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Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Supported by SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Travel 101 How to Travel Without a Phone Leaving your device at home might seem daunting, but it can result in a deeper connection to a place and more authentic interactions with locals. Listen to this article · 6:51 min Learn more Share full article 5 5 Credit… Weston Wei By Noah W. Miller May 19, 2025, 5:00 a.m. ET 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 . We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in . Want all of The Times? Subscribe . Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
