.png)
Fall Is the Best Travel Season for Women Over 40 — Here’s Why
I love to travel year-round, but if you ask me when some of my favorite travel happens, I’m going to tell you: fall.
September. October. Even early November, depending on where you’re going.
The summer crowds have started to disappear. The weather is often more comfortable. You aren’t standing in a two-hour line in 95-degree heat wondering why you thought this was a good idea. And in many destinations, the entire experience just feels a little less frantic.
For women over 40, especially those of us who have reached the point where we are no longer interested in making ourselves miserable just to say we went somewhere, fall travel makes a whole lot of sense.
And after spending September traveling through Ireland with a group of 12 Black women over 40, I was reminded again why I love traveling at this time of year.
Fall travel feels different.
Here’s why I think it may be the best travel season for women over 40.
The Crowds Start to Thin Out
Let me be clear: popular destinations do not suddenly become empty because Labor Day has passed.
People have discovered shoulder-season travel, and September in particular has become increasingly popular.
But there is still a difference between visiting many destinations during the height of summer and visiting after families have gone home, children are back in school and the massive summer vacation rush has slowed down.
And I appreciate that difference.
At this stage of my life, I don’t need to fight my way through a crowd to see everything.
I want to be able to walk through a city.
I want to stop for coffee.
I want to sit down and people-watch.
I want to wander through a museum without feeling like I’m being carried through it by 5,000 other tourists.
I want to enjoy the destination rather than simply survive it.
For me, that is one of the biggest advantages of fall travel.
The Weather Can Be So Much Better
If you have watched temperatures climb across Europe during the summer, you already know that July and August are not necessarily the dreamy European vacation months people imagine them to be.
Walking through Rome, Florence, Lisbon, Athens or Madrid in extreme summer heat is an entirely different experience than wandering through those same places when the temperature has dropped.
And sightseeing is physical.
You’re walking.
You’re climbing stairs.
You’re navigating train stations.
You’re standing outside waiting for tours.
You’re walking across cobblestones.
You’re exploring neighborhoods.
When it’s 95 degrees outside, all of that requires more energy.
Give me 65 or 70 degrees, a cute jacket and some comfortable walking shoes any day.
Now, fall weather can also be unpredictable. Ireland reminded me of that. You need layers, proper shoes, rain protection and the right outerwear.
But I would much rather prepare for a little rain than spend an entire vacation drenched in sweat.
Fall Is Made for Layering — And I Love a Layer
Listen.
This matters.
Fall travel wardrobes are simply better.
You can wear the trench coat.
The leather jacket.
The sweater.
The scarf.
The cute boots.
You can layer your clothes instead of trying to figure out how little clothing you can legally wear because it is hotter than the surface of the sun outside.
And layering is practical for travel because temperatures can change throughout the day.
You may leave your hotel in the morning when it is cool, warm up while you’re walking during the afternoon and need another layer after dinner.
A good fall travel wardrobe lets you adjust without carrying your entire closet around with you.
My formula is usually pretty simple: comfortable base pieces, layers, good walking shoes and outerwear that can handle the weather.
Because cute matters.
But being comfortable enough to actually enjoy my vacation matters more.
Your Vacation Can Feel Less Rushed
One of the things I appreciate more and more about traveling over 40 is that I no longer feel compelled to see every single thing.
I don’t need 14 activities scheduled between breakfast and dinner.
I don’t need to visit a city and immediately start running through a checklist.
And fall lends itself beautifully to slower travel.
Sit in the café.
Have the long lunch.
Walk through the neighborhood.
Go back to the hotel for a couple of hours.
Have a glass of wine.
Find the little bookstore you weren’t looking for.
Actually look around.
Some of my favorite travel memories have absolutely nothing to do with the major attraction I flew across the ocean to see.
They happened in between.
And when you’re not battling peak-season crowds, heat and chaos, you have more room for those moments.
Shoulder Season Used to Mean Cheaper — Not Anymore
Let’s talk about one of the biggest myths about fall travel.
For years, travelers were told to travel during shoulder season because it was cheaper.
And it was.
September and October used to be that sweet spot between the expensive summer travel season and the slower winter months. You could often find better airfare, lower hotel rates and fewer crowds simply by waiting a few weeks.
Well, everybody found out.
Shoulder-season travel has become increasingly popular, and the travel industry has absolutely caught on. Once demand goes up, so do the prices.
I saw that firsthand traveling through Scotland in September. It was not cheap.
And I’m seeing it again as I prepare for Japan in October. Japan is definitely not cheaper simply because I’m traveling in the fall.
So I would no longer tell anyone to travel in September or October because they should expect to save money.
You might.
But you might not.
In some destinations, particularly places that are extremely popular in the fall, you may find that airfare and hotel prices are just as high as they are during other busy travel periods.
That doesn’t mean fall travel isn’t worth it.
For me, the value is in the overall experience: potentially better weather, somewhat smaller crowds, fewer families traveling and a pace that feels more comfortable.
If I happen to save some money too, wonderful.
But I’m not counting on it.
My advice is to compare dates, watch airfare, check hotel rates and stop assuming that the words “shoulder season” automatically mean “bargain.”
Those days may not be completely gone, but they are definitely getting harder to find.
Getting Into the Places You Actually Want to Visit Can Be Easier
Peak season isn’t only about expensive airfare and crowded streets. It’s also about competition.
Competition for restaurant reservations.
Competition for tickets.
Competition for popular tours.
Competition for timed museum entrances.
Competition for hotel rooms.
Traveling outside the busiest weeks can give you a little breathing room.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make reservations. I am still very much Team Book It
Before You Get There when something is important to me.
But I like having options.
I like being able to change my mind.
I like discovering a restaurant and actually having a chance of getting a table.
I like having enough flexibility in my schedule to say, “That looks interesting. Let’s go see what that is.”
That kind of spontaneity becomes much harder when every attraction and restaurant is booked solid.
Fall Is Perfect for Cultural Travel
This may be my favorite reason.
Fall is when so many destinations become especially interesting culturally.
Harvest season.
Wine season.
Food festivals.
Art events.
Religious celebrations.
Local traditions.
And, of course, here in Mexico, Día de los Muertos.
One of the things that has changed about the way I travel as I’ve gotten older is that
I am much less interested in simply collecting countries.
I want experiences.
I want to understand something about where I am.
I want to eat the food.
Learn some history.
Meet people.
Hear the stories.
Understand why a tradition matters.
You can see a landmark in a photograph.
Culture is something you have to experience.
And fall provides so many opportunities to do exactly that.
There Are Fewer Families Traveling
I’m just going to say it. This is a grown-woman travel blog. And sometimes I want grown-woman travel. Once schools reopen, the number of families traveling during the week generally decreases in many destinations.
That changes the energy.
Flights can feel different.
Hotels can feel different.
Resorts can feel different.
Popular attractions can feel different.
And for women who have reached the stage of life where we have a little more flexibility with our schedules, this is one of the benefits.
We don’t necessarily have to travel when everybody else travels.
Use that freedom.
It Can Be a More Comfortable Time for Solo Travel
Fall can also be wonderful if you’re traveling alone. There is something about arriving in a city in September or October, putting on your jacket, walking out of your hotel and simply exploring.
Sit at the café by yourself.
Take the walking tour.
Visit the museum.
Book the day trip.
Have dinner at the bar.
Go somewhere you’ve always wanted to go.
Solo travel doesn’t have to mean doing something dramatic.
Sometimes it simply means giving yourself permission to experience a destination on your own terms. And if you’re not quite ready to travel completely solo, there is another option. Travel with a group that allows you to be independent.
That’s how I design my group trips. We travel together, but I deliberately build in solo time because I don’t believe grown women need to spend every waking moment together simply because they arrived in the same country.
You can have the security and community of traveling with other women and still have space to do your own thing.
The two aren’t mutually exclusive.
There Is Something About Fall That Makes You Want to Go Somewhere
Maybe it’s psychological. Summer feels like everyone else’s vacation season.
Fall feels like mine. There is something about September that feels like a reset.
The year isn’t over, but it has slowed down enough for you to look up and realize there is still time to do something for yourself.
Take the trip.
Use the passport.
Book the long weekend.
Go see the leaves change.
Eat pasta in Italy.
Drink whiskey in Ireland.
Sit beside the water in Portugal.
Walk through a museum in Paris.
Explore a city you’ve been saying you wanted to visit for the last ten years.
You do not have to wait for summer.
And you definitely don’t have to wait for somebody else to decide they’re ready to go with you.
Travel Over 40 Should Feel Different
I don’t travel at this stage of my life the same way I traveled when I was younger.
And I’m glad I don’t.
I know what I like now.
I know what I’m willing to tolerate.
I know what I’m not.
I will spend money for convenience.
I will choose the hotel in the better location.
I will leave myself some free time.
I will wear comfortable shoes.
I will go back to my room and take a nap if I feel like it.
And I will travel during the time of year that gives me the experience I want rather than automatically traveling when everyone else does.
That’s one of the gifts of getting older.
You stop traveling to prove something.
You start traveling for yourself.
So if you’ve always thought of summer as “travel season,” maybe it’s time to reconsider.
September, October and even November can be some of the best months to get out and see the world.
The crowds may be smaller.
The weather may be better.
Your itinerary can breathe a little.
And you might discover that this season of travel fits this season of your life perfectly.
Because travel over 40 isn’t about checking as many places as possible off a list.
It’s about having experiences worth remembering.
And sometimes the best time to have them is after everybody else has gone home.
Final Thoughts
Fall travel is not the secret bargain it once was. More people have figured out how good September, October and even early November can be, and the travel industry has figured it out too. Prices are not automatically lower, popular destinations can still be busy and you still need to plan ahead.
But for me, fall is still worth it.
I would rather travel when the weather is more comfortable, the crowds are a little thinner and I have more room to actually enjoy where I am.
At this stage of my life, I am not interested in traveling just to say I went somewhere.
I want to enjoy the hotel.
I want to enjoy the food.
I want time to wander.
I want to experience the culture.
I want enough space in my itinerary to change my mind, take a nap, sit in a café or do absolutely nothing for a couple of hours. That is what travel over 40 looks like for me now.
So no, fall travel may not always save you money anymore. But it can still give you something I value even more:
A better experience.
And that is exactly why fall remains one of my favorite times to travel.
Shop My Favorite Travel Packing Essentials
If you're getting ready for your own international adventure, I've rounded up many of the travel essentials I personally use to stay organized on the road—from packing cubes and luggage trackers to travel accessories that make long-haul trips so much easier.
You can shop my favorite travel packing and organization essentials here:
Travel Packing & Organization Essentials: https://liketk.it/5q6uk
Here's to packing smarter, stressing less, and making room for unforgettable adventures.
Ready to Plan Your Own Solo adventure?
Whether you want to join one of my curated BaldGirlWillTravel meet-ups or plan a custom solo itinerary designed just for you, I help Black women over 40 travel safely, stylishly, and intentionally.
Whether you want to join one of my BaldGirlWillTravel group adventures or create a custom solo itinerary just for you, I can help you plan the trip you’ve been dreaming about — stress-free, stylish, and unforgettable.
I now offer custom travel planning for women who are ready to explore the world on their own terms—with safety, style, and confidence.
Want to Travel Even More Confidently?
If you want a deeper dive into staying safe — especially as a solo traveler — I’ve put everything I’ve learned over years of traveling into my guide:
This guide covers:
Practical safety strategies before and during your trip
How to reduce risk without limiting your freedom
Situational awareness tips that actually make sense in real life
How to move confidently — not fearfully — while traveling
It’s designed for women who want to explore the world prepared, informed, and unbothered.
Because travel should expand your life — not stress you out.
👯♀️ Prefer group travel with like-minded women?
Join one of my 2026 or 2027 Girls Trips curated just for Black women 40+.—and yes, payment plans are available!
📌 Pin This Blog
🧳 Save it, share it, and send it to a sister-friend who needs that extra nudge. Your next chapter starts with one bold step.
And don’t forget—subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch my closet staples series and see my top picks for all of these essentials!
Because travel is the best self care there is!!
Thank You For Reading!
Check out these solo travel blog posts:
This post may contain affiliate links to things like tours, hotels, and products. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you.
Comments