How to travel without a phone

CNA

24-05-2025

In today's hyperconnected world, traveling without a phone seems impossible, or at the very least, pointless.
But for those who've done it, the experience can be rewarding and rejuvenating.
In January, Soraya Lemboumba, 40, a project manager in Switzerland, spent 10 days in Panama on a phone-free trip. 'It was absolutely life-changing,' she said.
She said she awoke to the sounds of nature rather than an alarm and didn't spend her time composing captions for social media in her head or use her phone to fill the silence. 'I spent days immersed in pure presence,' she said.
Thinking of disconnecting for your next trip? Here are some steps to start.
DECIDE YOUR RULES
Before leaving for the airport, decide whether you're bringing a laptop or tablet or nothing at all. A laptop performs all the functions of your smartphone, but you're less likely to bring it to dinner table or the beach.
Then, if you're bringing a device, write down a list of rules to govern your tech use throughout your trip. For example:
I won't use electronics for entertainment on this trip.
If I can't hail a taxi, I'll use my laptop for Uber.
I'll use my tablet only an hour per day for researching activities and lodging.
A physical list codifies a system and eliminates temptation during those bored, anxious moments that inevitably arise during travel, which prompt you to grab your device.
You can modify the rules throughout your trip if you feel they're not working.
Downloading app blocker extensions like Freedom, ScreenZen and Opal can block apps or websites like YouTube, Instagram and X for preset periods of time. Temporarily deleting apps is another effective way to prevent mindless scrolling.
NAVIGATING THE AIRPORT
Most anxiety from phoneless travel centres on logistics, like what will happen at the airport or train station, where there are schedules, and possible delays and cancellations. As a rule of thumb, allow ample time for transportation — at least an extra hour to buffer against scheduling mishaps or contingencies.
Without a phone to display e-tickets, you'll need to rely on paper boarding passes. Most airlines will print them out for you at the kiosks free of charge. But be careful, some charge a fee per person, per direction, to print boarding passes. Avoid this fee by printing them out beforehand.
With no airline app, you'll need to remember to keep an eye on those monitors throughout the airport for delays and gate changes, and don't hesitate to ask the gate attendants and airline employees for help or directions.
Catherine Price, the author of How to Break Up With Your Phone, reminds us that digitised travel isn't always desirable. 'People forget that you can rely on paper,' Price said, 'and the feeling of freedom outweighs any minor inconvenience.'
GETTING YOUR BEARINGS
When you arrive at your lodging, introduce yourself to the front desk and concierge, addressing them by their first names — a scientifically proven way to curry favour, which can be helpful if you need directions printed or taxis hailed throughout your trip.
To orient yourself near your hotel or other lodging, walk in increasingly larger concentric circles outward. Use physical maps and expect mistakes. The beauty of phoneless travel comes in the hiccups, as wrong turns often lead to incredible memories. You'll find that you learn a city faster by relying on your wits and not GPS, which is a thrilling realisation.
Write down the full address of your accommodations and keep it safely tucked into your wallet in case you get lost. Worst-case scenario, show it to a taxi driver or a local. In place of a translator app, pick up a phrase book to carry with you (Lonely Planet's, in numerous languages, cost around US$12).
If you adopt a conversationalist's mind-set, your trip will blossom in special, unforeseen ways. If you're confronted with a QR code for, say, museum entry, merely explain your situation to the person behind you and ask to tag along, giving them cash for the ticket. This is how you unexpectedly make friends and access the serendipity of travel.
TAKING PICTURES WITHOUT A PHONE
Purchase a disposable camera or a digital camera , and practice a philosophy of intention — take one picture of something you want to remember, then put your camera away.
'Every time you take a picture on vacation, you take yourself out of the moment,' Price said. 'You get too wrapped up in photos, especially if you're taking them to post on social media for others. Don't perform your vacation. Live it.'
Writing in a journal at the end of the day can solidify the memories you've made. Instead of looking back through pictures on your phone, you can read your vacation and relive these cherished memories in a more illustrative way.
Taking 'mental snapshots' helped Lemboumba internalise memories by mindfully soaking in experiences as they happened. 'The moments I didn't photograph are, ironically, now the ones I remember the most vividly,' she said.
HANDLING EMERGENCIES
The prospect of an emergency keeps many from attempting phoneless travel, but real emergencies are rare. The emergencies you're likely to face are practical ones, like missing a train. These may seem catastrophic in the moment, but with the right attitude they're nothing more than speed bumps.
Since you won't have Apple Pay or similar services, in addition to a credit card, carry US$200 to US$300 in local currency in a secured travel bag that straps across your body. (Cash is handy for extricating yourself from sticky situations.) For female solo travellers who are anxious about phoneless travel, buy a prepaid burner phone and stick it in the bottom of your backpack. You can always borrow a phone in a time of crisis, and always let loved ones know your itinerary ahead of time.
If phoneless solo travel feels too daunting, consider joining a group. Grace Borges, a 35-year-old research analyst from Washington, attended a five-day phoneless trip to Cuba last year with FTLO Travel, which specialises in group travel for young professionals. The tour guide handled logistics, and because she was in a group, 'sticking to the phoneless ethos was easier because everyone was in the same boat,' she said.