For many, the opportunity to travel is one of the great perks of entering our later years. Shedding work and family responsibilities that kept us busy during our younger days, we now have the opportunity to focus on our own interests and passions, forging ahead to new destinies that fill our minds (and often stomachs) with great reward. The twist on this vision is that this pursuit means flying solo for many older women. That is, even if they have a spouse or partner, many older women are now traveling alone, enjoying the challenge of seeking out new places often without a partner. What’s behind this trend?

A recent report from Road Scholar gives us some insight. In a survey of 600 senior solo women travelers, 60% said they were married but their husbands were not interested or not physically able to travel with them. As one woman declared, “Don’t let a silly thing like marriage get in the way of your passion to learn about the world.” Moreover, ¼ of the women surveyed said it was easier to make new friends when traveling solo, and many were excited to choose their destinations or enjoy their autonomy without the input of others. In fact, sources report that the majority of overseas travelers are women, especially as it’s become easier with technology, and more socially acceptable, for women to travel alone. The tourist industry is definitely taking notice of this trend, with many hospitality companies now developing opportunities for solo women to enjoy safe and engaging travel opportunities, often grouping solo women together for the chance to make new friends and share common interests. For example, there are now women-only tour groups and organizations such as Backroads and Road Scholars that are creating trips specifically intended for solo travelers, including older women. And not all of these are quiet, traditional vacations. Women, including those 65 and over, are now becoming more prominent in the arena of adventure tourism with the number of solo older women doing adventure trips increasing from about 4% of travelers in 2019 to 18% in 2022. Backroads has even put together women-only adventure trips. There’s now a private Facebook group, Solo In Style: Women Over 50 Travelling Solo & Loving It!, with over 500,000 members, to support and encourage older women to take on worldwide travel independently. And grab a suitcase and check out JourneyWoman, the world’s largest and most trusted travel resource for women over 50.

Women who have taken on this challenge are also sharing their stories and advice. For example, a recent BBC profile of 89-year-old world traveler Joy Fox describes her lifelong wanderlust to all regions of the world. At 89, she states, “I had no idea I would still be travelling at this age. But being blessed with good health means I can still see more of the world.” For advice, she suggests that safety is always top of mind when selecting destinations (leading her to often choose women-owned accommodations) and to get used to solo travel, she recommends beginning to venture out in your local community alone, to get happy and comfortable keeping your own company.  Baby boomer travel journalist Patricia Doherty also shares her solo travel tips, including suggestions such as keeping an eye on your cell phone battery, always alerting someone back home as to your itinerary, and traveling lightly given you only have yourself to rely on when bags need to be schlepped! And as veteran 61-year-old solo traveler Joanna Moorhead says, solo travel is a “freedom I didn’t imagine I would ever taste again, which makes it all the more precious.”

Finally, whether you’re traveling alone, in a group, with or without a partner, in this day and age, it’s never wrong to play it safe. So, take a look here for recommendations for the best travel insurance for older adults along with Savvy Senior’s recent column on health-related travel tips for older adults.