Boldly Go Solo

10 tips for avoiding the single supplement

In preparation for being interviewed on the BBC World's travel program, called "fast:track," I asked experts if they knew of tour operators that waived or markedly lowered the single supplement. (Who knew the BBC piece was going to involve a boy blowup doll?!)

Many respondents told me about companies they knew or, or represented, that don't charge the single supplement. But I know better than to believe that right off.

And indeed, after some simple checking, it turns out that for many tour operators only waive the single supplement if you're willing to share a room with another person signed up for the trip. I don't think that's what people are looking for when they ask about the single supplement. But it's a relatively common option and a saving grace for those looking to save money, and who don't mind sharing a room that they won't be spending much time in anyway.

Here are some other tips for avoiding the single supplement:

Budget spa ideas including one with no single supplement

Fodor's recently ran a blog post on "Luxury for Less." They described five tips for budget spa visits. So why did they include Mandarin Oriental's "Signature Spa Treatments" that cost $450 to $470 for 110 minutes?! (Coincidentally, I've already written about one of the cheapest places they include - BodyHoliday at Le Sport, on St. Lucia. No single supplement.)

Fodor's, what exactly is your definition of "less?" Less than a million dollars? Anyway...

I liked some of the tips for solo travelers. Such as book short stays at hotels close to home. I could use one of those little spa holidays this minute.

If only I weren't going to Mexico in three short weeks...oh wait. I'm thrilled to be going to Mexico in two weeks! Si, estoy muy alegre!!

Any day now, the nice folks at my Spanish school in Guadalajara are going to email me with information about who my host family is for four nights.

Now the trick is working double time at my job to get everything done in advance so I can actually enjoy my vacation. This is why being independently wealthy would come in so handy sometimes.

 

Seven ways to increase the chances of having a great solo vacation

Last week, a friend told me that, following my example, she decided to go solo on a cruise to the Bahamas. How was it? "The first day was crushingly lonely." Ouch. The trip was only three days. That means a third of it was lousy.

I asked for more details. It turns out she was seated at a table by herself. I've never been on a cruise but I always thought that Captain Stubing, or whoever the people in charge are, watched out for things like that. Made sure people were comfortable. I guess not.

After thinking more about her experience I've come up with a few thoughts about why she might have been lonely and how, perhaps, it could have been avoided.

1. Know thyself

What was she thinking about when she signed up? Did she assume it would be a really sociable place and she'd meet a lot of people? Was she looking for single men? Point being, were her expectations too high? Would someone else have been happy just exploring the ship and sitting by the pool with a book on that first day? Going to the casino? Going to the gym, if they had one?

2. Know thy vacation choice

Was a large ship with a lot of people the best choice? The larger the group in general, the more people will break down into families or cliques. Singletons may get lost. That might not matter to some. But it will be agonizing to others. (see # 1)

In a small group tour, on the other hand, everyone will talk to everyone. If not, there is always a guide who will see you're not having fun and hopefully scoop you up and put you under her wing. Guides are paid to be friendly.

Solo vacationers don't have to get burned by single supplements

Imagine walking up to a hotel registration desk and being told that you will get a discount because you're only one person in a double room. Ha! Yes, imagine it, because you won't often experience it.

But...

In researching a travel story on single supplements for the Kansas City Star, I learned about places that are a little kinder to the solo vacationer than others.

One Caribbean resort built a whole wing of rooms for solo travelers, eliminating the single supplement. Many companies offer to pair you with a roommate to save you extra charges, if you don't mind sharing.

Some companies try hard to keep the single supplement as low as possible, passing along only the extra costs hotels charge for single occupancy, but with no further mark-up.

I'm not saying that single travelers are on par with couples and families when it comes to travel deals. They're not. Not even close.

But it's interesting to see that some travel and tour companies are taking them into consideration. Is this the way of the future? Can we dare hope?

Best outfitters on earth, or so National Geo Adventure said

I may be sooo 20th century, but sometimes I prefer to pick up a magazine instead of heading for the Internet for trip ideas. I'm looking, as we speak, at a section I ripped out of my National Geographic Adventure from November 2007. It's called Best Outfitters on Earth.

When you don't exactly know where you want to go or what you want to do, a listing like this can be helpful. And inspiring. The section sorts outfitters into: Do-It-All, Biking, Hiking and Trekking, River and Sea, Safari and Luxury.

Five to 10 companies are listed under each category, along with each one's "signature" trip and its price.

If you know you want to go to Greece and bike with Aegea Adventures, you don't need listings like this. But if you're wondering what you should do for vacation, it helps to have a lot of random ideas and companies all in one place.

Big-name newspapers around the world becoming aware of solo travelers

The Washington Post devoted an entire travel section to how to "travel wisely." It was directed at a Washington audience, naturally. But even if you're not from the local area, the info on "specialty" travel could be of great value. 

The "specialties" range from single/solo to volunteer to African American to gay and lesbian. Any of those categories could offer opportunities for solo travel. As could a section on traveling with pets.

The paper provided info on organizations and travel agents and listed Web sites and phone numbers.

The New York Daily News ran a story Saturday on the topic of solo travel. For the record, I don't much care for the term "solo-cation." But let the tour operators call it whatever they want as long as they're passing out deals.

Several of the deals are pricey, but the article offered a nice variety of trips, from cruises to hiking to beach vacations.

Just a few days ago, the Times of London also ran a story on "holidays for single travellers." Which in American English is "vacations for single travelers." Gotta love that British English.

The paper provided a long list of travel companies. I'm thinking it could be fun to be the only American on a trip for a change.

That's all for now. Cheerio until next time.

Photo: Ellen Perlman. The Washington Post Travel Section front page.

Last minute travel. If you're traveling solo, it's a snap. And a click. And a credit card number. Then, voila! Off you go.

Boss out of town? The beach beckons? Got vacation days? Okay, then. Jump on a plane and get out of town. Or country. When it's just you, you don't have to coordinate with anyone. You don't have to wonder if both of you can get the time off.

I subscribe to a site catering to last-minute travelers called, cleverly enough, lastminute.com. I'm armed and ready, just in case the mood strikes.

I get emails signed, "Live every minute," followed by the name Patty Griffin. On Wednesday, she wrote how much she loves traveling to other countries and getting those stamps in her passport. Me too, Patty!

For the first time, I noticed that there was a bilingual list of specials: one for the double-occupancy people. Another for the "solo traveler." Specials included packages to the Bahamas, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The site may have been pricing packages for solos for awhile, but I've been too busy traveling lately to check in with all my travel Web sites.

Single supplements are going the way of the...well, they're not quite going away yet.

I'm in shock. Two things. One, hotels and tour operators are recognizing that lots of people travel solo. Two, they're actually giving deals and discounts to solo travelers. Scrape me off the floor.

One of the biggest complaints I hear from solo travelers is that they get rooked by the travel industry. Either they have to pay a single supplement. Or they have to share a room with a stranger (an option on some, but not all tours). One solo scribe called it, "A Hobson's Choice" (see previous post).

But this just in from msnbc:

"We've found four beach vacations where your solo self can revel in the same benefits usually extended to couples - without paying a single supplement for the privilege."

They exaggerate a tad. Not all of the single supplements have been waived at the places they mention. And these places aren't inexpensive.