Solo Travel Over 50: How to Travel at Fifty Plus

Over the past 25 years, we have witnessed a cultural change in how women travel. They have become aware of their need to step out of defining roles and make experiences on their own. The excellent news: Never before has solo travel over 50 been so easy.  Female solo travel has become widely accepted in our society, but it is also changing the industry’s parameters. With nearly 35% of women who have already experienced a single trip and around 65% showing interest in trying it, travel alone for fifty-plus has become more appealing and affordable than the travel scenario of 30 years ago.

Why Travel Solo At 50 Plus?

When I started travelling alone, there were few opportunities for women. It was unusual to see a woman going places alone. And often, solo women travelling alone were regarded as “weird”. Over the years, it has become common for female travellers over 50 and younger to go solo.

Let’s be honest; you don’t need a companion to visit places. Why wait for friends and family to join you when you can go solo? If you wait for someone else to suit you, you may wait forever. Yet, many women have fears of travelling alone and give up in the first place. Why? Because they don’t feel good in their skin or don’t have the confidence to go alone, or simply because of false beliefs that solo travel is dull and they will not enjoy it.

You can change your mindset to Break Free To Travel Solo and Reinvent Your Life At 50+

Types of Solo Female Travel For Over 50

There are many ways to start going alone and choosing travel destinations. It depends on the type of travel you have in mind, the purpose of travel, and how you want to start travelling solo.

Solo Cultural Travel Explorations

Cultural tourism is a classic that works mainly for many women aged 50 plus who are keen to start travelling alone. It works great for first-time travellers because it’s easy, handy, and safe. If you fear feeling alone in your early adventures, travel to safe cities in your country or overseas.

• Build a city trip itinerary in one or more countries for a weekend or one or two weeks holiday.
• Train travel is great for travelling comfortably and safely in Europe, the US, and Australia.
• Choose local travel first. Travel within your state or continent to avoid long flights and ease of connections. This is how I started to travel solo: Germany, Austria, and the UK.

I loved crossing Germany by train and discovering its cultural landmarks. From Hamburg and Berlin to southern Germany, I fell in love with Munich, a fascinating German city that became my ex-pat home for 12 years.

Check out our 👉 Italy Small Group Tours For Solo Travellers 50 Plus

Cruising Solo For Female Travellers 50+

For many female travellers over 50, it is the stepping stone and easiest way of getting started with solo travel. If you think cruising solo 20 years ago was a no-go because of the high prices – unless you were travelling with a travel companion – going on a cruise for the single female traveller was not on the table.

In recent years, an increasing number of cruise companies have started to cater to this new market segment to suit the needs of many single travellers, especially retired and mature travellers, who are keen to go cruising.

If you are over 50 and want to travel solo as a woman, cruising can be a great way to combine cultural and international travel without the hassle of getting each single trip leg organised. Intercontinental and round-the-world cruising is also becoming very popular to cover long distances and see much of the world in one go.

How to solo travel the world long-term

Travel and Teach

If you are semi-retired or want to retire and become a digital nomad, adding extra income streams to fund your solo long-term travels may be a good idea. There are several opportunities to work online, ranging from virtual assistant jobs to translating and teaching English as a second language.

If travelling the world and teaching English appeals to you, there are online courses that offer training to internationally recognised certification for teaching English to non-native people.

Volunteering At 50+

If you are more adventurous and plan to travel solo long-term, volunteering may also be something for you. There are plenty of opportunities in South America, Africa and South-East Asia. And various kinds of volunteering, from children’s education to animal care, construction, land conservation, and many more.

Websites online, such as helpx, offer exciting volunteer opportunities. You can read this article about volunteering if you are interested in volunteering in other parts of the world. Years ago, I joined an Australian volunteer project on my solo trips; I became a wildlife warrior volunteer looking after injured and sick koalas at the Australia Wildlife Hospital in Queensland.

House Sitting For Women Over 50

If you plan to travel extensively and long-term travel is something you want to do, then housesitting is where it comes in handy for your long-term solo trips. I used house sits to save money on accommodation on my travels in Australia and loved it. It offers an excellent opportunity to blend the traveller’s life with the local life in a real community.

Check out my guide on 👉 becoming a house sitter and travelling the world long-term.

Tips on How to Get Started to Travel Solo at Fifty Plus

First, you shall make clear what you want to do with your first solo trip. If fear is holding you back from going solo,  I suggest starting small, with city travel or anything easy along the way. You can see how you like it and where it takes you. After my European city travel in 1993, I went to New York, Chicago, and Toronto by bus and loved it.

Here are my best tips for over 50 solo travel adventures.

1. Diversifying the types of solo experience
   I encourage you to expand your solo adventures as much as possible. If you want to join a tour, leave some time for yourself. It will help boost your confidence. Give yourself time to grow naturally into the next adventure and set a higher goal.
2. Gradually extend your comfort zone.
   And step into something more adventurous. When I started travelling solo in Australia in 2004, I used safe public transport like buses, trains, and flights and joined tours for trips like the Great Ocean Road and Tasmania. After that, I felt ready to drive alone, and now I nearly go everywhere.
3. Consider joining small group tours.
   For more challenging trip segments or destinations that aren’t safe for solo travellers, joining a tailor-made group can be a great choice. On top of that, it’s a great way of getting to know other solo female travellers in your age group and making friends on the go.

Check out our 👉 Italy Small Group Tours For Single Travellers Over 50

Where to stay on solo trips

If you choose city travel for your first solo escape, you don’t have to worry about getting around. Most cities offer an extensive and safe public transport network. Walking and biking are among the best options for public transport.

Airbnb For Solos

Using Airbnb for solo stays is an economical way to stay. I loved all my stays with Airbnb cause I stayed in beautiful homes and met the locals. I use it when possible to stay in expensive city centres with high hotel prices. I suggest staying with the home or apartment owners instead of renting a whole place for yourself.

Stay in Hostels

If you travel on a budget, staying in hostels is the way. However, it’s not easy to find single rooms in hostels, and sharing dorms is not for everyone, I know. If you book a double or twin room in most hostels, the prices are much lower than in a hotel. The only thing is that you need to book ahead since double and twins are booked out very quickly in good hostels.

Check out our 👉 hostel guide for Australia

While Airbnb is an excellent way of getting close to the locals for short stays, house sitting for the long-term traveller in Australia is the perfect solution because it allows you to stay for free in exchange for looking after the house and taking care of pets while the owners are away.

Find Hotels With No Single Supplement

While it’s become difficult to find hotels with no single supplement, do your research cause there are quite a few who offer single rooms, and single hotel rooms have lower prices than twin or double rooms. Or google for hotels with single rooms for your destination, and results will pop up.

Join Organised Group Tour

Moreover, the growing demand for single trips and personalised tours has made the solo traveller’s options varied and affordable. I believe combining an organised tour for a day trip or multiple days with one or more solo trip legs is the best way to do it. That way, you don’t have to book accommodation; the group tour company covers all other parts of your solo travel.

Over 50 Solo Travel Tours

Solo trips vs organised guided tours

What does group travel with solo travel do? While some women prefer hitting the road and getting lost, some prefer the comfort of joining a tour. Even though solo travel isn’t about joining a group, an organised journey has benefits.

Organising your trip by a private tour operator, who takes the trip planning hassle off and does all the booking activities, can be a great way to ignite your enthusiasm for travelling and have peace of mind.

So I wouldn’t discard the idea of solo travel tours if this can be the first step towards a more independent way of travelling. For solo travel addicts – like myself – organised tours are an excellent way to rekindle the group spirit, which inevitably fades over the years.

My solo travels in Australia were eye-opening. After long-term travel alone, I realised that joining an organised tour was necessary to create a balance, improve my team spirit, and hone my social skills.

Many tour companies and online travel agencies specialise in group travel packages for female travellers fifty-plus.

Rocky Travel Group Tours For Women Over 50

Our Small Group Tours of Italy are for the senior woman 50+ travelling alone who is in her 50s and beyond, loves to be active, and gets out and about with like-minded female travellers. She also likes to explore places by meeting the locals and learning about the local culture responsibly and sustainably. Click the link below to learn more about our group tour offerings.

Check out our 👉 Italy Small Group Tours For Solo Travellers 50 Plus

Best Solo Travel Destinations

Many countries offer a women-friendly environment and are safe for solo female travellers. I’ve been travelling solo for over 30 years, and these places are my picks. No matter whether you are a newbie or an experienced traveller. They are suitable for all kinds of experiences:

✅ Australia Solo Travel
✅ Rotorua New Zealand
✅ Penang George Town Solo Travel (Malaysia)
✅ Bali Offbeat For Solos
✅ Bangkok Solo Travel – Thailand
✅ India Solo Travel Tips
✅ Cape Town Solo Travel Tips – South Africa
✅ Italy For First-Time Travellers
✅ France For Women Travelling Solo

UK, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Portugal and more European countries are safe for women over 50. Check out the eight safe cities for solo travel 50+.

Final Thoughts on Female Solo Travel Over 50

While your age of 50 plus or the lack of a travel buddy should not refrain you from travelling solo, you must also consider that going places solo is undoubtedly a fun and empowering way to go, but it is also challenging. The more you do it, the more you will like and hate it. If you want to travel solo and are a woman fifty-plus, this is probably the right time to consider it and take the plunge.

Get travel and Medical Insurance For Your Travels

Ensure that your solo travel is safe and covered if any inconvenience occurs while on the go. I never travel without travel and medical insurance when I go overseas. Insurance makes things easier and gives you extra peace of mind for solo travel bliss.

Check out this extensive guide about 👉 Travel & Med Insurance For Over 50

If you’re based in the US, check out the best travel insurance comparison site for those over 50 and seniors. And if you are female and 70 plus and want to travel solo, here is an excellent article about travelling with medical conditions and seeking travel insurance.

It’s a good thing to create the way – that best suits you – there is no right or wrong way of doing it. If everything in the equation has the right balance and makes you feel comfortable in your skin, go with it. Go and Travel solo at 50 plus, have fun, learn and repeat. And most importantly, do it your way!

Go Back to Rocky Travel – Solo Travel & Tours For Over 50

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Check out our 👉 Italy Small Group Tours For Solo Travellers 50 Plus

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This post was first published in 2015 and last updated in January 2024