My travels abroad were always messy and chaotic ... until I changed one habit

I recently marked 10 years of sobriety and to celebrate set off on a European adventure that saw me cycling through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, trekking in Cumbria and hanging with old friends in London. For me, giving up alcohol after a painful separation, in 2016, was a no-brainer. After decades of enduring a cycle of binge drinking, periods of abstinence, then binge drinking again, it was time to admit that alcohol was in control of me and not the other way around.

In the past, for me, drinking was synonymous with travel. I did both to escape the humdrum of home and to evade personal issues. The combination often led to crazy times while travelling, that I now recall with shame. There was an all-nighter in New York during which I trawled through Manhattan's most exclusive bars, a speakeasy set behind a faux sex shopfront and several grungy basement dives. In Mumbai, I got so drunk on homemade Indian rum that I couldn't get out of bed for two days. I've had to be carried to my hotel room by strangers in Austria; thrown up from a hot air balloon, at dawn, above Canberra; and drunk to excess everywhere from Bali to Cuba to Zambia.

Back then, it seemed part of the adventure, even the hangovers, which grew progressively worse and robbed me of properly experiencing destinations.

Learning to travel sober wasn't easy but the rewards of doing so were soon clear. Six months after giving up, I triumphantly completed a mass 527-kilometre bike tour through Victoria, which would have previously been a drinkathon. Overseas trips with my young daughters also became easier to manage and more joyous. The simple pleasures of travelling sober were manifest too: waking up in new place ready to absorb it, savouring new foods without dulling my taste buds, being more mindful of local culture, getting fitter and taking on active challenges, like trekking in Nepal.

While these are personal observations, "sober travel" is undoubtedly a growing trend, particularly among younger travellers. In a 2024 survey by Flight Centre company, Student Universe, 83 per cent of gen Z travellers said they'd take an alcohol-free holiday.

Among the stated reasons were safety (66 per cent) - pertinent after recent horror stories of drink spiking in Laos; cost (55 per cent); and losing days to hangovers (53 per cent). The 2025 Voice of a Generation survey, by Contiki, renowned for boozy 18-35 group tours, confirmed the trend, with 79 per cent stating they'd book alcohol-free travel. The statistics reflect broader societal change, highlighted in an extensive recent Flinders University study, detailing how Australia's alcohol consumption is declining in all age-groups, driven by younger generations.

"The rise of sober travel also reflects a broader shift in how people define luxury and wellbeing," says Sydney-based wellness advocate Kris Abbey, "increasingly, travellers are seeking experiences that leave them feeling restored, energised and mentally clear - not depleted."

Travel companies are recognising this change, with Contiki launching alcohol-free tours, in 2025, and cruise lines like Princess offering zero-alcohol packages on Australian vessels, covering mocktails, smoothies and specialty coffees.

In Australia, Newcastle-based Newy Tour Company just introduced a non-alcoholic Hunter Valley wine tour. It's in recognition of the "sober curious" movement, in which people are questioning the compulsion to drink in social settings.

Sober travel also fits perfectly with the flourishing wellness industry, currently worth $6.8 trillion worldwide, according to the Global Wellness Institute. From bathhouses to nature-based saunas, like Manly in Sydney's brand-new Harbour Heat, at Q Station, wellness experiences are all the rage. "We're seeing a move away from escapism and towards intentional travel," says Abbey. "Today's traveller wants meaningful connection, deeper sleep, better nervous-system regulation, time in nature and experiences that support longevity. Alcohol simply isn't central to travel in the way it was."

People are also becoming "more intentional about how they want to feel both during and after a holiday experience", says Che de Jong of Gwinganna Retreat and Spa in the Gold Coast hinterland, which holds alcohol-free five- and seven-day retreats.

In Tasmania, writer Alice Hansen runs Wild Wellness retreats at the Cove, on Tassie's north-west coast, near Devonport. The retreats offer a holistic recalibration led by addiction specialist Dr Chris Davis, clinical psychologist Annia Baron and Wim Hof- trained Piet Blokker, and include guided breathwork, yoga and journalling.

Apart from the mental clarity I now have, another fun part of travelling sober is trying the growing range of non-alcoholic drinks.

Looking back on my trip, there was just one awkward moment, when some new buddies on my Baltic cycling tour invited me to dinner at a brewery.

As the beer enthusiasts savoured a menu full of Lithuanian IPAs and pale ales, I nervously announced that I didn't drink.

Only to be met by a chorus of support from my companions that continued throughout the trip.