Hit 10 hostels in 15 days across Europe, debating if speed or slow travel is better

I just finished 10 hostels in 15 days across 5 countries in Europe last month. The pace saved me a ton on flights by using buses between cities, but I burned out by day 12 and missed really seeing any place deeper than a McDonald's bathroom. Which side do you lean toward for actual budget savings?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannahw3022d ago

Honestly I read this thing from some travel blogger that said "you can see the Eiffel Tower in an hour but you can't feel Paris in a day" and that really stuck with me. 10 hostels in 15 days sounds like a blur, tbh. Last summer I did 4 cities in 14 days and still felt like I was always packing up or checking in. That burnout you hit by day 12 is real, I've seen it happen to people at hostels where they just crash for 12 hours straight. Slow travel might cost a bit more on the room side but you actually save on impulse spending when you're not constantly moving and buying snacks at every train station.

danielhenderson22d ago

Oh man, that quote hits hard. I once tried to "do" Rome in 36 hours and ended up eating gelato in a train station at 11pm questioning every life choice that got me there.

hart.mark22d ago

Heard a hostel owner in Budapest say travelers who stay 3+ days spend way less overall because they cook at the hostel and know where the cheap eats are, so that slow travel savings thing makes sense, even if the room costs a bit more.