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How Embrace Analog Travel and Never Look Back

Date March 20, 2026

Reading time 5 min

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Did you hear the news?! Analog is back, baby! People young and old are buying up CDs, vinyl records, cassette tapes, shooting on film, and generally slowingggg down. We’ve had our computer phones (aka portal to hell?) for almost 15 years now, and the shine of documenting every single moment has worn off. We’re all ready to live in the moment, wrestle back our attention spans, and perhaps even create memories that only exist . . . in our minds.

There’s a seismic shift going on right now–people are seeking out authenticity beyond social media and finding themselves feeling more alive in the process. As someone who came of age during a time when analog and digital were only in a situationship, I still relish in the joys analog experiences bring to the spirit. And when it comes to traveling, hostel life is a tried-and-true method for shedding our digital shackles, getting out of our tech-imposed isolation and connecting with other humans. So if you’re new to Analog Life, feeling Analog-curious, or just wishing to set your phone ablaze in a wiccan bonfire, allow me to offer some Analog Ways to enrich your travels across Montreal and Ottawa and get more deeply connected to yourself (and others) in the process.

Pack your analog activities!

Let’s begin with the classic analog mainstays: the disposable camera and the journal. Shooting on film creates a restriction: you only get 24 or 36 shots to create memories per roll. Knowing this, your eye spends more time taking in the surroundings, and waiting for that precise moment to hit click. Disposables work wonders because they are small and light. Perfect for capturing memories of weekly pubcrawls led by staff at Saintlo Montreal and Ottawa, your burgeoning culinary explorations in the communal kitchens, or sunsets from the Oratory Saint Joseph or the Rideau Canal.

And the journal gives your brain–you know, that thing that mainlines dog rescue videos alongside global atrocities all before breakfast–a place for release! When you’re traveling, having a pen and paper is a seriously reliable friend. Just met a hostel crush? Write about those feelings! Just saw the most insane outdoor electronic show in the dead of winter? Write about that!

You can make almost any process analog if you choose to do it away from the phone. Taking the time to read that dog-eared novel you’ve had next to the bed for eight months while you spend hours on the patio drinking your morning coffee. Make a collage! Knit! Work on a puzzle! The point is to let your creativity run free and release it from any obligation to the digital public.

Explore the city–analog style!

Did you know they still make actual real physical maps? Saintlo’s hostels have them available at the front desk, and staff are more than eager to offer their local tips. Ever spread a map out across a table, dramatically raised a finger into the air with your eyes closed and pointed at a random destination? It is a must. Even better if you do it in a group.

But you don’t need to navigate all by your lonesome! Saintlo has an endless array of group activities designed to get you out into the lesser-known annals of Montreal and Ottawa, all while connecting with international travelers in the process. Staff can get you hip to each week’s specialized plans, and all are posted proudly at the front desk. At Saintlo Montreal, don’t miss out on the weekly thrift trips, where staff lead you to all the secret spots you can’t find anywhere on the Internet. Meanwhile at Saintlo Ottawa, grab your newest buddies for guided museum tours, and experience what it’s like to embrace slow travel once and for all.

Enjoy Intentional Screen-Free Moments

Do you ever want to toss your device into the ocean or just attach it to a small rocket destined for another galaxy? I feel you! Am I projecting? Maybe! So let’s start with some babysteps. The Saintlo Montreal bar gives you a taste of this digital release with their “Phone-Free” nights, offering drink discounts and an unrivaled curated playlist.

Booze not your thang? Fill up your grocery bag, plan a meal with your newly made friends and pull up to the communal kitchen. Sharing a meal with friends is quite literally one of the secrets to deep happiness. After you’ve passed the evening engulfed in conversation, grab a board game or dust off those pool cues and practice a little healthy competition amongst friends. Join up Ottawa’s renowned jail tour and learn how a prison built in 1862 became an aesthetic hotspot for youth travel. Relinquish the need to document all your activities and let yourself experience what it’s like to live life moment-to-moment. Snap some candid photos on that disposable for the memories you’ll want to preserve for years to come.

Collect Memories–Offline!

The snail mail revival is very real y’all. Receiving postcards in the mailbox, or even hand-written letters, is just delightful and feels like time traveling. And when you take the time to document your memories, anecdotes, emotions of the day in a letter/postcard, you grant yourself permission to connect with the transformational energy that happens when we travel. Saintlo never left the mailbox behind, and includes postcard/letter drop off spots picked up daily by the mail carrier.

And don’t be shy about making a scrapbook of your memories. Hold onto that ticket stub from your museum tour, print those photos you took on the disposable the night of the pub crawl. Mark up your city map with notes, comments, and ratings of your favorite spots. Write in that journal when you find yourself dumbstruck by the sunset view from Mont Royal, pick up that album you heard spinning at Sans Soleil during their all-vinyl dance parties. Let yourself be openly, unabashedly sentimental! Embrace cringe! Your Future Self will thank you for the memories.

Travel is all about shedding old skins and discovering new and dormant parts of the self. Going analog doesn’t have to mean ditching our digital lives full stop, nor does it need to cost money. The main purpose is to practice mindfulness, taking in your new surroundings with an active mind unencumbered by the pressures of the phone. There’s a collective desire to savor our present experiences when we travel, to make real in-person human connections and break free of the isolation that can result from modern life.

Give yourself permission to relish an easier pace as you discover a brand new geography. Give yourself permission to slow down, to eat and drink for hours, to play games, laugh, gossip, dance and live entirely in your own experience. No likes, no comments, no refreshing your feed. There’s a freedom awaiting you in Analog Life. It’s high time you give it a try and see how it feels.

FAQ

What is analog travel?

Analog travel is about intentionally reducing phone and social media use while traveling, in order to be more present. It means navigating with paper maps, writing in a journal, taking photos on film, and prioritizing real-life, in-person experiences over constant documentation.

Where can I buy a disposable camera and print photos?

Montreal – Photo Saint Denis + CAMTEC

Ottawa – Henry’s Camera + GPC Labworks

Where can I buy a journal?

Montreal – Papeterie V. J. Taylor + Boucle & Papier

Ottawa – The Papery + Paper Papier, ByWard Market

How can I explore Montreal or Ottawa the analog way?

Ask the hostel team for a paper map and local recommendations, then explore on foot or by public transit while leaving room for spontaneity. Pick a neighborhood, point to a spot on the map, or follow a themed walk (museums, thrift stores, cafés, canals). Hostel group activities are also a great way to step out of “solo scrolling.”

How can I create and keep memories offline?

Take a few photos on film, write postcards, keep small souvenirs like museum tickets or café receipts, and assemble a mini scrapbook when you get home. A simple evening ritual, just three lines in your notebook, is enough to anchor memories without turning them into stories or posts.