Why I Solo Travel in My 40s
How solo travel in my 40s helps me stay grounded, grow, and see the world on my own terms.
Why I Travel Solo (Still, and Happily)
Solo travel in your 40s isn’t about running away. It’s about choosing to go, for the freedom, the clarity, and the simple fact that I can.
I’ve got three kids, a full-time job, and a life I’ve slowly built. But a few times a year, I pack a small rucksack, book a cheap flight, and take off. No five-star hotels. No detailed itineraries. Just hostels, decent coffee, good walking shoes, and space to think.
No Compromises
When I travel solo, I don’t have to negotiate. I can change plans mid-day, skip tourist traps, sit in a park for hours or take a detour just because something looked interesting.
I’ve spent afternoons drinking tea with locals in Istanbul, hopped night trains across Eastern Europe, and taken wrong turns that led to places I’d never have planned. That freedom, that’s the bit I never take for granted.
If you’re looking for your own gear, I recommend a simple Decathlon backpack and a universal travel plug, sorted me out more times than I can count.
Quiet Headspace
ADHD can make my brain feel like a browser with 47 tabs open. Solo travel closes most of them.
Early mornings with no alarm. Long walks through new streets. Hours in a café with a notebook. It’s not glamorous, but it’s the most present I ever feel. I stop reacting and start thinking properly.
It’s also the only time I ever finish a book.
Real Connections (Not Filtered Ones)
Travelling solo actually makes me more social, not less.
When you’re alone, people talk to you. Locals help. Travellers connect. Conversations happen without the buffer of being in a group. Some of the best nights of my life started in hostel kitchens with strangers and ended in 4am laughter.
I’ve met people in Krakow, Lisbon, and Marrakesh who I still speak to years later. You can’t script that stuff.
You’re Not Too Old
If you think solo travel is just for gap year students with yoga mats, think again.
I’m 41, I snore a bit, I book the bottom bunk when I can, and I carry ibuprofen in my washbag. And I still get just as much from hostels and train trips now as I ever would’ve in my twenties, maybe more.
In fact, with age comes a better instinct for when to save money and when to spend it. I’ll happily fast all day to afford a better hostel with lockers and breakfast.
Final Thoughts
Travelling solo in your 40s doesn’t need a reason. But if you want one: it’s proof you’re not stuck. You can still change things. You can still go.
So if you’re on the fence, don’t wait. The world won’t come to you.
Book the flight. Pack light. Go.