Affordable Travel Options for Solo Travellers

Expensive single supplements are being waved by tour operators catering more to single travellers

Credit: iStock / hadynyah

More and more tour operators are catering to solo travellers

It’s getting easier for solo travellers to save money on tours

The demand for single traveller packages is on the rise and tour operators are starting to take notice. This is good news for you if you’re looking to go it alone on your next adventure.

Travel Companies Accommodate Single Travellers

More and more travellers are choosing to take vacations regardless of whether they have a holiday companion.

According to a recent survey:

  • 32 percent were unmarried singles
  • 25 percent were divorced
  • 18 percent were married
  • 15 percent were widows or widowers

As a result, tour operators are expanding their efforts with travel suppliers to create more affordable solo travel products – reducing that seemingly unfair “single supplement.”

Worldwide luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent has recently waived its single supplement or reduced it considerably. It has done so on destinations ranked highest by its past single travellers, offering “solo savings” on 13 of its trips including to China, East Africa, Egypt and Turkey.


Travcoa President Jerre Fuqua at Severus Arch, Leptis Magna. (Image: Travcoa Travel)

Travcoa, another luxury travel company, has announced that it is reducing its single supplement by 50 percent on eight of its small-group itineraries. This could mean a savings of up to a thousand dollars per traveller.

Canada’s Gap Adventures touts a “no single supplement” policy, whereby it matches single travellers, who make up 40 percent of its customer base, with same-sex roommates to help them avoid additional charges. Easy on your wallet, but not ideal if you are looking for privacy.

Travel Options for Singles

If you’re looking to get away on your own there are lots of options that won’t break the bank.

Club Med regularly rolls out promotions in which the single-supplement is discounted or waived entirely.

Norwegian Cruise Lines made news last summer by debuting more than 100 studio cabins reserved strictly for single travellers.

If you are heading to Europe you may find a lot of European B & Bs have single rooms or charge on a per-person basis.

You just have to do a bit of research before you go and chances are you’ll find something that suits your needs.

Safety Tips for Solo Travellers

  • Watch how the locals behave and try to blend in
  • Walk with confidence
  • Dress appropriately and avoid tourist garb
  • Know the currency well
     

Founder and president of Travel Best Bets, Claire Newell has appeared on The Today Show, Fox & Friends, Good Day New York, ABC Morning News – Chicago, Martha Stewart Living Radio, and CNN Radio, and is the official travel consultant for Global TV. She has been a spokesperson for Disney’s www.family.com, and featured in promotions for the Vancouver International Airport and the Canadian Tourism Commission. Newell has authored or been featured in articles for Success, Professional Woman, Today’s Parent, Readers Digest and for various newspapers. She is the best selling author of Travel Best Bests – An Insider’s Guide to Taking Your Best Trips, Ever and has just finished her second book.
 
This wife and mother of two has also launched two lines of luggage & travel accessories. Visit www.clairenewell.com for more information.