Hi Dani, I regularly travel on my own as my boyfriend lives in Spain. When I'm over there, I'm often on my own as he is working, so its probably a similar situation. So far, I've not found it a problem. It will very much depend on the type of holiday you want.

I'm quite happy with my own company, and don't have a problem sitting on a lounger with a book relaxing in the sun. I'm also happy to wander around a resort by myself. However, I've always found that people are really friendly and often ask me to go and sit with them so I do get to "socialise" a bit.

I think that "sun" holidays are more sociable than city breaks, as many people tend to relax around the pool (usually on the same loungers everyday !!!) and if you go half board, you see the same people in the restaurant. It gives me a bit of reassurance to have some familiar faces to chat to each day.

City breaks on the other hand tend to be much busier (I think) so you spend more time travelling to different places and attractions. As a result I've always met fewer people.

Louise

Hello

I registered on this board to ask about single holidays and then found this thread (really useful thanks to all who've posted) I am looking at a single holiday this year as I really want a holiday but my friends are all in couples or don't want to go where i do etc

I have looked at some of the singles holiday organisers particularly contiki (dotcodotuk) and solitair (singlesholidaysdotcom)

I just wondered, are the people that travel on these tours usually in the 18-35 age bracket? (I'm 27 and wouldn't want to be with a much older group)

And are there other companies worth looking at

many thanks, Ben.

Hi,

I've done a few holidays on my own, one with Solos, a few DIY and one volunteer trip.

The Solos holiday I went on was great as a first time experience travelling 'alone', but many of their holidays are rather expensive. I went on a 4 night citybreak to Verona, and while there were a few of us in the upper end of the 18-35 bracket the rest were all older. However, I don't personally find this to be a problem. With Solos the holidays are coded for different age groups, although I think the lowest is 25 - 45. But if you see a holiday you like the look of you can call and ask the average age of people on the trip.

Volunteer trips, although booked by all ages, usually attract younger people. Of course, this isn't an ideal option if all you want to do is chill on the beach for your hols! Though some do combine volunteer work with touring or surfing (as examples) so they may still be worth looking at.

I've been to Malta for a few days on my own, booked through Mercury Direct and got an excellent price, in a good hotel (low season though which makes a big difference). I've noticed that Mercury also use several hotels in some resorts (Cyprus and the Algarve in particular), that have singles tables for meals. I'm guessing this is a good way of meeting other single travellers without having to commit to a full holiday with them.

Another successful holiday I went on alone was to the Jolly Beach hotel in Antigua, booked through Kuoni. As I was on my own I wanted to make the right decision and Kuoni couldn't have been more patient or helpful with the 1001 questions I asked! The hotel itself could be much improved on, but the location was fabulous and the atmosphere relaxed and friendly. I regularly had people to chat with, and have dinner or a drink with, but at the same time had as much time as I wanted to myself.

As Sunstruck says, most of the specialist 'singles' TOs are expensive which is why they tend on the whole to be used by an older age group - they have the money to pay £500 plus for a holiday based on sole use of a double room. I've regularly holidayed on my own for the reasons that you are now looking to to do the same and have always adopted one of two tactics - either choose a holiday in a destination where single supplements are very cheap and/or non-existent or else book an interest holiday where regardless of the age of the others on the trip you know that you'll have something in common with everybody else.

Using the first strategy, I've had a number of really good holidays in Tunisia - the single supplements are very cheap but shop around and you'll find that a lot of hotels and TOs have special 'no single supplement' offers on if you are in a position to travel outside of the school holidays. This also means that there's a good chance that there will be other 'singles' around too to pal up with up if that's what you want but also the freedom to just do your own thing if that's what you want. I've also holidayed in Gambia on the same basis and enjoyed that too.

But I first started travelling on my own in this country using youth hostels - my mother hated the idea of my heading off into the mountians on my own but I loved it knowing that there were guaranteed to be other people around of an evening to swap tales of the day with etc and that if nothing else there was a shared interest in hillwalking that could get a conversation started.. I always felt perfectly safe because I always booked ahead and knew that if I didn't turn up that evening then somebody would alert the resuce services! My budget now stretches a lot further than a bed in a shared dormitory and I was able to move upmarket to walking holidays with the Ramblers Association. But then I discovered dance holidays! My first was Salsa in Grenada and I'm still in touch with one of the people I met then.

Since then I've been to Cuba on dance focussed holidays too and most of the groups have been mainly made up of 'singles' over a quite wide age range. The great thing about interest-based holidays is that you can develop a circle of friends and acquaintances that you can then often arrange to go away with on future holidays based on that shared interest. I've just arranged to go on the spur of the moment on my own back to Cuba at the end of this month for a particular music and cultural festival knowing that once I arrive I won;t be on my own because a quick ring around confirmed that at least 3 other people I know from the Cuban dance scene will be there at the same time.

So OK, hillwalking or dancing mightn't be your 'thing' but the same is likely to happen whatever your 'thing' is. So my advice would be that instead of focussing in on the 'single' bit, give some thought to what you might enjoy doing on a holiday and then focus your search in on when and where you might meet like-minded souls. Going on holiday on your own can seem quite scary until you realise that this gives you the freedom to do exactly what you like when you like and there's nobody else's wishes, feelings or plans to consider

SM

Hi,

If you give us a rough idea of your budget we may be able to come up with some more specific suggestions of where you could go / which companies you could use.

I agree with SMa - I was nervous the first time I went away totally on my own, but the freedom to do what you want, when you want is fantastic.

One thing I would recommend if booking a sun holiday, especially if going alone and not with a singles group, is to make sure the hotel has plenty of facilities. That way there'll be things to do close at hand. Eg in both Malta and Antigua I booked a couple of spa treatments - a great holiday treat and it breaks up the day on the days you don't feel like going out exploring. Again spa treatments may well not be your thing but if you check the hotel facilities etc you should be able to find one that has things that appeal. Many hotels offer good daytime and evening entertainment programmes. La Source in Grenada and Le Sport in St Lucia are especially good for this. However, they are both very expensive (which is why I ended up in Antigua instead!!)

thanks for the helpful replies. In terms of budget I'm looking to spend 700-800 on flights and accommodation, from the replies now leaning towards just arranging it myself as seems to be quite a lot cheaper

Have just had a quick look at Solos and if your budget is for one week, there are quite a few options. However, if it's for 2 weeks at first glance it looks like you would be limited to their Simply Turkey programme. Personally I think you'd be making the right choice to go it alone - you'll almost certainly get more for your money.

Depending what your interests are, as SMa suggested, Tunisia could be a good choice for you. I'm also a big fan of Tunisia and have been there several times, including spending most of some hols there on my own. Your budget could go a long way there. Though you may not find many other singles in your age bracket - if this is still a concern when booking independently.

I go on singles holidays all the time. I don't particularly want to spend my hols entirely alone and have made some great friends and had some real good laughs by meeting up with people I never normally would.

There is no such thing as a bargain with any of these companies but you are paying for the concept, having company and sometimes a host on hand at all times. Having said that some holidays are ridiculously expensive and just cos we're single doesn't mean we're high earners!

Have a look at TravelOne as well - most of their hols use a local agent similar to what you would get with any package hol, ie. contactable in emergency but not around most of the time. It keeps their costs down a fair bit. A lot of travellers who use the various companies are a little nervous of travelling alone so TravelOne I would recommend as one for the more independant.

The jury is still out with me with regards to Solos hols and their ever present hosts - I have only used them once and will be going to Kenya with them later in the year - whilst I like to be in a group for meals etc. I don't want to feel like I'm on some kind of school trip! Solos groups can get very large too which may or may not suit.

Friendship Travel are also very good but their prices put me off a lot of their hols.

I would recommend if you want a beach type relaxing holiday that you look at all inclusive resorts. As so many people stay in the resort for most of the time you are bound to meet others either on their own or get to know lots of fellow travellers. I had the best of both worlds my first solo trip to Dom Rep - met people on day one but had my own space. The single room supplement wasn't prohibitive either.

I went on my first singles holiday last year. It was a nerve wracking experience, but after the irst couple of days everyone had got to know each other and I had a great time and met two lovely women who I still keep in touch with,

What made it easier was the fact it was an activity holiday - so we all had something to do each day and had a common focus (and interest as it was a photography holiday in Scotland). I think it would be more difficult to get talking to people if it was just a 'sit by the pool or bar' type holiday.

I also found that because the holiday involved walking up mountains the other 6 single travlellers on the holiday where physically fit (and not couch potatoes!) which helped.

The holiday i went on was with a company called picturesque-scotland.com

I would rate it 8/10 (only problem was no en-suite facilities in the country house we stayed in )

Hi Sunshinemike to the forum, hope you enjoy it here.

Do you mind saying what Tour operator/company you went with, it might help others. I travel alone, but I have not been on a singles type of holiday