Holidaying alone

Doshwaster

madlyn said:

So when you book accommodation and flights separately, you go direct to the hotel and the airline?  

Usually yes, as that gives you total freedom of choice over airlines (maybe fly back with a different one) and hotels (or book a AirBnB, campsite, hostel etc) but you can also often book a hotel through the airline. I've had some good deals in the past through BA and EasyJet flight+hotel offers. They aren't "package" holidays in the traditional sense but you will get ATOL protection which you don't get if you book everything yourself individually.

CKhalvashi

Remember also to only book with the airline, not a screenscraper site.

Bigphil1474

We travelled independently a few years ago - UK to Hong Kong to Hanoi, back to Hong Kong, then to New Zealand, then to Los Angeles, and back to blighty. We did stay at my brothers for 4 of the 6 weeks we were in New Zealand. We only had one hiccup and that was a hostel we booked in week 5 of our New Zealand leg who emailed us 2 weeks before arrival to cancel our booking, but we didn't have a smart phone then so didn't know. They found us another hostel to stay at. The rest was hotels. We found it to be much more flexible to what we wanted to do. 
As Doshwater says, something like EasyJet where you book the flight and accommodation gives you extra protection.

ouraggie

I always book flights and hotel separately. Saves a fortune. Really easy to do. 

1. Decide where/when to go
2. book flights on Ryanair/Easyjet/Jet 2 etc. Sometimes fly out with one and back with another if cheaper
3. go to Trivago and find some nice accommodation, with free cancellation just in case ( book through Topcashback or Quidco if poss to get cashback)
4. Book transfers and airport parking if needed
5. make own guide book by copying and pasting relevant bits from various websites about my destination

I do also keep a bucket list of places i want to go sometime. Every month or so I check Ryanair etc for any cheap flights (eg just booked La Rochelle for £5.99 each way). This is quick and easy to do using their Fare Finder from the drop down menu. Easyjet and Jet2 also have their version of it. 

Quite often I see an interesting-looking package holiday on Wowcher and look which resort(s) it is going to, then just make that trip myself, but for the same money I can usually go for twice as long and visit 2 or 3 places, rather than just the one. Did this recently to Montenegro. Flights £26 return, 13 nights in various hotels £278. Cost me more to get to Gatwick than to fly !

onomatopoeia99

I've done both ways. Usually I just book hotel and transport myself then set my own agenda. A few years ago I did a "city break " with a solo travellers tour company and will be doing a walking / foodie holiday with another similar company next week (so automatic own room in both cases and no single supplement).  Beach / resort holidays hold no appeal so I've never investigated those.  I figure out dates, look at flights (I avoid some airlines e.g. Ryanair, once was enough on something organized by friends and I'm not giving O'Leary any of my money on principle), search for hotels and book one etc then plan an itinerary.

Normally I'll go to a city and visit its museums and galleries - I was in Paris last month, have been to places like Rome, Milan, Amsterdam, Gent, New York etc for that reason.  In the tour cases it's more about doing different stuff that I otherwise wouldn't organize for myself on my own.  I don't say much in groups even with people I know so didn't talk much on the first one and doubt I will on the next tbh.  

madlyn

onomatopoeia99 said:

I've done both ways. Usually I just book hotel and transport myself then set my own agenda. A few years ago I did a "city break " with a solo travellers tour company and will be doing a walking / foodie holiday with another similar company next week (so automatic own room in both cases and no single supplement).  Beach / resort holidays hold no appeal so I've never investigated those.  I figure out dates, look at flights (I avoid some airlines e.g. Ryanair, once was enough on something organized by friends and I'm not giving O'Leary any of my money on principle), search for hotels and book one etc then plan an itinerary.

Normally I'll go to a city and visit its museums and galleries - I was in Paris last month, have been to places like Rome, Milan, Amsterdam, Gent, New York etc for that reason.  In the tour cases it's more about doing different stuff that I otherwise wouldn't organize for myself on my own.  I don't say much in groups even with people I know so didn't talk much on the first one and doubt I will on the next tbh.  

Which solo traveller tour companies have you used?

onomatopoeia99

First one was Friendship travel, the one I'm going with next week is Solos.

Susiediy

I’ve looked at booking with solos but they mainly only fly from London.  Not much good when you live anywhere else in the UK!

onomatopoeia99

Susiediy said:

I’ve looked at booking with solos but they mainly only fly from London.  Not much good when you live anywhere else in the UK!

I've booked parking at Gatwick and the Sofitel hotel at the terminal the night before the flight for that exact reason.

Baled

I've done solo packages with Jet2 previously but the majority of solo breaks I've had have been separately booked flights/hotels - there's just so much more accommodation choice when sourced independently online.