The Solo Traveler

“A person needs at intervals to separate from family and companions and go to new places. One must go without familiars in order to be open to influences, to change.”
Katharine Butler Hathaway

Traveling on your own can have its rewards, but the cost of the travel is not one of them.  If you are traveling with someone else, than the cost is less per person, because the tour/cruise company splits the cost of the lodging.  But if you are on your own, then you have to pay the same price as a double, because the cost of the lodging is set.  If you have always traveled on your own, then you are probably used to what it costs, and you don't have a problem with it.  But if you have recently lost a travel partner and are newly on your own, it can be a shock.

When I was a travel agent I quite often would have a client come in and want to book a cruise or a tour, and they no longer had a travel partner.  Maybe their spouse died, or the person that they had always traveled with was no longer able to travel.  Whatever the reason, they were not ready to stop traveling themseleves.  When I would tell them the cost of going single though, they were quite often surprised at the cost.

Cruise ship in port

Cruise lines and tour companies price their products "per person, based on double occupancy" and charge singles almost twice as much as each member of a couple.  The reason is because it costs the  cruise or tour company the same amount for a room in a hotel or on a ship as it does for one.  When they price it per person, based on double occupancy they have divided the cost of that room in half.  For the single person they have to add the cost of the other half of that room in.  Plus cruise lines look at the whole picture, as to how much revenue they will be receiving  They will do better with two people in a room, with both people spending money onboard.

Solo travelers are becoming a force to reckon with, due in part to the rising number of single people.  More than 50% of American adults are single, according to surveys.  The travel industry is taking notice of this.  Some tour and cruise companies are now setting special fares for single travelers.  They will still be slightly higher than the per person rates for double occupancy, but they are giving some discounts for select cruises and tours, in order to attract the solo traveler.

On the Great Wall of China
Went with a friend because my husband
didn't want to go

There is also the option for most cruise and tours, which is the guaranteed share programs.  Ask for a tour or cruise company that has this.  They guarantee to find you a single traveler (of the same sex) to share the room with you.  In the guarantee program, if they do not find someone to share then you have the room to yourself and you still pay the same rate you woud have paid if you were sharing.  The company absorbs the extra costs.  The down-side to this is that you are sharing your room with a stranger.  It may work out fine and you may find a new friend or even a new travel partner.  It also might be a complete nightmare.  They may want to party all night, while you want to sleep.  They may snore so loud you can't sleep.  Or them may just be completely obnoxious.  Who knows, you take your chances.

If you have suddenly found yourself on your own,for whatever reason, and you still want to travel but don't want to pay the higher costs of traveling on your own, then the other option is to look around at everyone you know and start asking friends if they would like to travel with you.  And you don't have to look at only single friends.  Some of your married friends might want to travel, but their husbands prefer to stay home.  You might be surprised.

My friend Bonnie and I at the Christmas Markets
in Germany

A few years ago I wanted to go on a Christmas Markets of Germany tour that I saw advertised at work.  I came home and told my husband.  He travels with me everywhere, and said he would go if he had to, but it really didn't interest him.  Sounded like mostly shopping to him.  That didn't stop me.  I called a friend who lives in another state.  She was my room-mate in college and we have stayed in touch.  I asked her, she said yes.  She has a husband too, but he doesn't always like to go with her everywhere she'd like to go.  We had a great time and have traveled together several times since.  We still both travel with our husbands, but we both know we are available to go almost anywhere if the other needs a partner.

So wether you decide to go on your own and pay more, or if you find your own partner, or take a chance on what you will get if you go with the share program, don't give up on traveling.  Keep going for as long as you feel like going.