How Travel in Your 30s and 40s Changes (And the Trips You Actually Need)

There was a time when travel felt simple. You’d book whatever was cheapest, pack light, say yes to everything and deal with the consequences later. I have a genuine memory of booking a 5am flight on New Year’s Day in Brazil because it was less than £50 (but took an entire day to get to the Amazon jungle). Big regret - both the time and the hangover.

Life isn’t as carefree now. You’re trying to line up diaries that are booked three months in advance. Work around weddings, babies, budgets & career burnout. Decide whether you actually want to move around every two days or if that sounds like your worst nightmare.

Somewhere along the way, travel changed. Not because we stopped wanting it but because life reshaped how it fits. And the reality is, we don’t just take one type of trip anymore. We take different ones, for different reasons.

Sometimes you say yes to the family trip.

It matters. You want to be there. But it’s not always about you. You’re fitting in with other people’s plans, their pace, their version of the trip. It’s less about what you need, more about being together.

Sometimes it’s the girls’ trip.

The one that took months to organise. The one that nearly didn’t happen and you are surprised when it makes it out of the whats .app group chat. And when it does, it’s exactly what you needed. Long dinners, proper chats, not rushing anywhere. Those trips hit differently and can really fill our cup.

Sometimes it’s realising your usual group isn’t quite aligned anymore.

No drama, just life moving at different speeds. Different priorities, different energy, different availability. And instead of forcing it, you start choosing something else. Something that fits where you are now, with people who want the same kind of trip as you.

Sometimes it’s a solo trip.

Not because you want to be on your own the whole time, but because you don’t want to wait around anymore. You want to go but still have people to share parts of it with.

Sometimes, if we’re honest, it’s just about needing a break.

No big plans. No pressure to “see everything.” Just space to slow down, switch off, and feel like yourself again. This is where Slow Stays come into their own. Staying in one place, settling in, not needing to be anywhere else. The kind of trip where how you feel matters more than what you tick off.

And then there are the times you want the opposite.

More movement. More energy. A change of scene. Something that takes you out of your routine and gives you that sense of momentum again. That’s where Explore trips fit. Seeing different places, doing things you wouldn’t normally do, but in a way that’s paced properly so you actually enjoy it.

That’s the balance.

Sometimes you show up for everyone else.Sometimes you reconnect with your people. And sometimes, it’s just about you. Most of us need all of it. Just not all at once.

And that’s why having different ways to travel matters. Because it’s not about picking one version and sticking to it. It’s about choosing what you need, when you need it.

I’ve just come back from a girls’ weekend, and I’m already eyeing up a bigger trip at the end of the year. Because even running a travel company, I still crave that proper adventure. The kind where you switch off, get a bit off-grid, and come back feeling like you’ve actually been somewhere. It's looking like The Phillipines or South Africa for me!