Imagine a whole week without notifications, without out-of-hours work messages and without that automatic reflex of reaching for your phone whenever there’s a spare second. Now swap your usual surroundings for a 17th-century country house in southern Italy, surrounded by olive groves, with a swimming pool and time to talk without rushing.
That’s exactly the idea: a phone-free holiday, designed for one family and one group of friends who feel they can no longer get everyone around the same table at the same time.
The experience takes place in Salento, in the Lecce area of Italy, and has been designed to force a slower pace. Smartphones, laptops and screens are put away. The focus shifts to cooking together, playing games, going for walks, sleeping properly and rediscovering what it means to spend time with people without constant digital distractions.
Best of all, the stay and selected activities are free of charge, as long as you secure a place in the initiative.
Screen-free holidays: what is the experience like?
At the heart of the proposal is a simple idea: switch off to reconnect. For one week, two groups – an extended family and a group of friends, up to 10 people in each case – will stay in a 17th-century rural property in the heart of Salento.
The house sits in the countryside, surrounded by olive trees, citrus orchards and spacious grounds designed for socialising. Instead of television and endless scrolling, there’s:
- A large living room with a fireplace and board games
- Several outdoor areas for relaxing
- A private swimming pool
- Spaces for long meals and unhurried conversations
- A dedicated moment to explore the region and its flavours, with local tips provided
The golden rule is clear: smartphones, laptops and notifications stay in your bag. It isn’t a silent retreat, but rather a week to swap screen time for quality time with the people you bring along.
Who can apply for these phone-free holidays?
The initiative is aimed at two very specific groups:
A multigenerational or extended family: families who struggle to get everyone together at the same time – grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews – because of schedules, distance and daily routines.
The idea is to offer a week to recover conversations, memories and traditions without digital interruptions;
A group of friends: people who everyday life has pulled apart physically, but who have never truly lost touch.
It could be university friends, former colleagues or old travel companions.
In both cases, the group can include up to 10 people. To apply, participants must share their story and explain why they want to give themselves a genuine disconnection experience.
Rather than simply filling in a quick form, the aim is to show what’s at stake in that relationship – what has been lost and what could still be regained.
Dates, duration and how the selection works
The phone-free holidays in Salento have fixed dates and are split between family and friends:
- Family: week of 23 to 29 August. The house is reserved for one multigenerational or extended family group;
- Group of friends: week of 1 to 7 September. The house is reserved for one group of friends of up to 10 people;
Applications are open until 14 June, via Airbnb’s official website.
What’s included (and what you’ll need to pay for yourself)
One of the aspects that makes the experience so appealing is that the stay and selected activities are free of charge, courtesy of Airbnb.
Not included:
- Travel to Italy (flights, trains, transfers and so on);
- Daily meals, except where explicitly stated in the programme;
- Personal expenses and any additional plans you choose to arrange outside the core experience.
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