“I Have A Family, But In 2026, I’m Embracing Solo Travel – Here’s Why”
Selfish? The ever-present guilt would say yes. But here’s what I’ve learned: carrying the mental load is relentless, and it doesn’t just disappear. What can change is how I show up when it gets heavy. Stepping away, even briefly, to refill depleted energy, to see my life through a renewed, positive lens, isn’t just a luxury; it’s necessary. It reminds me that I’m still me.
The trend
A few weeks ago, the algorithm hit me with @unplugged.rest – a site dedicated to digital detox cabins in nature. Beautiful hideaways with big, cosy beds, and sweeping views of sunsets and sunrises. Places to hunker down, disconnect and yet reconnect with yourself. I was lured in by the aesthetic and the reminder that, despite this frenetic world, there is tranquillity to be found. I felt a physical need to rediscover a sense of peace. But as a woman, a mother and a wife, could I really just abandon the aptly named ‘mother’ ship for what some may consider a self-indulgent jaunt to the countryside?
Years of societal expectations have determined how we allow women to be. It’s certainly been a constant narrative throughout my life.
Ashling, Contributing Style & Interiors Editor
Ditch the stigma…
Years of societal expectations have determined how we allow women to be. It’s certainly been a constant narrative throughout my life. From what we wear to how we act, judgment is flippantly bandied about. She’s too much. She’s not enough. I’ve heard it all before. But what has felt like a drumroll has exploded into a war cry. Females are reclaiming their time, their ambitions and their needs. So I know I’m not alone.
If you ask me, as someone who has both dodged and weathered her fair share of passive vitriol, wouldn’t it be great if we finally celebrated the fact that we’re all just trying to do our best? So when you see a lone woman sipping a Malbec in a chic café, or in my case, a pint in a quiet pub, maybe, just maybe, she’s living her best life. That woman is not lonely; she’s soaking up the quiet bliss of no one asking anything of her. In those moments of stillness, the only expectation she is living up to is her own.
Whatever your situation, I’ve found that spending time alone is quietly empowering. Granted, we are all different, but learning to sit with our thoughts and tangled emotions is surely a path to better self-awareness and even acceptance. With introverted tendencies, this has never been a problem for me; in fact, I’ve relished those minutes of silence. And I’m not the only one. Yes, we want relationships and meaningful interactions, but we also want to rest, recuperate, or step outside our comfort zone, remember who we are and what we’re all about.
That woman is not lonely; she’s soaking up the quiet bliss of absolutely no one asking anything of her. In those moments of stillness, the only expectation she is living up to is her own.
What about family?
Now, throw in the fact that I have a family: a solitary trip to the theatre or gallery is one thing, but packing my bags and heading for a cabin in the wilderness or jetting off to foreign climes is entering entirely different territory. Admittedly, I have done it before, but not without an onslaught of both excitable encouragement and whispered indignation. On a work trip, how very important, but for fun, on your own… why? What about the kids? Let me tell you, if you’re in a position where your partner can care for the littles or someone else is happy to help out, the children will be fine.
My self-serving escapade took me back to the States, where I lived as a teenager. My girls have zero recollection. I, however, have the confidence-inducing memories of an adventure. Realising what the world has to offer, but also coming home with a heart exploding with love for the little life I have created back home.
If you’re tempted, start small…
Our Culture & Lifestyle Writer, Amelia Morgan, recently discovered the liberating effect of ditching solo dating anxiety, even calling it an essential wellness ritual. And I couldn’t agree more. Last year, I booked a trip to see Mary Page Marlowe, a play by Tracy Letts, at The Old Vic. There was no WhatsApp date debate on when people were free – just a last-minute seat for one. Ironically, the play centred on the supposedly unremarkable life of one woman, yet, in its delivery, it revealed it to be both tender and fascinatingly complicated. One woman watching another woman’s life felt oddly intimate and profoundly reassuring. Yes, I met friends after, but there was something about this solo experience that felt good for my soul.
So steal an afternoon to yourself – when the kids are in nursery, at school or on a play date – book a theatre trip, a massage, or simply be a tourist in your own town. If budget is key, sign up for sites that offer deals. If mine can lead me to a leading London stage, imagine where you could find yourself.
One woman watching another woman’s life felt oddly intimate and profoundly reassuring.
Or perhaps you’re ready for a bigger adventure…
Then breathe and take a leap of faith. On looking into it, I was both surprised and comforted that so many hotels and travel companies have embraced the solo traveller. From specific retreats – surfing, cooking, skiing… anything I could possibly want – to single occupancy discounts, there is genuinely something for everyone. But when solo travel is set to grow, with 69% of travellers (according to American Express) planning to go it alone, is it any wonder? Especially when 66% say their solo trip is about self-love or treating themselves.
And when I say solo, that, of course, can be all about cocooning yourself away from the chaos, but it can also be about throwing yourself into a group of like-minded strangers. I tested the water a few years ago. Not alone, but with two friends – a great way to ease into the concept of the retreat vacation. In this instance, we booked the super chilled Soul & Surf in Portugal. Think bohemian beach house with surfboards propped at the door and pastéis de nata on arrival. Yes, it was daunting, learning a new skill with strangers, eating dinner with unknowns, but it was also utterly dreamy. And maybe that’s the shift. Solo travel doesn’t have to mean being alone. It can mean choosing when to be. And, I’m not going to lie, I didn’t leave a surf pro, but it was fun trying.
Not only that, it gave me a bolt of bravery. What else is waiting to be experienced? Looking into other possibilities, I stumbled across Flash Pack. A company built around the idea of travelling solo, but not quite alone… I was sceptical. The idea of turning up on my tod to a group of strangers and hoping for instant connection felt, well, optimistic. Still, curiosity got the better of me. I took their quiz, answering questions about how I like to travel, what I need from a break, who I am when no one’s asking anything of me, and I was oddly taken aback by the results. Peru. The Amalfi Coast. Trips that didn’t feel generic, but strangely me. The kind of places I’d usually file under “maybe one day.”
If you’re craving calm…
Because let’s be real, if there’s chaos and admin at home, my version of escape is going to be more chill than adrenaline seeking. The idea of a yoga retreat, somewhere quiet, sun-warmed, and deliberately slow, has started to feel less like a cliché and more like a necessity. I found myself lingering over Borgo Antichi Orti Assisi, tucked into the foothills of Assisi, imagining what it might feel like to wake up without urgency, to move my body gently, to hear my own thoughts again.
Other times, I let myself dream of relaxation with structure and fitness. I imagine returning healthier, fitter… so when I came across Reformer Retreats hosting weekends in northern Spain, I felt that pull. Not because of the long list of treatments (though I won’t pretend they didn’t sound tempting), but because of the idea of stepping away long enough for my body to reset, to feel strong, not just stretched thin.
And then there are the days when even that feels like too much. When what I really want is stillness, heat, and absolutely no demands. No washing machine humming in the background. No one begging for snacks. Just a pool, a book I may or may not read, and time that feels entirely my own. I caught myself daydreaming about places like Casa Cook Rhodes, or indulgent Soho House destinations, spaces designed for switching off without explanation.
Maybe that’s the thread running through all of it. Not luxury, exactly. Not even escape. Just the quiet, unfamiliar feeling of having nothing asked of me and learning, slowly, how to sit with that.
Stay close to home…
At the end of the day, while sometimes my dreams of adventure will stay as just that, dreams, I know that, with a little planning and budgeting, I can make a night away happen. Imagine it: just one night in the Insta-friendly cabin, a lush boutique hotel, or a coastal Airbnb. Whether I pick somewhere utterly secluded or in the heart of a city, it offers the opportunity to momentarily pretend the mental load doesn’t exist. Tune out the noise, pour a glass of wine, pick up a good book and breathe. Just for now, choose you.
Solo travel has never been more accepted or tempting. Not to replace family hols or escapes with friends, but a chance to remind ourselves of what makes us tick. And with that, the wild waves of Whitstable are calling. Not a cabin, but a fisherman’s cottage. Not the countryside, but the seaside.
Time out, time alone… time to become a better version of me for everyone, especially myself.
