FTLO Travel Launches Phone-Free Group Trips

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.

Her stories have also appeared online at USA Today, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Boston.com, TripAdvisor, Buzzfeed, Jetsetter, Oyster, Airfarewatchdog, and others.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "Earplugs. A good pair has saved my sleep and sanity many times!"

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro.

Travel Motto: "Don't be boring."

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle (when the first class private suite isn't available)."

E-mail her at [email protected].

See recent posts by Caroline Morse Teel

Accidentally leaving your phone behind is a traveler’s worst nightmare. But what if you purposely left it behind? Would you have a better trip if you weren’t glued to your phone, snapping selfies and choosing where to eat based on Yelp reviews?

Group tour company FTLO Travel invites travelers to do just that, offering Phone-Free Departures. These trips are designed to help participants completely disconnect and focus on the experience without distractions—plus encourage travelers to be open to spontaneity by leaving behind Google Maps.

Founder and CEO Tara Cappel says they launched the phone-free trips to help travelers connect. “In today’s digital age, we have become increasingly dependent on our smartphones, and it is negatively impacting our mental well-being and our ability to be present.” Cappel hopes that by removing phones, “travelers can fully engage with the destination they’re visiting and build new relationships with like-minded trip mates.”

Couple navigating a city with map — Lumos sp | Adobe Stock

Participants on the trips will be provided with printable maps and itineraries to help them navigate the destination, and trip leaders will still have cell phones.

FTLO Travel won’t be searching participants’ suitcases for contraband phones—these trips will operate on an honor system, and travelers can still use their phones in emergencies or if they need to contact someone back home. FTLO Travel recommends bringing a digital or disposable camera instead of a phone camera to capture memories from the adventure.

The phone-free trips start in 2024 and will be available to book in a variety of destinations, including:

Havana, Cuba
Costa Rica
Portugal
Tuscany and Rome, Italy
Iceland
Oaxaca, Mexico

Prices for the trips start at $1,999 per person.

You Might Also Like:

• Win a Trip to St. Maarten
• The 7 Best Insulated Water Bottles and Mugs for Travel
• Win an All-Inclusive Trip to St. Lucia
• The 8 Best Observation Decks in the US
• TSA’s Holiday Gift to You: Free 2024 Canine Calendar

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.