Why Women Traveling Together Works so Well

As a women’s travel company, I take it for granted. Women know how to bond….really well. It’s built in and we are experts at it.

Science has determined that having significant female relationships, aka bonding with old friends and new is actually good for our health! I recently ran across this article from the Seattle times and this quote jumped out at me “With women, you can bare your soul. You don’t do that with your husband,” says Suzanne Dragge, 82, of Pasadena, Calif. She and her friend Connie Smith, 85, have counted church offerings, kidded each other and fly-fished together for almost a decade. Yes, female friendships are the secret elixir of a long life.

Enter women’s trips. Women’s only tours are a Girls’ Guide to Paris & Beyond specialty. But why do we all LOVE women trips?

First of all, a lot of women, particularly as they get older, might have experienced a divorce or perhaps they are widowed and are just learning to travel again without their spouse. Maybe they are single which is more and more the norm and their friends can’t get away at the same time. Or like me, perhaps your husband doesn’t necessarily want to do the same things on a trip as you do. My hubby, who I adore and have been married to for over 30 years, is not happy at all when I’m shopping or moving slowly through a museum, for those kind of exploits I need a girlfriend to join me.

Women’s Trips fit the bill for many women starting in their 20’s up to their 80’s. What I see when I lead our trips is a joy to watch. Typically the first night, ladies get to know one another but  there might be some ‘first day of school trepidation’ or nervousness. We lubricate that with a glass of wine or two and some fabulous food whether we are in Mongolia or Montpelier.

Pretty soon the laughing begins, the chuckles become cackles, the crack-ups become roars of laughter. By the end of the week we have all gotten to know one another really well and we feel almost like sisters.

People also ask when they are signing up for our trips, what age are the women who take your trips? While some companies try to keep everyone in a specific age group, I have noticed that combining 20-something’s with 70-somethings has a kind of enchantment to it that you’d never imagine.

Most 70-year- old women who travel and who take the kind of small luxury adventure trips we offer are not what I would call “old”. They don’t think old, they are still UP for the next adventure and adhere to my personal motto, ‘Never Act Your Age!’ And the 20 and 30-somethings who come on our trips tend to be wise old souls.

The bonding between generations is beautiful and profound. Both learn how much the other group knows and understands finding wisdom, friendship and commonality across the age divide. These are the rewards of multi-generational women’s only tours. It is nothing less than magic that occurs.

When we are out of our own little box at home, and experiencing a women travel workshop, retreat or adventure our minds open up. We start to see things differently than we do at home and this expanded way of thinking is ripe for creating new friendships. For me the great payoff at the end of my trips is to watch how the women stay connected and supportive after we all return home. 

Sometimes they visit one another, they comment often on each others social media posts and even make plans to take another trip with me, on their own or with another company. Women traveling together works….plain and simple. Yes its a form of women’s solo travel but the solo part is really just getting up the nerve to book a trip and step on the plane. One you arrive at the destination you are greeted warmly by your soon to be travel sisters and the wine flows and the bonding begins. It’s a beautiful thing!

Note: Yes travel is more difficult right now….even impossible. But this too shall pass, it will get better – it’s just a matter of time. This is why Girls’ Guide has introduced a RISK-FREE Booking structure which allows you to plan ahead for exciting trips in 2021 & 22 but you are covered if Covid gets in the way. See all of our trips, adventures and retreats here.