Independence, self-discovery and the freedom to do whatever you want are just some of the benefits of solo travel. But it comes at a price.
Earlier this month, Siculiana, a small seaside town in Italy, was offering €1 holidays to boost tourism. The deal sounded enticing, but, unfortunately, solo travellers were not eligible for the trip.
That’s because, to be in with a chance of winning the budget getaway, applicants had to submit their entries in pairs — a detail that upset many Metro readers.
Merry Smith said: ‘Annoying that you can’t enter as a solo traveller!’ and Amanda Webster asked, ‘Why does it have to be couples?’
Kenny Thomson wrote: ‘Singles are always left out,’ while Erika Mikaelsson shared, ‘I would love to go and I am in Sicily right now. But I am here alone. So I guess I am out…’
This comes at a time when the popularity of solo travel is rapidly increasing, with Airbnb’s latest spring travel trends report revealing searches for solo trips have grown by 80% over the last year.
Adam Schwab, co-founder and CEO of travel company Luxury Escapes, told Metro: ‘The solo travel boom isn’t just a trend – it reflects how we’re living now. People are settling down later, placing more value on independence, and are tired of putting off amazing experiences just because their friends can’t get time off work.
‘Social media has made a huge difference too. Seeing others have amazing solo adventures on Instagram and TikTok has normalised the concept and shown people it’s not just acceptable, but actually incredibly rewarding.’
He added: ‘The best part is that the industry is finally catching up, with solo-friendly activities and apps that help you connect with like-minded travellers.’
But, despite this, solo travellers still often find themselves paying more just to take a trip alone.
Research from Which? Travel in 2023 revealed that solo travellers are charged up to 87% more than those holidaying as a pair.
This is because those travelling alone often have no choice but to pay extra to occupy a double room, or a ‘single supplement’, a fee that’s been nicknamed the ‘singles tax’. However, the research also revealed that some companies applied the charges to small single-bed rooms too, despite these being only suitable for one person.
Some Metro readers have direct experience of this.
Kirk Parsons shared: ‘I was once charged a single room supplement on the grounds that the hotel would usually have two paying adults in a room. Fair enough. Except that I was then given a small room with a single bed, which couldn’t have accommodated two people anyway.’
Michelle Poczapsky revealed: ‘Since my dad died, my mum’s really wanted to go on a cruise, but the supplement you have to pay as a single traveller is crazy money… They really penalize solo travellers, which is such a shame.’
Schwab explained that, as far as the tour operator is concerned, if you want a room all to yourself you have to pay more. ‘To them, the costs for staff and transportation remain much the same,’ he added.
But there are ways to cut costs when travelling solo.
Lesley Morgan said: ‘I tended to travel in the shoulder seasons, so single rates are not so bad. But travel in the summer and the hikes were massive.’
Linda Clinton added: ‘I can relate to that. I tried out staying in a hostel a couple of times last year and purchasing flights separately due to the packages in the summer getting very expensive at the place I go to.’
For some, the cost has put them off travel completely. Richard Yampy Williams said he doesn’t go on holiday anymore, calling the prices a ‘rip off’.
Metro spoke to Chelsea Dickenson, a seasoned solo traveller and founder of Cheap Holiday Expert.
She refuses to compromise on cost when it comes to travelling alone, but admits that this isn’t always easy.
‘I love travelling solo on the cheap, but sometimes a ‘single tax’ does make it a bit more difficult to do on a budget,’ she revealed.
As well as having to pay extra as a single person in a double room, she added: ‘I’ve also had to avoid certain activities such as jet skis and snowmobiles where the advertised price is actually per person between two people, but you have to fork out the full cost when it’s just you on your own.’
I challenged myself to take a £100 holiday – I came back with change
Chelsea Dickenson is a pro when it comes to cutting her travel costs, and when she challenged herself to spend under £100 on a solo getaway to Tirana, she came back with change.
‘For over a year, I’d had the idea to do a getaway for under £100 where the budget had to cover everything. That included: getting to and from the airport, flights, accommodation, food, drink and the activities.
‘With rising costs across Europe, it was more difficult than I’d first expected. Long gone are the endless lists of return flights under a tenner, and while Milan had looked like a credible contender, the price of accommodation had tipped things over the budget.
‘However, after spotting some £20 return flights to Tirana on the Wizz Air website back in April, my bargain-booking senses started to tingle.’
How to cut costs when travelling solo
Despite the barriers, there are ways solo travellers can spend just as little (or even less) than those holidaying in pairs if they do their research before booking.
To start, Schwab recommended hunting for hotels that cater to solo guests: ‘More properties are finally waking up to this market and offering decent single rooms or ditching those ridiculous extra fees during their slower seasons.’
This also applies to tours that target solo guests, as these are designed not to charge extra for people travelling alone.
Meanwhile, seeking out online community pages, often used for planning and sharing travel tips, can help holidaymakers find a travel buddy who’ll be heading to the same destination around the same time.
But if you do find yourself on a tour that includes groups and couples, Schwab advises asking your operator about pairing you with another solo traveller.
Travelling during the shoulder season and, if you’re able to be flexible, booking late onto a tour can also save costs. Schwab said: ‘If a tour does not reach capacity, you may find an operator adds single rooms at the last minute without adding a single supplement fee.’
Meanwhile, some major travel companies have begun offering trips for solo travellers, including easyJet, TUI and Thomas Cook.
Jet2 was recently recommended by Which? for solo travellers, so it’s worth checking out their offerings.
Dickenson shared her favourite locations for low-cost travel with Metro, saying: ‘The main way I deal with not feeling out of pocket is by heading to affordable destinations where I know my money goes a lot further.
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‘In Europe, this includes places like Portugal, Poland and Albania where the accommodation can be much cheaper. Further afield, I love Thailand for not only great hotel prices but a street food culture that makes it easier to eat out solo, and make friends too.’
She also recommended looking for home-sitting opportunities as a way of securing free accommodation.
‘I’ve found that homeowners often want just one person to look after their place whilst they’re away. My favourite websites for this are TrustedHousesitters and Nomador.’
Find your perfect solo travel destination
Metro‘s resident tarot columnist, Kerry King, recently revealed the perfect solo travel destination for each star sign:
- Aries — New Zealand
- Taurus — Budapest
- Gemini — Krakow
- Cancer — Thailand
- Leo — Galapagos Islands
- Virgo — Japan
- Libra — Iceland
- Scorpio — New York
- Sagittarius — Costa Rica
- Capricorn — Singapore
- Aquarius — Bali
- Pisces — Edinburgh
And if you’re looking for more tips to keep costs low on your next trip, Metro has rounded up the cheapest places for a weekend break in Europe, as well as the cheap places to travel to while you’re young and on a budget and 11 places you can fly to for less than the cost of a UK train ticket.
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Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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