menu facebook twitter instagram pinterest youtube search chevron-down chevron-up
Be My Travel Muse
  • About
    • About
    • Contact Me
    • Press
    • Work With Me
  • Blog
    • Archives
    • Best of BMTM
  • YouTube
  • Solo Female Travel
    • Bucket List
      • The 31 Cheapest Places to Travel in 2025
      • 31 BEST Places in the USA for Solo Female Travelers in 2025
      • 25 Unexpectedly Awesome Destinations for Solo Female Travelers
      • 25 Best Countries to Travel Alone for the First Time
      • 13 Perfect Weekend Trips for Solo Female Travelers in the USA
      • 10 Best Weekend Trips from Phoenix, Arizona
    • Resources
      • How to take the best travel selfies
      • 41 safety tips for solo female travelers
      • The ultimate solo female travel guide
      • Best group tours for solo female travelers
      • Why Every Woman Should Travel Alone
    • All solo female travel blogs
  • Be My Travel Muse
  • Tours
  • Destinations
    • USA
      • Hawaii
      • California
      • Nevada
      • Idaho
      • Arizona
      • Florida
      • Alaska
      • Utah
    • North America
      • Mexico
      • Costa Rica
      • Canada
    • Asia
      • Thailand
      • Philippines
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Aruba
      • Chile
      • The Galápagos
    • Europe
      • Germany
      • Iceland
      • Italy
    • All Destinations
  • Trip Planning

Solo Female Travel Stories: A ‘Not so Young Woman Abroad’

03/20/2017 by Kristin Addis 13 Comments

I often see comments on my posts about solo female travel asking if most of who is on the road are gap yearers and 20-somethings. If I’m in my 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and upwards, will I be the only one? Will I still be able to meet people and have a good time?

Meet Julie, a self-described not so young woman abroad. She’s a 52 year old retired C-level executive who worked in education in Australia before she started traveling solo. She’s been on the move for 6 years now visiting the USA, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, New Zealand, and Singapore.

In her own words, here’s Julie’s story:

Who are you?

solo female travelers over 50

I see myself as an ordinary woman, mother, and now grandmother, with a passion to learn and an interest in culture, architecture and history.  I’ve always had a desire to wander the world, but just like every one else, life seemed to get in the way. Others however, describe me as brave, resilient and a risk taker, in some ways I guess I am.

What was the moment when you realized you were going to travel solo no matter what?

I never really thought about travelling with others, besides which, if I was to wait for my friends to make up their minds on where, how or when to travel, I would still be waiting to see the world.  I have also never had any desire to travel with a tour group or take a cruise, often the preferred way of travelling as a not so young woman, so taking off on my own was the only way I could see myself experiencing the world.

What misconceptions did you have about solo travel that you now realize were untrue?

I think the biggest misconception about travelling solo that I had was that I would get lonely.  I now realise that this was so untrue. Where ever I go in the world, I meet wonderful people from all over, and there is always someone about to share the awe-inspiring moments with.  Today’s technology allows me to keep in touch with my loved ones while I’m away and I often share my experiences live with them over the internet.

Where have you been that you think is perfect for solo female travelers?

If you are off on your first solo adventure, I suggest going somewhere where you speak the language. New Zealand, Canada, the USA, and of course my own country Australia are perfect for this.  If you’d like an introduction to Asia, I’d suggest Singapore as a destination to start with.  Travelling through Europe is also a great solo adventure, especially if you learn a little of the language before you go. And of course Paris is always a great idea!

Can you tell me a story about when you were traveling solo that was just so mind-blowingly amazing that you still smile when you think about it?

When travelling from Torino Italy, back to Paris, the train broke down, resulting in spending 13 hours on a bus.  It was so hot, and the bus had no air conditioning or even a toilet.  To top this off I was the only English speaking person on the bus which was a test to my French language skills to say the least.  At first I thought this was going to be the journey from hell, my feet and legs were swollen beyond recognition from the heat, making the ride uncomfortable to say the least.  The French people on the bus with me were wonderful and so kind to me, they made sure I was comfortable, gave me food and water and a few of us stayed awake the whole way, chatting in a combination of broken English and French.  What I had thought would be a nightmare, became a wonderful adventure through the French Alpine regions.  One that I will never forget.

How did this site help you?

As a solo female traveller, it’s often frustrating how little information you can access just for women.  When you travel solo, you often get the feeling, that you are the only person in the world travelling on their own.  Be My Travel Muse has not only helped me with information about great destinations to travel to, it also reminds me that there are lots of women out and about across the world, having their very own adventures and that I am really not alone.

What are some unexpected benefits of traveling alone?

I’m not sure that I could actually ever now travel with others.  Travelling alone has made me realise how resourceful, independent, adventuresome and capable I really am.  I’ve also learnt to trust my gut feelings which helps to keep me safe and sound on my wanderings.

solo female travelers over 50

You can read more about Julie’s stories on her blog, A Not So Young Woman Abroad.

Table of Contents

Toggle
  • READ NEXT:
  • Non-millennial solo female travelers share their travel stories
  • Everything You Need to Know about Solo Female Travel
  • The ultimate guide for solo female travelers

READ NEXT:

Non-millennial solo female travelers share their travel stories

Everything You Need to Know about Solo Female Travel

The ultimate guide for solo female travelers

Get the guidebook for solo female travelers!

About Kristin Addis

Kristin Addis is the founder and CEO of Be My Travel Muse, a resource for female travelers all around the world since 2012. She's traveled solo to over 65 countries and has brought over 150 women on her all-female adventure tours from Botswana to the Alaskan tundra.

« Learn to surf in Bali: The Best Spots for Beginners!
Island Hopping In The Philippines »

Hello There!

headshot

Welcome to Be My Travel Muse, one of the top female travel blogs in the world, welcoming over 5 million readers annually.

I'm Kristin, and my vision of a better world is one where more women are empowered and living out their dreams. Solo traveling is the best method I've found to become the best, bravest version of me. This site is all about how YOU can have the adventure of a lifetime in an easy, fun, approachable way, so that you can feel empowered, too. Want to learn more about me?

Click here!

Get the Solo Female Travel Guidebook

Popular Posts

I am currently in:

The USA!

Check it out on Instagram Stories!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Sarah says

    03/24/2017 at 4:22 pm

    Love this, Julie!! Good for you for following your dreams – such an inspiration. I hope that one day I will follow in your footsteps as a solo female traveler 🙂 I went on a tour in the Sahara desert in Morocco last year and there was a lovely French “not so young woman abroad” in our tour. The rest of us has come in pairs or groups but she was all on her own. I ended up befriending her and taking lots of photos for her and she invited me to her home in the alps in France! There’s truly no limit on age – it’s all about bravery to travel on your own 🙂

    Reply
  2. Kate says

    03/24/2017 at 6:20 pm

    It’s very modest to call yourself “ordinary” and also a bit sad. I think no one should think about themselves that they are ordinary. But I’m totally agree that traveling alone is sometimes more beneficial: you are more spontaneous and open to get to know new people!

    Kate

    Reply
  3. Dawn says

    03/24/2017 at 9:42 pm

    Julie – I think it is awesome what you are doing. We travel with our 3 young kids, so the thought of taking a trip just me is thrilling and something I am hoping to do this year.

    Reply
  4. Abbi @ Spin the Windrose says

    03/25/2017 at 8:36 am

    This is so awesome! I like to think that I’ll still be travelling when I’m older. There’s no age limit on travelling – and Julie is doing a great job of it!!

    Reply
  5. Eloise says

    03/26/2017 at 5:57 am

    That’s a great article. I hope you inspire women to travel alone, no matter their age. Well done 🙂

    Reply
  6. Ivana says

    03/26/2017 at 7:47 am

    I love this article! It is so inspiring to see women who travel alone. And no matter the age! My grandmother is almost 80 years old and she’s planning her trip to Greece 😀

    Reply
  7. Ijana Loss says

    03/30/2017 at 6:42 pm

    Yes I love hearing about older solo travelers! I’m 20 but I’m really excited to get older actually, I want to be one of those cool old people who have all sorts of stories and go on all sorts of adventures.

    Reply
  8. Willie Lubbe says

    04/06/2017 at 3:08 am

    Love this post! Thanks!

    Reply
  9. diana says

    05/18/2018 at 6:43 am

    That was very inspiring!

    I’m also a female solo traveler, 49 years old, and I’ve visited 99 countries (yes, 100 will be Kyrgyzstan, come July). That’s to say traveling is easier than most think and safe (I’m still here to tell my stories! lol).

    We only live once! Let’s make the most of it, girls!

    Reply
  10. Nicolle says

    03/25/2019 at 7:39 pm

    I love this. I’m currently working in Australia and I told my ex fiance I was going to travel for a few months on my way back to North America and he said, in a clearly irritated tone, “you’re going to be thirty next year remember that” and I literally said “what the f*** does that mean?” he was like “well you know you gotta grow up it’s not cute anymore”. I could not have disagreed more. It is so inspiring to see stories like this about women travelling alone after their gap year age. It’s as if you all sense of curiosity, wonder, and adventure is supposed to die with your twenties and the onky acceptable travel is with a partner. I’m so happy to see people being more flexible with their happiness and not confined to societal expectations based on age and gender. Thank you!!!!!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      03/27/2019 at 10:58 am

      It’s not cute anymore? K good we’re not doing it to be cute! I think this ties in well too: https://www.bemytravelmuse.com/travel-settle-down/

      Reply
  11. David says

    03/27/2019 at 4:38 am

    Male or female, it doesn’t matter. I retired 5 years ago, with modest means but I too got the bug, and Kristen Addis is my guru. Will it be so good in 10 years when I’m 70? Great post, follow your dreams and see the world

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      03/27/2019 at 10:53 am

      Thanks David! Have a blast!

      Reply

Stay Connected

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Archives
  • Privacy Policy and Disclaimer

© 2025 · Be My Travel Muse. All Rights Reserved

footer-icon