Travel Guides & Packing Lists for Women Over 40

Packing used to stress me out. Now I often travel carry-on only and always know what I’m wearing. That didn’t happen by accident. It’s years of research, trial and error. And I never gatekeep.

Hi, I’m Alison Gary, a midsize woman in midlife who loves clothes and loves travel and adventure. From weekend getaways to the ocean or a major city to cruises, summer road trips, and week-long trips across the globe, I share what I packed, what I wore, what worked, and what didn’t so we can learn together to be stylish and savvy travelers.

Travel style for women over 40 has its own specific challenges: finding pants that work on a plane and a dinner out, building a capsule that covers a week without looking like you’re wearing the same thing every day, figuring out what luggage is actually worth the investment. Add in the reality of midlife bodies (temperature fluctuations, comfort priorities, wanting to look like yourself and not a walking REI catalog), “just pack light” advice only gets you so far.

This is where I share what actually works and is worth your hard-earned money. You’ll find destination-specific packing guides, what-I-wore recaps from real trips, honest luggage and travel gear reviews, and the best travel pants, shoes, and bags for women in midlife, tested in real life.

Whether you’re packing for a long weekend or a two-week trip, you’ll leave here with a better list.