Is It Possible To Travel Without A Smartphone In 2025?

It seems almost unimaginable to even attempt to travel without a smartphone these days, given the overwhelming statistics on our dependency on these devices. Between 2011 and 2024, American smartphone owners jumped from only 35% to 91%, according to Pew Research Center data, a sobering statistic on just how intricately linked our lives are to our mobile phones. But the growing number of travelers seeking digital detox holidays starts to reflect a yearning for an online time-out, with 47% of tourists expressing regret at having their smartphones with them during vacation, a survey by BankMyCell revealed. This raises the question: Can we actually pull off smartphone-less travel in 2025?

The answer is a resounding "yes" — if you're willing to put in the work. After all, people traveled before the internet existed — gasp! — and you'll be delighted to find that pre-digital travel methods still work, albeit taking a bit more time and effort than tapping on an app. Print out copies of your plane tickets, travel insurance, hotel reservations, and boarding passes, which are sometimes better to use than mobile ones. Research the opening times of any museums or monuments you plan to visit, and keep a copy of phone numbers, hotel addresses, and transportation contacts abroad with you. Also, remember to share your itinerary with friends and family back home. This is also the perfect opportunity to brush up on your map-reading skills. Arm yourself with a paper map of your destination, and you'll be surprised at how you'll manage to find your way to your destination without Google Maps.

If you aren't confident about completely going off the digital grid, try weaning yourself off technology with small but significant steps. Bring along a laptop or a tablet as an electronic security blanket. These bulkier devices offer the possibility of connecting without the convenience and constant distraction of a smartphone in your pocket. Otherwise, head over to a hotel's business center or internet cafe for emergencies, where you can connect to the internet for short periods of time.

While smartphone travel allows you to post your adventures on social media, pivoting to tangible documentation such as journaling or shooting on film can be a refreshing alternative. During a week-long digital-dry trip to the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, Khalid Javed found himself journaling and sketching his travels down on paper. "Ironically, my phone-free 'Kodak moments' because more immersive than any filtered photo," he told Business Insider. 

There's no sugar-coating it: Traveling without your smartphone doesn't come without caveats. A 2019 study on the emotional effects of digital detox travel published in the Journal of Travel Research showed that participants' initial feelings of anxiety and frustration were later replaced by increasing acceptance, joy, and a sense of freedom. Instead of constantly worrying about how to keep your phone connected, try embracing the unplugged version of travel with open arms. You may even come off your trip with deeper confidence, sharper intuition, and an insight into how travelers winged it in the pre-smartphone days.