Send us a text

A medical detour changed our itinerary, but it sharpened our belief in slow travel and why roaming creates better stories than any checklist. We close out season two by sharing a vivid sneak peek of our upcoming book on how to plan, budget, and savor longer stays without tour buses dictating your day. From an apartment steps from the Arno in Florence to a trust-the-chef feast in a tucked-away Venetian trattoria, we relive the small choices that turned into big memories—and the practical systems that made them affordable.

We walk through the core pillars of slow travel: choosing one meaningful focus per day, renting apartments with kitchens to cut costs and live like a local, and using trains and ferries to keep plans flexible. You’ll hear how a wrong turn near Livorno became a Mediterranean moment, why a spontaneous side trip to Lucca beat a packed itinerary, and how rain in Rome turned into a playful, poncho-clad wander across cathedrals, fountains, and welcoming neighborhood bars. We also tackle safety myths with grounded advice, from reading a city’s rhythm to staying present and letting common sense do more work than a lanyard ever could.

We’re taking a short break to finish the book and regroup for future travels, and we’d love your questions and stories as we write. Subscribe, share with a friend who wants more from their trips, and leave a review to help fellow travelers find the show.

Support the show

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2292506/supporters/new
https://www.jimsantosbooks.com
http://jimsantos.net
https://www.instagram.com/jimsantosblog
https://www.youtube.com/@jimsantos508
jim@jimsantosbooks.com