Strategies for Single Travel

Are you a single person who loves to travel? Are you part of a couple but your significant other is a home body? At some point you will find that you have run out of travel companions and then what? Do you stay home? Do you forgo your dream to one day see Paris because no one will go with you? If you are not comfortable traveling alone, you might try one of these strategies to make single travel do able for you.

Special Interest Travel

Finding a trip designed around a particular interest or hobby may be just the ticket. Do you like to cook? There are trips to destinations all around the world that include cooking classes. Many of these trips consist of a half or three-quarter day cooking lesson with afternoons free. Cooking on alternate days is also a common schedule. Sharing an interest is a great way to befriend other people. Generally participants are housed at the same accommodation and the class is held there or transportation is provided. Cooking classes tend to be made up of couples, singles or men and women whose other half is off doing something else. You get to know each other during the class and then make plans to spend the free time together. Don't like to eat alone? Lots of these trips have planned meals where the whole group goes together. Smaller classes of a dozen participants or less work especially well. Having a partially structured and partially free itinerary is ideal.

Cooking's not your bag? There are trips built around all sorts of interests. Hiking, biking, knitting, weaving, walking, music, wine; the list is endless. The destinations are almost unlimited. A great source of special interest travel is National Geographic Expeditions. Several special interest tour companies have signed up with National Geographic and are listed on Nat Geo's page. You can search by destination, special interest and/or departure date.

Singles Travel

If you would like to enhance the possibility of finding that special someone on your trip, there are many companies that specialize in singles travel for men and women. Most trips are arranged around specific age groups and/or sexual orientation. Pay careful attention to this aspect of the tour. If you are forty-something you may not be interested in traveling with twenty or eighty-somethings. Obviously, if you are searching, the sexual orientation of the participants is also important. These trips tend to consist of structured activities as well as free time. Experienced travel companies will have built-in ice breakers and mixers designed to help people overcome the awkwardness of initial meetings.

There are also companies that are designed to match people up who are not looking for romance. You give them your gender, age and various likes and dislikes and they will try and find someone with whom you can travel.

Things to remember about single travel:

Whether it's a tour or a hotel room, prices are commonly listed as per person double. If you have two people going, each person will pay the listed price. If you are traveling alone, you will frequently have to pay what is known as a single supplement. This is because a tour operator counts on getting a certain amount of money for each room booked. If only one person is staying in the room, they won't get as much for it. Single supplements are generally less than twice the per person double rate so you are paying a little more but the tour company is getting a little less.

Many tour companies will arrange shares if they have another same-sex single booking. If you are willing to share, let your tour company know. If they can find you a share, you will not have to pay the single supplement. Always ask if the listed price applies for single travel.

Be careful. Don't lock yourself up in your room in fear but be alert and aware when you travel alone. It's always a good idea to give your itinerary to someone who is not on the trip. Make plans to check in with them at regular intervals via phone, text and/or e-mail.

Travel with a good attitude! This is an adventure. Be open to whatever happens. Don't expect to make your new best friend for life or meet your soul mate. Do expect to have a great time, meet some interesting people and have a lot of good stories to tell when you get back home.

Consider buying trip insurance and, if you do, make sure you know what is covered and what is not. Also familiarize yourself with the cancellation policy of whatever trip you book.

Have you figured out a way to make yourself comfortable when traveling alone? Leave a comment and share your strategy!