Singles tours

Singles tours and other options and tips for solo travelers in the U.K.

The cruelest, costliest words in the travel lexicon just might be "single supplement." That's the penalty solo travelers pay merely for the fact that they're traveling alone.

Some "single supplements" are spelled out—you have to pay $X more to book this vacation because you're going stag ("$X" usually being somewhere between 40% and 90% of the per-person trip cost for two traveling together).

Many tour companies will offer to pair you up with another same-gendered single on the trip as a roomie so you don't have to pay this supplement (though, in a game of monetary musical chairs, if there is an odd number of singles, one person is still going to end up going stag and paying the penalty).

If you're a woman, there are plenty of options. If you're gay: again, loads of options. If you're a student: traveling solo is what students do.

If you're a single, straight male, however, and want a tour there are very few options beyond the standard guided bus trips or active tours (and even then you're usually looking at a wallop of a single supplement). 

The companies listed in the "Links" section are tour companies that do not (or rarely) charge a single supplement, or at least can easily accommodate solo travelers.

Singles tours

• Bestsingletravel.com - Lots of offerings, cleverly grouped into "18–35" and "40s, 50s, & 60s."
• Singlestravelintl.com - Tour company that only does singles travel—mostly cruises, and rarely U.K., but worth looking into. 
• Viator.com - Offers a multitude of multi-day trips, from two days exploring beyond London, to three days of Welsh Castles, to five days of Cornwall or a week in the Scottish Highlands and Orkney Islands.Partner
• Sightsandsoul.com - Specializes in solo and sinlge women's travel in small escorted groups.
• Classicjourneys.com/solo - Good tour operator with several walking adventures in England, Scotland, and Wales aimed at solo travelers.
• Statravel.com - This travel agency can point you to a variety of small group student and youth tours.Partner
• Eftours.com - Since the 1960s, a top purveyor of educational, cultural-immersion, and service learning tours for students and youths.
• Gadventures.com - G Adventures is an excellent small-group adventurous tour operator, with small group sizes and a devotion to seeing its destinations more like an independent traveler. Not much on the U.K. at present—save for a small ship adventure sailing the Scottish islands and Norway coast—but worth checking out.Partner
• intrepidtravel.com -

  Though rarely do they have U.K. offerings, Intrepid Travel is well worth checking out. it is one of only two only major tour outfits I know (along with G Adventures) of that makes a concerted effort to travel like real independent travelers—small groups (max of 12 people), staying in mom-and-pop accommodations and getting around by public transport rather than a big tour bus.

  This fantastic Australian company marries an independent travel style with the expertise of truly knowledgeable guides and a focus on the cultural experience of travel. There are usually around 30–35 Italy trips on tap each year—though half of those will be longer overland treks across Europe and/or the Middle East (with Italy making up just a slice of the two– or three-week trip), and a handful are self-guided walks (no group to follow, just you, your itinerary, and your pre-booked accommodations).

  Intrepid really does run a different breed of group tour. Let me put it this way: When my parents—who travel widely and on their own and normally would never have even considered taking a group tour—suddenly found themselves with airfare to Japan but no time to plan a trip, I suggested they try booking with Intrepid. They did—and they have raved about it every since. Nearly seven years later, they were still in touch with their guide via email.

• Oattravel.com - Overseas Adventure Travel is devoted to budget-priced, small group adventures with a focus on mature solo travelers.
• Goway.com - Good generalist tour and package company, with dozens of "Single Friendly" itineraries (occasionally, even including Ireland or the U.K.).
• Singlescruise.com - Books groups of singles (ages 21 on up, but mostly 35–55) onto cruise ships, offering its own onboard program of events and mixers—and, most importantly, matching you with a same-gender cabin mate (of roughly the same age) so you don't have to pay the dreaded "single supplement." Nice Northern Ireland itinerary.

Solo traveler resources

• Boldlygosolo.com - About single travel in general and maintained by Ellen Perlman, so it's full of good advice for solo women on the road as well.
• Solotravel.org - Not a bad resource, with some good destinations articles.
• Solotravelerworld.com - Another good solo traveler blog, though the tips sections are pretty slim (and msotly affilaite links).
• Nomadicmatt.com - Popular travel blog. Matt travels solo, so his advice is, by default, usually solo travel advice. Good section for women, too.