Picture a solo traveler. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
If you pictured a 24 year old with a backpack and a GoPro, the data would like a word with you. Because the people actually leading the solo travel movement are the ones with a few more stamps in their passports and a lot more sense in their planning.
A 2026 study conducted by Talker Research for Road Scholar surveyed 2,000 American adults and found that 58% of Baby Boomers have taken at least one trip completely on their own. The Silent Generation? Even higher, at 64%. Compare that to 50% of Gen X, 49% of Millennials, and just 36% of Gen Z. The generations everyone assumes are the adventurous ones are trailing the people who supposedly should be “slowing down.”
I love this finding, and not just because it flips a lazy stereotype on its head. I love it because of why it’s true. The Road Scholar team put their finger on it: solo travel after 60 comes down to the confidence of experience. You know what you can handle. You’ve navigated airports, canceled flights, wrong turns, and hotel rooms that looked nothing like the photos. A trip alone isn’t a leap of faith at this age. It’s a skill you’ve been building for decades.
And the trend is only picking up speed. Expedia data shared with Travel and Leisure shows solo hotel bookings surging across the country, and here’s a fun one for my neighbors: Dallas saw a 55% increase in bookings from solo travelers, putting us in the top tier of trending U.S. destinations. San Francisco led the pack with a 145% jump. Internationally, Cancun, Dublin, and London are drawing solo travelers in record numbers.
So what holds people back?
The same survey asked that question, and the answers were refreshingly honest. Safety concerns topped the list at 26%, followed closely by cost at 25% and loneliness at 23%. Among respondents over 60 specifically, the big three hesitations were handling an emergency alone (51%), dining alone (46%), and sightseeing without a companion (44%).
Notice something about that list? Not one of those concerns is “I don’t want to go.” The desire is there. The hesitations are logistics and comfort, and logistics and comfort are solvable problems.
Solving for the real concerns
On emergencies: this is where planning earns its keep. Share your itinerary with someone at home. Keep digital and paper copies of your documents, medications list, and insurance information. Consider travel insurance with medical coverage, especially for international trips. My podcast guest Tess Millhollon, author and founder of the HerHouse app, built an entire platform around this exact concern. HerHouse connects solo traveling women with background checked female hosts, so you’re on your own adventure without being truly on your own. On our episode of Relax, I Got This! Embracing Life After 60, she shared practical ways to move past fear and build confidence for a first solo trip.
On dining alone: reframe it. A table for one with a good book, a window seat, and nobody negotiating over the appetizers is not a consolation prize. It’s a luxury. Sit at the bar if you want conversation. Book the chef’s counter. Eat your big meal at lunch when solo diners blend right in.
On loneliness: solo doesn’t have to mean solitary. Group travel built for independent travelers is one of the fastest growing corners of the industry. You travel on your own terms and still have dinner companions and a guide who knows where the restrooms are. Road Scholar built its whole model on this idea, and the survey found that group experiences are exactly the bridge many older adults are looking for.
The bigger point
Half of all Americans have now traveled solo, and 32% of those who haven’t say they’re curious to try. If you’re in that curious camp, consider this your nudge. Start small if you like. A weekend two hours away counts. A solo day trip counts. The point isn’t the distance. The point is discovering that your own company is better than you remembered.
You’ve spent a lifetime taking care of other people’s itineraries. This trip, the only person you have to please is you.
And if part of what’s keeping you home is the house itself, the maintenance, the size, the feeling that you can’t leave it that long, that’s a conversation worth having too. As a Senior Home Coach™, I help people right size their lives so the home supports the life, not the other way around. Sometimes the best travel planning starts in your own living room.
Wherever you’re headed next, go with confidence. And relax, I got this.
Robin McCoy, Realtor® and Senior Home Coach™
214.226.3770 | RelaxIGotThis.com | Robin@RelaxIGotThis.com
Sources
- Road Scholar / Talker Research survey: What Holds Older Adults Back From Solo Traveling?
- Survey press coverage: Half of Americans Have Traveled Solo and Nearly a Third Are Curious to Try
- Expedia solo booking data via Travel + Leisure: These Destinations Are Trending for Solo Travelers in 2026