Solo holidays

DH and I became avid cruisers five years ago and have met loads of singletons on these, some of whom became lifelong friends (as did some couples). You can choose what to do whether on board or shore, when and where to eat, and be yourself at all times. Excursions ashore can be either organised for you or you can do your own thing (with some advance research - or advice from other travellers).

Even if you don't pal up strongly with other singletons, most passengers are more than happy to enjoy the company of anyone. Often the husband or wife will want to go off to join an onboard activity leaving the other to chat to anyone who wants a chat. Or vice versa. And on most morning I was up long before my DH and went into the public rooms to meet up with other early birds. Never a lonely moment.

Enjoy!!

Oh, and cruises attract all ages. Even the longer ones have their share of folks of your age, and even if not it doesn't really matter. We are all "in the same boat" - excuse the pun!!

Poland is only a couple of hours and has some amazing places to visit.

Have you considered Jersey? The bus service from St Helier is amazing and cheap. You can travel all over the island which is very pretty and has some gorgeous beaches and interesting history. Enjoy!

I have been going solo since moving back to the UK after my husband died .......absolutely good ...go where you want, when you want ! Went to the USA and Canada in the Fall on a cruise, then to the Panama Canal, then to Antarctica, and in between Iceland, Norway, The Azores, and many land trips across Europe ...back to Menorca, where I used to live, Italy, Portugal, mainland Spain, Greece, Lanzarote, etc etc ....some times NO ONE speaks to me, I dont care..just get on with it ! other times, especially on the large US cruise lines, there are shared tables at dinner so you get to meet so many people ...wandered around New York with a couple of women I met on the ship.....foggy and wet, so we ended up in an Irish bar off Times Square and had a great time ! Others I have wandered about Boston and most other places on my own ...including Colombia Mexico, Buenos Aires, Peru etc ....so far I have been ok wandering on my own ...find it great ! In Krakow and Prague I bought a local paper, carried it under my arm, looked up before I left the hotel *not a cruise obviously !) and English people approached me for directions ha ha ...I always look for directions to where I want to go on my phone .....and as everyone looks at their phone all the time you dont draw attention to you being a visiting female on your own ....in Boston in particular that was important as I was followed my a man when I got off the cruise ship ....I just went into a vegetable shop (like you do !) and bought something ,,,the woman in the shop said :; he is following you because you are wearing the ship's medallion ..he thinks you are a rich widow ha ha ..........another time in Mexico I was approached by the taxi touts who wait at the Port...'take you for a ride Ma'm ?' I said no thanks ..I bet you could, BUT I work on the ship ...gets me out of my trailer home and earns me some money ! surprisingly he went off to find another victim ! As long as you are aware of your surroundings and take care, there is no problem ..APART from the ridiculous solo supplements !!!!!!! PfC does some with small supplements but could not find me suitable flights to Buenos Aires without FOUR changes ...in the end I lost my deposit and booked my OWN with only ONE change1 Booked my own hotel in Buenos Aires and took a taxi to the Port next morning ....same when I went to Fort Lauderdale to join a different cruise ......you just have to keep your eyes open ...be prepared to sometimes not be welcome at dinner ...on one cruise line, the idea was to queue at the dining room to request a shared table ...only ONCE did the couple in front of me say NO WAY when asked ! ha ha ...I said to them ;well, I hope when one of you dies you are not going to want to find someone to chat to on a cruise..............their choice, but there are BETTER ways of answering the question 'will you share'...next month its a river cruise to Vienna ..........all in all, I found Hurtigruten so far the best ....really interesting places, lectures, NO dressing up !!!! fresh food and good company ...NOT for anyone who wants more than ...no entertainment, no 'formal nights' ...just excellent ! GO FOR IT AND ENJOY ! take a couple of books (most ships have libraries anyway///

ps I am 77 ....the only time I felt quite YOUNG was on Fred Olsen last month ,,,,average age 90 ! I will only travel as long as my Insurance Co will still cover me .....costs just under £2,000 for annual world wide cover (its cheaper if you omit the USA )

Copenhagen is wonderful, so much to see and do, if you like walking you can almost cover the capital in a couple of days. Go on the I love Denmark site on FB, they are so helpful and you will see how people fall in love with Copenhagen instantly. The weather is however unreliable and can get quite cold in the winter. Good luck with finding a new destination.

I don’t think Ava is coming back to us, as she hasn’t commented on any of the threads she started around the same time.

Hope she’s read them and they’re helpful.

Iceland is beautiful and only 2 and a bit hours flight. I've been twice,one in January and once in September. There are some reasonably priced tours to see the islands waterfalls etc. The people are good. It's a bit expensive but worth it. Also it is safe for solo females. X

I'm 75 next birthday and like Notspaghetti love Italy. Cruising is also a great option. You can get to visit further afield places so easily. Just jump on a ship inSouthampton, Tilbury Docks, Liverpool etc. whichever is nearest to you. I have travelled solo for the last 15 years and love it.

SWITZERLAND!

When we visited Switzerland many years ago it was the only place we had to seriously ration ice creams for the children. Switzerland is or was,, really expensive.
Norway was expensive as well, spending money was spent in a flash.

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I totally get the solo travel love, so freeing! If you're open to something a bit different, Argentina could be amazing. I went a couple of years ago and used a tour company called gowithguide.com/argentina which made it so much easier to explore without the stress of planning every detail. I absolutely loved Buenos Aires and Patagonia. Even though I’m usually more of a do-it-yourself traveler, having a guide there really helped me make the most of the trip. Highly recommend checking them out if you decide to branch out!

51 is Gransnet (not mumsnet) Gransnet is for men and ladies between 50 and 100+ years of age.

Plunger

Germany. Not on many peoples list but so lovely. Try a river cruise to get a feel for it. Maybe visit Bavaria, Harz Mountains, River Main etc. Colmar France for Christmas market.

Yes, Berlin is very welcoming for solo travelers and beautiful. Portugal would be right up there on my list, too.

Gosh Alana you sound amazing I wish i had your confidence.
I find getting older as a single one problem is getting insurance. I have no major issues but obviously have had odd accidents and have arthritis like most older people, so far not broken anything.

The singles group trips I’ve been on have been further afield than Europe by if your health is uncertain best to stick to that region, companies offering single holidays do cultural trips, often walking based or cycling with a guide, plenty of cruises too.

Macadia

Plunger

Germany. Not on many peoples list but so lovely. Try a river cruise to get a feel for it. Maybe visit Bavaria, Harz Mountains, River Main etc. Colmar France for Christmas market.

Yes, Berlin is very welcoming for solo travelers and beautiful. Portugal would be right up there on my list, too.

Weve done 2 Germany/Austria trips as a couple, you need to do a lot of searching to find the highlights in Germany they don’t have the tourism profile.

I think cruises or packages are the way to go. There are always single people on these sort of trips and in my experience they are made most welcome and people go out of their way to include them. Maybe it’s just Aussies but that is certainly what I have seen and I’ve done it myself.

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I'm 87 and don't do long haul any more. Mainland Europe is full of beautiful scenery, history architecture (and luxury). Think France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Scandinavia. Romania, Bulgaria and Egypt are possible too.