How many times have we come back from a trip more tired than when we left? The fear of missing out, the famous FOMO, pushes us to fill every day with stops. Slow travel suggests the opposite: see less, but live more. Move from FOMO to slow-mo. Campania, with its 550 municipalities and history layered at every corner, is the ideal place to try it.
What travelling slowly means
- Stay longer in one place: at least three or four nights, better a week.
- Move on foot, by bike, by train or by boat, accepting the pace of local transport.
- Eat local and seasonal, at markets and village trattorias.
- Meet people: craftspeople, farmers, fishermen, local tourist associations.
Villages worth stopping in
In the Vallo di Diano, Teggiano and Padula, with its great Charterhouse, are perfect for a few days away from mass tourism. In Sannio, Cerreto Sannita tells its story through ceramics. On the Amalfi Coast, Atrani and Tramonti show a more everyday face than the famous names. In Irpinia, Nusco and Bagnoli Irpino are balconies over the mountains.
Walking
Campania is crossed by historic trails. The best known is the Path of the Gods, between Agerola and Positano, but there are also the old mule tracks of the Lattari Mountains, the trails of Cilento and the Matese, and sections of pilgrim routes to the sanctuaries. Walking is the slowest and most beautiful way to cross a landscape.
Trains, boats and bikes
The Circumvesuviana railway links Naples with Pompeii, Herculaneum and Sorrento; ferries connect the Gulf and the islands; in summer boats run along the Amalfi Coast and Cilento. In many inland areas a bike, electric too, is a great way to move between villages and wineries.
A slow week: an example
Three nights at a farm stay in Cilento, with days of sea, trails and markets; then four nights in a village in Irpinia, among wineries, woods and home cooking. No rushing, no checklist: just the time to get to know a place.
You'll find farm stays, country houses and B&Bs in our Where to stay section.
