let’s try ■ solo holidays
e n o al
Going it
Taking a holiday by yourself isn’t just for single people, these days. There are many reasons for going solo overseas and, as Debbie Ward reports, you are likely to end up feeling anything but alone
mpany The Adventure Co
il, Morocco ■ On the Kasbah Tra
W
e may have had the same sense of humour but when it came to holidays we were poles apart. I loved to travel, globetrotting up to 15 times a year; my boyfriend had been abroad once, to Paris, and had reached the age of 35 without setting foot on a plane. We probably wouldn’t have lasted the five years we did if I hadn’t been prepared to holiday solo. I visited friends in
Eastern Europe, enjoyed off-season sightseeing in Med and to top it all, I became a travel journalist. Fast forward to the present day and my present partner shares my wanderlust, but I still often find myself travelling alone for work. Only last March I was enjoying a candlelit dinner on a Sri Lankan beach, just a book and the sound of the waves for company. As my experience shows, reasons for travelling solo are not as clear cut as they may seem. While some lone holidaymakers are divorced, widowed or otherwise unattached, ■ Solo travellers at the summit
The Adventure Company
Winter 2010/11
tlm ■ the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk
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let’s try ■ solo holidays
■ A coach tour with Grand UK Holidays
■ Photo call at the Taj Mahal
Grand UK Holidays
■ White water rafting
The Imaginative Traveller
The Adventure Com pany
looking for love? While many singles are just looking for platonic company on their travels there are numerous tales of holiday romances that started on tour and stood the journey home. The Adventure Company has claimed three marriages in the last two years from couples who met on their trips, citing the high singles count, shared experiences and holiday atmosphere as natural ingredients for bonding. One couple who met on a Grand UK Holiday got engaged on another and spent their honeymoon on a third. Sales director Harold Burke says: “We’re not a dating agency and most customers just find friendship on our tours but we are always delighted when solo travellers return to us as a couple.” Ramblers Worldwide marketing manager Tony Maniscalco adds: “You’re not on display, there’s no strings attached, if it happens it happens but there are some people in our office who met that way and are married now and have children.”
22 tlm ■ the travel & leisure magazine
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others have interests not shared by partners and some have different financial or family commitments to those they might otherwise have hit the road with. Tour operators have even noted a rise in solo bookings from people who’ve taken voluntary redundancy during the recession. Whatever your reasons for taking the plunge, travelling solo for the first time can be a daunting experience. However, there are many ways of making it easier. Firstly, many solo travellers are only alone as far as the airport – because they join groups of like-minded travellers on holiday. Some companies cater specifically for solos but, pick the right regular tour and you’re still unlikely to find yourself the only singleton on the bus.
make friends Grand American Adventures, whose customers are generally aged over 30, sees around 80% travelling solo. “People are often nervous about joining a tour group on their own, but our past passengers consistently tell us that it is more like travelling with a group of friends than on an organised tour,” says marketing manager Toby Butland. “Sharing campsite duties, participating in adventure activities and experiencing those unique travel moments with a small group of like-minded individuals is the perfect environment for making new, life-long friends.
Winter 2010/11
let’s try ■ solo holidays
Ramblers Holidays
■ Ramblers taking a well-earned break
You’ll also benefit from the safety and security of the group, and save money by sharing costs.” Other tour operators aiming at “active professionals” and offering both camp and hotel-based trips include Acacia Adventure Holidays, which sees a solo majority on its tours, and Exodus and The Adventure Company, which each attract a roughly equal solos and couples split. Coach tours and river cruises, favoured by the over55s also see a relatively high lone traveller count; for instance, sister companies Trafalgar Tours and Insight Vacations welcome about 27% solos per trip. Special-interest holidays are another solution for solo travellers who naturally bond with like-minded people while they cook a curry, paint a watercolour or learn to sing. Niche passions can even be a motivator for going it alone. My boyfriend’s a great skier while I quake at the thought, so he’s been known to hit the slopes solo. Likewise, walking specialist Ramblers Worldwide points out that the lone travellers who make up 45% of its clients are not all single. Noting many were married but with different interests from their other halves, the company has introduced Cruise and Walk holidays where couples can split by day for rambling or poolside relaxation then spend the evening together. Despite all the attractive options, it seems there are still many who need encouragement to travel solo. A
Winter 2010/11
solo holidays tips ● For solo relaxation, think spas ■ Friends united and yoga retreats. ● For company, choose group holidays where there will be a high proportion of other solos. ● For independent travel, Englishspeaking destinations are easier while backpacking hotspots mean you’ll meet other solos. ● Beach holidays are harder for solos so consider resorts with plentiful excursions and Ramblers Holidays activities. ● On city breaks, think hotels aimed at business travellers – the bars and restaurants will be full of other singletons. ● For solo dining, choose less formal restaurants, take a book or newspaper and choose a window or terrace seat with a view. ● Consider a niche interest or learning experience such as cookery, walking or language study for group interaction. ● On longer, independent trips, start with a tour – you’ll get your confidence up and may meet others planning the same onward journey.
tlm ■ the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk
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let’s try ■ solo holidays
■ Cycling in Cuba
solo holiday facts
single supplement
high solo count
Of course, it’s not only lack of confidence that is the deterrent but the dreaded single supplement. Few hotel rooms are singles and as hoteliers don’t want to sell their doubles and twins at half price they levy an extra charge on solo bookers. The good news is, there are several ways around this problem. These are:
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Debbie Ward has been a travel journalist for over 10 years. Her most unfortunate solo travel experience was becoming a stooge for Merlin and Minnie’s jokes as she sat eating alone, in a suit, at a Disney “character breakfast” full of giggling children.
24 tlm ■ the travel & leisure magazine
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active/adventure travel
Acacia Adventure Holidays: 020 77064700, www.acacia-africa.com The Adventure Company: 0845 609 0889, www.adventurecompany.co.uk Exodus: 0845 863 9600, www.exodus.co.uk Grand American Adventures: 0845 313 2615, www.americanadventures.com Imaginative Traveller: 0845 077 8803, www.imaginative-traveller.co.uk On The Go Tours: 0207 371 1113, www.onthegotours.com Ramblers Worldwide Holidays/Ramblers Countrywide Holidays: 01707 331133, www.ramblersholidays.co.uk and www.ramblerscountrywide.co.uk ●
activities and learning experiences
Arts courses: The French House Party Experience: 01299 896819, www.frenchhouseparty.co.uk ●
cooking courses
On the Menu: 08708 998844, www.holidayonthemenu.com On the Go (see above) Ramblers Worldwide (see above) The French House Party Experience (see above) ●
language courses
Journey Latin America: 0208 747 8315, www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk
■ The Inca Trail
■ Making friends
Grand UK Holidays
Solo specialists: Companies specialising in solo travel like Solo’s and Just You usually offer a room of your own at no single supplement, there’s just one upfront price for the holiday. Room shares: Companies which attract a high solo count, including The Adventure Company, Exodus, Grand UK Holidays and The Imaginative Traveller, have a “no single supplements policy” on all or the majority of their tours. They usually endeavour to pair travellers with a same-sex room-mate and those who don’t get matched may still be given a single room at no extra cost. Pal finders: Some independent solo travellers put classified ads in travel magazines seeking like-minded companions heading to the same parts of the globe. You can do the same online at www.someone2travelwith.com, which was founded by a travel agent. Dedicated solo departures: Some companies, including The Adventure Company, Exodus, Grand UK Holidays, Great Rail Journeys, Saga and Titan HiTours dedicate certain departures for solos, with room-shares and no single supplement typical. Cheaper destinations: If you’re travelling independently your destination can help. In regions like Asia, good-value accommodation makes the supplement less painful, while in Spain the huge volume of hotels means you’re more likely to find single rooms. Specialist rates: Some solo-friendly operators manage to negotiate low single supplements with hoteliers; for instance Ramblers asks around £38 extra a week on Italian holidays and £30 in the UK.
coaching, trains, river cruising
Leger Holidays: 01709 833805/0845 4080769, www.leger.co.uk Grand UK Holidays: 01603 619933, www.grandukholidays.com Great Rail Journeys: 01904 521 936, www.greatrail.com Insight Vacations: 01475 741203, www.insightvacations.com Saga Holidays: 0800 096 0074/0078, http://travel.saga.co.uk Titan HiTours: 0800 988 5823, www.titanhitours.co.uk Trafalgar Tours: 0207 8288143, www.trafalgar.com
veller The Imaginative Tra
Imaginative Traveller
survey last year by leading market research company Mintel revealed 38% of the adult population is single yet accounts for only 6% of holidays taken.
■ Three’s a crowd Friendship Travel: 0871 200 2035, www.friendshiptravel.com Just you: 0800 5677393, www.justyou.co.uk Solo’s: 0844 815 0005, www.solosholidays.co.uk One Traveller: 0844 800 5053, www.onetraveller.com Someone2travelwith: 01271 862626, www.s2t2.co.uk and www.someone2travelwith.com
The Imaginative Tra veller
solo specialists
Winter 2010/11