The kids are older. The excuses are running out. And honestly? The only thing standing between you and the trip of your life is you.
Let’s paint a little picture. The kids are mostly grown. They can feed themselves, do their own laundry (okay, maybe not their own laundry), and they no longer need you to cut their sandwiches into triangles. You have officially served your time in the trenches of full-time mothering, and somewhere along the way you forgot to ask yourself a very important question: when was the last time you did something just for you?
Not for the family vacation. Not for the school trip chaperone duty. Not for the couples getaway that was really just a working trip with a nicer hotel. For YOU. Solo. Passport in hand, no one asking where you packed the sunscreen.
Solo travel for women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond is having an absolute moment right now, and for very good reason. It is one of the most exhilarating, confidence-building, soul-filling things you can do for yourself. Is it a little scary? Sure. Is the anxiety real? One hundred percent. But so is the reward. Let’s talk about all of it.
The Anxiety Is Real. Let’s Talk About It.
Before we get to the dreamy destination list and the Amazon shopping cart you’re about to fill, let’s be honest about something. The idea of solo travel comes with a side of “but what if…” that can feel paralyzing. Here are the most common worries, and what to actually do with them.
ANXIETY BLOCK 1
THE WORRY
“What if something goes wrong and I’m completely alone?”
This is the big one. It sits in the back of every solo traveller’s brain like a tiny anxious gremlin whispering worst-case scenarios at 2 a.m. And it is completely valid.
WHAT ACTUALLY HELPS
Share your itinerary with someone at home before you leave. Use a location-sharing app like Find My or Life360 with a trusted friend. Book accommodations with solid reviews (other women’s reviews especially). Research your destination ahead of time and have the local emergency number saved in your phone. You are not helpless. You are prepared.
ANXIETY BLOCK 2
THE WORRY
“I’ve never done anything like this. What if I hate it?”
What if you love it so much that you immediately start planning the next one? That happens a lot more than the alternative. But the fear of the unknown is real and worth acknowledging.
WHAT ACTUALLY HELPS
Start small. A weekend in a Canadian city you have never explored is a perfectly legitimate first solo trip. Victoria, BC. Charlottetown, PEI. Quebec City. You don’t have to book a flight to Portugal for your first go (though honestly, why not eventually). Build confidence in smaller steps and let it snowball naturally.
ANXIETY BLOCK 3
THE WORRY
“Won’t I be lonely? Won’t people think I’m sad eating alone?”
Ah, the solo dining anxiety. It is one of the most universally felt solo travel fears, and it is also one of the first ones to completely dissolve once you actually do it.
ANXIETY BLOCK 4
THE WORRY
“Is it actually safe to travel alone as a woman?”
Sit at the bar. Order something you would never order at home. Bring a book or a journal. Within about ten minutes you’ll realize that absolutely no one is paying attention to you, and that is actually incredibly freeing. Also: solo travellers tend to have the most interesting conversations with locals and other travellers. Being alone makes you approachable in the best way.
This one deserves a real answer, not a dismissive “you’ll be fine!” because your safety absolutely matters and smart preparation is not optional.
WHAT ACTUALLY HELPS
Research your destination through the lens of solo female travel specifically. There are incredible online communities (r/solotravel, Solo Female Travelers on Facebook) filled with women sharing honest, current safety information. Stay in well-reviewed accommodations. Trust your gut always. Avoid poorly lit areas at night. Keep copies of your documents. And check out the Amazon safety items list below, because a few smart products go a long way toward peace of mind.
“The woman who books the solo trip is the same woman who comes home and can’t stop talking about why everyone should do it.”
Why Every Woman Should Do This At Least Once
Okay, anxiety addressed. Now let’s talk about why solo travel is, without question, one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself at this stage of life.
REASON 01
You make every single decision. And it feels incredible.
Want to sleep in until 10 a.m.? Done. Want to spend four hours in a museum no one else in your family would ever set foot in? Done. Want to eat dinner at 5 p.m. because you’re hungry and you genuinely don’t care what anyone else thinks? Also done. Solo travel gives you back something you may not have fully experienced since your 20s: total, uncompromising autonomy. It turns out you have excellent taste. Who knew.
REASON 02
You will surprise yourself.
There is something that happens on a solo trip, usually around day two or three, where you navigate something tricky completely on your own and you think “I just did that.” Maybe it’s figuring out a foreign transit system. Maybe it’s talking your way into a sold-out restaurant. Maybe it’s just getting from the airport to your hotel in a city where you don’t speak the language. Whatever it is, that feeling sticks with you long after the trip ends. It rewires how you see yourself.
REASON 03
You’ll come home a better version of you.
Women who travel solo consistently report coming home feeling more patient, more creative, more grounded, and more grateful. Getting out of your daily environment and routine shifts your perspective in ways that are genuinely hard to replicate any other way. Your family will notice. You will notice. And then you will start planning the next trip because the feeling is that good.
REASON 04
You model something powerful for your kids.
Even your older kids are watching how you treat yourself. When they see their mom booking a trip solo, confidently navigating the world on her own terms, and coming home glowing with stories, that lands. You are showing them what a woman who prioritizes herself looks like. That is not selfish. That is one of the best things you can do for them.
REASON 05
Because you have earned it. Full stop.
You spent years putting everyone else first. School lunches, sports schedules, permission slips, sick days, appointments, the mental load of holding an entire household together. This trip is not indulgent. It is necessary. It is yours. Book it.
Where Should You Go? Some Ideas to Get You Dreaming.
Whether you want to ease in close to home or throw caution to the wind and go full international adventure, here are some destinations that solo female travellers genuinely love.
Right Here in Canada
Banff & Jasper, Alberta
Adventure + Breathtaking Scenery
This one is almost unfair in its beauty. The Canadian Rockies are genuinely jaw-dropping, and Banff is incredibly well set up for solo travellers with excellent infrastructure, tons of guided activities, and a lively little town full of great restaurants and shops. Take a sunrise hike to Lake Louise when there are fewer people around. Soak in the Banff Upper Hot Springs. Drive the Icefields Parkway and pull over every five minutes because you genuinely cannot help yourself. It is that kind of place.
Victoria & Tofino, British Columbia
Charming + Wild Coast Energy
Victoria is refined, walkable, full of incredible food, and absolutely lovely for a solo long weekend. Tofino, a couple of hours up the island, is a completely different experience: wild Pacific coast energy, whale watching, incredible surf culture, and a laid-back vibe that makes it impossible to feel stressed. Do both if you can. Take the BC Ferry over from Vancouver and make the whole journey part of the adventure.
The East Coast: Nova Scotia & PEI
Cozy + Storybook Charming
If you have not driven the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, add it to your list immediately. Nova Scotia’s East Coast is incredibly welcoming, the seafood is ridiculous in the best way, and the pace of life does something wonderful to your nervous system. Prince Edward Island has a storybook quality that never gets old: red sand beaches, lobster suppers, Anne of Green Gables heritage sites, and genuinely the friendliest people in the country. The East Coast of Canada is criminally underrated as a solo travel destination.
Go Big: International Destinations
Lisbon & Porto, Portugal
Safe + Affordable + Absolutely Beautiful
Portugal consistently tops the solo female travel safety lists, and once you arrive you will understand immediately why women are obsessed with it. Lisbon is hilly, colourful, full of incredible food, and very affordable by European standards. Porto is quieter and arguably even more beautiful. English is widely spoken. The wine is extraordinary. The people are warm. The light in the late afternoon does something to your soul that is genuinely hard to explain. Go.
Mexico: Oaxaca & San Miguel de Allende
Culture + Colour + Incredible Food
Skip the all-inclusive resort for a minute and consider the interior of Mexico, because it is a completely different and extraordinary experience. Oaxaca is a UNESCO World Heritage city with some of the best food in the world, a thriving arts scene, and a pace of life that is deeply restorative. San Miguel de Allende is architecturally stunning, has a large expat community, and is one of the most photographed cities in North America for good reason. Both are well-established on the solo female travel circuit and incredibly welcoming.
Costa Rica
Adventure + Nature + Pura Vida
Costa Rica has one of the most well-developed solo female travel communities out there, and it is not hard to see why. The country is spectacularly beautiful, the people are warm and welcoming, the adventure activities (zip lining, surfing, volcano hiking, wildlife tours) are incredible, and there is an entire infrastructure built around tourism that makes navigation as a solo traveller genuinely easy. Pura Vida is their national motto, and after a few days there you will be saying it too and meaning it completely.
Japan
Ultra Safe + Extraordinary + Life-Changing
Japan is consistently ranked as one of the safest countries in the world for solo female travellers, and it is one of those places that completely rewires the way you see the world. The train system is so efficient it borders on magical. The food is extraordinary at every single price point. The culture is respectful and fascinating. And the experience of wandering through Kyoto, Tokyo, or a tiny rural onsen town entirely on your own terms is something that is very hard to put into words. It is a bucket list destination for very good reason.
Your Solo Travel Amazon List
Because the right gear makes the whole experience better. Here are 20 items solo female travellers actually swear by, from the practical to the downright fun.
1. Personal Safety Alarm (130dB) — SAFETY — Clips to your bag. Loud enough to be heard from a block away. Non-negotiable.
2. Pacsafe Anti-Theft Crossbody Bag — SAFETY — Cut-proof straps, lockable zippers. Looks stylish. Works hard.
3. RFID Blocking Passport Holder — SAFETY — Protects your cards and passport from electronic theft while travelling.
4. Doorstop Security Alarm — SAFETY — Wedges under your hotel door and screams if anyone tries to open it. Peace of mind guaranteed.
5. Hidden Money Belt — SAFETY — Worn under your clothes. Keep your emergency cash and a card copy here.
6. Anker PowerCore Portable Charger — PRACTICAL — Because a dead phone when you’re navigating solo is a hard no. Charge twice over.
7. Universal Travel Adapter — PRACTICAL — Works in 150+ countries. One adapter. Done.
8. Compression Packing Cubes (6-set) — PRACTICAL — Fit twice as much in your bag. Stay organized the whole trip. Life-changing honestly.
9. Trtl Travel Pillow — PRACTICAL — Looks a little odd. Works incredibly well. Sleep on the plane like a person.
10. Silk Sleep Mask with Ear Plugs Set — FUN — Because hotel curtains are always optimistic at best. Block it all out.
11. Hydro Flask 32oz Travel Bottle — PRACTICAL — Stay hydrated, reduce plastic waste, and look put-together doing it.
12. Portable Luggage Scale — PRACTICAL — Avoid the airport scramble. Know your bag weight before you leave the room.
13. Lululemon Belt Bag (or dupe) — FUN — Hands-free, stylish, fits your phone and cards perfectly for day exploring.
14. Foldable Sun Hat with UV Protection — FUN — Packs flat, looks adorable, protects you from that equatorial sun.
15. Cute Waterproof Tote Bag — FUN — Beach days, market days, unexpected rain days. This bag handles all of it.
16. Travel-Size Skincare Set — FUN — Your skin still deserves attention even when you’re adventuring. TSA-friendly sizes.
17. Solo Travel Journal — FUN — Write it all down. You’ll want to remember every single bit of this.
18. Noise-Cancelling Earbuds — PRACTICAL — Long flights, noisy hostels, crowded trains. These are your best travel friend.
19. Quick-Dry Travel Towel — PRACTICAL — Lightweight, compact, dries in an hour. Essential for beach destinations.
20. A Really Good Book — FUN — Because solo dining with a great story in hand is actually one of life’s quiet pleasures. Treat yourself.
So. Are You Going to Book It?
Here’s the thing about solo travel. The version of you that comes home is always a little different from the version that left. More confident. More curious. More comfortable in her own skin. She’s eaten dinner alone and loved it. She’s navigated something hard and figured it out. She’s sat somewhere beautiful with no one to share it with and realized that her own company is actually really, really good.
You have spent years being everything to everyone. This trip is for the part of you that existed before all of that, and the part of you that’s still very much here, waiting for her turn.
Book the trip. Pack the bag. Go.