Solo Travel Over 50
Practical Tips, Packing Lists & Confidence for Women
Traveling alone later in life is not a consolation prize. It’s freedom. It’s clarity. It allows you to have the perfect center of the cinnamon roll because you are choosing exactly what YOU want to do!
If you’re here, you may be curious about solo travel but still have questions. Is it safe? Will I feel lonely? Am I too old to do this? What if something goes wrong?
I’m Sue, and I’ve traveled solo throughout the U.S. and Europe in my 50s. Not as a fearless adventurer, but as a practical woman who likes charming hotels, walkable neighborhoods, good food, and knowing what she’s getting into before she books.
This page is your starting point for solo travel over 50. Calm. Honest. Totally doable.
Getting Started With Solo Travel Over 50
If you’ve ever thought “I want to travel, but I don’t have anyone to go with” or “I wish I felt more confident doing this alone,” these are the stories and guides that help quiet that voice and move you forward.
Getting Started Guides
- Why I Started Traveling Solo and Why You Might Want To Too
- 5 Emotional Benefits of Traveling for Women Over 50
- Solo Female Travel Safety Tips
Packing & Travel Gear for Solo Trips
Packing well makes solo travel easier. Not lighter at all costs. Just smarter.
No fantasy packing lists. No extremes. Just realistic advice from someone who has carried her own suitcase up more than a few staircases and is constantly honing how to bring less and still have everything I need.
Packing & Gear Guides
- Travel Must-Haves for Women Over 50
- 2 Week Europe Fall Packing List: Clothes, Shoes, and Carry On Essentials
- Packing for a Month in Europe? My Real-Life, 23-Pound Packing List
A Note From Me
If you’re waiting to feel completely ready before traveling solo, you may be waiting longer than you need to.
You don’t have to start big. You don’t have to know everything. You don’t need to be fearless. You just need one trip that proves to you that you can do this. And once you do, it changes more than just how you travel.
Here are some of the solo trips I've taken over the past few years, including the highs and lows:
- What’s it like visiting Washington DC solo?
- Solo Travel in San Francisco: My Honest Experience (With Safety & Budget Tips)
- New York for First-Time Solo Travelers: What to See Without the Stress
- Amtrak California Zephyr Review – Solo Travel Highlights & Lowlights + Sleeper Car Tips
- Retreat at Big Sur: Silence, Solitude & Scenic Bliss
Want Help Getting Started?
If packing is the part that feels most overwhelming, I’ve put together a simple, realistic packing list I use for my own trips. It’s designed to help you feel prepared without overpacking or overthinking.