For a brief moment, she considered turning back. But then she chose to speak with him.

It was an encounter she could never have foreseen after Alan’s passing earlier this year. She found herself navigating not only life but also travel without him by her side.

Shortly after, she discovered a unique singing-and-walking tour in the French Alps. Instinctively, she knew it was the right choice. Although she had traveled solo in the past, this would be her first journey alone since Alan’s passing.

Judi Tarn and her husband Alan enjoyed 45 years of marriage, with travel being a central part of their shared experiences.

Judi Tarn and Alan shared 45 years of marriage, with travel at the heart of their life together. Source: Supplied / Judi Tarn

“This was the first trip where I didn’t know what I was going into,” Tarn said. “I was absolutely terrified.”

“Travel is fantastic. You shouldn’t go just because you’re going to be on your own.”

Why more older women are travelling on their own

“It reflects a growing trend of older women looking for meaningful travel experiences, and they’re turning to small-group trips as a safe and supportive way to explore the world on their own terms with other like-minded travellers,” Mitchell told SBS News.

“This is one of the biggest trends in travel that has largely been ignored,” she told SBS News.

The emotional whiplash of travelling after loss

“But they might feel deep sorrow their partner isn’t there to enjoy it with them … and might experience some loneliness.”

“You can keep your deceased spouse alive in your mind,” she said. “If you see a beautiful cafe that your deceased loved one would have loved — go there. Speak out loud to them. Don’t bottle it up.”

There are more women like Judi Tarn, with data from Intrepid Travel showing a 21 per cent jump year on year in travellers aged 50+ choosing to travel alone. Source: Supplied / Judi Tarn

For Tarn, that’s become instinctive.

“I can almost feel as if he’s pedalling along behind me, going, ‘Look at this – isn’t it wonderful?’,” she said.

‘It made me feel like an Amazon’

“There can be a sense of achievement and self-sufficiency when older women realise that they can do this on their own — and have enjoyable moments on their own, too,” she said.

‘There’s still life to be lived’