Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - single people: what is your experience w/tours?

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single people: what is your experience w/tours?

I don't want to travel alone. I'm thinking about a tour but it seems like quite a chance as opposed to traveling with friends who you know. I'm looking at non-tradional tours, like walking, adventure, less touristed places in Europe. But what if you don't like the people or they don't like you? Those who have traveled single on tours have any experiences to share?

I've traveled solo independently and also on one tour, to the Galapagos (where you must be on a tour or somehow escorted). Generally tour groups include mostly older people; even in the sometimes physically challenging Galapagos, at 40 I was the fourth-youngest of 19 tour group members aged 12-84. Since you like non-traditional/adventure tours, try companies with those areas of focus. Sierra Club and World Wildlife Federation are good for hiking; Backroads Bicycle Tours and the very upscale Butterfield & Robinson are for the pedaling set; and Earthwatch is good for anything from archaeologial digs to whale watches. Best to follow your interests and allow them to lead you to people with shared interests.

Consider joining a (potentially?) "Fodorite" trip to Poland, Romania (and more?) in September with Art Hussey (and me? and others?) - - not at all like any "group tour" through a traditional company. I'll top a recent posting about Art's plans.

I just got back from taking a tour with a friend of mine. Shortly into the trip, I found we weren't all that compatible as travel mates - he was busy off trying to meet foreign women. Fortunately I found that I was traveling with a great group of people and ended up having a wonderful time. Our group of 30 ranged in age from 11 to 74. However, 10 of us were actually between 22 and 35 and had a blast together. We had two people (1 male and 1 female) traveling alone and they both made several friends on the tour. Just pay the single supplement, so that you're not faced with having to room with a complete stranger.

Activity holidays and/or having an interest in common really do seem to break the ice and enable you to make friends easily. I've been on sailing and hiking holidays several times, it's amazing how quickly a group of strangers with a common interest, become a supportive group of pals, particularly when you're all trying to learn a new skill. I've been on only one coach tour (a week) ages mid-20's to 70+, about one-quarter single travellors. Everybody got on well, but we did kind of sub-divide into a couples and a singles grouping. I did however make a couple of really good friends on that tour. Lastly, don't be too daunted by travelling alone. I do it a lot and find that I'm more likely to meet "strangers-who-become-friends" while travelling alone than I ever do when travelling with a companion.

Dear Wanderer, Believe it or not, sometimes it's easier to travel in a tour group than with friends--fewer interpersonal hassles. As a single, I've taken several tours and it's been my experience that I usually end up hanging out with a few people out of the group. Sometimes they're single people, sometimes they're a couple. Remember that people who go on tours are generally friendly folks who want to like the others in the group, and who, I've found, go out of their way to be friendly. Alternatively, as is often said, the easiest way to be anonymous is in a group. If you're not terribly social, I've found there's not a lot of pressure to join in all activities. So don't be nervous and go have a good time.

wanderer: i almost always travel alone and much prefer it to traveling with a friend or relative. i have been to dude ranches three times and on one tour bus. sometimes there are choices of things to do. if you are alone you can pick what YOU want to do as opposed as to arguing about what to do. i always meet people to pal around with. sometimes if is another single; sometimes a couple or even a whole family. i always feel safe in a group setting that allows me to have some sayso about what i am going to do. you have your own space with people get too much for you which is not always the case with family or friends. go and enjoy!

Hi, I usually travel alone & independently & love it... I have been on a few tours though, including a biking tour in Ireland this past May. Wonderful tour, beautiful countryside, but I agree with the 'pay the single supplement' - my roomie, a very nice person, SNORED like a jackhammer. I have NEVER heard such snoring and hope I never do again. talk about adding to your jet lag. 4 hours or less of sleep per night, while it doesn't dampen the enjoyment of the ride (daylight always perks me up) can ruin your evenings cuz you are so drop dead tired you just want to go to sleep after a late dinner... youch. Beth

Very interesting thread to me, as I am about to take my first trip as a single. It will be a group tour, and I am not concerned with liking the people or them liking me. My question is, at dinner time, do you ask others if you might join them, or wait to be invited, possibly eating alone? This is the only potential worry that I have. Thanks for the advice, and thanks for letting me horn into your subject, wanderer. Marie

Marie - On the tours that I've been on, most of the meals are included in the package and everyone sits at group tables. Therefore you won't have to worry about being asked to join in. I've found that people traveling with tour groups tend to be very friendly and enjoy the experience of meeting a variety of new people. Join in on the festivities and enjoy yourself.

I loved reading the responses, gave me courage to try "single" travel. I was on a tour last year in Italy, everyone was very friendly, I was with a friend, but I could see myself being very comfortable traveling as a single with a tour. By the way there were 40 people, most in the middle age group and 6 - 8 of us have stayed in touch through e-mail & several dinners in NYC!!

Generally travel independently but did a Vermont Biking tour in Provence & had a wonderful time. Lucked out with my own room w\o paying single supplement. Age ranges from 16 to 84, 2 singles, I being one,all else couples & we all got along great. Give it a try!

A tour might be for you. Don't know. However. I've traveled alone many times and have met so many wonderful people. It is Indeed, nice to travel with others...however... I've traveled so many times by myself. Have wonderful memories. Travel no matter what! (alone's not so bad!) Have fun!

Hi Wanderer - I plan to travel solo this September to Zakopane, Poland for hiking in Tatras. I'm not crazy about traveling alone either but I can't find group tours that fit my specific travel desires. Also I've traveled with friends in the past and we always ended up on different sight-seeing tours due to different travel tastes.

In middle age I find it much harder now to schedule vacations with friends than it used to be. I do not want to travel completely alone for an entire week or two, and I don't think I'd like bus tours with 25+ people and hours of having to sit still. A few years ago I started taking walking tours in Europe, and they seem to be the perfect solution for me. They are NOT a good way to get a survey-type intro to an entire country, but if you would enjoy seeing just small segments of one region of a country slowly and well, with lots of exercise and fresh air, and generally very good food and hotels, these tours may be ideal for you. More often than not the people on these tours are bright, well-educated, curious, respectful of foreign cultures, civil, and fairly experienced or very experienced travelers. Usually most of the people are congenial. It's highly unlikely that ALL of the people will dislike you, and even quite possible that they may all like you. Unlike a bus tour, in which people probably pair up with their spouse or travel companion from home, on a walking tour people do not necessary walk with their spouse or roommate, so a solo traveler never has to feel left out. Generally everyone mixes pretty well, sometimes very well. The group always eats together for all of the "included" meals and often also for the meals that are not covered in the tour price, so there's no need to worry about having to eat alone. If you're young, you may not like the typical age of the participants, though, though. The walking tours I've been on have had people from early 30's to late 70's, but with most in the 50's (fine for me, since I'm 50's). However, the older people are generally quite lively, interesting, independent characters, and even if you're quite young you may find yourself fascinated with them. The groups are small -- always under 18 and often under 10 people. They are not cheap, but the ones I take are MUCH less expensive than Butterfield and Robinson (which I heard is excellent). I usually plan to do some independent traveling for several days after a tour, and I enjoy it very much because it's a little challenging but not too challenging and it's not TOO long a period to be alone. More often then not when traveling completely alone I manage to have lunch with friendly total strangers whom I meet in or near the restaurant -- sometimes locals (when I speak the language), sometimes English-speaking tourists, sometimes natives of the country who are visiting from another city -- and these encounters are usually a lot of fun. I try to eat a good lunch with other people and then sometimes just buy some fruit, bread and cheese or similar fresh food groceries for a quick "supper" in my room when my day's activities are over.

Victorija: There's a walking tour company, Walking Softly, that has an organized walking/hiking tour in the Tatras in Poland, in case you're interested.

Dear Wanderer: On my very first trip to Europe I joined a two-week bus tour of Italy run by Globus. I was lucky in that there were two other young single ladies on the tour--and the three of us hit it off wonderfully. I was sorry when the two weeks ended and felt my trip was brightened by knowing these ladies. Joan

Names of some walking tour companies (Europe tours) that are less expensive than Butterfield and Robinson: BCT Scenic Walking California Ciclismo Classico Massachusetts Country Walkers Vermont Wayfarers Rhode Island Walking Softly Oregon ATG-Oxford England

Any recommendations regarding which walking tour companies?