When you stay one week in one place… when you travel more slowly… you experience so much more!

I became a “convert” to the “slow travel” approach to travel almost 20 years ago. Most of our family’s early trips to Europe involved moving quickly, by car or train, trying to cram in as much as possible. Three nights was a long stay for us back then, and we often changed hotels every night or two. Only later did I realize how much time we spent (how much time we lost!) checking in and out of hotels, fussing with our luggage, and traveling to the next destination. Some portion of those vacations involved looking at Europe out the car or train window, not actually experiencing it.

One Week in One Place – an Early Family Trip to Provence

Then in 2003 we rented a cottage in a small perched village in the Luberon region of Provence, settling there for a week. We became regulars at the village boulangerie every morning, a place our our young daughter could visit on her own later in the day to buy an ice cream. She especially enjoyed playing with the village dogs and cats. We even got to know a few local residents, including one who brought us inside to show us ancient rooms in the rock beneath his shop and home.

We spent a week in this cottage in the village of Saignon (2003)  – now we visit with our Luberon Experience groups.

The next year we took a “slow travel” approach for our family’s 14-month “Grand Tour” of Europe, staying mostly in rentals of one or two weeks in various part of England, France, Italy, and other western European countries. We stayed longer— a month— in a tiny village in Tuscany. But the centerpiece of what we now call our “long trip” was a 6-1/2 month stay in the village of Bonnieux in the Luberon. Now that was really slow travel! This was a life-changing experience for all three of us.

28 weeks in one place! Living in our Provence farmhouse – 2004/2005

When we developed European Experiences (beginning with our Luberon Experience week based in Bonnieux), this philosophy of traveling slowly, staying longer, and having an immersive experience was an essential part of the “formula” for our trips. As a result, our trips are much different than typical sightseeing tours. Today many travel companies are talking about “experiences”… we’ve been focused on Experiences since our start in 2006!

Fifteen years later— after an unexpected pause in our European travels— we’re looking forward to traveling slowly in Europe with our groups again this fall and in 2022. Most of our trips continue to involve staying one week (seven nights) in one place, usually in a small village or town in a beautiful area with a distinct culture. Most of our new trips being offered in 2022 will also base in one place for a week: The Mediterranean Provence Experience, The Riviera Hillsides Experience, and a city trip– The Paris Experience.

Our Cornwall Experience trip is 10 days and involves three locations but begins with a seven-night stay in the fishing village of Mousehole. And although The European Christmas Experience doesn’t include a seven-night stay, over the course of 12 nights, we stay in three places for four nights each… much slower than other Christmas-season tours.

One Week in One Place – What Our Travelers Say

Our “one week in one place” approach really seems to resonate with our travelers, many of whom have returned to join us for European Experiences trips in other locations and to settle in for a week in another beautiful place.

We asked several of our most frequent travelers what they most enjoy about staying for a full week in one place. Let’s see what they have to say!

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Bob and Karla – California, USA: “There are many reasons we prefer a week or more in one place. You can really unpack. There’s no frequent hauling of suitcases or suitcases by the door in the hall at 5 – 6 am as on those one or two night hops on many tours. You can buy flowers for your room!  It’s also nice to wander your village and get to know the people in the shops and cafes. You can leave later in the day for excursions out. You also make lasting new friendships with some of your fellow travelers.

Karla and Bob (L) enjoy a game of petanque in Bonnieux (Return to the Luberon)

“A memorable event that’s possible on a week-long trip in one place” is visiting a local person’s home for a dinner, as we have done in both Bonnieux, Kientzheim, and Chipping Campden. We also enjoyed playing petanque with our group and local friends on the last night of our Return to the Luberon week.”

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Kim and Ross – a stop at the Rollright Stones on the way to Blenheim Palace (Cotswolds Experience)

Kim and Ross – Victoria, Australia: “Our first tour in a group was on a bus in Italy for two weeks. Yes, we did see all the must-see places, but we were part of a crowd of 40 people (who we never got to know), moving on every day or two.

“Staying in a village for a week with just a dozen other people is so different – no unpacking and repacking after only a night or two. No tourist food in large tourist restaurants, but a lovely range of regional foods and wines, some in places we wouldn’t have found ourselves. We’ve loved soaking up the atmosphere and character of a region by having the time to wander through it and take it all in.

“If we had been on a bus tour in the UK, we would have missed the small traveling circus in a field, capping off our day which began at the splendid Blenheim Palace. It truly captured two faces of Britain, grand and traditional. All and more than we could have imagined.”

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Mary and Pete – Indiana, USA: “Staying in one place allows us time to get to know our innkeepers and the village where we are staying.  We get to know the local people and their customs.  We don’t waste precious time moving from one place to another and get to more fully enjoy where we are.

Mary and Pete with our artist friend Françoise in Roussillon (Luberon Experience)

“Being in Bonnieux for the week-long Luberon Experience, we found our favorite coffee shop and could return there several mornings.  In Kientzheim in Alsace, Mary was able to really enjoy the village by getting up and walking all the way around the walled village each morning before breakfast.  And in Montignac, on The Périgord Experience, we enjoyed the Bastille Day fireworks with the French villagers All of these were only possible because of the long stay in one place.  Mary also had time to photograph and sketch at leisure in these places that became like home for a while.

“When we traveled in Europe on other tours, we moved constantly. We saw things, but didn’t get a deep experience of the visited areas. Staying for a week in one spot allows us to really get to know the area.”

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Carol (R) with mother Brenda at Kiftsgate (Cotswolds Experience)

Carol – Georgia, USA” “Getting to unpack my luggage and feel settled into my room is very soothing after the long travels to get to a destination in Europe. The idea of changing hotels every couple of nights tires me thinking about it and I would not unpack my luggage for a short stay.

“Many times we do a walkabout of the village we are staying in, but by staying there all week, I have time to explore more, check out the shops, eateries, and more. You become friends with the hotel owners and staff, who are always very welcoming. By staying in one place, I also shop and buy more… I feel that alone is an immersion into the community.

“On the Cotswolds trip it became a treat to enjoy a glass of sparkling rosé at the hotel pub and chat with the friendly waitress Jo each day before we would depart for dinner.”

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Sue – Massachusetts, USA: “The great thing about staying in the same hotel for a week on a European Experiences trip is that the locations are places the average tourist might never experience.  I remember getting to know the owners of the hotel in Kientzheim (our base for The Alsace Experience), especially since we also ate in their restaurant several times. We had a great time at the tarte flambée party in their neighbors’ courtyard.

Sue (rear, 1st on L) enjoys dinner at the home of local family (Alsace Experience)

“Moving from hotel to hotel doesn’t give the traveler a sense of really being in a place.  It feels more like just a place to sleep while seeing the sites for a few days.”

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Jean – Victoria, Australia: “John and I enjoy the adventure of being away combined with feeling at home.  A week is long enough to know where the shops and restaurants are, and importantly, to remember how the taps etc. work.  It’s a bonus not having to unpack and pack every day or two, being able to do your own thing occasionally, having less time on the road, and especially having tour leaders who have made a connection with the place and people where you are staying.

“A very simple example from our 2017 Alsace Experience trip:  Our group had walked to a nearby village earlier in the week and enjoyed it, so four of us decided to walk back for dinner on our free evening.  The walk over through the vineyards was lovely, as was dinner, and walking back under the stars was a delight. We would not have had that opportunity nor known where to go if we’d been in the area for only a day or two.

Walking through the vineyards – Jean 3rd from R. (Alsace Experience)

“Staying in one place for a week is a completely different experience than changing hotels every day or two. We know the accommodation will be comfortable for the length of our stay, and it’s easier to connect with the locals. Sometimes they can recommend experiences, like good places to eat and visit, which really enhances our stay.  No driving, no navigating, no parking, no discussions about what we should do. Because we’re staying in a small hotel, it’s easier to make friends with traveling companions. And more time is spent doing, and less on organizing.”

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Bob and Marguerite – Ohio, USA: “We have traveled with Kathy and Charley on four trips:  to Provence, the Périgord, Alsace in France and the small town of St Gilgen on the shore of the Wolfgangsee in Austria. Their slow-travel, small-group, one-week-in-one-place (small town, family-owned hotel) concept is the perfect way to experience Europe.

“In addition to the obvious advantages of unpacking only once, having the daily meals and adventures planned, and no worries about the language barrier, with Kathy and Charley we are visitors, not tourists. They introduced us to the folks who lived in the area and enabled us to share a meal with them. We explored the natural and man-made beauty of the region and visited local artisans to see their crafts including one man who made belts from snake skins in the Périgord.

“The morning sunlit walk from Bonnieux to the neighboring town of Lacoste along farm paths and vineyard roads is the stuff of indelible memory.

Bob, Marguerite and fellow travelers on the walk to Lacoste (Luberon Experience)

“We have traveled the conventional way with long lines, getting lost, and multiple check-ins. One Week, One Place is our recommendation.”

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Barb and Bruce – Florida, USA: “Our first trip to Italy was a small tour that included changing hotels about four times in a week. We did enjoy that trip but then we found European Experience with Kathy and Charley and have been to France with them three times and once to Chianti.

Barb and Bruce (both center, in red) in Sarlat (Périgord Experience)

“Staying in one lovely hotel for the entire trip and taking day adventures is a pleasure. There is no packing and unpacking every two nights. Walking down to the wonderful breakfast with new-found friends is very nice and at the end of the day’s adventure it feels a bit like coming home. On one trip with them there was a tiny little bar in our hotel where we started the week’s tradition of having an afternoon beer with another group member in the garden and relaxing and talking about the day’s adventures.

“Staying in one place allows for getting to know the quaint town you stay in very well which leads to very early morning walks and explorations on your own. We have enjoyed this travel model so much we are returning to Italy with Kathy in the fall of 2022 to experience Puglia.”

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Margie – Massachusetts, USA: “I absolutely love being based in one place for a week for a European Experiences trip, and I love the way Kathy and Charley organize the experience.  After arrival at our hotel, we go on a walking tour so we can get oriented and learn about the village, or the neighborhood for a city stay. The week involves trips to locations away from the hotel and village, always returning to home in the late afternoon. The going and coming gives a strong sense of place.

Margie relaxes in the hotel garden (Périgord Experience)

“As the week goes by there are other opportunities to enjoy village sites with the group and also to explore on one’s own. Another aspect of staying in the hotels that Kathy and Charley have chosen for these one-week stays is that the staff are friendly, and it’s a pleasure to get to know them. When the trip is (sadly!) over I always feel as though I was there for longer than a week, because all the experiences reinforce the sense of place.

“I really enjoyed the variety of experiences on the trip to the Périgord. The initial reason I wanted to take this trip was I was looking for a way to see the replica of the Lascaux cave and cave paintings, and also the surrounding region. We stayed in the village of Montignac, a really special place. One day we went to a small archaeological site where we could see faint remnants of cave paintings that were from a period that predated Lascaux. We were shown around by a young archeologist and had some fun trying to throw spears!”

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Ginger – Wisconsin, USA: “Spending a week in one place provides a relaxed, comfortable home base. When traveling everything is new: where and how to get your morning cup of coffee, where to be content “sitting down” for a bit, or where to take a morning stroll. This zaps your emotional energy. (At home, these routines are done almost without thought.)

“When staying in one place, your energy and attention is spent on exploring and all your senses can experience new adventures.”

Ginger (R) and friends enjoying a comfortable home base (Luberon Celebration)

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Lindsay – California, USA: “The best part about being in one place for a week—you only unpack your suitcase once!  What a luxury that is and a complete stress and time saver.

Lindsay (2nd from L), her sister, and friends (Luberon Women’s Week)

“But seriously, there are so many more advantages… I loved our first Luberon Experience trip with European Experiences in Provence and living in Bonnieux for a week.  We walked to some of our outings and some of our dinners… and we got to leave the driving to Charley and Kathy.

“I truly love this stress-free way of traveling. You become part of the village for a brief time and it is wonderful and warm.  And you are treated so many experiences you couldn’t have done on your own… one in Bonnieux in particular was a visit to a private garden that we walked to. It was amazing and we all loved it. We had asked if we could do a garden visit… our wish was granted and it was such a special experience.”

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All these enthusiastic comments make us even more excited about traveling again soon. We’re looking forward to returning to Europe this fall for The Luberon Experience in September and three Puglia Experience groups in October. We have a few openings in these trips; contact us for more information!

We’re also booking now for our 2022 trips, including several trips to new exciting destinations.

Learn about our 2022 Trips!

Enjoy other blog posts about the benefits of staying one week in one place on our European Experiences trips:

Experiencing a Village: Bonnieux
Experiencing a Village: Castellina-in-Chianti
Périgord Experiences: Enjoying the Vézère and Dordogne Rivers
Alsace Experiences: Colorful villages filled with flowers

Kathy Wood is the co-founder and owner of European Experiences, offering week-long “slow tours” in some of the most beautiful areas of Europe, including The Luberon Experience in Provence, France. National Geographic Traveler magazine named The Luberon Experience one of their top 50 tours in the world in 2012. Kathy and her husband Charley launched European Experiences in 2006; Charley retired (mostly) at the end of 2019. Kathy now hosts Experience weeks in the Luberon, the Chianti region of Tuscany, Puglia, Alsace, the Dordogne, and the Cotswolds. She continues to work with Charley to host two longer tours: The European Christmas Experience (12 days) and The Cornwall Experience in southwest England (10 days). Over the past year Kathy has been working closely with our new France-based partner, Jennifer Dugdale, who will be leading several new European Experiences trips beginning in 2022. Kathy has been traveling in Europe for 30 years and loves sharing her special places in Europe with other travelers. She has hosted 120 Experience groups since they launched in 2006. Kathy and Charley have a second home in their beloved village of Bonnieux in the Luberon. Read more about Kathy here. Slow Travel Tours is an affiliation of small-group tour operators who offer personalized trips in Italy, France and other European countries.