How to Stay Sober While Traveling
Staying sober while traveling isn’t about willpower. It’s not about saying no over and over again until the trip’s over. It’s about knowing who you are, what you want to feel, and making decisions that back that up.
When I stopped drinking, travel actually helped. It gave me the distance I needed from routines, from places that used to pull me down, from habits that looked normal but weren’t serving me. I wasn’t surrounded by old temptations anymore. I was in new environments, and I had the chance to build something better.
But that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. Travel breaks up structure. It throws you into different time zones, language barriers, new groups, and strange energy. All of that can unsettle you. If you don’t plan for it, you’re relying on luck. And luck isn’t strategy.
While staying sober isn’t as challenging as it once was, the following tips kept me grounded in the early days and still serve as a reminder now and again.
Decide why you're going in the first place
Before anything else, get honest with yourself: why are you going on this trip?
If part of you is thinking, “I need a break from being good,” then that’s something to unpack. I’ve seen people quietly plan relapses into their vacation itinerary without even realizing it. It shows up in body language and negative self-talk.
That’s not neutral. That’s the start of negotiating with yourself before the plane even takes off.
I don’t write affirmations or stick post-its on the mirror. But I have taken moments before I travel to ask what I want out of the experience. Peace? Clarity? Excitement? A reset? Once I’m clear on that, it shapes everything. I pack better. I sleep better. I show up with a purpose.
And when you’ve got that kind of grounding, you don’t reach for something that dulls the very thing you came for.
Know your triggers
I know what makes me feel off. For me, it’s airports. Too much waiting, not enough food. Cramped spaces and loud crowds. I used to cope with that by drinking, numbing myself through the frustration. Now I make a plan. I bring real food. I avoid the bar. I plug into music that calms my body.
For someone else, the trigger might be late-night social situations or loneliness in a hotel room. The point is not to avoid life. It’s to understand how your nervous system reacts so you can respond early.
From experience: If you feel it in your core, it’s time to stop and take note. The signals are there. You have to be ready to identify them and act on them with purpose.
Have sobriety tools that are known to work
Here’s what I carry, always:
Protein shake mix. Starting the day nourished is underrated.
A short playlist that gets me back into myself.
A few voice notes I recorded when I was at my strongest.
A notebook and a pen. I don’t write every day, but when I do, it helps.
When you land somewhere new and feel unanchored, you don’t need to talk yourself out of doing something that adversely affects you. You need to do something that makes you feel good about yourself.
That might be breathwork. That might be walking fast for ten minutes. That might be counting backwards from 30 while stretching your hands.
Do what works. Have a sobriety toolkit.
Plan your mornings
Most people try to control the nights. I’ve found it works better to focus on the morning.
When you’ve got a sunrise hike booked, a breakfast reservation, or a tour you’re excited for, you’ve got a reason to stop the night early. Not because you’re afraid of what happens if you stay, but because you’ve got something better waiting.
This is what real discipline looks like. While some may see it as opting out of fun, I see it as opting in to life. Pick one thing every day that will make your sober morning feel like a reward.
That’s what will carry you.
Choose environments that support sobriety
Some destinations revolve around drinking. Some don’t. That doesn’t mean you can’t go anywhere, but it does mean you should pay attention to the kind of trip you’re building.
I don’t choose destinations based on whether they’re “safe.” I choose them based on how alive I feel there. Being out in nature doesn’t hurt. Movement gives you the best buzz! Not selecting cities and towns where drinking is woven into every hour of the day helps, too!
You don’t have to go on a yoga retreat in the mountains. But if you’re early in your sobriety, maybe skip the vineyard bike tour. Don’t put yourself in a place where the only thing to do is sip wine through your day. I’ve built full, sharp memories in places like Costa Rica, Peru, South Africa, and Vietnam because I picked activities that fed my soul, instead of draining me.
You don’t owe anyone your story
When someone hands me a drink, I usually just say, “No thanks”. Unless I really feel like going into my whole backstory, I say, “I don’t drink.” That’s it. If, for some unknown reason, they keep asking, I change the subject. If they keep pushing, I'll leave the space.
You’re allowed to be private if you choose. For some, it can be part of the coping strategy to talk about it. For others, offering a reason is tiresome. Sobriety doesn’t have to include never-ending confessions.
Replace the thing you gave up
In my opinion, you can’t just say no to alcohol. You have to say yes to something else. Not everyone wants to be a monk, passing each day in silence and meditation.
For me, I filled the void left by drugs and alcohol with hiking, cultural experiences, tours, sunrises, diving, and skiing. Replacement therapy is a proven method of success for those in recovery and those who just need something to fill a space. Ideally, that hole gets filled by things that bring joy, not sorrow or regret.
Laugh out loud
This one doesn’t show up in most sober advice manuals. But laughter helps.
I’ve lost it over passport fails, flat tires, airport delays, awkward accommodation moments, and language mix-ups that sent me into the wrong building in the wrong part of town. I’ve also met strangers who’ve become friends after a day of shared laughter over something ridiculous.
Laughter is a pressure release. If you take your sobriety too seriously, like it’s something delicate, you’ll break it.
Join a sober adventure travel group
Being in a sober travel group can be one of the best ways to feel understood. Everyone will be on the same or similar path, and those long chats you have while snaking up a mountain ridge might be some of the most profound things you remember.
You can travel sober without compromise. You can show up for every moment and leave with more than a photo album. Capsule Adventures was built for people like that. People like you.
When you’re ready to go somewhere that aligns with who you are now, it will be my pleasure to take you!
