Solo travel- is it that odd?

[WanderLust893]

I’ve always loved travelling and would have loved to go backpacking in my younger years but didn’t have the confidence. I’m now in my fourties and married with kids in older primary/younger high school. My husband enjoys fairly adventurous, independent family holidays but says he finds city breaks abroad stressful with all the travel etc. I am an introvert and although I could probably persuade a friend to go I don’t relish the idea of spending an extended period of time with someone other than immediate family. I’m considering going away by myself for a couple of budget long weekends- off peak, staying in basic accommodation. I particularly fancy Eastern Europe.
I mentioned this to a friend and she said it’s a very strange thing to do. She said if her or her husband suggested this the other would assume they were cheating or up to something else dodgy. I know it’s quite unusual but is it really that strange? My husband would have no particular desire to come and it would mean not having to rope in family to look after the kids. I would obviously take all necessary safety precautions as a solo female.

Its unusual (but only because people don't have confidence to do it) but definitely not strange at all! I am in a long term committed happy relationship and I go abroad alone for long weekends because I have different interests to my partner and we are not joined at the hip. In fact I think it shows how much trust there is in your relationship and not much between your friend and her husband. Don't let what your friend says stop you! To be clear I love going on holiday with my partner but I also really enjoy my solo trips too

I mentioned this to a friend and she said it’s a very strange thing to do.

Travelling around on your own? She's the one who is strange.

Solo travelling is fabulous. I've done it many times and makes you independent and ready to take on the world.

Better that than all these awful men you read about on here that women are in relationships with.

Just google some solo women travel. It will inspire you.

Do you want to lie on your death bed thinking "I wanted to see the world but had no-one to go with"

Go for it OP.

I think your friend's reaction is strange. She sounds very insecure.

I don't think it's strange but then I'm single so solo travel is my default option. I have some friends who would never, ever do it and tbh I feel a bit sorry for them that they're so unadventurous. Go and have a lovely time!

im just back from ten days solo in Vietnam and have travelled solo many times. There’s only one problem - it ruins going on trips with other people! Go and enjoy!

Get on some FB groups. I LOVE travelling and DH’s comfort zone is different to mine so he stays at home. We do every combination of family, just DD and me, just DD and him, me and friends, him and friends, DD and school, solo.

And when I travel I often ‘adopt’ solo travellers who want to be adopted. I leave alone those who don’t LOL.

I do exactly this every year. Last year florence, this year Verona

OP, I think you are great to think of doing this. Look on it as an adventure and a test of your independence. The first time being away alone can be a bit daunting, but believe me when you do it once, you will not look back!

I'm in my late 60s and go away on my own about twice a year. I do travel with himself but he has mobility problems and therefore cannot gad about as I like to, but it's a compromise.

A couple of things that may help you on your way. Find a place where there is very easy access from the airport to the city by public transport. That makes it less expensive and is a good lesson in finding your way around and figuring out tickets and so on. The airport websites will have that information. Stay in a hotel not air b and b. I only say that because at least in a hotel there will be someone at reception who can offer advice, information and help if you need it. Stay in a busy spot in the centre near everything so you can walk around easily. Don't laugh at this, but bring a door wedge, you know the rubber things you put under the door to keep them open? But in this case you put it there to keep it closed! It's just a bit of added security that I use so no one can come in without me knowing!

Where are you thinking of going?

The thing is @WanderLust893I am rather worried you might find it addictive
wandering around a foreign city stopping where you like, eating where you like and what you like

Yeah I go away on my own quite a lot.

i do also go away with family!

Solo travel is only weird to people who have never done it. There are loads of people just getting on with their lives and not worrying about being on their own.

I needed a couple of long weekends to myself a year when the kids were young, It made the rest of the year much more bearable.

I feel sorry for anyone who thinks it’s odd.

Yeah I'm always going places on my own I'd never convince others to go to! Mainly travelling to obscure places in the UK that have so much history, when my friends are raring to go abroad to the sunshine :)

I did a week on my own this year and I’m happily married. I really enjoyed it and I’m planning on doing it again at some point.
Im not bothered what people think of me.

Love solo travel. But, as PP said, be prepared to "never" want to travel with others again!
I think a lot of people think it's weird because it's outside their comfort zone. DH has travelled without me but never alone as he says it would be too daunting.
Hope you go somewhere wonderful and have a fabulous time.

It’s not strange at all. There are whole companies dedicated to solo travellers and it’s a very successful part of the tourism industry.

Your friend must have led a very sheltered life.

I was 49 or 50 when I bought my first backpack and headed off on a long haul, solo independent trip to China. It was actually my late husband's suggestion. He knew I'd always liked the idea of backpacking, but it wasn't his thing at all. We travelled a lot, but always staying in 3* hotels, and not using local public transport apart from the occasional metro.

It took him two years to persuade me that it was fine for me to do my own thing and leave him and our late teen kids at home.

I had so many weird comments from other people. Pretty much no-one could understand it. But I went ahead, and continued to do so another three or four times when he was alive (we had family holidays as well, of course) and many more times after we lost him.
He did me a great favour, because when he died at 56, I was able to cope because those trips had taught me that I was capable of being alone, strong, and independent.

I was so, so lucky to be married to a man who recognised and encouraged my travel dreams.

But yes. Do it.

It is not strange or unusual

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/nov/30/i-was-hooked-the-rise-of-the-intrepid-female-solo-traveller?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Yeah it’s definitely not strange or unusual in my social circle but I guess it all depends who you have around you.

I have a friend who is happily married with 3 primary school age kids who goes on one solo trip a year. Also I have friends who are single and/or child free who do solo trips. I also know women who have grown up kids who solo travel

Theres also plenty of solo travelers in tourist spots when I go away on holiday and various online groups for solo travelers to connect so yeah there’s clearly plenty of people travelling alone.

Go!
I go on a solo trip every year because my 6yo isn't exactly a city break-liking child, so we can't go as a family. My dh goes to a music festival alone. We both also travel for work. And travel as a family.

Life is short so definitely go.

I used to travel solo without my partner regularly before we started a family. He didn't enjoy travelling particularly and also had a freelance job that didn't lend itself to longer trips.

He was happy for me to go, I loved it and there were no issues between us at all, but it does seem to be something other people see fit to comment on because several people told me they thought it was strange - ranging from people I knew well to strangers I'd met whilst travelling. Twice people expressed surprise that he "let" me go, which was a tad infuriating. Like all things in life, if you know in your own mind there's no problem, you just have to rise above it and carry on with your plans.

Love my getaways on my own, restore the soul!

Solo is the best. You can tweak the plans and do what you want

I haven’t gone backpacking but I go away once a year on my own. Last year was Egypt, I absolutely love it. My favourite things are booking excursions and also reading, there’s something about being in a book world in another part of the world on my own that’s hard to beat.

I LOVE travelling alone and I don't care if it's weird. I can do what I want, go where I fancy, and stay in my room if I don't fancy doing anything. No negotiations, no arguments. I'm perfectly capable in most situations without a companion.

So much better at this age (50) than as a young woman as much less harassment and also you6r not constantly wondering if the next man you met will be your future husband/ trying to look like attractive romantic comedy lead in bookshops . And I can afford to pay my way out of trouble if I need to! Heartily recommend it.

We travel on our own 2 or 3 times a year. Nothing strange about it.
But the advice about hotels is good advice and the location in the city centre. You don't want to be going out to the suburbs late at night if you can help it. A great city with easy access from the airport right to city centre by a train that cost me less than 2 Euro in September is Vilnius. Friendly and safe and affordable. Kaunas is an hour on the train for a day out and we'll worth a visit. Other really great cities that are overlooked are Sarajevo and Wroclaw. Wroclaw is particularly safe and friendly and easy to get from the airport. Google maps make solo travel so much easier than it used to be.
Go for it. You'll wonder why you haven't been doing it for years.