Solo Travel Woes: How to Navigate Single Supplements and Room Sharing?
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I have resigned myself to the fact that i will probably never go on holiday again. I bypass all the comps for breaks away because although I like time alone, holidays need to be shared. Single travellers usually get ripped off and prices are based on two sharing. The only person i would share a room with is my sister. I have a handful of really good friends (one being male) but still would not like to share and i doubt they would.
There have been a few comps for 4 people but on closer look it is 2 bedrooms which means i could not go with son's family as sharing with a teen grandson would be out of the question
Are any of you in same situation and how do you get around the obstacles?
I don't myself my friend on the other hand goes away all the time on her own luckily she works in a travel agents so gets good deals
Leannexxx as I have probably mentioned before, my sister is a foster carer and I could go away with her but tbh we live 150 miles apart so we usually stay with each other for a break.
It is nice as we go on days out, chat all evening, catch up with nieces and nephews etc. And the best part, it's free!
Not quite the same but when I was younger and in my twenties I went on a coach trip and shared a room with someone I never met before. It was a friend of my aunt’s who were a bit older than me. It wasn’t ideal but we managed and still enjoyed the holiday together. At least you know your friends. It was only 2 nights I think so not too much to put up with. Otherwise just pay single but make sure you research a fair deal. If there are any business travellers’ you could get recommendations? They usually travel as single.
JLouM although I know my friends well their situations are not like mine. One lives with dog and daughter, one male, one married etc. You can be good friends with someone but still there is a bit of a barrier when it comes to sleeping arrangements. I must admit I do like my privacy.
Not single but Warner breaks in the uk don’t charge a single supplement. You could have a look. Lots of entertainment on and things to do. It would give you a idea before going abroad. My friend is a widow and goes all over the world now on her own. She did the first couple of years going to India with us and went off happily on her own.
You could go SC abroad and get a two bedroom apartment or Villa then you won’t have to share a room, You could eat out so you don’t have to cook.
I go on a mixture of holidays - some with others and some on my own.
Have to say I prefer the solo ones as you don't have to consider what anyone else wants to do 
Recently I went to Bulgaria alone, on one of the guided trips I went on 10 of the 12 attendees were single, with only 1 couple.
blacklabrador I definitely won't be going abroad anymore or renewing my passport, too much of my beautiful country still to see.
Lynibis I don’t know if you have been Scotland is stunning. We went to the Isle of Harris/ Lewis for a week. There was a lady on the ferry that has drove all around the UK in a camper van she bought. She was telling us about the amazing time she had and great people along the way. Just a thought or you could stay in a pod or small cottage, lodge or caravan.
julie781x I went to Scotland with Lochs and Glens a few years back. I loved the scenery but the food and accommodation was rubbish, but that's what you get for economy. Would have happily paid more for better. Apart from the stunning scenery I could have been anywhere. If I do manage to get away again I want to see Wales, only part of UK I've not been to.
I've never had a singles holiday, always with my family, and friends, we went to turkey recently and there was 26 of us
martinlufc5637 I remember with smiles a similar holiday with my kids and siblings and their kids, it was great. So lovely when families get on.
My sister goes on cruises since becoming a widow. Yes she does moan about paying double but it’s worth it as she feels safe, going to shows and cinema are the norm which she would never do at home.
I was single for a long time and did start to solo travel which i actually really loved. I stayed in hostels and enjoyed it but i think the experience is very different for men than women.
I had a strong desire to see other cultures and countries so i had to go by myself cause i knew if i didn’t at least give it a try i’d regret it forever
jms19 I feel I have seen enough of the world to now be content and I did one singles holiday many years ago, a Nile cruise which was fantastic. I have visited USA, Switzerland, France, Greece and many of it's islands, Egypt (another trip apart from the river cruise), Milan, Southern Ireland, Turkey and Cyprus. I have even been to Syria and visited the Craque de Chevaliers in Damascus. Hence the feeling now that I no longer need to travel abroad but want to experience more of my own country.
I want to visit York with it's Viking history, Wales, Oxford's dreaming spires, repeat visit to Stratford on Avon but for me an experience not shared feels empty and lonely.
Have a look at gosingles.co.uk/ or friendshiptravel.com/ or onetraveller.co.uk/ or travelat60.com/ - this one offers ladies only options 
lilyflower I will definitely take a look. I have often googled but seem to go round in circles. I went to a singles weekend many moons ago but found everyone had gone with a friend and it was difficult to try and mingle.
I do go on holidays abroad by myself and have done for nearly 10 years. Unfortunately yes if you want a room for one you do have to pay as if there were two (they don’t make a reduction for food or using less towels and water which does annoy me) hopefully at some point they’ll be per room like travel lodge etc so everyone pays the same. I’ve now got use to being treated as a second class citizen in a lot of hotels all 4/5* because they still think it’s strange that you’re on your own 
I’ve now learnt pay to upgrade my room on booking so that can’t put me in their smallest room (one hotel in 4*Mallorca last year was a joke) or one in a rubbish part of the building (considering I’m paying the same as a couple it always annoys the hell out of me) - it’s crazy that it still goes on in this day and age but shows how the hospitality industry are stuck in the past. I still want to get some sun and see new places so have to deal with it, the upgrade bit helps but staff still need to stop treating their couples as more important or just treating you as you don’t exist or when you are getting your breakfast/dinner, you leave your table to go and get something else/drink and they completely clear your table because they have no awareness of what’s going on. There’s a long wait before single travel is a great experience but the places I’ve visited have been nice.
The tour operators also need to consider single travellers in terms of flights. I had a 7.00am transfer pickup time (so you’re at reception 15mins before etc we arrived 3 hours at 8.30 before flight time at 11.40.
I expected checkin to be open as airline EasyJet organised transfer and all the other flights I’d been on had been 3 hours. Get there and the rep said your flight check in will open at 9.30, I asked her why was this a 2 hour check in when other flights of theirs going to other places in UK were 3, she couldn’t give me a answer. I really needed to go to the toilet (teach me to have the cold snacks and drinks the hotel put on for early starts) and I said to her what am I supposed to do with this case I can’t take it into a cubicle with me! All she could say you can’t leave it unattended, I said why did your airline get me here so early then, when you knew!! why don’t you consider single travellers?!
It is all fun and games, when a holiday is supposed to be a relax from working sometimes the practicalities and attitudes make it anything but, at some point things will change but will it be in my lifetime I don’t know. There are more positives ie the places themselves so I will keep on going 
Lynibis I wanted others to see the issues we face as it’s more than money isn’t it. Yes over here it can be just as bad, my Mother can’t drive so she has to do the coach trips, the single supplement is her annoyance especially when they put her in a single room - what’s that all about!! Or she’s put in a rubbish room so the room allocation is just as bad over here but you aren’t ignore or treated as odd over here. I’ve been on 4 coach trips (youngest person on the coach even than the driver) but as few places with very long drives. 1) Loch n Glens to Scotland staying at Loch Tummel Hotel near Pitlochy - no single supplement, normal sized room and good location like everyone else & great staff attitude - I would go there again
2) Majestics to Lincolnshire the hotel I can’t remember name but it was near Grantham on the junction of a main A road, single supplement, really nice rooms & good staff attitude - I would go there again
3) Bakers Dolphin to Shap in Lake District Sharp Wells Hotel, single supplement, awful small room they had one side of the bed pushed up against the wall, you had to climb over your case every time it was a shoe box and not clean. The staff had great attitude and really good food but room and cleanliness I wouldn’t go back
4) Majestics to Manchester staying at Britannia’s Hotel (this place seriously needs some money spent on it, it would have looked great in its hey day as it has chandeliers etc) single supplement, horrible pokey room with no windows that smelt of smoke - they did move me to a new refurbished double room after I kicked up. Staff attitude alright in general to singles. I would stay again if guaranteed a refurbished room as location of the hotel was great near the Piccadilly square (I think it’s called that)
I Randomly stayed in one of the Travel lodges in Milton Keynes as I was there with friends to use the snow dome, room prices all the same and room was massive, staff were friendly.
It’s always a mix bag.
I now tend to rent holiday cottages if I holiday in the UK as I find these much better value than hotels from a single person perspective even if you do have to make your own breakfast although I always make sure there’s a dishwasher- well I am on holiday
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