makes the next part hard.

The Trade-offs of Slow Travel

Slow travel solves a lot of problems. It creates a few new ones too.

Saying Goodbye Gets Harder

You get settled in, and then you have to leave. We felt it in Da Nang and we’re feeling it again in Ninh Binh. You get a bit attached to places, people and routines.

Short trips don’t give you time to care. Slow travel does, so goodbyes sting more. We’ve learnt to expect that and talk about it as a family.

Visas Set the Clock

Most tourist stays are limited, often to 90 days or less. In Europe’s Schengen area, non-EU visitors get 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole zone.

As a Dutch-Australian family, the rules aren’t the same for all of us. Our visa guide for families explains the options. And remember: permission to enter isn’t permission to work. Check whether remote work is allowed on your visa.

The Wrong Place Feels Longer

Two months somewhere is wonderful when it works. When the weather turns, the rental has problems or the area doesn’t suit you, two months is a long time.

That’s one reason we book flexibly at first (more on that below).

The Parent Load Doesn’t Go Away

Slow travel reduces fatigue, but the planning, schooling and cooking still land on the parents. Build in breaks for the adults too, not just the kids.

How to Start Slow Travelling as a Family

Let the Place Decide the Length

There’s no perfect number. We did a month in Da Nang, 11 days in Ninh Binh and more than three weeks in Hanoi, and we’re planning about two and a half months in Chiang Mai. Visas, weather, costs and how the kids are going all shape each decision.

Follow the Weather ☀️

We’re following the sun! Weather drives our planning more than almost anything else.

Monsoons, extreme heat and smoke seasons can all make a long stay miserable. Check the seasons before you book, not after you arrive.

Book Flexibly at First

For stays of up to three months, we’ve used Booking.com. Many listings offer free cancellation until close to arrival and payment at the property. That flexibility suited us this time. Check each listing’s conditions, because they vary.

If we stayed longer than three months, we’d look for a local rental through Facebook groups and local contacts. Monthly prices are often lower that way, but see the place (or have someone you trust see it) before paying a deposit. Our family accommodation guide covers the options.

Check Visas Before You Fall in Love With a Place

Work out how long each of you can legally stay before you book. Use the country’s official immigration website or embassy, not a blog or forum. Rules change often.

Treat Your First Stay as a Trial

You don’t have to sell everything and leave for a year. A first long stay tells you a lot about what your family needs. Our guide on how to start worldschooling covers the steps we took before leaving.

Where Families Slow Travel

We’ve labelled each destination honestly: places we know first-hand, and places we’ve only researched so far.

🇻🇳 Vietnam

📍 We live here now.

Vietnam is where our family’s slow travel really started, with a month in Da Nang and now Ninh Binh. It’s affordable, the food is fantastic for vegetarians, and daily life is easy to settle into.

Trade-offs: heat, humidity and traffic.
Visas: Dutch citizens currently get 45 days visa-free, and Australians and many others can apply for an e-visa of up to 90 days. There’s no digital nomad visa. Check current details with Vietnam’s official immigration portal.

🇵🇹 Portugal

📍 We’ve been here as a couple, and Louie has been too.

Portugal is one of Europe’s most popular bases for nomad families, with a mild climate and walkable towns.

Trade-offs: it’s much pricier than Southeast Asia, and Lisbon rents have climbed sharply.
Visas: EU citizens don’t need one. Portugal’s digital nomad (D8) visa requires income of four times the Portuguese minimum wage, about €3,680 a month in 2026, plus extra for each family member. Check current details on Portugal’s official visa portal.

🇹🇭 Thailand

🗓️ Our next big stop. We’ve been to Thailand as a couple, but not to Chiang Mai yet.

Chiang Mai has one of the biggest nomad family communities in Asia, with plenty of vegetarian food and lower daily costs.

Trade-offs: burning season (roughly February to April) brings heavy smoke and poor air quality.
Visas: we’re planning a stay of about 75 days. Visa rules for Thailand changed in 2026, so check the Thai government’s official e-visa website before booking.

🇨🇴 Medellín, Colombia

🔎 Researched, not visited yet.

Medellín is known for its spring-like climate, green hills and cable-car transport.

Trade-offs: the Australian Government advises a high degree of caution for Colombia overall, with higher levels for some regions. Read the current Smartraveller advice for Colombia before booking.
Visas: Colombia’s digital nomad visa (Visa V Nómadas Digitales) lasts up to two years and requires foreign income of at least three times the Colombian minimum wage. Check current details with Colombia’s Cancillería (foreign ministry).

🇪🇪 Tallinn, Estonia

🔎 Researched, not visited yet.

Tallinn is compact, walkable and one of the most digitally advanced cities in Europe.

Trade-offs: winters are long, cold and dark.
Visas: Estonia’s digital nomad visa requires gross income of at least €4,500 a month over the six months before you apply, according to the Estonian Embassy in Canberra. That’s one of the higher thresholds in Europe.

🇮🇩 Bali, Indonesia

🔎 Researched, not visited yet.

Bali, especially Ubud and Sanur, has a large international family community and plenty of vegetarian cafés.

Trade-offs: traffic is heavy, and the wet season runs roughly from November to March.
Visas: Indonesia’s remote worker visa (E33G) requires annual income of at least US$60,000 from outside Indonesia. Check current details on the official Indonesian e-visa website.

Slow Travel FAQs

How long should we stay somewhere for it to be slow travel?

There’s no official rule. Many families find that a few weeks is when a place starts to feel familiar. Our stays run from under two weeks to about three months, depending on the place, weather and visas.

Is slow travel cheaper than a normal holiday?

Per month, often yes: longer rentals and cooking at home cost less than hotels and restaurants. But the total trip costs more simply because it’s longer. Flights for a family are a big upfront cost.

Is slow travel safe with young children?

That depends on the destination, not the travel style. Check your government’s travel advice (Smartraveller for Australians) before choosing a base. A steady routine and a familiar neighbourhood do make daily life with little ones easier.

How do kids cope with leaving each place?

Goodbyes are the hardest part for us. It helps to talk about leaving before it happens, and to have something to look forward to at the next stop.

What about school?

Many travelling families homeschool, use online programs or worldschool. Louie’s bookwork takes about one and a half to two hours a day. Legal requirements depend on where you’re registered, so check yours before you leave.

How do you find monthly accommodation?

For stays up to three months, we book flexible listings through Booking.com. For longer stays, local Facebook groups and rental agents usually offer better monthly prices.

Can we slow travel on a tourist visa?

Often, for a limited time. But a tourist visa doesn’t automatically let you work, even remotely. Check the work rules for your visa on the country’s official immigration website.

Is it too late to start with a teenager?

No, but involve them in the decision. Teens usually need more say, more social contact and more structure than younger kids.

Our Takeaways

Twelve years ago, the slow parts of our big trip were the ones that changed us. Nine months at the bottom of a fiord will do that. Now, with Louie and Leo, slow travel is simply how our family lives.

It isn’t perfect. You’ll get attached to places and have to leave them. Visas will set your timeline more often than you’d like. Some weeks, the weather wins.

But you’ll also have rest days without guilt, a favourite café in a country you’d never lived in, and time to actually notice where you are.

Start with one long stay, book flexibly, and follow the sun. You can always slow down more from there. ☀️🌍