Solo Holiday Experiences

Kynthia

In my mid-twenties I was single and wanted to go on holiday. My friends were either partnered up or broke and I didn't want to compromise on what I did. A work colleague I knew would holiday alone by going on scuba diving activity holidays. She said it was great as there was a group of you, not all were couples and some others were on there own, but it wasn't a singles holiday where you had to stay with the group and make friends. So I booked a week long salsa holiday to Barcelona and paid to have a room on my own. There were a few other women on their own who I'd occassional have dinner with or go sightsee sigh one day, but I'd spend most days going to see what I wanted to see. Then we'd have salsa lessons every late afternoon and there'd be an organised salsa night out late in the evening that you didn't have to go to but most did. I thoroughly enjoyed it but did lack confidence to eat in restaurants on my own at lunchtime. Now I'm older I hope that I'd be be braver.

Chlorine7

All the responses to this have been so helpful and encouraging! I am very grateful to hear what other people have been up to and suggest. I think I'm going to book a day in Paris (not overnight) to start with and maybe Amsterdam for a weekend.

I will also look into all the companies that were suggested, thank you! I'm not usually great with brand new people on my own so I might be a bit slower at signing up for that but it will definitely be on my research list.

supermassive

I went backpacking in Australia on my own when I was 22. It didn't work out too great because I was young and naive, wound up homeless & broke... but it made me a much tougher and more well rounded person. I'm much more accepting of different cultures than I used to be, unless you're a slow walker...

Fluff15

Chlorine7 wrote: »

All the responses to this have been so helpful and encouraging! I am very grateful to hear what other people have been up to and suggest. I think I'm going to book a day in Paris (not overnight) to start with and maybe Amsterdam for a weekend.

I will also look into all the companies that were suggested, thank you! I'm not usually great with brand new people on my own so I might be a bit slower at signing up for that but it will definitely be on my research list.

Amsterdam is another amazing city I recommend! The Dutch are ever so friendly, and flights/accommodation are cheap.

Paris is great too, although I felt there was so much to do there and three days wasn't enough for me when I last went.

minerva_windsong

BarryBlue wrote: »

An option for solo travellers is a cruise. There are events and facilities for lone passengers, such as specific tables for afternoon tea where people get to know each other. Although we are a couple, it is actually very easy to get to know people on ships, and you do meet singles. For some reason the usual British reservation disappears. We still meet up with several people we have met on cruises too.

As an alternative to this, would you consider a tour somewhere? We used G Adventures (https://www.gadventures.co.uk/) for a couple of tours when we were backpacking and quite a few people on those were on their own. You're not being marched from place to place - it's very much 'OK, here's the hotel, these are ideas for some things to do whilst you're here, if you want to come for dinner we're meeting in the lobby at 8 but don't feel obliged to if you'd prefer to do your own thing, and be ready to be on the bus at 9 o'clock tomorrow'. Met loads of really nice people and are still in touch with quite a few of them now, and it's a good mix of age ranges.

AmyTurtle

I've been on holiday alone - went to Majorca (Alcudia) for 4 days half board when I was 22 & had an unexpected fortnight off work! It was fine, I booked it through Travel Republic, stayed at a hotel right on a beach, had a look around the town, read, swam. Have to admit I didn't really go out in the evenings though, just hung around the hotel reading etc. The only downside was the waiter in the hotel restaurant keep trying to sit me with 2 male solo travellers who were a lot older than me and I felt they were quite predatory - so I asked to sit on my own the next night.
I've also been on a couple of UK city breaks alone and also regularly go to concerts alone as OH and I have very different taste in music.

Chlorine7

Fluff15 wrote: »

Amsterdam is another amazing city I recommend! The Dutch are ever so friendly, and flights/accommodation are cheap.

Paris is great too, although I felt there was so much to do there and three days wasn't enough for me when I last went.

That's good to know about Amsterdam I really want to go somewhere friendly and not too expensive.

I've been to Paris twice before so I'm not worried about seeing everything. I just want the experience of being on my own in a foreign place, with a bit of a safety net.

I will hopefully work my way up to my target destination over the year

SailorSam

I'm surprised reading some of these posts. I always think of going on holiday alone as something you do when you're young. I've often thought i wish i were more outgoing and had the courage to do it when i was younger.
I'm to old now, i'm 61. But reading this thread not everyone is a youngster.

his_missus

You could always look into companies that do organised coach holidays.


I used to go on these type of holidays (always in the UK, though my mum has recently taken one to Italy on her own) as I felt safer knowing that if something happened to me and I didn't turn up for the coach/breakfast, I would be missed. It also meant that, whilst there was company there if I wanted it, I could have time alone too.

Yolina

I more often than not go on holiday on my own - I just like to be able to do what I want when I want.
I stick with European destinations simply because whilst I like being somewhere, I find the getting there bit really tedious :rotfl: Any kind of organised group travel would be my idea of hell.
I usually go to gigs on my own too (bound to bump into people I know there anyway) and that sometimes involves flying somewhere if I want to go to more than a London or UK gig.
Oh and am early 40s