We ask travel expert, Tracey Davies, editor of 101 Singles Holidays to share her insights and she has this to say:
I love nothing more than travelling on my own agenda. I mean, why compromise? The key is to lean into the kind of traveller you are – sporty, sociable, or keen to learn – and book the holiday that naturally attracts your kind of people. From relaxed beach holidays in Greece, and cultural city breaks in the Baltics to escorted tours across Asia, going it alone has never been so accessible. Here's how to choose a trip tailored to you.
Outdoor activities
If your idea of a good holiday is bagging a Munro rather than a sunbed by the pool, maybe an active break is for you. Ramble Worldwide and HF Holidays both offer a variety of walking holidays in the UK and across the globe. These trips are great for active outdoorsy solo travellers and cater to all fitness levels, whether a gentle stroll along the Northumberland Coast, a hardy hike in the Scottish Highlands or roaming the North and South Islands of New Zealand .
Solos Holidays offer active holidays for sporty solos. This week-long pickleball holiday in the Algarve includes playing on Vila Real courts, home to Portugal’s National Pickleball Championships. If Pilates is more your style, Flavours Holidays has a selection of Pilates breaks across Italy, Spain and Morocco that include daily classes in glorious settings.
Art, history and culture
Love archaeology, ancient history or Renaissance art? Maybe a special interest holiday will work for you. Saga Travel offer several special interest breaks for over-50s, including this brilliant birdwatching holiday in Cadiz . For fans of the classics, Martin Randall Travel is another good choice, particularly their six-day Beethoven in Bonn trip or the week-long Renaissance art of Piero della Francesca tour from Umbria to Milan.
If you love the French Impressionists, then check out Riviera Travel's Timeless Provence trip which explores the inspired landscapes of Provence and the Camargue. For archaeology fans, Peter Sommer Travels specialises in small group, expert-led archaeological and cultural cruises, including this all-inclusive Cruising the Dalmatian Coast trip sailing on a traditional Turkish gulet.
Indulge in food and wine
For solo travellers who are guided by their stomach – me included – a gastronomic tour or cooking holiday is appealing. Browse rustic farmers' markets, learn to cook with local chefs and enjoy long, lazy lunches in family-run trattorias, all with a bunch of like minded foodies. Flavours Holidays offer several food-focused trips for solo travellers, including this tasty 8-day cooking holiday in Umbria. It includes cookery classes, beautiful accommodation and top-notch food, and has no single supplement.
A Saga holiday is another good option, particularly this eight-day escorted tour, which has several dedicated solo departures. Hedonistic Hiking adds a different vibe to a walking holiday by adding posh picnics, gourmet dinners and wine on their guided hikes across Italy, Corsica, Austria and Slovenia.
Meet new people
Sometimes the best holidays are all about the people you share them with. At Friendship Travel, this is the ethos of their house party holidays. Exclusively for singles, the hotels are great places to meet and make new friends. A short walk from Ipsos beach in Corfu, the Apollo Studios Houseparty holiday includes flights, transfers, a studio room and four group meals (with wine), plus an on-site Friendship Travel host.
Skyros in Greece is another good choice if you're looking to meet like-minded people. Set on the Aegean island of Skyros, this beautiful retreat overlooking Atsitsa Bay is very sociable; think shared rooms, group dinners and various classes and activities, including salsa dancing, stand-up comedy and sea kayaking.
Global adventures
For travellers looking for more adventure, an organised tour is the easiest way to venture a little further. Cox & Kings have some amazing group trips to far-flung destinations like India, China and Central Asia, including several tours exclusive to solo travellers. Winding through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, their 15-day Across the Southern Caucasus trip is one such itinerary, and has no single supplement.
is another good option for adventurous solos. They have some incredible all-inclusive group tours to China, Japan and Vietnam. I particularly fancy this Wonders of China trip, which includes the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors and a cruise down the Yangtze River.
Solo travel specialist Just You offer wildlife-themed holidays, including this 14-day Experience South Africa tour which includes a game drive in Kruger National Park. Slightly closer to home is their 11-night Svalbard and Arctic Explorer tour, which gets up close (but not too close!) to polar bears as it explores Norway's Arctic region.
Learn something new
If you want to return home with more than just a great tan – maybe improved brush skills, a handcrafted pot or even a new language – then a learning holiday could be just the ticket. With small classes and a relaxed schedule, Flavours Holidays offer Learn Italian weeks that allow you to immerse yourself in the language in Puglia, Sicily or Tuscany.
Feeling creative? Check out Friendship Travel's week-long pottery holiday in Cyprus or their four-night painting break in Olhão, Portugal, which includes painting classes with a skilled artist.
Skyros has more of a smorgasbord approach to learning holidays. Their one-week or two-week creative retreats in Atsitsa Bay offer a wide variety of daily classes including creative writing, watercolour painting and pop choir. It's a great way to try out a range of potential new hobbies and make friends.
For more inspiration on solo travel, visit 101holidays.co.uk/singles.
By Tracey Davies, editor of 101 Singles Holidays