Traveling Sober: Tips for Vacationing Without Jeopardizing Your Recovery

Changing your relationship with alcohol is something to celebrate – at home, on vacation, and everywhere in between! If you’re looking for additional support on your journey, you can join the Monument community to get peer encouragement and expert guidance. I would prioritize opportunities to day drink with less guilt than on ‘non-vacation’ days. If you do feel ready to venture out on a sober vacation, the first step is to plan for success. If you are starting to feel yourself unravel, don’t brush it off just because you’re on vacation.

• The rush of getting to the airport, long check-in lines, delays and long layovers can strain the nerves of even the most patient people and trigger a relapse.
• Being in recovery doesn’t mean you should nitpick or be overly concerned with packing light.
• By reminding each other of the shared commitment to sobriety, they create an environment of mutual support and responsibility.
• For example, what crowd usually frequents the hotel you’ve booked?
• Avoid these missteps to stay on track with your recovery while on the road.
• Think about possible triggers that may arise during your vacation.

Maui’s tourism recovery continues.

• Laughter is still the best medicine for a healthy mind and a healthy heart so catch plenty of smiles, too.
• The state’s proposed green fee plan could take center stage in 2025 as the state explores ways to offset the environmental impact of tourism.
• If you usually feel more confident and outgoing when drunk or high, you may be tempted to use drugs in anticipation of social interactions.
• Be sure to also check reviews and testimonials from others in the recovery community to ensure the destination is recovery-friendly.

Sober travel companions can also assist with the practical aspects of traveling. They can help individuals navigate new environments, plan transportation, and make logistical arrangements. By taking care of these details, they alleviate stress and allow individuals to focus on their recovery without the added burden of managing travel logistics. This support ensures a smoother and more enjoyable travel experience. Engaging vacationing in recovery with online sobriety communities can provide a sense of belonging and camaraderie.

Popular destinations

Maui enters 2025 at a pivotal moment in its recovery from the tragic Lahaina fire. With rebuilding efforts gaining traction, the island must balance welcoming visitors with respecting resident needs. Tourism numbers are expected to rise gradually, but the full recovery of Lahaina and surrounding areas will continue for years. Our take from years of reporting Hawaii air travel is to expect seat numbers to be similar to 2024. While some Southwest flights will be Alcoholics Anonymous reduced, especially interisland, and international will remain suppressed, domestic travel isn’t currently set to change with any significance. Indeed, popular South Florida destinations, including Fort Lauderdale and Miami, were not in the path of either hurricane.

Prescription Drug Detox

Instead of filling your time with downtime, remember that staying active means you won’t be thinking about relapsing. To start with, consider the locations where you want to go on vacation. If you have a history of alcoholism, it’s probably not the best idea to go on a wine-tasting tour. Likewise, if you have a history of drug abuse and using something like marijuana, going to a state where the drug is legal could trigger you into wanting to start smoking again. Besides tour operators, conventional hotels and resorts are now incorporating nonalcoholic beverage programs into their offerings. Treatment is what you make of it, some people just aren’t ready to get sober.

That could look like asking my fellow vacation goers for some alone time, or seeing if the hotel can include a plush robe in my room. Once your dreamy sober vacation is planned, here are my tips for sober success. Just because you say no to a vacation now, doesn’t mean you’ll never travel again. It means you’re still building your sobriety muscles and you need more time to practice at home.

High-risk areas are the ones most likely to trigger you into abusing drugs or alcohol, whereas low-risk vacations would have the least chance of exposing you to triggers. That started in 2019, encourages individuals to spend time in nature and connect with culture and others. Sober Vacations International has been leading tours for individuals in 12-step programs since 1987. Meetings are worked into the itinerary as are meals and excursions. Agendas include 12-step and Al-Anon meetings, workshops, yoga, trivia, and more.

How to Stay Sober on Vacation: 7 Tips for Success

The point is to confirm that you don’t need drugs and alcohol to enjoy yourself. With the right kind of planning and foresight, you can have a truly sober vacation without risking your sobriety due to triggers. Whether you’re going with a supportive group of friends and family or want to go alone, know that a sober vacation is possible if you plan in advance for the things that could go wrong or trigger substance abuse. By staying connected while traveling, you can ensure that you have the support and encouragement you need to stay sober.

Surround Yourself With Supportive Friends and Family

Besides researching sober-friendly destinations with supportive communities and activities that don’t revolve around harmful substances, you can also plan ahead for your adventure and set up ways to stay connected. Having support when you’re away from your home base is important, and even if you’re traveling with loved ones, it’s good to have other people in recovery who can help you if you’re feeling tempted. Once you know where your vacation is taking you, scope out at least one recovery group that you can join at a moment’s notice if necessary. Your vacation and rest are important – but your sobriety is even more important. If you find yourself concerned with maintaining sobriety while on vacation or need a little more help and guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. The caring staff here at DrugRehab.org can provide guidance throughout your travels and assist in developing a plan for a sober vacation.

I know this might be hard to believe, but after many vacations and travels both drinking and not drinking, I am here to say sobriety wins, every time. No cringy photos, social media posts, or new “friends” that you have to face after alcohol was doing the talking. Recovery can open up new possibilities and opportunities, especially while traveling.