Girls trips are very close to my heart, and especially as we get older, they become even more needed yet more infrequent, because—life. (I know you know what I mean.)
I just returned from a Girls Trip to Scotland with my Bestie, Kaitlyn, and I was reminded again that there’s a healing, restorative, nurturing kind of magic that you get from a girls trip that’s just different from a family vacation or a trip with your partner. Women connect in a unique way.
Also, different vacations serve different purposes, and when our Wild Hair calls for one, we need to listen. So, just as I believe in taking regular solo retreats, I think girls’ trips should be a non-negotiable part of our lives, too.
Think you might be needing a girls getaway right about now? Here are 4 surefire signs it’s time for a girls trip—and you should just go ahead and send that group text.
4 Signs It’s Time to Set a Date for That Girls Getaway
1. It’s Been Too Long Since You’ve Spent Quality Time With Another Woman
This one sounds obvious, but it’s worth checking in with yourself. When was the last time you had deep conversations, belly laughs, celebrations AND felt truly seen and heard by another woman?
It’s not about clocking how many months it’s been, but rather tuning into that craving for real, nurturing, feminine connection.
Maybe you don’t need a full-blown girls trip. Maybe you just need a girls dinner or a fun afternoon together. But if the craving feels bigger than that? Keep reading.
2. You’re Craving a Vacation Where You Don’t Have to Be Somebody
Girls trips are a unique kind of freedom because you can leave behind the roles you usually wear: mom, boss, caretaker, planner, person-who-keeps-everything-running-smoothly.
When you travel with family, you’re often still “on”. You’re managing schedules, meals, activities. Even with your partner, you might still wear the logistical hat if you’re the organized one.
But on a girls trip? There’s this beautiful, unspoken agreement: we’re here to just BE.
No one’s looking to you for answers. No one’s needing you to be anything except your authentic self. You get to fully relax without carrying the mental load of worrying about everyone else. Even if you are your friends’ designated vacation planner or the more “type A” one in the group, the energy is just different on a girls trip.
3. You’re Craving Time to Feel Like You Again
Beyond dropping the responsibilities, a girls trip is about reconnecting with the parts of yourself that might get buried under daily life. It’s about laughing till your sides hurt. Feeling carefree. Remembering that woman you were before life got so… full.
When I travel with my college friends, it feels like a time machine. We’re not bar-hopping till 2 a.m. anymore (hello, 10 p.m. bedtime) — but the spirit, the silliness, the feeling of being me — it’s all still there.
Girls trips remind you: you’re still in there. And that version of you deserves to come out and play.
4. You Feel Like a Girls Trip Just Can’t Happen Right Now
If you find yourself constantly saying, “Maybe next year…” or “Maybe when things calm down…”, that’s a huge sign that it’s actually time to prioritize a girls trip. Stat! What a sneaky little reminder…
“But I don’t have any close girlfriends to travel with”
I know some of you might be thinking, “Well, I don’t have close girlfriends available to travel with anymore.” Maybe you moved, drifted apart from old friends, or never had that sisterhood feeling to begin with. If that’s you, you are NOT alone — and you are not out of options.
There are incredible group trips designed for solo women travelers — trips where you show up solo but leave with female connection, deep conversation, and maybe even lifelong friends. So please, don’t count yourself out. Your girls trip story is still waiting to happen.
Every Woman Needs a Girls Trip – And It’s Time to Plan Yours
Life rarely hands us the “perfect” window to do the things that feed our souls, like taking a girls trip. Especially when it comes to trips that are just for us. Our brains will try to tell us that we are “selfish to spend all that money on a trip just for us. Especially if we are moms, we’ll also obsess over in the inconvenience our absence will put on our partner or family.
But this is the truth: if you keep telling yourself it’s not the right season, that narrative only gets stronger, and trust me, you deserve this.
But this is the truth: if you keep telling yourself it’s not the right season, that narrative only gets stronger, and trust me, you deserve this.
Your joy is not a luxury. It’s essential.
I’ll just add one more reminder: Your girls trip doesn’t have to be extravagant. It doesn’t have to be far away. It just has to be on the calendar!
Already have that group text going and looking for that final piece of inspiration to encourage everyone to set a date? Send episode 82 of The Happy Women Travel More Podcast to your friends and let me know how I can help you plan your perfect Girls Getaway!
