Digital Detox Vacation – The ultimate guide to your unplugged holiday

1. Decide on the trip

Of course, before every trip you need to decide basic things, like the destination, length of your trip, budget, travel buddy, etc. If you are planning to a digital detox vacation, you need to consider a few other factors:

Companionship /solo

During a digital detox, you will get to know yourself better if you don’t already know yourself very well. Are you a person that constantly needs stimulation? Are you very extroverted and love to be around others all the time? Or do you tend to copy behavior? Is it hard for you to restrain yourself from food while others eat or from your phone while others are on their phone? If this is the case, I would recommend to do your digital detox vacation alone or only with someone who is joining you detoxing. 

If you find someone but still don’t want to do it alone, join a retreat. And it doesn’t have to be a Digital Detox retreat. You can also take a look at this list of alternative festivals that take place throughout the year. Many of them mention to be present and using your phone only “outside” of the social gatherings. Especially the festivals from Tom Thumb.

Traveling around/ staying in one place

Traveling around while you cannot use the internet is more difficult but not impossible. You need to do lots of research and be a flexible traveler. In case anything goes wrong, you can easily adapt and find a solution, even offline.

Staying at one place, doing day trips is easier than being constantly on the move. However, it also depends on the kind of moving. Cycling, motorcycling, long distance hiking or camping are a little easier to do offline. Then being dependent on public transportations. 

This can be a bigger challenge. For instance, when you travel around Europe by Flixbus and the bus is delayed, you receive an email or message with this information. When you are offline, you need other sources to get this information (asking people) and you might end up waiting a long time at bus stops. But hey, the path is the goal, right!?

Abroad or domestic holiday

Again, it might seem easier to do a digital detox holiday in your home country. Where you can understand the language, the cultural code and the country’s customs.

However, there is nothing more exciting to fully emerge yourself in a different country. Fully present, without the distraction of a smartphone.

A holiday where you stay at one place abroad is ideal to not overstimulate but still have an adventure. That’s what I did in the Soca Valley, staying at a little forest hut above the village Kobraid and going on hikes and cycling tours.

Which kind of digital detox

Yes, you can adapt your digital detoxification. If you aren’t sure yet, if you want to get full into the experience of a digital detox, you can try to do a “smaller detox” and start with not using social media. You can set your cellphone in a flight mood and only use it for pictures and notes. Or turn it off and take a camera with you. Or you take a little button phone (make sure it works also abroad) with you for emergencies only and your smartphone at home.

Yet, you should give the full experience a try! The full experience is if you turn off your phone, leave your camera and be as present as you can be. 

2. Research and Prepare

Tours and activities without phone

Of course, before every trip, it is important to do extensive research. However, on your digital detox vacation, you need to consider various other factors. Do you need your device for logging in for an activity, or show your QR code? Do you need to pre-book activities online? Or is there a possibility to book it offline at the place? Is it important to have a map with you?

Order print material of the region

Remember all the things that you usually use on your phone, you need them offline. For instance, booking confirmations, addresses, passport copy, emergency numbers, etc.
In some tourist regions, you can make good use of the tourist information. At some places you can order into material for free and get mailed to you. You simply need to find the tourist information website and either order it there or ask in an email if they can send you brochures/maps.

Prepare for offline use

As mentioned above, you need to prepare for the offline use of all your travel documents. If you aren’t sure what you really need and are worried that you might forget something, you can do a trial day when you don’t use your phone and keep a list of what you need. 

If a part of the trip requires a digital document or you didn’t have the time to print everything, then make only a part of the trip offline, or only use your phone for those small moments.

Let your love once know – Inform everyone 

Let your loved ones know that you will not be reachable. So, they don’t worry if you don’t reply to messages or answer the phone. For work or any other important mail accounts, set up an out-of-office note. Funny signal status idea: Offline holiday if it’s important, send me a carrier pigeon. 🕊 If you want to be available for a specific person, make a phone appointment or a time frame of availability, where you will speak with that person.

Be present

On average, you unlock your phone 150 times a day. Oh, what will you do instead of unlocking your phone? 150 push-ups? A tally list for every time you want to reach your phone? Or you suffer 150 times a day from the enormous smartphone deprivation? 

Joking aside, find something that won’t bore you while you cannot connect with your peers online. The good thing is that you will be traveling or in an unknown place, so you can discover something. But be prepared to feel bored.

This is your time in the present, your opportunity to slow down in this fast-paced time, not to overstimulate your senses but just to listen to the chirping of the birds and feel the sun on your face or hear the rain on the roof. Just hear it. Just feel it. Just be present.

Substitutes for your technical devices

During your digital detox vacation, you gain a lot of free time that you aren’t spending on your digital device. Therefore, it is important to find alternatives. This could be your time to finally do what is in the back of your mind for so long. 

Maybe it is drawing, knitting, playing an instrument, playing card or board games, reading a book, or writing/journaling. And if you need starting help, remember you can go on YouTube to learn how to draw a flower. Do your research beforehand or use your imagination.

This should be helpful for your first digital detox. Enjoy the full experience of it and let me know in the comments how it went.