Women are taking knitting trips, adventure trips and spa trips. The Fine Living Network just launched a series called All-Girl Getaways, hosted by Stephanie Oswald, editor in chief of travelgirl magazine. And Marybeth Bond, the author of 50 Best Girlfriends Getaways in North America, has just written a sequel - Best Girlfriends Getaways Worldwide.

Bond, who has been tracking data since 1993, says there has been a 230 percent increase in the number of women-only travel companies in the last seven years. And many women who are taking girlfriends' getaways are married - but leaving their husbands at home.

Oswald says some women feel guilty about taking a vacation without their mates. But Bond said men often encouraged their significant others to travel with other women to enjoy activities that husbands and boyfriends might not be interested in, whether it's shopping, cooking classes, or visiting a botanical garden or museum.

April Merenda, cofounder of Gutsy Women Travel, sees more time-pressed career women in their 30s and 40s taking girlfriends' getaways. But not everybody goes with friends; about 60 percent of her business is from women booking a solo trip. She said her business was up 25 percent from last year.

There is also more multigenerational travel - baby boomers traveling with their daughters or even their mothers. Marcia Walker, 57, of Taylorsville, N.C., went on a 10-day tour to China this year with her daughter and noticed other groups in which women were shopping while spouses waited outside.

"You don't have that burden," she says, adding that her ex-husband never wanted to travel unless he could drive there. "I didn't have anybody breathing down my neck."

The phenomenon of girlfriends' getaways and women traveling alone represents a cultural shift. Thirty years ago, women didn't vacation without their families, says Susan Eckert, founder and president of AdventureWomen (www.adventurewomen.com), a travel company for women 30 and over. A woman who did travel without her husband was asked whether there was something wrong in the marriage, Eckert says.

Traditionally, women planned family vacations, taking on the tasks of "making sure everyone is happy, everyone is safe, everyone is entertained," Oswald says.

Meanwhile, men went camping, fishing or golfing with the guys, and teenagers started traveling with school and youth groups.

Now women are saying, " 'It's my turn,' " Bond says.

Because so many women have jobs, they can afford to travel. At the same time, they've moved away from childhood friends and college roommates, and they see travel as a way to reconnect. Going away with other women is an opportunity for them to really "recharge their batteries," Oswald says.

Women have never been more independent, says Allison O'Sullivan, managing director of the Women's Travel Club (www.womenstravelclub.com), which offers 60 destinations. The club's founder was a married woman who wanted to travel to parts of the world that her husband wasn't interested in.

The travel industry has responded to the demand. Last month, Abercrombie & Kent announced new women's-only trips to places such as India, China, the Bordeaux region of France, and Argentina. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and other hotel chains are catering to women with amenities and special vacation packages.

"The industry has rolled out the red carpet," Oswald says. "Everyone is coming up with girlfriend getaway programs. I think that's a great sign that this is a phenomenon and not a trend. It's here to stay."

Here are some of the types of trips women are taking.

Special interest. Some travel companies offer niche trips focusing on wine-tasting, running or even knitting. Sally Black, founder of StitchAwayTours (www.stitchawaytours.com), has been organizing knitting trips for several years to such places as Scotland and London. Knitters visit sheep farms, yarn shops and yarn factories. "Knitting has such a great history to it," Black says. "There's so many different techniques that come to us from all over the world."

Learning trips. All of Gutsy Women Travel's trips (www.gutsywomentravel.com) include something instructional, such as preparing authentic Moroccan cuisine, creating an individual fragrance in Provence, or painting handicrafts with local artisans in Costa Rica, Merenda says.

Pampering. One of the most popular types of travel among women is a pampering escape, whether it's a spa resort or a cruise, Oswald says. "Spas certainly provide that amazing atmosphere that lends itself to girls being able to share stories, spend time together, and get pampered along the way."

Adventure. The average age of women on trips with AdventureWomen, which has been in business for 27 years, is 50 to 55. "We scuba dive, we snorkel," Eckert says. "We do a horseback trip in Yellowstone. We're bringing back our cattle ranch trip." Softer adventure excursions include sightseeing tours to such places as India, China and Greece.

Big cities. Big cities, such as New York, Las Vegas, Boston and San Francisco, are popular girlfriends' getaway destinations, Oswald says. The cities are accessible, and there's lots to do - shopping, museums, nightlife.

Eco-travel. Go Eco Travel (www.goecotravel.com) offers "green" trips to such destinations as Aspen, Colo., and Montauk, N.Y. The itineraries avoid mega-hotel chains, opting for historic inns, solar-paneled farmhouses, and smaller, independent hotels. They include activities such as yoga, hiking, surfing and cross-country skiing.