I had been eyeing a solo trip to Japan for years before I finally booked it. Not because I couldn’t afford it, not because I didn’t have the time. Because I kept waiting to feel ready, and I kept reading guides written for a 24-year-old with a hostel budget and zero responsibilities. That’s not me. And I’m guessing it’s not you either. The best solo trips for women over 35 look different, in a good way.
I’ve traveled solo across five continents and lived abroad four times, spending three months in Italy, a year in Spain, two six-month stints in London, and a summer in Costa Rica. Showing up, not knowing a soul, feeling overwhelmed and anxious and excited all at once. Step by step I figured it out and made my way through each adventure. I didn’t have a guidebook for that, though I wish I had.
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This is the solo female travel guide I wish had existed when I started. It covers everything I’ve figured out across solo trips to Tokyo, Mexico, Palm Springs, New Zealand, and so many places in between: how to get started if you’re nervous, how to stay safe without being paranoid, where to actually go when you have real money and limited time, and honestly, when it makes more sense to just hand the planning to someone who’s been there.
Solo travel for women over 35 is having a moment, and for good reason. We’re done waiting for the right travel partner, the right timing, the right sign. Use the table of contents below to jump to whatever you need most, or read straight through if you’re starting from zero. Whatever you’re looking for, this is the solo travel guide for women over 35 that covers everything from the best solo trips to the stuff no one warns you about.
If you’ve been putting off traveling alone as a woman, now’s your chance to take the leap.
Table of Contents
📌Table of Contents
1. Why Women Over 35 Are Going Solo (and Not Looking Back)
There’s a reason solo travel for women in their 40s is everywhere right now, and it’s not just Instagram, something real is shifting. More and more people are single, many without children, no longer needing a partner to rely on. In the past, women needed men for financial support and stability. Women couldn’t even open their own bank account without their husband’s approval until the 70s. Today, women can financially support themselves, and while many of us would love a partner and family, there is still plenty we want to do, and luckily, are now able to do it. That includes traveling solo.
Being a solo female traveler over 35 isn’t a consolation prize. It’s a choice. Women 35–60 are one of the fastest-growing solo travel demographics – not because our lives got simpler, but because we stopped waiting for them to. Solo travel at this life stage hits differently because you actually know yourself – your pace, your preferences, and what you won’t compromise on. And when I look at the best solo trips for women, they reflect that.
I’ve watched friends go from “I could never travel alone” to texting me from a hotel bar in England, and it happens faster than you’d think. Once you take that first step, the next one is even easier. And with so many solo women getting out there, the conversation is slowly shifting. It’s no longer “why are you traveling alone?” – it’s “where are you going next?”
Read next: 10 Reasons to Travel Solo, 6 Kinds of Solo Trips to Take in Your 50s
2. How Solo Travel Changes After 35 – and Why That’s a Good Thing
The reasons solo travel feels different now are mostly good ones. You’ve got more self-knowledge, more budget, and a lot less to prove. When I was younger, each solo trip I took put together another puzzle piece of who I am as a person. Today, I don’t need to “find myself” anywhere. I know who I am, and what I’m looking for is a week to just be me, somewhere interesting where I can learn, explore, or relax at my own pace.
Pace also changes when you’re looking at solo travel after 35. In my 20s, it was seeing everything, going out to enjoy the nightlife, and meeting people at hostels to keep the party going all night long. Today, I have less FOMO and more JOMO. I’m perfectly fine skipping the club to be asleep by 10 and up for a 7am walk. Zero guilt. And while I still enjoy meeting people on solo trips, the social math changes a bit. Solo travel in your 40s means you meet people on your terms, when and how you want to. Socializing solo in Italy became meeting for a morning espresso, or having wine over dinner. When the young kids were ready to stay at the bar until the early morning, I had no problem heading home.
When I was younger, how I traveled was restricted by budget, which is a real thing. Those hostel dorm rooms? I’m glad I did them but I’m not down for them anymore, and I don’t have to be. That’s not sacrifice, that’s just facts. Now that I know what I like and what’s important to me, planning is clearer, which means I’ll likely have the trip I’m looking to have.
There are new challenges that arise when traveling over 35. Our careers are more intense, we may have kids that would love to go, and we may also have aging parents to care for. We are no longer only responsible for ourselves. This makes your solo time precious, and the logistics of getting away more complex. But rather than let this deter you from traveling solo, let it be your reason why getting away solo matters more, not less. If you don’t take care of yourself, you’ll have nothing left for others. Solo time isn’t selfish. It’s what makes everything else sustainable.
Read next: What I learned traveling solo in Italy for 3 months
3. How to Take Your First Solo Trip (Without Spiraling)
The first solo trip is the hardest one to book. Everything after that gets easier, and I’ll walk you through exactly how to start.
If you’ve never traveled solo, it can be daunting. The key is to start closer to home than you think you need to. A solo weekend in a city you’ve always wanted to explore does more for your confidence than a big international trip would. Even before that, you can do warm-ups by doing activities solo in your home town. A day at the museum, a dinner out on your own, goes a long way to building up the confidence and overcoming anxieties of doing things solo.
The good news is that booking solo doesn’t mean doing everything alone. There are tours, cooking classes, day trips, and guided experiences that give you real connection with people, which is something I didn’t expect to miss as much as I did. It was so nice being able to turn toward another person in my day tour group in China, and talk about how amazing the temple was. Sharing these moments is more meaningful than we sometimes give it credit for.
When you’ve decided where to go, now the planning kicks in. The list of things you need to handle before you go is shorter than the list of things you’re worried about. I can help you tell the difference. Believe it or not, the most important thing I did before my first real solo trip? I let myself feel nervous about it instead of trying to talk myself out of it. Feel all the feels, they are normal. Then, focus on the excitement and adventure you’re about to have.
From a practical standpoint, have your hotels booked before you go, even if it’s just your first leg, and have transportation set up from the airport to your hotel. These two little things can take the edge off, removing that anxiety of what to figure out when you land. I like to book a car service so there’s a driver waiting with my name on a sign. That’s one less thing to figure out when I land tired, one more way to start your trip with ease. And of course, tell someone your itinerary (not so they can worry; so you don’t have to). TripIt is a great app for consolidating your itinerary, and sharing with others.
Read next: How to take your first solo trip – everything I’d tell a friend
4. Is Solo Travel Safe for Women? Here’s the Real Answer
Is solo travel safe for women? Yes, with preparation. The risks are real but manageable, and women over 35 tend to handle them better than younger travelers. They know their limits, trust their instincts, and don’t feel the need to prove anything. Research your destination, stay aware of your surroundings, and share your itinerary. That’s most of the work.
If you’ve been putting off traveling alone as a woman because safety feels like a dealbreaker, here’s the honest read. Solo travel safety is worth taking seriously, but most of the risks are manageable with a few specific habits, and fear of it is usually worse than the reality. I’ve traveled solo in countries with high crime stats and countries with near-zero. The research you do beforehand is the biggest variable, as it impacts what you do when you arrive.
The neighborhood you stay in, the places you visit, even how you dress in some countries, can be variables that increase your risk. That said, I don’t travel in fear or treat every local like a threat. That kind of hyper-vigilance ruins trips and is often just wrong. Instead, I follow basic safety habits that I would anywhere, including at home, and have faith that most people out there are kind, caring humans.
Some good safety habits include sharing your itinerary, keeping digital and physical copies of your docs (passport, confirmations, etc), not flashing expensive gear or jewelry, and trusting your gut when something feels off. And while it’s good to research the State Department travel advisories as a baseline, they aren’t a ceiling. They’re conservative by design. If a country is deemed level 4, I’m not going. But I’ve traveled to Mexico several times as a Level 2 threat, and had zero issues. Honestly, the riskiest thing about solo travel is usually the airport taxi scamming you. Book a car instead.
Read next: The parts of solo travel no one talks about – including the safety stuff
5: The Stuff No One Tells You About Traveling Solo
The uncomfortable, funny, and surprisingly emotional parts of solo travel are real, and knowing about them beforehand makes them easier to handle.
People ask me if I get lonely traveling solo, and the answer is sure, sometimes. The loneliness is real, but it comes in waves, not a constant hum, and it passes faster than you expect when you let yourself be where you are.
You can also find connections in small ways. People are kinder to solo travelers than you think they’ll be. The woman at the café table next to you, the hotel concierge, the tour guide who checks in to make sure you found the train. Solo doesn’t mean invisible, or entirely alone.
Eating alone at a restaurant still has a moment of “everyone is looking at me.” They’re not, but the feeling is real, and then you read your book and order dessert and it’s actually fine. I remember when I sat in a restaurant in Spain, so nervous and just knew everyone was staring at me. No one batted an eye, and I realized people have enough in their own lives and conversations, without focusing on solo diners at the next table over.
Decision fatigue is the underrated hard part: when you have to make every single call, all day, every day, you get tired in a way that has nothing to do with miles walked. But that comes with the proud-of-yourself feeling at the end of a solo trip, which is irreplaceable. I don’t know how else to explain it except that it’s yours. I’ve come home from solo trips knowing myself better in ways I didn’t expect. That’s not a cliché. That’s just what happens when you’re the only one in charge of your day.
Read next: All the parts of solo travel no one tells you — my honest take →
6. Best Solo Trips for Women Over 35
The best solo female travel destinations aren’t always the obvious ones, and the best solo female trips aren’t the most Instagram-famous ones. It’s the one that fits your risk tolerance, your interests, and honestly, your budget.
For first-time international solo travelers, Japan is genuinely hard to beat. It’s safe, wildly efficient, and the culture means you’ll rarely feel unwelcome or hassled as a solo woman. Tokyo specifically is a solo-travel paradise: you can eat like a queen at a counter seat for $12, get around on public transit, and fill a full week without ever feeling stuck. I landed, nervous about the size and scale of this magnificent city, and was quickly put at ease. The city is easy to get around and surprisingly manageable for a first-time solo traveler. Pockets of quiet existed, restaurants were easy to find, and it was easy to just be.
If you want something gentler for a first solo trip, a domestic weekend trip (Palm Springs, Sedona, the California coast) builds the muscle before you add the international layer.
For the solo traveler who wants a mix of beach, wellness, and not having to make every decision, an all-inclusive or wellness resort (BodyHoliday, Miraval) is actually brilliant solo. The staff are trained for it, and the structure does some of the work for you.
Italy is a bit more complicated solo. It’s incredible, but may have more logistics to contend with depending on where you go. It’s definitely worth it, with a few specific moves. Rome, Florence, Venice, and parts of Sicily are very doable solo. Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast are breathtaking but involve more planning, with lots of winding roads. Not comfortable driving? Stay in one place and day-trip with a guide.
Read next:
- 6 Kinds of Solo Trips to Take in Your 50s →
- My full solo travel guide to Japan →
- My full 5-day solo Tokyo itinerary →
- Solo weekend in Palm Springs →
- My solo week at BodyHoliday: worth it? →
Coming soon: my full guide the Western USA for solo female travelers 35+.
7: Budgeting for Solo Travel: What to Expect and How to Plan
Solo travel costs more than splitting a room, obviously, but less than most people assume when you factor in how much control you have over every line item. The real solo travel tax is accommodation. You’re paying full price for a room designed for two, which adds up fast if you’re not strategic about it. I offset this with mid-range boutique hotels (better solo vibe than big chains, often better breakfast), occasional small group tours where lodging is built in, and sometimes just a really nice Airbnb that makes me feel like I live there.
In order to see what you have for accommodation, build your budget backwards. Start with flights and accommodation, then give yourself a daily “fun money” number and track loosely. Over-structuring a solo trip budget kills the spontaneity. I’ve done the over-planned budget trip. It’s exhausting. Give yourself permission to splurge on one unexpected thing.
The one thing I never cheap out on solo? My first and last nights’ hotel, and my airport transportation. I want to land knowing where I’m going, and I want to end the trip feeling good about where I spent the last night and how I’m getting to the airport with as little stress as possible.
Food solo is actually cheaper if you want it to be. Counter seats, street food, markets, and that one amazing restaurant where you splurge on a solo dinner are all valid. Or, if you want swanky meals every night, you can do it. That’s the beauty of traveling solo, you have the reins.
Budget ranges vary greatly depending on the trip and destination. Solo travel in Japan runs $150–$250/day for mid-range, whereas Western USA weekends can be done well for $200–$350/day. Europe varies wildly, with northern Europe more expensive, and southern/Eastern Europe very manageable.
And if the budget planning itself feels like too much to take on alone, that’s exactly what the next section is about.
| Japan (Tokyo) | Palm Springs weekend | All-inclusive (BodyHoliday-style) | |
| Daily cost | $150–$250/day | $200–$350/day | $500+/day (all-in) |
| Accommodation | Mid-range hotel or ryokan | Boutique hotel | Included in rate |
| Best for | First international solo trip, culture immersion | Building confidence before going international | Beach + wellness, built-in structure |
Read next: How much does a solo trip to Tokyo really cost?
8. When to Plan Your Solo Trip Yourself vs. Work With a Travel Advisor
Solo travel is absolutely DIY-able. I’ve done it both ways, and I’ll tell you honestly when each makes sense.
If you’re going somewhere you know well, doing a trip under a week, or have a pretty flexible itinerary, DIY all the way. This guide (and the articles linked throughout it) will get you there.
The trips worth considering an advisor for are those with complex international logistics (Japan multi-city during cherry blossom? Yes. Figuring out train passes, timing, and sold-out ryokans? That’s where I earn my keep.), first-time somewhere intimidating, or any trip where you’re spending real money and you really don’t want to waste it. Partnering with an advisor on Japan made my planning process so much easier and took a lot of the stress out of the trip for me.
A travel advisor for solo trips isn’t about not being capable. It’s about having someone who’s been there sort the logistics so you can actually be present on the trip, and in your life before the trip.
What working with me looks like: a discovery call to figure out what kind of trip you actually want, a customized itinerary that fits your travel style, and support from the first booking all the way through landing home.
This is what I specialize in. Solo travel for women over 35, Japan, adventure travel, and trips that take real planning to get right.
Want help planning your solo trip? Here’s how I work with clients →
9. FAQs
Want Help Planning Your Solo Trip?
Not ready yet? Keep reading. All the articles linked in this guide are free, and I’d rather you feel prepared than overwhelmed.
Wherever you go, however you do it, I want you to have a trip to remember.
Happy travels, kindreds!
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Ready to keep exploring? Here are the best solo tips and trips for women over 35
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- Why Traveling Solo is Important
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- Planning Resources
- U.S. State Department travel advisories
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