not cheap but SAGA can accommodate singles, trips and things like that are organised as a group [and you never know she may find herself a sole mate] possibly something like THIS

yasus
wizard

See, SAGA makes me think of bus loads of pensioners. My mum is very young, she doesn't do typical pension things. Am I a bit out of date with my thinking?

my mom goes on her own at times and she uses saga shes a very young 65 year old,she has met some lovily people too ask her to take a look at what they have on offer

JUST YOU are a company that specialise in holidays for single people. I've never been on one but I have read good things about them. From what I understand the majority of the people on their holidays are women and usually 40+yrs upwards. The company is part of Travelsphere .

Many single people use SAGA who specialise in holidays for people over 50.(I've just noticed Wizard and madmadge have recommended them) I read the SAGA website and people always always give good reviews on the holidays. I have taken a couple of their tours and though I'm not single I often travel alone and I've been satisfied with their product.

I'm sure there are more companies that specialise in holidays for single people, just can't think of any at the moment. But your mother would be perfectly safe to book through either of these companies and having to put up with unwanted attention from sleezy men would be very rare.

I'm not that much younger than your Mum and regularly holiday on my own and can assure you that once she has the confidence to try it she'll probably love it! I've been doing it off and on for 25 years and do understand that if she's never done it before it possibly can be harder to take the plunge as you get older

A good starting point is whether she has any special interests - I'm a huge fan of Cuban music and latin american dancing in general and often go away on specialist dance holidays knowing that I'll meet people whom I'll have lots in common with and who will also be interested in the same sort of evening entertainment. A number of the other single people that I've met on dance holidays have now turned into really good friends and we have continued to meet up and have often been on holiday together again since then. I've also been on walking holidays on my own too in the past and can recommend them. Various friends in a similar position have greatly enjoyed going on trekking (both pony and foot!), sailing, painting, cookery, yoga, language and cycling holidays as examples of the other sorts of activity based holidays on offer but there are lots of others too. A language holiday based in a country that you have previously visited and/or would love to visit can be really good because even if you only acquire a very basic conversational level of fluency this can be a tremendous confidence booster for travelling on your own in the future. I was really glad that on my first trip to Cuba I also took some Spanish classes for this reason - I was then much more comfortable spending a week on my own in Havana after the group part ended.

Another good ploy is look out for destinations that feature heavily in 'no single supplements' offers by the TOs and/or where the evening entertainment is mainly hotel based. This is how I hit upon Tunisia as my ideal winter sun, chillout destination. It's very easy to find well priced 'no single supplement' offers in decent hotels there which means that the hotels concerned tend to attract other singles and the evening entertainment tends to be based in and around the hotels too. Hence you're likely to find other women on their own who are happy to share a table and chat over a drink in the bar the evening etc.

I have never been on a specifically 'singles' holiday but a friend speaks well of both Solo and Solitaire holidays. They can be pricier because whilst they don't charge a single supplement, the price they charge reflects the fact that they are charge more by the hotels for 'sole use of a double'. Saga holidays are aimed at the over 55s so she's towards the younger end of their age range and they are not specifically aimed at singles, probably the same with a lot of coach tours too but then there are a lot of incredibly active over 60s too. The trick will would be to focus on a holiday destination or style that is likely to attract the 50 somethings.

There's actually a good few women members here who holiday on their own so I'm sure that you'll other suggestions too.

SM

Saga holidays are aimed at the over 55s

not true they advertise for those over 50 and have been known to take people in their 40's..saga's profile changed a few years back when they changed to a plc with shareholders

[and as a note most of the office staff are under 30 {{and very pretty too}}] well at least the girls
yasus
wizard

Gooorooo wrote:

See, SAGA makes me think of bus loads of pensioners. My mum is very young, she doesn't do typical pension things. Am I a bit out of date with my thinking?

I've taken two SAGA holidays, both tours, the first when I was 58 and my second about three years later. The ages of my fellow passengers ranged from late forties to seventies. On one tour I was one of the oldest and on the other about the middle. People in their 40's can take Saga holidays if they are with a person 50 years old or more. Both times most of my fellow travellers were lively interesting people.Though both tours were not only for singles there was a mixture of couples and singles.
I have only taken their tours as I'm not into beach holidays, if I do go to a resort for a week or so I will go independently but I understand that on most of the holidays purely for single people tours and activities will be arranged and in many hotels when booking with SAGA there will be a SAGA lounge in the hotel where people can meet up for a chat and a drink. I'm sure your MIL would meet people with similar interests and possibly would never want to go on holiday with you again.

20 years ago I was travelling on a tour through China and made friends with another of the tour participants and we have taken numerous holidays together since then..

I stand corrected re Saga and apologise. My only excuse is that I have parents and a godmother (all in their 80s!) who have been known to reject certain holidays on the grounds that they attract too many old people who don't want to do anything for their liking - so I can understand where Gooroo's mum is coming from

SM

More difficult question it seems (as you've had some brilliant suggestions) - is how are you going to tell your mam Gooroo?

Thanks for all the replies - I'll look into them all.

Glynis I know! I am dreading it! I feel so incredibly guilty and she will be heartbroken to know we don't want her to come with us. What should I do?!

ahh what a shame bless why dont you go for a week by yourselves first then let your mum join you for second week thats another option good luck

thats what i would do.have sometime to yourselves & then let her fly out,to meet you.
seems like an ideal compromise.
tracy

That won't be possible. It's unlikely we'll be away longer than a week.

As you are committed for this year and you posed this question in relation to plans for 2012, how about concentrating on talking up all the alternatives that are around to holidaying with you, offering to help her find something that would enable her to have just the holiday she wants with congenial companions without her having to feel any responsibilities towards you etc? With a bit of luck you might find that she is the one who in the end turns round and apologises for the fact that she no longer wants to go on holiday with you!

SM

PS Just a thought - what about encouraging her to have a go a weekend hotel break on her own somewhere in this country that she's always wanted to visit as a way of helping her find her feet? Or buy a theatre ticket for her as a birthday present and offer to help her book a hotel so she could make a weekend of it?

She would never go to the theatre on her own.

I think it is very very unlikely that she would ever say she doesn't want to go on holiday with us. It is never us that offers to take her - it is always her that asks to come and then we feel obliged to say yes!

what about buying her a weeks holiday and giving her the tickets for Christmas

Haha Wizard I'm not made of money you know!

if you really do have to go with your mom why dont you have a good chat to her and explain you and hubby love her coming with you but on certain nights you wouldnt mind just you and hubby going out on your own that way your not allways together.im sure she would rather have a bit of you than none at all.or wouldnt you be able to talk to her like that.when my moms comes with us she understands that we want to be on our own at times and leaves us to it or i could say to her were going to our room now and we will see you in a couple of hours she loves walking and goes off by herself for long walks then has a siesta in the afternoon she loves it

I don't know about the financial side of things for you, but I used to go away with my Mum for a week, and hubby and I would take our holidays as normal.Would this be an option for you?