Inspirations

Sometimes the most meaningful journeys aren’t the ones we plan for years or measure in milestones. They can just as easily be the deliberate pauses we carve out of our busy lives – a few days away, a change of scenery, and the luxury of time spent entirely on our own. For many, travelling for extended periods of time can often be out of reach for any number of reasons, but travelling solo can be just as life-enhancing when we choose for it to become less about how far we go and more about appreciating how important it is that we prioritise ourselves and our time alone.

We’ve come to associate solo travel with scale – with distance, duration, and the idea that going alone only really counts if it’s bold, remote, or measured in weeks or months rather than days. The one-way ticket. The long absence. The story that needs context before it makes sense. But for many travellers in 2026, the shape of time off is changing.

Long weekends are set to be a time for meaningful getaways, as more travellers look to maximise their public holidays by squeezing in short escapes, whether domestic or abroad. Globally (based on their booking data from 1 January to 31 March 2026), the Trip.com Group is seeing over 34% year-on-year increase in bookings for short trips of four days or less, with growth especially prominent in Europe. Working adults, primarily those aged 25 to 49 years old, are the main drivers of this uptick, accounting for more than half of the bookings for short trips of four days or less.

This shift aligns beautifully with the idea that solo travel doesn’t have to be measured in months. A night or two somewhere unfamiliar can still carry the essence of travelling alone and gifting yourself precious space to breathe, time to think, and a subtle but real shift of perspective. These shorter trips don’t ask for planning, endurance, or bravado. They ask only that you leave, arrive, and allow yourself to be present, whether that’s in a forest clearing, a coastal village at dawn, or a small city you’ve never visited before.

For those newer to travelling solo, short stays can feel like training wheels – a way of building confidence without pressure or performance. They offer solitude without isolation, and the joy of our independence without the weight of having to prove anything. Even for experienced solo travellers, they can be a form of return, a reminder that travel doesn’t have to be ambitious to be meaningful.

“Even for experienced solo travellers, they can be a form of return, a reminder that travel doesn’t have to be ambitious to be meaningful.”