Where we live in downtown Miami, it feels like things move at a breakneck pace. People walk fast and are in a rush to get around. Drivers honk impatiently behind those who paused for a moment before hitting the gas. We expect our food and drinks to come out quickly and to be served quickly.

When it comes to traveling, though, it’s time to slow down. Traveling slowly, ticking off less bucket list items, and having a deeper and richer experience in each place is better.

Maybe you’re thinking:

Well I don’t have forever like you do. I only have two weeks to travel per year. How can I travel slowly?

Even still, visiting less places can lead to a better time. Here’s why.

1. Eat Better

When my husband and I travel, we like to eat. The longer you’re in one place, the more opportunities you’ll have to try different foods and find the restaurants that offer the best food. If you only get three chances, you might end up thinking that the food in X city is horrible. It could just be that you didn’t get the chance to learn where the good food is.

2. Make Friends

After traveling long-term for many years, I’ve come to the realization that it’s the people that make a place. I’ve been to great cities and felt lonely because I didn’t make any friends. I’ve also stayed longer in places that I never would have had it not been for some amazing people I met.

But in order to make friends, especially local friends, you have to be somewhere for a period of time. Start going to the same cafe at the same time every day, chat with your neighbor, or go to a local meetup for something you’re interested in and you’re bound to make friends. The people you meet might be so great that you never want to leave.

3. Save Money

If you are traveling on a budget or otherwise don’t want to spend a lot, traveling slowly is the number one way to do this. Instead of staying in hotels, you can look for an apartment to sublet or an AirBnB to negotiate. You won’t have to eat out for every meal, because you’ll have a kitchen. Then you’ll get to explore local markets and find out what they carry in local grocery stores, experimenting with ingredients and recipes you wouldn’t be able to back home. You’re paying for less transportation too.

4. Do More

The bigger the city, the more there is to do there. Instead of checking out every single tourist trap in the area, why not do what the locals do with their free time? That might be taking a dance class, taking advantage of a free happy hour at X bar, do a wine tasting, take a local cooking class… the possibilities are endless. Doing what the locals do will give you a deeper insight into their culture and lend itself to making more friends.

5. Reduce Exhaustion

Traveling quickly can be really tiring. The constant packing and unpacking, airport runs, flights, trains, hotel check-ins is tiring. On the flip side, you don’t want to waste your limited time there, so you force yourself to get out anyway, dragging your feet through the cobbled streets of Rome or wherever you are.

I personally need down time. I can’t be out all day. I like to have time to relax, to lay down, to have a long coffee and check my email. When you travel slowly, you get to spend time how you want to. You don’t feel rushed because you have more time in a place.

6. Get Cultural Insights

Travel slowly and you’ll have more time to understand the local culture and pick up the small intricacies that define it. If you pay attention, you’ll learn how to greet someone when you walk into their store. You’ll learn haggling habits at the local market. You’ll discover what time people eat their meals. You’ll notice how big or small families are, how children play, and what time shops close for the night. Museums and ancient sites don’t offer the same cultural insight that simple observations do.

7. Create Memories

After we travel, what we’re left with is memories. Of all the tourist attractions I’ve been to, very few have stuck in my mind. Those that have, the memories revolve more around who I went with and not the actual site itself. When you stay longer and meet people, you’ll hold onto the cool couple you chatted with randomly over happy hour, the restaurant owner who made it a point to stop by and say hi every time you ate there, and the funny thing the old lady said to you as you sat in the park.

Do you think it’s worth it to travel slowly? Or would you rather see more places?