Singles holidays

Hi

I have a suggestion for those aged people who want to spend their holiday well. You should never let your age make you feel old so try visiting movie theatres, water parks, malls and do fun activities. You may find new people there who will enjoy your company. There are many good waterparks in Mumbai, Delhi and other metropolitan cities in India which you can try. Look for new hobbies and it will eventually lead you to happiness.

I've been on singles holidays with One Traveller, Just You, Riviera Solo, and Saga Solo. All of these have a first-come, first served policy, which results in a strongly female bias - typically something like 20 women to 5 men. None of them charge a single supplement, which means you do occasionally get two friends, siblings or even a couple who want separate rooms (but that's frowned on!) but most people are widowed or divorced, or just single. Sometimes a married person comes on their own because their spouse can't or won't travel. The age range tends to be 50 - 80+.

I've had excellent holidays with all these companies and thoroughly enjoyed them. Do give it a try - everyone else is in the same boat, all on their own and looking for company.

I find it shocking that holidays advertised as 'singles' have couples too.
Why would a couple want to go on a 'singles' holiday anyway? That's the weirdest part.
Is it because some couples want to be with other people and there's no such thing as 'group' holidays for couples?
The conversation you had with the HF bloke was nonsensical FountainPen! Crazy!

Please don't let me put you off Freeatlast. I was only highlighting the fact that holidays which are advertised for solos gives the impression that everyone there will be travelling alone and that the brochure price is the inclusive price for one person wanting their own room and that isn't necessarily the case. Good luck with finding a holiday that is right for you.

Thank you all, looks like it’s going to be a challenge finding the right holiday. Will check the Riviera website too.

I wasn't aware that a singles holiday included couples etc.

I would have been naive if I was booking one thinking that "single" meant single as not in a couple thank you for enlightening me (and others who may not have been aware)
Not that Im booking a singles holiday but its good to know.

Holidays should be sold on a first come, first served basis.

FountainPen YANBU, Club 18-30 holidays would collapse if the lads all turned up one year to find every girl had brought a serious boyfriend

Have a look at Riviera. I haven’t been on their singles holidays but have travelled with them many times. You can phone and talk to them. Very helpful . Good luck

Willow10. It would be interesting to know if the company were unable to sell enough spaces to single travellers to fill the coach so released places to couples as the departure date approached. Alternatively, they may have been marketing the holiday separately to both singles and couples all the long which is misleading.

The other thing to look out for is gender bias that you won't find in the brochure's small print or Ts&Cs.

I went to a local presentation given by Solos. The presenter was male talking to a predominantly female audience. He commented on the composition of the audience and said that he was going to let the women into a little secret about booking a holiday with his company.

He said that if we tried to book and were told that the holiday was already full it may not be. He said the company’s policy was to try to get an equal number of men and women on each holiday. Experience had shown Solo’s that men tend to book late (if at all). If, say, a holiday has twenty places and ten women have already booked, they will tell other women that the holiday is full while they wait for ten men to come forward. Only as the time approaches when those holidays remain unsold and plane seats need to be returned to the airline will they release those holidays to women.

His attitude was that women just needed to bide their time and be prepared to book later. My attitude was that this practice was blatantly unfair and discriminatory. Can you imagine a football club on match day telling men they can’t buy a ticket until five minutes before kick off as they would prefer to fill half of the stadium with women?

I wrote to the company about this policy and received a woolly reply saying they do this because most of their clients would prefer to holiday with an equal number of men and women. Who knows whether that is based on any research? I doubt it. I don’t see that it matters. I travel because I want a change of scenery, to relax and to explore other countries and cultures not because I am craving the company of the opposite sex.

AIBU to think that holidays should be sold on a first come first served basis?

Well that’s certainly something to think about,thank you Fountainpen and Willow10. Will definitely need to have look at all pros and cons.

I know just how you feel FountainPen. My very first so called 'singles' UK coach holiday last year and only 6 of us were actually travelling alone - the rest were all couples. And I was charged the single supplement! Now I am constantly bombarded with special offers from this company telling me how much I can save (per couple!) if I book now for a holiday.

A word of advice if you are specifically looking for holidays where you can socialise with other singles.

There are several companies out there offering "singles" holidays but that doesn't necessarily mean everyone there will be on their own.

A few years ago, not wanting to be on my own at Christmas, I chose a holiday from the HF brochure which was specifically entitled Christmas Walking for Singles in Snowdonia. I phoned to make a booking and went through the usual procedures. When it came to paying, I was surprised to be asked for an amount significantly higher than the already expensive brochure price.

Me: Why?

HF: It's a single supplement.

Me: But it's a holiday for singles. Surely the brochure price is the price.

HF: No. Anyone can come along so long as they are not married. Couples can come along so long as they are not married. Friends can come along and share a room.

Me: That isn't my definition of being single or of a holiday for singles. I don't want to be the only one there who isn't in a couple or with someone else.

HF: Sorry madam. That's how it it. If you come on our singles holidays alone and want your own room you have to pay a single supplement.

I didn't book the holiday.

Subsequently, I talked to another single woman who said she often goes away with Just You with a friend.

Please don't misunderstand me. I have had some very good walking holidays with specialist companies (including HF) where the group has been a mix of couples, friends holidaying togther and singles. However, I have also had one very lonely holiday (with Ramblers) where I was the only single in a large group. The rest were all couples who did not want to socialise in the evenings.

It was after that experience that I started looking for specifically singles holidays and had that weird conversation.

Now, when booking a holiday, I ask for the composition of the group. Some companies will disclose this, some won't, hiding behind a weak excuse about data protection. I explain I am not asking for names and addresses, just the number of people going solo and those booked with someone else. I won't book with any company who won't give me this basic information.

WIBU to expect a singles holiday to be for solo travellers?

I went on many Ramblers' Holidays as a single woman - until my joints began to give out. I always found like-minded people, either on their own or in couples, to be good company on walks or in the evening activities. Walks are graded and I always chose the easier ones which gave me quite enough healthy exercise.

Thank you Shysal and mumofmadboys,will have a look at them.

I would also strongly recommend HF holidsys

I have really enjoyed holidaying alone with HF. There is usually a high percentage of single 'women of a certain age' in the general non-singles groups. They do walking or special interest breaks in the UK and abroad. Perhaps you could try a short holiday in this country first. The food is great, especially the packed lunches, so there is no need to spend any money while away.
I hope you find something to suit you, there will be no stopping you once you have tried going solo.