Before You Board: What Every Woman Should Have in Place Before Traveling Solo

Well before the bag is packed and the itinerary is set, make sure you take these steps before your next trip.

Solo travel is having a moment—and honestly, it’s about time. Nearly 40% of female travelers are planning a solo trip this year, and women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s are leading the charge. Whether you’re exploring Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand (like I am right now as I write this post), wandering Amsterdam’s canals, hiking in Portugal, or finally taking that solo spa week in Santa Fe, going it alone is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself.

But here’s what the travel guides don’t always tell you: how you prepare before you leave matters just as much as where you’re going. A little legal and practical groundwork can mean the difference between a worry-free adventure and an absolute nightmare if something unexpected happens. Even if you’re going on a group tour, this is the checklist for you.

Think of this as the pre-trip checklist your best attorney friend would give you over wine while talking about what you should pack (a bathing suit—always a bathing suit—no matter what).

1. Get Your Estate Planning Documents in Order

This isn’t morbid—it’s smart. If you don’t already have a will, a healthcare directive, and a durable power of attorney in place, a solo trip is the perfect motivation to finally check this off your list. These three documents answer the most critical questions if you’re ever incapacitated or unreachable:

• A will ensures your assets go where you want them to go, not where a court decides.

• A healthcare directive (also called a living will) tells medical professionals your wishes if you can’t speak for yourself and designates who should make decisions for you.

• A durable power of attorney gives a trusted person the legal authority to handle your financial and legal affairs if you’re unable to.

If you already have these documents, pull them out and make sure they’re still current. Did you get divorced in the last few years? Have a child? Move to a new state? Any of those life changes can affect whether your existing documents actually do what you think they do.

Also, please do this step well in advance of your trip. Good estate attorneys in Northern Virginia are booking consultations a month or two out right now, and it can take several weeks for your documents to be drafted, reviewed with you, and executed properly. Some of these documents have strict execution requirements.

2. Designate an Emergency Contact—and Brief Them

Choosing an emergency contact is step one. Actually telling that person what to do is step two—and most people skip it entirely.

Before you leave, sit down with your designated person and make sure they know:

• Where your important documents are located (both physical and digital)

• The name and number of your attorney, financial planner, insurance broker, and accountant

• Where you hold your financial accounts, what types of accounts you have, and who holds your mortgage, property insurance, and health insurance

• Your travel itinerary, including airlines, accommodations, and any tour bookings

• Your passport number and travel insurance policy details

My advice is to prepare a document you keep with your power of attorney and will that lists all of these accounts and service providers. With paperless statements, these details can be surprisingly difficult to track down.

It sounds like overkill—until it isn’t. Once you create it, review and update it before each major trip.

3. Check Your Beneficiary Designations

Here’s a legal detail that catches people off guard: your will doesn’t control everything.

Retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and certain bank accounts pass directly to the person named as beneficiary—completely bypassing your will. If your ex-spouse is still listed on your 401(k) because you never updated it after your divorce, that money goes to them. Full stop.

Before any major trip (and honestly, once a year as a general habit), log in to your financial accounts and confirm your beneficiaries are exactly who you intend.

4. Sort Out Your Travel Insurance—and Actually Read It

Travel insurance is not optional for solo travelers. If you become seriously ill or injured abroad, medical evacuation alone can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

A comprehensive policy typically covers emergency medical care, trip cancellation, lost luggage, and evacuation. Quality coverage matters, and frequent travelers may find it more economical to purchase a long-term travel policy rather than separate coverage for each trip.

When comparing policies, look specifically for:

• Coverage limits for emergency medical care ($100,000 minimum is a good benchmark)

• “Cancel for any reason” add-ons if flexibility matters to you

• Whether pre-existing conditions are covered

And yes—read the fine print. It’s unfortunately exactly as important as it sounds.

5. Make Digital Copies of Everything

Before you leave, photograph or scan your passport, driver’s license, travel insurance card, credit cards (front and back), and emergency contact information.

Email the files to yourself or store them securely in the cloud so you can access them if a device is lost. If your bag is stolen in Barcelona or your wallet disappears in Australia, you’ll be grateful for the ten minutes you spent doing this.

6. Notify Your Bank and Check Your Cards

You may need to notify your bank and credit card companies that you’ll be traveling internationally. It’s also smart to confirm whether your cards charge foreign transaction fees.

Some travel credit cards include built-in benefits such as automatic travel insurance, rental car coverage, and lost baggage reimbursement.

Many banks no longer require travel notifications, but they often send fraud alerts or two-factor authentication requests to your phone. That means having access to your messages while abroad—through an eSIM, international plan, or Wi-Fi messaging—can be essential.

The Bottom Line

Solo travel is important. As my mom always says, “Take the trip, buy the shoes!”

Sometimes having the exact experience you want, the way you want it, is incredibly fulfilling. But the women who do it best are the ones who leave prepared.

Getting your legal documents in place, briefing someone you trust, and handling the practical details isn’t overthinking—it’s responsible. And the peace of mind it gives you lasts the entire trip.

Now go get your documents done and book the flight. You’ve got this.

Have questions about wills, powers of attorney, or estate planning before your next adventure? The attorneys at Family First Law Group are here to help you get everything in place—so the only thing on your mind when you board that plane is where to have dinner when you land.

SEE ALSO: Domestic Partnerships vs. Marriage: Legal Differences That Matter