Solo Travel

Citrus travel has been recommended by a lady solo traveller I met. She said there are no single supplements.

Traveling alone is my preferred method of travel! My 2 sisters are leaving for Greece on the 6th and I was not invited. I had a post on here back in June about it. But at the end of the day my feelings were hurt I was not invited although I would have never gone. Now they keep throwing this ancillary trip to Greece (at a later time)at me and I flat out don'twant to go. I am seriously considering going alone to Greece and not inviting them!

Maw, I was thinking of you on holiday, it sounds as if it was a good experience. Has it given you a thirst to try more?. I have a two week one booked, but I am surrounded by brochures as I make plans for next year, January and February, the winter is so dreary.

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I’m so glad to read things are going well Maw I wish I could put my ‘big girls knickers’ on and do a similar trip. I’m not there yet ?

Riviera now run a lot of their tours for solo travellers.

Glad it is going well Maw.It will give you confidence to holiday alone in the future. The world is your oyster!

All I can say 4 days into my first venture alone, is that EllanVannin’s observations could not have been more wrong.
One of perhaps 5 solo travellers including two female friends travelling together, in this group of 29, I have encountered nothing but friendliness, inclusion in groups and with couples and have been sought out to join tables at dinner.
Just pin a smile on your face and say “Yes” to everything.

A friend has had a couple of trips with Titan and enjoyed them

Thank you all, great information and I appreciate all your comments. I can’t wait to start looking for a holiday for next year! ?

After I was widowed I found the Mistral Hotel in Maleme, Crete, for single travellers only. I learned to smile, laugh, and live again there. The food is great, rooms spotless, lots to see and do, most of all, we all eat on long tables in the evening, a set meal, about 8 courses, over about 2 hours. Much of the food is organic, grown in their own market garden. Lots to see and do if you want to go out and about. Have a look at their facebook group to see how much we enjoy it.

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MawB Judging by your previous posts on GN, I simply can't imagine you ever being stuck with anyone you don't like even for a minute.

If someone sat at your table and started with their 1001 ailments, they'd soon get slapped round the lug short shrift! . Doubt if they'd get to #10, let alone 1001....especially if you've had a few of those beers or wines.

I've travelled in the past, not in a group but absolutely alone. It's not always easy but then neither is the alternative: sitting at home feeling sad.

Ellan You must miss her dreadfully, she sounds a gem.

Try One Traveller (a bit expensive, but almost everything is included except travel insurance). Also Saga's singles holidays are very good, and travel insurance is included. I have been on many singles holidays with these companies and have always had a good time. I have always found the other travellers to be friendly and welcoming and eager to include everyone - after all we are all in the same boat (or coach !) Sometimes the Saga groups are rather too large - it can be as many as 40 people, but the One Traveller groups are smaller. The groups are always predominantly female. The last trip I did with Saga (to Italy), there were 28 women and 1 man, but he seemed quite happy !

I have not been on any 'solo' holidays as such, but have done two cruises and have had a fantastic time. I prefer to travel on my own, have the company of others as I choose or not. I socialise at mealtimes, and the cruises I go on have open seating so you have the company of different people at every meal, a mixture of singles and couples and have never been made to feel less than welcome.

Hope that you have a wonderful holiday MawB as I am sure you will. I shall enjoy thinking of you with all that lovely German wine, food and scenery! Excuse me while I just cast around and look for a holiday around my birthday next spring. I have already got another cruise booked for July!

Please, please do not be put off by negative comments. My late husband made me promise to travel, to do what he had wanted to do in retirment with ne. I was a widow at 60 and unwilling to sit at home. I went on my first two holidays as a single, yes it is different, you have been part of a couple for so long, it's bound to be. I would say look up the place you are visiting and make a changeable plan, be prepared. I would bide my time before joining up with someone, see how it goes. I am going on a cruise soon. I have had many holidays, most with people, but I can honestly say I have enjoyed the ones as a single as much and in some cases more. You won't regret it. There are negative people everywhere, you just avoid, there are more just like you and me living our lives and seeing a bit of the world.

I tried a couple of long weekends as DH doesnt want to go on holiday. It was fine.It was a coach trip with organised excursions and we all ate together in the morning and met up in the bar in the evening before dinner. When we got to the venue i just went off on my own and returned to the coach in good time and had a lovely conversation with the lady next to me who was also travelling alone. I think you have to be fairly confident and im not sure how i would have been for a week or more. It was lovely going back to my room after dinner and i enjoyed the me time. Maybe the OP could try a short 4/5 day break in the uk before venturing overseas just to see how she gets on. With mobile phones etc you can still mantain contact with loved ones which i found helpful.

I suspect special interest holidays where the travellers have something in common work best. I've been on a number of riding breaks without DH and always found the others good company. A creative weekend break also went very well. A friend of mine who is going through a divorce in his 70's wen way on an "Ourtime" Christmas break which he found totally grim, I think if the other people have nothing in common with you except being on their own then things may go less well. Maybe art, walking or yoga might be a way forward?

I've been travelling mainly solo for over 10 years and have had many very enjoyable holidays on my own. I've come to appreciate the freedom of being able to do exactly as I please. I think a holiday designed for solo travellers would be a good start and then see how you feel.

I'm off again very soon with Jules Verne, this time to Umbria, on a genuinely no single supplement holiday. It's a small group and the no supplement offer makes it almost certain that there'll be other people travelling alone.

I'd encourage anyone to get out there and enjoy.

Says you !!
No need to worry, my lovely friend died just under 2 years ago at the age of 98 ! There'd been more life in her at the times on our holidays than many who were younger.
What other way would I speak of my friend ?

Maybe in future for your sake I'll refer to" my friend and I/me ?"

We weren't of a " cliquey " nature and certainly not pompous such as yourself !

In other words I will avoid like the plague any old biddies sitting together watching those travelling alone as you put it.

Well clearly EllanVannin when I am away next week I must guard against introducing myself to or sitting down with any pairs of women in case my presence prevents them from “having a laugh” or whatever. And as a I am hardly the type to go on about “my ailments” to complete strangers you and your friend, should you be among my fellow travellers, need have no need to worry.
Somehow I don’t think that will be my experience on this trip
But I think your cliquey ”my friend and myself” attitude epitomises one of the worst dangers of solo travel , nothing so off-putting as two friends clearly not prepared to be friendly to or welcome a newcomer.
Like school, really.

I didn't say that I hadn't enjoyed the holiday either.
My friend and myself got along with everyone wherever we went, home and abroad and our presence was recognised everywhere because we were always happy to introduce ourselves as opposed to sitting in a huddle ignoring people.

The last thing we wanted was some miserable so-and-so coming along and moaning as we sat through a meal, just sayin' !

For those of you who are quick to judge, I'd not long lost my H at the time after nursing him for nearly 6 years and working at the same time so I was pointing out that the last thing I wanted to hear was someone who never once let up about their ailments !
It was how I was feeling at the time, naturally, so you're not the only ones who are widowed !! Sheesh.