Solo Travel planning

The popularity of Solo Travel increases year on year, with many of us taking one or more solo holidays or short breaks each year. Travelling solo can be freeing, exhilarating, life-affirming and joyful.

It can also be nerve wracking. Especially if it’s your first solo trip. Choose wisely and you can have the time of your life. Get it wrong and you could be put off solo travel for ever more.

Here are our top tips in what you should think about in navigating the solo travel minefield.

Where to go?

Sounds obvious, but for many people, this can be a sensitive issue and the first big step in the minefield. I’m thinking here especially about clients who come to us to book a first solo trip after the death of a partner. For them the location of the trip can be fraught with anxiety. Do you want to revisit a favourite city or holiday destination from your time together? Or is this an absolute NO? Be honest with, and kind to, yourself with this one.

If you can’t easily decide on your ‘where’ – start narrowing things down with some simple questions to yourself; long haul or short haul?  is weather a priority? do you see yourself on the beach, in the mountains, visiting a city? what do you want to spend? (a low budget will often govern the location).

Get equally clear in your mind about anywhere you don’t want to go. For instance if you have bad (or perhaps incredibly fond) memories of a country/city/resort and can’t face revisiting.

What kind of solo holiday are you looking for? 

For some of us this could be a few days in a 5* resort with a lovely pool, a spa and 24hr room service. For others it might be 2 weeks trekking in nature, riding a motorbike across America’s iconic Route 66, or perhaps you’d be happiest on a rail journey across Europe taking in some incredible cities and history, or cruising the Med.

I can guarantee you that however you imagine your solo holiday your travel agent will be able to make that happen. The options are limitless and your travel agent is best placed to find the perfect itinerary for you, and the best value for money (often without the financial burden of a single supplement). 

Solo? Or solo-ish?

Going it alone can be amazing – but for some of us a solo-ish holiday on a Small Group Tour is the perfect holiday match. You have the joy of going it alone … with the added comfort of a structured itinerary, a tour guide and a group of fellow travellers.

Some Tours are designed purely for solo travellers. The benefits here are obvious; you get to spend time with people who have a shared interest and you have no pesky single room supplements. Some Groups are targeted at particular age ranges; e.g. ‘over 50s’, some have a theme, 'Wine Tasting in Tuscany' as an example. There are a growing number that are women only Groups. Whatever you interest, there is almost certain to be a Small Group Tour that is perfect for you.

Clients are often concerned that they will feel ‘herded’ on a Tour. Don't worry about this. The smaller Groups have no sense of herding and most Tours give scope for lots of down time when you are free to explore alone, or with your fellow travellers.

I would always advise booking your Small Group Tour with a travel agent, they will be able to guide you on the best itinerary for you and the ideal group size (often they can check to see how many are booked on a tour and the gender/age make up).  Another significant advantage is that the travel agent will package your tour with flights/train travel, giving you full ABTA and ATOL cover.

The biggest tip of all … Take Your Time.

This holiday is unapologetically, all about you. Take your time to get it right.  Once you have your thoughts clear, get in touch with your travel agent and leave them to do the hard work in finding exactly the right spot for you.

Ready to get your solo adventure started … contact us today and let’s get planning!