Women gone worldwide: The rise of the solo female traveller

I have always been directionally challenged. When I was about four years old, standing in a shopping centre with my mum, I asked where Gary Barlow was from, as his voice crooned through the speakers in a Take That song. “Manchester,” my mum replied. And I remember thinking, “Damn. Why are all the good singers from other countries?” Fast forward to this summer, I decided to fix my wonky inner compass and take a solo trip to London. The idea was to successfully navigate around Central London on the Circle Line, with nobody else to fall back on if it all went awry. I am delighted to announce that after my solo day in the Big Smoke, a thirst for adventure, accompanied or not, was ignited like a fire in my belly. And it turns out I am not alone in this desire to explore… 

In a world where society portrays women’s lives as going downhill beyond 30, it is refreshing to see so many older women prioritising fun!

In the last couple of years, UK travel companies have seen a rise in bookings for solo trips, particularly among middle-aged women. Tour operator Voyages Jules Verne reported that solo travellers accounted for almost half (46%) of its bookings in 2023. Of this, 70% of its current bookings are by women. Joanna Reeve of Intrepid Travel, another tour operator, said in an interview that “62% of our solo bookings were made by women, most of whom were in the 45-60 age range”. In a world where society portrays women’s lives as going downhill beyond 30, it is refreshing to see so many older women prioritising fun! And their own fun at that. As much as we like to pretend that the parental obligation gap is narrowing (excluding the ‘latte dads’ of Scandinavia), it most certainly isn’t. Most of the housework, not to mention the physical toll of giving birth and nursing a baby, still falls on the mother’s shoulders. YouGov survey results are damning: 2 in 5 women who work full time and have a partner say that household tasks fall mostly on them. This is compared to just 9% of men in the same situation. It is no wonder that our hardworking mothers want to do something for themselves for a change. Slay mama. 

Solo travel is a way for women to leave all familial and societal pressures behind and rediscover the parts of themselves that get lost in caring for others

The rise in solo female travel is perplexing as we experience the world getting more dangerous for women and girls; the cost to travel by yourself is also generally higher than if you were accompanied by a partner. So why do so many women go solo? I don’t know about you, but safety and finances are not my greatest concern when I am on holiday. These are the very reasons women crave a cheeky escape; as we become mothers, it becomes second nature to prioritise our children, our husband and the family. Solo travel is a way for women to leave all familial and societal pressures behind and rediscover the parts of themselves that get lost in caring for others. Women are increasingly denouncing the notion that our lives stop being exciting after 30, with a fabulous example of this being Janice Waugh. Founder and owner of her own solo travel website, Waugh only began solo travelling after her husband passed away in 2006. Today, she is an advocate for women over 50 to step out of their routines and discover themselves: “It’s by stepping out of the familiar that you can really discover who you are, your interests, abilities, and more.” It is taking the leap of faith that allows women to realise just how capable and confident they are, in a world where we are taught to fit into the mother mould and suppress our sense of self to care for others.  

And while I am no mother myself, my solo trip to London allowed me to nurture the geographically-confused mini-me, uninterrupted, and realise that there is truly so much you can do if you just bite the bullet and take the leap, or the Tube (just make sure to mind the gap).