What are the Best Slow Travel Options in Europe?

You’ve spent months looking forward to your holiday. Two weeks later, you’re back at your desk wondering where the time went. Somehow the trip that was supposed to restore you left you needing another one. Sound familiar? 

More UK travellers are starting to ask a different question before they book: it’s not “where do I want to go?”, but “how do I want to feel when I get back?” This shift is driving a quiet but significant move towards slow travel, and it’s changing what a great British holiday looks like.  

Why is slow travel growing? 

Over half of UK adults (54%) say holidays are essential to managing stress, yet many return from trips feeling like they barely stopped moving. With so much going on in everyday life, it’s no surprise that at least 69% of us want to feel genuinely relaxed on holiday.  

Slow travel is the antidote. It isn’t about physically being slow, unless that’s what you want. It’s about choosing presence over pace and taking the time to wind down rather than worrying about what’s next. 

More than a quarter (27%) of UK travellers now actively seek accommodation that’s part of the experience itself, not just a bed between activities. And with nearly a third (31%) of families planning multi-generational trips, the need for holidays that work for everyone has never been greater.  

Slower travel also makes financial sense. When you’re not paying per seat or per room, and when the journey itself becomes the destination, you leave with more than money’s worth.  

What does a slow travel holiday actually feel like? 

It feels like a long exhale.  

No hauling luggage between hotels. No noisy neighbours. No watching the days tick down before the return flight. A slow travel holiday moves at the pace humans are actually meant to rest at; gradually and without urgency.  

You eat where locals eat and you stop when something catches your eye. There’s no rush to be somewhere unless you choose to book activities, and even then, it works in your own schedule. You can spend the whole afternoon doing nothing in particular, and it feels like you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.  

This kind of holiday is right for you if you want a trip that genuinely forces you to switch off, if you value group experiences over individual rooms, and if the idea of travelling through places, rather than just staying in one, appeals to you.  

 BROWSE CANAL BOAT HOLIDAY ROUTES

How do the main slow travel options compare? 

There are a few ways to travel slowly in the UK, and each has genuine appeal, but they’re not all equal. 
 

Rail journeys can take you far and wide across the UK, but they’re often unreliable, particularly on bank holidays when strikes and cancellations can derail your plans. Despite the romance of the tracks, you’re moving on someone else’s schedule.  

Walking holidays are immersive and grounding, ideal for those who don’t like sitting still for too long. But by the end of a long day on your feet, the walk back to the car can feel as tiring as the route itself.  

Cottage stays offer real peace and privacy, and quiet, countryside getaways are growing in popularity. After a few days, though, they can start to feel a little static if you haven’t planned ways to explore the local area.  

A canal boat holiday pulls all of these together. You move, you rest and you explore, entirely on your terms.  

Why canal boat holidays are the best slow travel getaway 

Canal boat holidays are great staycations anyway, but something happens when you reduce your speed to 4mph. It’s slow enough to hear birdsong over the engine or wave to someone on the towpath. You don’t simply pass place on a canal; you arrive in them and become part of them, even briefly. 

Canal routes across England, Wales and Scotland connect countryside to cities, and villages to market towns, so you’re never confined to a single setting. One afternoon you’re drifting through open fields; the next morning you’re mooring up in a bustling waterside town among a farmers’ market.   

There’s also no packing and unpacking to move to the next stop as the boat becomes your base. Everything’s where you left it. The holiday moves and your space to chill out doesn’t. This also means there’s no annoying receptionist or the need to check out before 10am. Just float around on your route, pass through the British waterways, and return in one piece.  

Don’t just take it from us, either, some of our boaters have written about their experiences on ABC Boat Hire canal boat holidays. 

READ WHAT A CANAL BOAT HOLIDAY REALLY FEELS LIKE 

But what does this cost? 

Here’s an example of what a canal boat holiday costs. 

The Peregrine Falcon, departing from Gayton Marina in Northamptonshire, sleeps up to 8 people. Booked in mid-June with our summer saving applied, the total comes to £3,598.40 including fuel deposit. That’s £449.80 per person for a week, or around £900 per couple. For a family of four adults and four children, it works out at less than most European city breaks (with far more space and flexibility included).   

Find out how much you could save on a slow travel holiday using the pink banner at the top of this page. Simply choose how many of you there are travelling, how many nights you’d like, and we’ll do the rest. 

Ready to try a canal boat holiday?  

We offer beginner-friendly routes with low-lock and lock-free options, so there’s no experience needed, just the willingness to slow down and really take the kind of break you actually remember.  

Note: Any pricing examples are based on summer 2026 availability and are subject to change. Check our booking page for current rates and availability.