quote:

Originally posted by margaretc:
I was ready to "fly solo" last month on my Bohemian Highlights but at the last minute a friend decided to join me. However I was unable to enjoy my trip as it became apparent from the second day that my friend had a serious health problem. I am not at all concerned about travelling on my own and my next trip is definitely going to be solo.

I have several friends who travel solo. At different times & for varying reasons each has hooked up with a companion & both tell me they have regretted it & will never travel with anyone else again. They are happy to please themselves & choose what they will or won't see & do. My DH is a keen traveller so I have not had to think about solo travel but would like to think if a situation arose I would have the courage to set off as a solo.

Once, I went solo on a trip. I enjoyed it very much but missed having my husband to discuss what we had seen during the day. This tour had very little free time, so I never felt lonesome. I paid the single supplement, so I did not have to share with a stranger.

quote:

Originally posted by Marie56:
Once, I went solo on a trip. I enjoyed it very much but missed having my husband to discuss what we had seen during the day.

As a single traveller this is the one thing that I miss most of all.

I am married to a hubby who HATES to travel!! So I travel as a single and I love it!! Its fun to be social all day and then come home to that quiet peaceful room and put me stuff where I want!!! Its well worth the supplement to me.

And there are also times I wander off on my own and enjoy it.

I will be doing my tour on my own, I hope that it works out.

As a single person who lives alone I think it will be easier for me as I am used to doing things on my own, but I do worry about feeling out of place...

Leizel

Contrasts of Europe July 3rd

I really enjoy travelling on my own. Going on my 3rd TT in August as a single and not fussed at all. If I kept waiting to travel with my friends or Partner I would never travel at all . So I just go on my own and enjoy every minute of it! Plus I love making everyone jelaous when I come home with my wonderful travel stories and they were stuck at home and work

I always pay the single supplement and after being alone for 9 years love the peace and quiet of my own room on a tour. And doing my own thing is something I am very good at and enjoy

However, all this being said, personally I believe beautiful memories are better shared but of course only with someone who appreciates them as you do. I have no choice but to go alone and so I go happily but photos only mean so much to other people !!!

quote:

Originally posted by Liezel:
I will be doing my tour on my own, I hope that it works out.

As a single person who lives alone I think it will be easier for me as I am used to doing things on my own, but I do worry about feeling out of place...

Leizel

Contrasts of Europe July 3rd

Please do not worry about feeling out of place. As long as you are outgoing & friendly you will fit right in with the rest of the group

I too say go for it. I have travelled many times alone over the past 25 years. Being on tour means the hassle of organising the basics like transport, accommodation etc are taken care of, and there are usually plenty of people to talk to on the bus or during stops. I've had no trouble joining with others to go for meals or at lunch or tea breaks. Enjoy it!

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the positive comments about travelling solo,it is good to hear that so many of you have so much fun. I think listening to your advice that paying the solo supplement is the best way for me to go as I can be quite a quiet person at times.
Also I was wondering if anyone has had any experiences of their 1st tour alone since loosing a partner,and how they went. Was it easier/harder than you thought? Sometimes the thought of touring alone is overwhelming and then other times I feel really excited at the thought of it.

Hi Bev B,

On my first tour as a solo I was very unsure of how I would go, just as you are. I turned out to be the only single person which made it hard at times even though everyone was kind to me. I paid for the single supplement, something I didn't need to do after all, but having my own room is one of the absolute necessities.

The most important thing about travelling solo is that you are doing something you want to do regardless of the company you will have. On my first tour I just wanted to see the mountains of Switzerland and Austria more than anything and so I went on my tour to see them and not for the people I might meet. When I came home I had wonderful memories of the places I had seen which will last a life time.

Let me tell you without any hesitation, on a tour you will always meet someone you can become friends with. The company on the TT's is just wonderful and you will never be short of someone to talk to and have a laugh with.

I've traveled solo several times, but I refuse to pay the singles tax. Often this "singles tax" or "single supplement" amounts to over $1000, and I see it as unfair.

I've been on several trips, and been matched up on about 1/3rd of them. I haven't had any trouble with a "forced roomie" yet. The last few years I've found that fewer people are traveling as singles, I believe this is mostly because of the singles tax--many people prefer to find someone to travel with.

I have to agree with what some of the others have said; The sad thing about traveling single is the fact that you have nobody to share your experiences with while on the tour. It would be great to have someone to turn to and say, "Wasn't that amazing!?"

I will always pay the single supplement due to the horror partnerings I have encountered and heard about.

e.g. a 20 something party animal paired with a 70+ fussy tidy lady who insisted on going to bed at 9.00 p.m. and getting up at 5.00 a.m. to do her morning exercises including shower etc. Often the partying 20 year old would arrive at the room at about 2.00 a.m. rather drunk and wake the old lady - definitely not a happy pairing.

Another was the fitness fanatic who did 30 minutes of aerobics every night and every morning regardless of her roomie.

I have never seen a happy pairing created on the tours that I have done although I have read about them here.

The worst I have heard about was from a TD describing why she hates them - one elderly lady sent on a 30 day tour by her family was paired with another lady in her 50s. Problem was the elderly lady (in her late 80s) appeared fine on the first day or so but... if she forgot her tablets she would get lost very easily, she couldn't wash, or dress herself, properly and she couldn't lift her own luggage in or out of the room. In other words her family sent her on the holiday and expected the tour people to look after her. The lady in her 50s felt trapped into looking after the older lady and it totally destroyed her trip. When she complained, on the third day, the TD agreed with the 50 year old that the other lady shouldn't have been on a tour but felt that they couldn't desert her in a foreign country where she spoke none of the language etc. Had they realised the problems in London she wouldn't have been allowed on the tour but her family had made sure she had her tablets that morning and they organised her luggage etc so it wasn't until after they had been in Paris for a day or so that the problem arose.

Thank you - but no thanks.

The single supplement guarantees me the peace of mind that when I close the door at the end of the day I don't have to deal with the idiosyncracies of other people, or subject them to my personal habits that they might find annoying.

Totaly agree with you Chris. I will always pay the single supplement. I've done this on all my tours. During the day I enjoy the company of others on the tour but I really enjoy the peace and quiet of having my own space at night.

I think that the only proviso I would have about travelling solo is that I, personally, would not go unless I could pay the single supplement. I know that the ss is pretty hefty but after planning and looking forward to a big trip I think it is like insurance, Insuring my sanity and happiness with the trip.
There is no way I would want my trip spoilt by a bad sharing experience , I remember a cruise that I took many years ago with my sister, we met and teamed up a bit with some other young ladies who were sharing a 4 bed cabin (3 in the room) they had some awful stories to tell of their room mate, not to mention the unauthorised borrowing that occurred