To think going on holiday alone will be shit?

[balune]

Be honest here. And don’t answer as if you’re a frazzled woman with a job and parents and kids and husband and are lucky if you get to have a wee alone.

Every day is alone for me. So if I go on holiday alone, won’t it just be more of the same? Can’t decide ...

I've never lived alone but have spent a week on holiday by myself. I hated it.

Mind you, I don't like my own company. I'm confident and happy to join in a group but depending on where you are, it might not be possible.

I think it's all down to you.

I feel your fear. My DH is going away on a motorcycling trip next week so I am off to a city for the week - all on my own. I am in my early 60's and I have NEVER been anywhere on holiday without my family. So I am feeling the fear and doing it anyway.

I have chosen a city, chosen a lovely hotel, and throughly researched what there is to do. I feel a bit of a freak really as even going into restaurants and bars alone is a novel thing for me to even think of doing, let alone taking the plunge.

Good luck!

I like going away alone but only on active holidays where there is a group ‘thing’ like hiking, MTB etc

I love holidaying alone. You get to explore a new place entirely on your own terms - and that exploring can be exploring the hammock or beach while you read all the books you have lined up! You get to eat when you want and where you want... No discussions or arguments.

Also, travelling alone it is very easy to meet people too and I enjoy that I can choose to have company but as I've just met people there's no obligation to spend time with them. I am a huge fan. Do it!

I love traveling alone. Visiting where I want for as long as I want. My choice of restaurant every night etc. Active all day, or lying around reading if I prefer.

I have never seen it as just more of the same. It is time away from work, it is time to recharge. To see the world and experience things I can't do at home.

Some of the best trips I have been on have been solo - backpacking in southern Africa for 3 months, and a dog sledding trip stand out. No way I could have done those with kids/husband in tow.

I've been on group adventure holidays to exciting places. And on group walking holidays. On the whole, these were fine. The majority of people were on their own. If totally on your own, I would aim for somewhere you are really interested in, where there is a lot to see and do. I went to Venice on my own - there is so much to explore that you can't fit it all in. I barely had time to notice I was on my own.

And don’t answer as if you’re a frazzled woman with a job and parents and kids and husband and are lucky if you get to have a wee alone

Apologies, I am that person now. But for years I was single and loved travelling by myself. I loved it as it was all on my terms. I liked actually travelling though - picking 2 destinations and travelling from one to the other with no pre-made plans. Central Turkey to the Peleponese in Greece was a good one. Singapore to Thailand another good one. I’ve also been on several diving holidays by myself. It wasn’t “more of the same” as it was completely different to my normal life.

Oh my friend is in her early fifties and widowed and holidays alone about 3 times a year and has a Wale of a time. She is a horse rider so does things like ride a horse across the Sahara or a ride across some Spanish mountains (organised group holidays), or some cross country training in Ireland for a week. Stayed on a ranch in Wyoming. Looks amazing and I am adding all these holidays to my list for when DD are too old to want to holiday with me and I can do them all. I love my special time while the children are small, but also have lots to look forward to when they are grown.

Do it, what an adventure!

My friends mum has done this a few times but she goes on guided holidays so it is always with a group - she loves it and has met some really interesting complete nutters people

I'm single and live alone, and just about every holiday I've been on in recent years I've gone by myself. An English Heritage tour of the Welsh Marcher castles, a Nile Cruise, a "Solo" type holiday, and a couple of bog standard package holidays.

English Heritage tour was fab, everyone there had the same interests and we had good guides.

Nile Cruise was also good - I went with a smaller company so there was a group of about a dozen on the boat who in general got on very well and we had our own table for dinner so got to know each other. Went on most of the outings, and ended up chaperoning the youngsters (by choice) if their parents didn't want to go out.

Solo type holiday was also quite good, there was only one middle aged guy there who was obviously "on the catch", some people were singletons like me & others it was their choice or circumstances to go without a partner. Everyone knew that as we were all there alone, we should try to get along OK etc and that worked well.

The package holidays have been to various interesting places like Majorca, Morocco, Crete. All places where you can have outings with the tour company as you wish, plenty of interesting places to go, and in the safe environs of the hotel so fewer worries about being a single woman alone in a foreign country. Made really good friends with the tour guide at one, & we chatted in the bar or by the pool most evenings. The staff tend to notice if you're always alone & keep an eye out if it's a decent hotel, and in one the head waiter sort of adopted me as someone he took special care of because I was alone (no he wasn't coming on to me either!). My Kindle was my best friend on these holidays.

Go for it - I loved every minute of mine and got to see some incredible sights and enjoy different cultures. Just wish my health allowed me to still do this.

I think it depends on the sort of holiday you go for. If you choose a sitting by the pool/drinking type holiday it could well be rubbish. Pick an activity you like and build your holiday round that. I got back from Peru yesterday Trekking the inca trail. It was brilliant. Met loads if interesting people most of whom went on their own. I've been on creative writing trips too. If you have something in common you will make new friends and have a good time. You won't need to try to think of things to say or feel like you are horning in on someone else's holiday. Gòod luck

I've gone on holidays alone a lot. Last time was this month. It's great. If I had someone to go with, I would probably do 50/50, but as I don't, I go on my own and it's still good

I am a very commited singleton go to cinema theatre shopping eat meals etc and stay in hotels on my own all the time. And am very happy.

But I hate holidaying alone. I get bored after a day or so and spend my time just reading so might as well be at home. I have tried several times and always felt the same.

I would suggested a couple of nights away in British city and see how you find it. You can go cinema buy books and papers easily. If you like it then go for a proper holiday.

You are quite entitled to love it or hate it. Give it a go and find out.

I have taken quite a few holidays alone and my only regret is that I waited so long to do it! I personally wouldn't do a resort holiday (although there's no good reason why not if you like that kind of thing.)

I've mainly done small group tours to off-the-beaten-track places; that way I know there's a tour leader to deal with any problems that may arise, and there are usually other solo travellers in the group. It's also more time-efficient when you have limited days off work. I've travelled solo too, but mainly in countries where I know a bit of the language or can at least read the script.

maybe you could team up with a mnetter?

When I've been on holiday with a friend or DH, I've really loved the occasional day when we've gone our separate ways. It's great being able to go round sights, galleries etc spending as much time as I want on what I want to see without having to worry that I'm holding the other person back or that they're bored looking at something that doesn't interest them - or being pissed off because they're holding me back or boring me. I like being able to spend as much or as little time as I want over meals and breaks, and being able to decide just to sit down with a book in peace if I feel I need a break.

In fact, now I think about it, I'm heavily tempted to book a selfish weekend break all on my own.

Trek America are supposed to be good for people travelling alone. I think they actually encourage it and I've heard loads of good reviews. Or if you're into fitness, New Horizons do lots of trips and loads of people head there alone. It won't be so bad in a group if everyone has come along as a single traveller.

I loved it...but am not very peopley. you could do a singles/?tour?

I absolutely LOVE going on holiday alone but I'm very happy with my own company and wouldn't mind being alone the whole holiday. I often find that I make friends quickly on holiday and have had loads of fun but it's not guaranteed so I think you have to be prepared to be ok with being alone. Personally I found a cruise very hard going as it was very couply and designed with couples in mind so I often couldn't participate.

Another vote for Explore / Exodus / Imaginative Traveller etc

Or go to visit friends? I used to drive around England seeing people for a night or two each. A lot of driving, but really enjoyed spending time with them

I have ventured off alone many times. Mostly cities never beach places or long haul though.

A week max is fine for me. I research everything and get a nice AIR bnb apartment all to myself.

I am one of those people who cringe at the thought of escorted trips. I do realise that for some they work, being with other like minded people, and that's great.

But for me using one of those companies would defeat the purpose of a solo break. I am an introvert also, as are many people, so having to interract and chat endlessly and involve myself in this and that every day with strangers would kill me.

But each to their own I suppose!

I've done it a few times and have lovely memories.

But I kept it simple and did it only for a week. I took a thick book and read it on the beach in Greece, nipped back to base for a siesta and then back out for some more sunbathing. I felt a bit weird eating alone, but it was fine.

Another time I went to America and hired a car, driving from one motel to another. That was harder as I didn't like being alone in America, but I'm still glad I have the memories and that I went.

The only thing I noticed was I do everything much faster when alone. I finish dinner faster and I looked round a monument much faster.

This was when freshly divorced and living alone.

Hmm. Not direct experience but have a good friend who is alone and has had this dilemma.

I too would recommend joining a carefully chosen group thing, for something you enjoy doing.

I live alone and have just booked a week in a European beach resort for September...kids will be back at school by then so more peace for me! I love it and as I am used to living and eating alone it is not weird for me. I like being free to plan my day as I wish, or not plan at all and just drift about aimlessly! Plenty of books on my ipad, then I mug up on places to visit, restaurants to try. I prefer bigger hotels so I can keep to myself, but have also made some lifelong friends of people I met while on holiday alone. I think you will find it much easier than someone who always lives surrounded by others. Enjoy!

I was just looking at singles holidays when I saw this thread.

I'm like you OP, single forever, no kids. I've been on holiday alone before, in this country on a walking holiday (had an amazing time and met some fantastic women) and in Europe just sight-seeing in Prague and again met some great people. I love being alone and at 50, I don't see why I should sit at home when there's a whole world out there to explore.

I have holidays with friends and family too but l love the freedom of going away on my own. It's pure indulgence. I think it's the mental barrier of being on your own and enjoying it when the norm is to travel with others. I also think it's a good thing that the world sees solo female travellers and it becomes the norm and not commented on. I think solo male travellers are accepted but I still think that some people question the motives of solo female travellers.

Get out there I say. What's the worst that can happen?