After years of booze-heavy travel, former soldier and DJ turned fitness coach, Sean Willers, shares his experiences of sober stags-dos and getaways. Sean lets us know all the extra perks you can expect when you choose to travel alcohol-free.

"I'm English so I'm terrible at learning languages."

I lost count of how many times that excuse passed my lips during my years DJing across Europe. Time and time again, night after night, I'd trot out the same explanation when asked whether I'd managed to learn any German over the past five years playing the nightclubs of Berlin, or Spanish, when mixing in Ibiza. Waking up hungover, late nights blurring into foggy brained mornings, I barely picked up a word beyond the familiar: "Dos cervezas por favor". Now I am sober, the difference in many parts of my life including this one, are like comparing night and day.

“It's easy to feel like the language and cultural barriers come down quicker with a few beers inside you.”

As for many Brits, for me drinking was as big a part of jetting off abroad as struggling through a few hastily learnt lines of French, or getting sunburnt on a Spanish beach. The desire to let a little loose when you've booked some well-deserved time off work and got yourself somewhere beautiful and sunny is very understandable. It's also easy to feel like the language and cultural barriers come down quicker with a few beers inside you.

“ On my most recent visit - the first I've made to Japan sober - I realised how much simpler it is to really connect with new friends when you don't have drink clouding your conversation…”

When I first went to Tokyo I was surprised by the intensity of the after-work drinking culture there, but soon found myself feeling right at home and getting to know my partner's friends over a bottle of sake. On my most recent visit - the first I've made to Japan sober - I realised how much simpler it is to really connect with new friends when you don't have drink clouding your conversation, and how much better I am at speaking Japanese with a sharp, alcohol-free mind. Another big plus in an expensive country like Japan is being able to eat out without breaking the bank on alcohol. My girlfriend and I used that extra cash to explore the country on days not tarnished by hangovers, including a bucket list trip (for her) to the slightly mad but excellent Ferret World. Evenings spent clear headed, soaking in the thermal springs of Hakone together, are hard to beat.  

So too for me has been the joy of waking up without the same familiar feeling of sludgy depression that used to lock me beneath the covers until midday neared. While in Japan I rose with the sun and spent the first hours of the day jogging through the streets as they began to stir. Returning to Ibiza sober as I regularly do when organising dry stag dos, I've taken great joy in running by crowds of bleary-eyed revellers spewing out of the same clubs I used to DJ in at 6am. Now the Balearic Island is associated with beautiful beaches and delicious tapas, rather than pounding headaches and a hungover Burger King in the airport departure lounge.

“Days feel longer, money goes further, and connections with locals come so much more easily.”

Deciding to make the jump away from a life of drink, to one of sobriety can be a challenging one, and not least when it comes to travel. “Would I really enjoy sitting in the sunshine next to the beach without a drink?” I used to ask myself. I now know how wrong my answer to that question was. Days feel longer, money goes further, and connections with locals come so much more easily.

"They were a little shocked to not only have a great night, but to experience what a New Year's Day filled with hope rather than hungover dread felt like.”

At the end of 2023 I travelled to Morocco and found myself driving to the middle of the country to a remote, beautiful house owned by a friend's friend. Perhaps influenced by my newfound confidence or maybe just tired of drinking, my new pals decided to join me in seeing in the new year sober. They were a little shocked to not only have a great night, but to experience what a New Year's Day filled with hope rather than hungover dread felt like. In my job as a sober fitness coach, I work with people from all walks of life, similarly helping them to experience life without alcohol and discover all the joys it holds. 

Many of them worry that the great progress they've made risks coming undone once they're away from home, on holidays with mates or on business trips. Without fail, they end up returning to the UK with a newfound love of travel and a spring in their step, wondering why it took them so long to start really seeing the world.

Sean’s top tips for traveling abroad for holidays, stags and hens without booze

1. Plan the days

One of the reasons we often enjoy holidays so much is the down time. That 7pm lull can all too often end up with us heading to the bar just out of want of something to do. But when it comes to sticking to a goal to stay alcohol-free whilst you’re on your holidays, you might benefit from trying to plan for these 'lull' periods to help avoid any temptation. What about booking or planning an evening excursion? You never know, there might just be an unbelievable sunset view you could check out instead of looking at the bottom of a glass!

2. Do something different

When I plan an alcohol-free stag do, we leave the embarrassing cliches behind and instead focus on packing in plenty of alternative celebrations. The focus totally switches from cringeworthy antics to quality time together. From breath-taking experiences like camping under the stars in the Moroccan desert, to stunning hikes in the Ibiza’s less well known beauty spots and mountain retreats, to the simple things like cooking and eating together – you can experience something really special when you don’t let alcohol pull the focus. The stag participants we take away with us often find they grow closer as a group, whether or not they knew each other beforehand – which is the ideal pre-wedding scenario, if you ask me!

3. Bring your support with you

If, like many of us, you’re heading abroad with your nearest and dearest and they’re aware that you’re intending on staying alcohol-free for your holiday, you may be able to lean on them for support during your trip. I often travel with my brother, and he’s a great one for helping me stay accountable to the decisions I’ve made. Whoever you’re holidaying with, try and make sure you've had that conversation with them about your goals to stay alcohol-free before you go away, so it doesn't come as a shock, and they can be better prepared to support you if it comes to it. If you don't have someone there on your trip that you feel can support you, or you’re travelling solo, you could look into some coaching options to help you plan for success on your trip. Whoever your support network consists of for your travels, be sure to check in regularly.

4. Know your triggers

This one sounds simple but I think it’s definitely worth thinking about before you go away. If you’re thinking of going all-inclusive but you know sitting at a bar stocked full of free drink will likely be a trigger for you, then maybe going on this type of holiday (at least for now), isn't for you. Try to be realistic with yourself as you become more familiar with the alcohol-free version of you.

5. Treat yourself in other ways

One of the best parts of a holiday can be treating ourselves. But we can move our mindsets away from thinking this treat has to involve an alcoholic drink. So maybe you do end up going for another helping at the buffet, or you get that extra scoop of ice cream in your cone, or perhaps a few extra hours in bed each day. Enjoy it and don’t be too hard on yourself! Perhaps you can have a few energetic activities planned as part of your holiday to help you balance it out, or perhaps you could plan for a health kick upon your return home.

6. Quality over quantity

This one might sound a bit odd, as who doesn’t like a nice long holiday! But when it comes to alcohol-free stag and hen dos in particular, you might want to consider how long you make the event. Without alcohol, you’ll likely to be having a much more enriching time as you spend quality time with one another, experiencing a new culture together. Plus, you won’t need the extra hours to sleep off the hangovers!