Girlfriend getaways -- in which women travel together and leave the menfolk home -- are booming. And the phenomenon is not just about bachelorette parties or 20-somethings on spring break.

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

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

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

April Merenda, co-founder of Gutsy Women Travel www.gutsywomentravel.com), sees more time-pressed career women in their 30s and 40s taking girlfriend getaways. But not everybody goes with friends; about 60 percent of her business is from women booking a solo trip. She said that her business is up 25 percent from last year.

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

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

Because so many women work these days, 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," said Oswald.

"They have never been more independent than they are now," said Allison O'Sullivan, managing director of the Women's Travel Club www.adventurewomen.com), which offers 60 destinations. The club's founder was a married woman who wanted to travel to other parts of the world that her husband wasn't interested in.

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

"The industry has rolled out the red carpet," said Oswald. "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 women's travel companies offer niche trips focusing on wine-tasting, running or even knitting. Sally Black, founder of StitchAwayTours 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 said. "There are so many different techniques that come to us from all over the world."

Learning trips: All of Gutsy Women Travel's trips include something instructional, said Merenda, such as learning to prepare authentic Moroccan cuisine, creating an individual fragrance in France or painting handicrafts with local artisans in Costa Rica.

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 said. "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 www.adventurewomen.com), which has been in business for 27 years, is between 50 and 55. "We scuba dive, we snorkel," said founder and president Susan Eckert. "We do a horseback trip in Yellowstone. We're bringing back our cattle ranch trip." Softer adventure excursions include sightseeing tours to places such as India, China and Greece.

City escapes: New York, Las Vegas, Boston and San Francisco and other cities are popular girlfriend getaway destinations, Oswald said. The cities are accessible and there's lots to do -- shopping, museums, nightlife.