Is it permissible for a woman to travel without a mahram?

The questioner : My mother is a woman over sixty years old, and she travels alone to visit her children; what is the ruling on her travel?

The Shaykh : Does she travel with a non-mahram?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : It is not permissible. A woman must not travel unless she has a mahram with her. What is said regarding the specification of this hadith or its restriction is an invalidation of the text of the hadith without any argument being mentioned.