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I'm Ashkenazi and I usually pray with a Nusach Sfarad or a Rinat Israel siddur, but I have a pocket siddur that I use for travel that is Sefaradi. Can I say birkot hashachar in the Sefaradi version, and then say the rest with an Ashkenazi siddur in the synagogue? What about praying Shacharit with a Ashkenazi siddur and Mincha with a Sefaradi siddur?

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In general one should not change once nusach, especially if you follow a strong family tradition (mesorah). Various poskim discuss the possibility to change once (incl. the need for Hatarat nedarim [annulation of vows] in some cases) but nowhere do you find people praying according to different nusachim during the day.

If you pray in a synagogue using a different nusach from yours, you should say private prayers according to your nusach and the public parts (e.g., kedushah) according to the synagogue's nusach).

See various sources and detailed study here according to R Eliezer Melamed in Pninei Halacha, here from him as well in short, here and here.

So it looks like you need a new travel siddur and of course CYLOR for your specific case.

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    Note the wrong nusach is prob better than nothing if you need a text to read
    – Double AA ♦
    Jan 8, 2016 at 14:50
  • Plural is "nuschaot." If you pray in a synagogue using a different nusach from yours, you should say private prayers according to your nusach and the public parts (e.g., kedushah) according to the synagogue's nusach). Rav Moshe Feinstein gives the option of doing that, or entirely following the synagogue.
    – Shalom
    Jan 8, 2016 at 16:26
  • @Shalom just seeing this now. On nusachim vs. nuschaot we had a discussion on this in meta. I checked and in Israel we use nusachim. Nuschaot means formulas so I don't quite understand how it can become the plural of nusach but am sure there must be a reason. On the nusach there is an issue of "not forsaking your mother's Torah" but the issue is quite granular, e.g., if one moves to a different country or changes synagogue vs. simply being once in a different synagogue. Interesting question on its own!
    – mbloch
    Jan 18, 2016 at 20:01
  • Further note: according to many respectable poskim (including R' Moshe Feinstein זצ”ל) one who davens Nusach Sephard (Israeli "Ashkenaz") may switch to Ashkenaz without Hatarat Nedarim. This is because it is an extension of the Chassidische minhagim which the Steipler and R' Moshe say may be put aside due to their novelty.
    – Noach MiFrankfurt
    Jul 17, 2016 at 13:28
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    @mbloch In academic writings on tefillah, it's common to see נוסחים as the plural, whereas נוסחא/נוסחאות is used to mean "reading(s)" (ie. variants within one נוסח).
    – magicker72
    Jun 21 at 21:08

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