Four months after my daughter was born, I left her for the first time, flying to Switzerland for a five-day work trip. I said a tearful goodbye and then boarded the plane, expecting the typical tedium of an 11-hour journey.
Instead, it was glorious.
I watched a movie, slept, and snacked, delighted by the luxury of so many consecutive hours being responsible for no one but myself. My body was still on duty, persistently reminding me to pump. (Even when not traveling with baby, breastfeeding moms often still need to maintain their breast milk supply.) But this was the first time I understood how different solo travel feels when you’re a mom.
For a primary caregiver, 11 hours in which nobody needs anything from you is not an everyday occurrence. I’m a solo parent, but partnered mothers can also find uninterrupted time hard to come by. According to 2025 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women living with children under age six spent nearly 20 more hours per week than men caring for children. In addition, moms typically carry a particularly disproportionate share of the cognitive labor involved in planning, anticipating, and delegating household tasks.
Of course, moms aren’t the only caregivers who need time away. In some families, the dad is the primary caregiver, and within queer couples, parenting responsibilities are often shared in ways that don’t follow traditional gender roles. Anyone carrying a significant share of the nurturing can benefit from time away.
“Parents today feel an incredible amount of pressure to ‘do it right,’ to be the center of their child’s life, to know everything about child development, and to be more present,” says Dr. Rana Pishva, a clinical psychologist who specializes in parenting identity and family dynamics. “Often, parents’ identities become engulfed in parenthood, and the rest of them is lost.”
That can make stepping away feel nearly impossible. For moms considering a solo trip, the first question may be less “Where should I go?” than “Who is going to take care of my child?” The logistics will look different for every family. A spouse or coparent may take over, while others might rely on relatives, friends, or paid childcare. Then comes the harder part: accepting that things may be done differently while you’re gone.
A shorter trip doesn’t necessarily mean less preparation, either. Getting everyone settled so you can leave for two nights can take nearly as much thought as leaving for five. Travel advisor Jennifer Fernandez offers, “Aim for the easiest destinations you can get to for the time you have available.” For a long weekend, that might mean a short drive, a direct flight, or a cruise from a nearby port.
For moms who don’t want to add trip planning to their already overwhelming load, handing off some of that work can make all the difference, advised Fernandez. That might mean booking a tour, signing up for a retreat, or choosing an all-inclusive destination.
Reducing logistics is only part of what makes leaving easier—the other is practice. That first trip I took, I was so anxious about leaving my baby, I thought of everything that could go wrong while I was gone. But nothing bad happened. Over the past four years, each trip has felt easier, and I’ve been able to lean more into the joy of solo travel. What once felt like a major decision now feels like a normal part of my life. I still miss her every time; I just don’t confuse missing her with wishing I hadn’t gone.
Where to go for a solo parent trip
The right trip depends on what kind of break a parent needs. For some, that might mean spending a few days exploring a city; for others, it might mean settling into a beautiful resort and barely leaving the property.
Puerto Rico
San Juan combines relaxation and fun.
Courtesy of Pexels
Puerto Rico packs a surprising amount into a long weekend. In San Juan, you can have a Caribbean beach day, stop at the Caribe Hilton for a piña colada tasting, wander the colorful streets of Old San Juan, linger over a long dinner, and still never need to rent a car. Because it’s a U.S. territory, U.S. citizens don’t need a passport or to exchange currency. For a mom who only has a few days away, it’s an easy way to make the trip feel like a genuine vacation rather than just a relocation.
Tokyo
Tokyo is particularly well suited to a food-focused solo trip. Eating alone is commonplace, whether you’re settling into a sushi counter, trying ramen at a small shop, or browsing the stalls at Tsukiji Outer Market. For solo parents who want to venture beyond Tokyo without taking on the logistics themselves, travel companies like Tourist Japan can arrange side trips to destinations such as Mount Fuji and Nikko, making it easy to add a day outside the city without having to plan it independently.
Croatia
In the Croatian Dalmatian islands, a getaway might include swimming in the Adriatic, lingering over a long lunch, wandering Hvar’s oldest town, Stari Grad, or taking a boat out to a new island. You can add a winetasting or a day exploring lavender fields, or just sit and stare at the sea on a private beach at Maslina Resort.
Bali
Bali provides pure escapism.
Photo by Luiz Guimaraes/Unsplash
Bali offers a dramatic change of scenery, from terraced rice fields to intricately carved Hindu temples. To experience both Bali’s jungle and its beaches without piecing together the trip yourself, a parent could split their stay between Anantara’s Ubud and Uluwatu resorts, moving from a rainforest setting in the island’s interior to a cliffside resort overlooking the Indian Ocean.
USA
You don’t have to venture far out of the country to feel like you’re on vacation if you head to a wellness resort. Self-care is often just one more item for a mom to squeeze into her to-do list. At a destination wellness resort, days are designed around rest, nourishment, and movement; meals, treatments, and time in nature are all thoughtfully incorporated into the stay. For a parent accustomed to planning and coordinating everyone else’s needs, the appeal is having that same level of thought and attention given to their stay. Spots such as Sensei Lānaʻi in Hawai‘i and Canyon Ranch in Tucson offer this kind of immersive approach to wellness.
