Christmas on my own- Where should I go?

[NameForAChange]

DC are with their Dad this Christmas and although I could stay with family, it would involve being with lots of young nephews and nieces. They are all very lovely, but I'm worried it will make miss my DC more.
Where can I go for maybe some winter sun/ something interesting to do, somewhere I won't stand out like a sore thumb for being on my own?
Short haul, over 21-27th ish of December. I can do London airports.
Budget is tight for this time of year ideally about £700 up to £1000 if it's lovely.
Any ideas would be wonderful....

Short haul - Canaries, Malta, Morocco (maybe join a group if you don't want to be a solo traveller here - walking or yoga retreat?)

Cruise- either from Southampton or short haul flight! Mix of port days and varying places and a couple of cosy chilled sea days- decorations and food will be amazing.

Budget friendly because all the food will be included and there will be lots of other solo passengers if you wish to socialise

Canaries sound like a good idea

Sorry to hijack - can i just ask those who have done Xmas in the Canaries - what is the vibe? I have visions of it being mainly elderly people with a sense of entitlement as 'We've been coming here twice a year since 1923, the owner Carlos is like a son to us'.

Pretty much the type of people I dread having to make conversation with after accidentally making eye contact 😂.

Ooh, that sounds amazing, wish I could do that! Travelling alone is the best, you get to be totally selfish and relax, hope you have a brilliant time wherever you go OP.

I went to Athens solo a couple of years ago. It was fabulous!

Southern Spain. Easy to get to, cheap (ish) short flights, easy transfers. Weather is always nicer than gloomy Winter at home and sunset is after 6pm.

I speak from experience. Retired now so go to Estepona (very nice spot) for three or four weeks over Christmas and New Year. Very low key celebrations there for the locals, but there is some for the visitors, if you want it. Weather has always been very pleasant. Cold at night, but great for walking and hopping on the bus to go here and there. Or just sitting on the balcony/terrace relaxing. It is still one of the less expensive countries to eat out in IME. I'm off on 16th December and will again enjoy completely missing all the hoo haa here. Easy day trips to various places around also if you're inclined.

This is one of my big fears too 😂

Thanks all
I'll do some research.

@user1471548941 , I hadn't thought of a cruise- any recommendations?
@anamo , I'll take a look at Estepona, I've never heard of it
I had thought of a walking break, but they all seem for longer trips, but I will add yoga to the mix and keep looking.

What about getting a self catering flat .then you can either eat out or go out for meals. I can see good reasons for booking a hotel, meals would be handled etc.

I don't know about others, but I travel solo a few times a year. Maybe it's because I'm older now, but I much prefer a hotel when alone to a flat/apartment. Not only is the room cleaned and stuff refreshed often, but hotel breakfasts are a great pleasure for me.

However, the biggest plus of a hotel over apartment for me anyway is safety. I know if I fall ill, or something happens, that reception will help out. Especially important if I haven't got a great handle on the language of the country I am in!

Just my take on it. My Christmas break is not a solo run though, so we rent a nice apartment near the centre of town and the seafront. Need to be where the action is, especially in the Winter season. And no, I'm not an entitled person who knows Carlos like a son either. 😊

I would probably choose somewhere in Europe...the Christmas markets, an apartment, wintry vibe. Xxx

I went to Nice one Christmas. Stayed in a lovely hotel right on the sea front with an indoor pool. Ate oysters and drank champagne.

Would you fancy a walking group holiday.
Like these people offer: https://www.rambleworldwide.co.uk/where-to-visit/festive-breaks

Cunard for a luxury special treat if you like dressing up. You might only get 3/4 nights for your budget though.

P&O are middle market, very British but I think most of their ships are lovely. I reckon they’d do a lovely traditional Christmas.

TUI/Marella are more budget and smaller ships but all inclusive so great if you are on a budget. Again very British.

Royal Caribbean for incredible ships, really really great food but a more party atmosphere. Pricier than P&O but I think really good value for the quality.

In terms of location if you go from Southampton you won’t get much further the Northern Europe (could be very Christmassy!) or southern Spain for the amount of days you have. If you’re willing to fly then you could either go Med from Barcelona or Canaries- P&O usually have a couple of ships in this region at this time of year.

iglucruise will let you filter to your dates and budget and see what is available.

Interesting - as a solo traveller I’ve been going the other way, I now prefer self catering as I find sitting in a hotel room in an evening on my own depressing compared to sitting in a living room of some sort. And generally when travelling on my own I’m likely to be back fairly early in the evening even if I’ve eaten out as I don’t go to bars etc for a drink as I might have when travelling with others. What I’ve started looking for recently are aparthotels which are a mixture of self catering, often with a kitchenette and a decent sitting area, but within a building with more facilities.

I also had a great time on a eurocamp sort of site in a chalet on my own - again people around.

Canaries are stupidly expensive at Christmas. It’s the peak of their peak season.

I l’d just go to a fabulous hotel in a fabulous city and be glad I wasn’t in the Christmas nonsense that is the uk. Barcelona cerebrates on the 6th Jan more than December . The H1898 is a great hotel with a fab indoor pool and sauna if it’s too chilly in the rooftop pool. You can sightsee by day and enjoy the classy tunes in the bar at night.

I travelled solo for many years and often to destinations like Syria and Iran that are difficult to visit safely now. I avoided package tours because you get ripped off with single supplements which subsidise families. When you are an independent traveller you have leverage to secure a better or cheaper room if you are prepared to haggle. I love haggling. It gives me a feeling of power. Travelling on your own you cn be totally selfish about what you do - whether you decide to lie by the pool or go out exploring. However you do need to be good at organization because there is no one to share the resoinsibility of looking after that (bloody) luggage or checking in etc.

Morocco is a nice winter destination and English is very widely spoken and understood. Morocco is, of course, a Muslim country so you can forget about christmas. I had friends in Casablanca and travelled out for many years, using their home as a base to go around on public buses. You can also arrange (by haggling) to book a taxi by the day and act as your personal driver. I always felt very safe there but I always dressed very modestly and covered up.

I dont like cruises. They are too cliquey.

@NameForAChange Why so ageist?
After all, at least they're not scraping a barrel and paid their dues to retirement and living the life

Malaga (Southern Spain)is a great, easy to navigate small city. The Christmas lights are out of this world. The beaches are pretty spectacular too. A Spanish Christmas is a low key affair compared to the UK, but I love it (I live near Valencia)

Yes, why is it entitled to find somewhere you enjoy going and have relationships with the staff? What a bizarre attitude.

When I was single, I went away with Friendship Travel. They cater for singles and do some amazing holidays.

I'm not sure a cruise would be good for you, there will be lots of children and a single cabin usually costs the same as two people travelling.

I may be wrong but just thought I'd add what happened to me when DD went to her dad's for Christmas.
She was supposed to be there for a week but on Boxing day I got a call in the morning as she was upset and wanted to come home to me as she'd always spent Christmas with me and my mom (apart from a couple of times when she was younger before we split) and missed everything.
I suspect she would have called sooner if I was able to collect her on Christmas day but we both knew that due to travel it was near impossible to do so.
Obviously if they are happy to go with no issues then go for it, I've had many a solo holiday and they are amazing!( Not abroad due to cost unfortunately)