Key Takeaways
- Kristin Addis from Be My Travel Muse writes our regular column on solo female travel. It’s an important topic I can’t adequately cover, so I brought i
- Every now and then I think about Julie, a 77-year-old woman who stayed at the beach bungalow next to me on the island of Gili Air in Indonesia.
- She regaled with me stories about being invited by locals to beach barbecues, her adventures, and the fun she had traveling the world. I felt so empow
Kristin Addis from Be My Travel Muse writes our regular column on solo female travel. It’s an important topic we can’t adequately cover alone, so we brought in an expert to share her advice for other women travelers — helping highlight topics that matter most to them! She’s insightful and deeply experienced. In this column, Kristin shares perspectives from solo female travelers who aren’t millennials.
Every now and then I think about Julie, a 77-year-old woman who stayed at the beach bungalow next to me on the island of Gili Air in Indonesia.
She regaled me with stories about being invited by locals to beach barbecues, her adventures, and the joy she found traveling the world. I felt so empowered during our conversations. She was laid-back and at peace — a confident role model who challenged the notion that solo female travel is only for the young. Her presence affirmed that women of any age can thrive on the road.
Over the years while writing this column, we’ve noticed more women asking, “What about those of us who aren’t twenty-something? Where can I read stories and connect with narratives that reflect my own life stage?”
The Internet is saturated with content from young, often Western, women traveling the globe — their blogs, Instagram feeds, and features in major publications reinforce a youth-centric narrative.
But solo female travelers span generations, backgrounds, and continents.
Today, we amplify the voices of older women travelers — sharing hard-won wisdom from seven remarkable individuals. We spoke with them virtually and asked: What advice would you give to women setting out on solo journeys later in life?
Anne
From: United Kingdom Age: 59 Professional background: Civil servant
Anne had a stable career, a comfortable home, a reliable car, and strong ties to friends and family — yet for years, she’d felt a quiet but persistent pull to explore the world:
“I was feeling rather bored with my life. I had, for as long as I can remember, felt a desire to travel. Several things coincided to bring me to my decision to ‘just go’ — I qualified for a career break at work, so I applied for a year of unpaid leave.”
For Anne, going solo wasn’t a bold declaration — it was pragmatic: no one else could join her, and she’d waited long enough for the “right” time or companion.
“Do it! Don’t wait for anyone to do it for you. If you truly want to travel, find a way — and don’t let anyone stop you. I was fortunate to take partial early retirement, giving me a modest pension, and I funded part of my journey through the sale of my home. I also used Workaway to offset costs. Beyond savings, the real value was cultural immersion — living with hosts, joining their daily rhythms, and gaining authentic insight into local life.”
Anita
From: Chicago, IL Age: 53 Professional background: Customer account executive
Anita initially resisted solo travel — her mind filled with worries about loneliness, safety, and disappointment:
“I thought traveling solo would be lonely, depressing, and not fun. Those assumptions turned out to be completely wrong. I consistently meet some of the most fascinating people on the road — and I always have incredible, unrepeatable experiences doing things entirely on my own terms.”
“I’d love to say my solo journey began as a bold feminist statement — a declaration of independence for my generation. But truthfully? I started kicking and screaming, full of reluctance. Still, my longing to travel outweighed my fear of going alone.”
Like many others, she realized she couldn’t afford to wait for the perfect travel partner or ideal moment. As she explained, “I didn’t want to postpone life-changing adventures until a ‘travel soul mate’ appeared. With age came clarity: time is finite. I might never meet that person — and that’s perfectly okay. Now, I genuinely love traveling solo.”
When facing skepticism, she says, “I show them my photos. But inwardly, I’m thinking: ‘While you’re staying put and judging, I’m out there living fully — and loving every mile.’”
Helen
From: Toronto, Canada Age: 44 Professional background: Marketing and operations
Helen lived a seminomadic life for a year and a half before returning home to work. She has traveled solo to the Galápagos Islands, Kenya, Tanzania, India, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, the West Bank, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, and South Korea.
Of traveling solo, she says she did it “to gain new perspectives on both the world and myself. My travel pursuits have not (and still do not) always match those of my friends and family, but I’m fiercely independent — and I trust my instincts.”
