Holidays alone

My Mum who lives by herself since my Dad died 9 years ago always says she just needs to get away. Her holiday of choice is river cruising ( finds cruise ships too big and therefore feels more alone than ever! - even though with my Dad they did loads. )
She finds Saga holidays her company of choice. They some times look dearer but include travel insurance and transportation. When going to Europe she is picked up by car (sometimes shared) and taken to the port or train station where she joins the Saga rep. All their trips tell you how difficult it is ( or isn't) and tell you about any hills and how many steps you many encounter etc.
Obviously Covid has intervened and she is now not going until October - fingers crossed.

Don't give your exact location, but main larger town- so we can advise with a regard to geography and public transport too.

I was in a similar position 9yrs ago when I lost my husband, so I understand how daunting this could be. I’d go with a company that specialises in single person holidays, as you’ll always have a rep to help you with any issues or concerns. Also you’re likely to meet others on your situation and make some good acquaintances, holidays can be lonely on your own. Try solo holidays, I used them a couple of times and can’t recommend them enough. Good luck. Xx

Have you looked at ‘lochs and glens’? They do great coach holidays and cater for singles. I’ve had three lovely holidays with them around Scotland.

My mum was widowed in her 30’s, so once we children had flown the nest she decided to go it alone on holiday. She was intrepid, went off to a 5* hotel in Majorca for her first solo trip. Loved it. Met some wonderful people with whom she remained friendly until well into her 80’s. She went off to Austria, Switzerland, Turkey and the USA.
She also had many holidays with friends here and abroad. I think it might be a little too soon for Luckygirl to venture too far afield. I like the idea of an Airbnb for a few days, perhaps within an hours drive from home in case she has a ‘wobble’.

Looking at going to Antarctica in January .....BUT have to count how many days out of the UK as now you are only allowed 90 days now we are no longer in the EU.

ALANaV what do you mean by this?

Eastbourne is fairly flat with quite few interesting places to visit close by. I enjoyed sitting with a coffee whilst watching the world go by in the Sovereign Harbour area.

Worthing is flatter than Brighton. Hastings is very hilly once you leave the seafront. Bexhill is a bit flatter and you can get to the station on fairly level ground. Some interesting places to visit by train. Lots going on in Margate nowadays, with arty things, if that’s what you enjoy.

I went on holiday to Malta on my own. Quite enjoyed not having to factor in others wishes. I only got lost once in the hotel. I plucked up the courage to ask people on their own in the dining room if they would like some company or preferred to be on their own. Met some really interesting people but mostly avoided meeting up in the day so I could maintain my selfish time.

Did meet one lady who had been widowed some years before and had avoided holidaying in places that she had been to with her husband, until the holiday in Malta. She was a bit wobbly and tearful at first but started to relax and enjoy herself.

I was happy eating breakfast and lunch on my own but welcomed company during dinner when there was a lot more lively chatter around me. If anything it was a case of tactfully fending off people who wanted me to join their groups.

I booked through mercury direct with no single supplement. I had a double room with a balcony and sea views. Two other women were in very small single rooms with a blank wall to look at. They didn’t know each other but appeared to be on a mission to s* as many men as possible so they could return to work and boast about their “conquests”. Mainly pot-bellied, middle aged balding men working behind the bar or as waiters. Quite an education for me!

I've loved my solo holidays! I've travelled at Christmas's with Leger (OK, I'd give it a C+), Shearings (horrid driver, mainly couples, just 3 single women, wouldn't do a couples one again). Just You have been great - met some really lovely people.

I'm in a London Meetup group who do some amazing holiday/breaks, both UK and Europe, and further afield. I've loved travelling with them. I've got my eye on a Somerset break they've done before to come around again. Small groups - the biggest I've been on was 12 people, the smallest was 4 people. Do you have a local Meetup group? (if anyone is interested, the London Meetup group is 45+ And Not Grumpy (very important to be Not Grumpy)!).

I was looking into HF Holidays before lockdown - not just walking, but the activities looked very interesting. Link -
www.hfholidays.co.uk/special-interest/all-special-interest-breaks
Someone I met on a singles trip travelled widely with a Golf group. Someone I met at an airport was off on an Opera weekend.

I'm on a Facebook "singles travel" page too, although that does seem to be people looking for sea, sand and Sangria.

The HF Holidays (just looked) Gardens of the UK looks very interesting. I haven't used them before so I can't recommend personally, but it's something you might want to consider to "dip your toe in the waters".

I see you would like to travel within the UK. This may not be quite what you have thought about but have you looked at the One Traveller website. They do some UK holidays. I have been abroad with them 4 times and they are really excellent. It is for people travelling on their own (over 50 I think) and they are very supportive. If you didn't want to go on some trips or take part in the entertainment that is fine too. However I met some lovely people and enjoyed their company on the various outings organised. Maybe you don't feel like this is the sort of holiday for you at the present but it maybe something you would like in the future. Hope you have a lovely time on your break.

I have done a couple of weekend trips with Just go Holidays they are brilliant. Ideal for a taster of what coach trips are like. Picked up from a your local area, looked after by the driver, reasonable hotels, buffet type meals, day trips in the area you are going to and plenty of other people alone who are happy to share a table at meal times. Worth a try just to see if it suits you or not.

I'm on my own and needed to be more independent I started going on coach trips. I went with shearings who were very good I never felt forced to be with others but there were plenty of of other single travellers I went all over the Uk the hotels were great most had lifts if not you could request first floor there were all ranges of fitness so I never felt too bad! Food was good trips were arranged and evening entertainment, neither which you were forced to do. I met some lovely people (and a couple of ar@eholes) but on the whole I made some fantastic memories and felt the money I spent( not very expensive) was well worth it!?

Another Airbnb fan here. I prefer to rent entire flat, so I have a kitchen, bedroom and a lounge with TV and internet. There are plenty of small ground-floor granny flats at very reasonable prices, UK and abroad. You grade them, (and they grade you!) so I've never found one (and I've used 20+) that wasn't spotlessly clean as they don't want to lose their rating.

Sane thing here, going single often means paying nearly as much for a room as a couple. I've done various different things. Air bnb, have been to some nice ones where I was able to get a single room and use the kitchen. One I stayed in in oxford was very close to a regular bus service which went into the centre of Oxford, free range of the kitchen and a lovely breakfast. Price varies and sometimes you can get quite reasonably cheap prices if you are off season, or during the week.
Likewise with some of the chain hotels, and back in the old days sometimes Travelodge had sales so you could get a reasonably cheap room and I've bough breakfast things from a local shop. Not glamorous but if you are just using it for a warm clean nights sleep that doesn't matter. If you don't mind sharing some places have hostels, and youth hostels are not just for the young. You don't need to go into a dormitory, but again if you are out of season it may not be full up. You do need to bring a towel and a padlock but they are clean and you can either self carer or buy a meal . A place I want to go to one day is the women's holiday centre in Horton in Riddlesdale www.hortonwhc.org.uk/
There is a station although trains are only every couple of hours. It is a lovely area
I've done some day trips too
Although I've gone abroad there are a lot of places in Britain that is like to visit, depends on your interests

I am happily married but I enjoy going away for two weeks at the time with a widow single friend, my husband goes away at the same time on fishing trips or golf. My girlfriend and I like cruises normally from Dover or Southampton. We have not been away since the pandemic but we are booked for two weeks in September. The great thing about cruising is once you are on the ship you are immediately on holiday the destinations change but your accommodation remains the same. We normally go with the Fred Olsen line fantastic ships and lovely crews. They have single meet up groups where we meet other singles for social drinks and chats onboard. Good luck.

My husband can't/won't go abroad and we usually holiday in the UK together. I always wanted to travel in older age and my hubby had no objections to my trying to go away abroad on my own. After much searching and deliberating, in 2018 I flew to La Palma, Canary Islands with Thomson Holidays staying in a hotel BB&Evening meal. There was entertainment but I opted to read/watch tv in a quiet area away from the noise. In the day I signed up to all the excusions to keep busy and the guides were very friendly and I actually got to speak to others staying at my hotel. The room overlooked the sea, had a nice balcony and a lift. Meals were all catered for and I noticed I was not the only solo traveller. I really enjoyed the walks or there was a local bus which seemed to go along the coast road. Try a short holiday first, then venture further afield is my advice. I found actually taking the plunge and booking was the most difficult thing to overcome and once I had done that it all fell into place. Now after Covid settles down, I will be booking another holiday abroad. I hope you manage to find somewhere nice to stay and would encourage you to try it.

This is what I do having tried one holiday with `solo` - hugely expensive though you do feel very safe. I book a easy access room with Premier Inn/Holiday Inn etc well in advance for cheapest deal. Then I always book a bus tour of the place I am visiting to get feel of the place if its a city break. I wouldn`t advice Edinburgh as having been it is very steep and lots of steps. I hate eating alone in the evening so have my main meal at lunchtime in nice places. Go and enjoy and maybe take lots of photos, or write a little travel review. I go by train and and make sure my hotel is near the train station. I have Chester booked in September.

I always go on my own (no choice ! ...I have been to Prague, Amsterdam, Menorca (used to live there, so hire a car to go visit friends when there !)....mainland Spain (didn;t like Andalucia at all ! ...only place really where no one spoke to me and that is difficult in the evenings if you go to the bar (don't drink, only coffee and sparkling water ha ha ), Rhodes was lovely, lots to do on your own ..plenty of boat trips, busses, taxis are cheap some lovely sights to see......went to New Year in Cologne, that was good but again, no one spoke which feels difficult when you are sitting at a table on your own, but the entertainment was good, so that made up for it ! Go to lots of concerts (normally ! of course not this year !) why not try a singles coach holiday ? I haven't yet done one, but am looking at New Year somewhere in Europe (hopefully we will be allowed in or out by then !)...going to Italy on a solo trip with Shearings (same company as Leger); Iceland in August with Fred Olsen, Menorca in October and hopefully the Arctic with Hurtigruten in November. Looking at going to Antarctica in January .....BUT have to count how many days out of the UK as now you are only allowed 90 days now we are no longer in the EU.........there is also a company called SOLO holidays, and a cruise line called Passion for Cruises that does singles holidays ............go for it !! Perhaps first try, say, Edinburgh or a big city you can get to by train ...just book one or two nights and see how you get on .......have a look for a theatre break, say .....good luck, and enjoy !

Saga have single holidays, sometimes with no extra to pay.
Holdays alone are better than no holiday at all, imho.

A few years ago I went to York for a few days. Lovely place, lots to see, just in the city itself and if you want to go shopping, there's a retail outlet just outside that has a bus running to and from the station.
I went by train. I would recommend the B&B I stayed at but the single room on offer was upstairs and the breakfast room down in the basement.
York is mainly on one level and compact and there are several hotels and B&Bs central to the city centre.

Coach holidays are starting up again, although there won't be so much choice for singles,as they go quite quickly. I would recommend them as a single. You can join in with as much as you want to, but there is always help at hand if there are any problems

My mum loved her coach trips after my Dad died, I sometimes went with her but she was also happy to go alone as there were so many other single people there

I've cruised alone - met loads of lovely people. But that may be too "vegas" for you. Air B+B sounds perfect for you. It's inexpensive and most places are usually small so ideal for the lone traveller. Good luck!

Recently lost your husband
Limited mobility
Emerging from a pandemic

I’d be so hurt if my family didn’t invite me on holiday this year!

It’s going to be difficult this year with coach trips, many singles get together with a friend and travel together, sometimes they only meet to travel. There are singles travel clubs and companies that specialize in single travel, choose a trip that suits your age group it’s likely to be 2/3 women, men are much less adventurous.

Franbern I agree with you re coach day trips. I am going on one tomorrow and am so glad they have started up again.
Even though it’s just a day, I feel as if I have been away much longer and if I pack seven or eight trips into the summer, that counts as a proper holiday to me!