rogeruktm

I have to admit that I am a speed traveler. I have done the Tower of London in under an hour, not on purpose, but rather that I don't stop, I can't. Hampton court..45 minutes, tops. Shopping, don't do it unless I need something. Now, I do realize that most people, like my very normal wife, enjoy taking the time to really savor the details. So, are there others who are like me? Oh, while on a train or bus, I am very content to watch the changing scenery and to sit over a drink talking with people. It is the site seeing that I rush about.

ipod_robbie

Since my work/home life is often on high speed I prefer to take it easier on vacation and slow down.

I especially enjoy taking the time to enjoy food when I travel. Trying new foods, shopping in local markets, enjoying high quality restaurants. This is a pleasure I don't normally afford myself due to busy schedules at work and home.

I’m the type of guy that just isn’t satisfied bowl of soup or a salad for a dinner every day. Some people just don’t get that that – I think that’s their shortcoming and don’t feel a need to explain myself. Either you get it or you dont. Some might call me obsessed with food, but I see it as a pleasure not an obsession.

Jake1

My wife and I are not speed travelers. But my father was, and still is actually.

I vaguely remember our 2-week camping trip through Bavaria, Austria, and Italy in 1960 (he was in the Army, stationed in Bamberg). Four hours in Venice; three in Florence. Drove past the Leaning Tower of Pisa. But we did have a full day in Rome! We covered a lot of road, but I don't remember much except being very, very bored in the back seat of our '56 Chevy.

All of our family vacations were similar. It has been great to return to many of the same places over the past 25 years and actually see what's there!

WTnow

Well, I am with you on shopping ( although I will do some window shopping in special places), but we are sloooooooooooow travelers for sure.

( We are 16 months into a multi-year, open ended trip around the world with all of it being in Europe so far, plus Turkey and Morocco). www.soultravelers.com

Obviously, we like to take our time.

That said, we travel with a young child, so do some sites MUCH faster than we would without her. I could spend everyday, all day, for a month going to the Louvre, but we only spent a few hours there with our daughter.

If we have seen too much too fast ( rarely) and all of it similar, we may also see it more quickly. I find that one needs time to really digest things before going on to the next.

There are some sights that I have gone through fast because I did not like the "energy" and others that made me linger because I did like the energy. I also much prefer sites when I have them to myself or as uncrowded as possible.

Not all sites appeal to all people, but if you are really interested about something and have read about it in great detail, it seems it would be hard not to savor some things.

nytraveler

Well - we don;t do a lot of shopping - either on vacation or at home. But - we do enjoy nice long relaxing dinners, and sitting in a cafe having a drink after a day of sightseeing.

And when we see something we see it in depth. (I've been to the Louvre at least 6 times and have way more I haven;t seen yet. I just don;t absorb what I want to in the very limited time you're talking about.) The Musee D'Orsay took us about 4 hours - and we want to go back again on future trips. Some paintings I glance at and that's OK - but others I really enjoy and want to spend 10 minutes absorbing.

llamalady

Even more trying than a speed traveler, my Dh is a drive-by traveler; when he's at the wheel of
a car I'm lucky if he slows down at
a site!

Actually, old age has slowed him down somewhat plus taking away car
privledges!

Travelnut

I'm probably a bit of a speed traveler. I do make up fairly detailed itineraries in order to include the maximum places of interest with the least amount of 'movement'. If we get tired in a museum, we leave. If we run out of time / energy, we stop. Otherwise, full on sightseeing mode. I like to look in a couple shops for inexpensive 'souvenir' items, but not into recreational shopping either.

I recall the Natl Lampoon Vacation movie where Chevy Chase stands at the edge of the Grand Canyon, bobs his head up and down and that's it, he's 'seen it'.

Jojonana

I'm a devout slow traveler. Last time I was in Paris, I spent one complete day strolling slowly in Père Lachaise cemetary, one at the Clignancourt marché au puces, many hours slowly taking in the atmosphère while drinking a café crème and reading the newspaper.

I love staying in one area at least 1 week and live as normal a life as possible. When I'm at home, I don't hop around to see 3 museums in 1 day! So I do the same whether I'm in Paris, Athens, Berlin, etc.

While this means that I do miss some landmarks, the fact that I relax and really take the time to smell the rose that I choose to smell makes me the happiest.

Thank God my husband feels the same!

AJPeabody

I'amso fastI justjumpedtotheendwithoutreadingandpostedthisbye!