For those of us who’ve endured nagging spouses and interminable delays caused by our co-vacationers on holiday, the thought of a solo trip can seem more than a little alluring. No annoying trips to every little theme park in the neighborhood to suffer through, and no stopping at every obscure souvenir shop to pick up something for Aunt Matilda who they haven’t met in six years.
Vagabondish is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Read our disclosure.
The only problem with solo trips of yore was the unimaginative packaging — a tour group consisted of a large bunch of mismatched singles thrown together into one big matchmaking orgy. These travel stereotypes are definitely beginning to shift though, as those who choose to travel solo become not just greater in number, but also more discerning about their choice of vacations spots and activities. According to Travel and Leisure magazine, at least one in every 10 travelers is holidaying solo, and it’s this substantial chunk of the population that tour operators and travel agencies are falling over themselves to target.
Options for the solo travelers now range from small and intimate off-the-beaten-path adventures to Nepal organized by Intrepid Travel to tailor made customized luxury travel packages by Manhattan based Absolute Travel which is introducing a pairing service for those who’d like some company with like minded individuals along the way. Spas and resorts are jumping on the solo travel bandwagon in a big way. Almost every niche out there is being catered to as single women and people with specific interests like walking join tour groups that are customized to suit their special tastes. Gone is the ubiquitous trip to Hawaii — today’s singles are living it up in Antarctica.
One drawback still remains though – the supplemental room charges levied on single travelers still exist, although those who book early may be able to avoid these.