I sometimes travel as a single, and very often if it's a commercial tour, they want fares for two for the best rates for each person. Single rates seem to cost about 50-100% higher. Aside from bugging friends or advertising, is there a way to reduce these costs?
I'm considering a 7-9 day trip to somewhere outside of Europe. Maybe I don't need a tour. Just go RS style!
There's a lot of travel websites dedicated to single travelers, where you can try and find someone to go with, and make a new friend.
Oh yeah, maybe those commercial tours book you a pricey hotel room, so do consider staying in hostels, or couch-surfing, no matter what age.
Maybe it'll help: http://www.travelpunk.com/blog/2008/06/05/first-time-solo-traveling-scared/
My trip starts in the British Isles, the moves eastward to Cairo, Greece and Abu Dhabi, where my son works. It's 1400 miles to ND from AD.
My actual trip starts in San Francisco. I fly to Boston, Barcelona, and then the British Isles. However, single vs double arrangements are really my main focus. I don't think RS has a tour there. I suspect Turkey is the farthest east he deals with.
Wayne, you're confusing me! Where does your trip actually start, San Francisco or the British Isles? What is AD to ND?
No need to be confused. I live in California. My trip starts here. However, the first outside the USA point is Barcelona. ND=New Delhi, AD = Abu Dhabi. The last few responses have assumed I'm going to leave from some distant point only to India. This is not true.
India is not the topic. It's an aside. Actually, the trip is of little interest. It's the original question. Single vs double.
The format of this web facility makes it a little difficult to see and recall what posts above say. All I see is my first post, after having read the ones since posted by others.
It sounds like you're reading the Travelers Helpline in classic view. Go to the top of the page and click on "traveler's Helpline" and it should take you to to the new board with 6 main topics.
There are some tour companies that don't charge a premium for singles if you're willing to share a room with another single traveler. If there's not another single of the same gender, then you get a room of your own. For tours outside of Europe, try Adventures Abroad. They're based in Vancouver, offer tours to just about everywhere and have a travel philosophy similar to Rick's. I took one of their Egypt tours and really liked it.
I've tried everything you have suggested and I too can only see the original post. I agree it makes it hard to reply.
Frank II, I think what Wayne is having problems with is that you cannot see all replies while typing a reply--only the first original post shows up. It sounds like you're talking about the posts on the board, while Wayne is talking about the posts in a particular thread.
As far as I know, there is no way to see all replies in a thread at once, other than the aforementioned 2 windows open at once. The Helpline is great as an information source, but its web functionality is...pretty basic.
For the answer to Wayne's original question: 1) some tours don't charge singles supplements, if you are willing to have a roommate. RS tours do this, and there probably are others where you're going to. 2) If you go it solo, you could consider a hostel which usually charges per person. In places like Europe, this can be as nice as any hotel. In other places, your money will probably go a lot further and it won't be so expensive even if you have to pay extra for a hotel room or whatnot.
However, it sounds from Wayne's last post that he has discovered a solution to his question. Congrats!
About the only way to do it is to have two windows open on the same thread. Use on to display the entire thread, and the other to reply. I have SnagIt, and can capture the most recent part of the thread, then start the reply. I suppose one could copy the last few posts, and paste them into notepad, or paste them into the reply, then remove them when you press send.
Wayne & Connie....what browser or service are you using? It wouldn't be AOL, would it? I've heard of problems using this board and AOL.
On the RS tours with a single supplement, it's not 50-100% higher than the cost would be if you traveled with a companion or shared a room. Maybe 20-25% depending on the tour. I think you are saying that you don't want to share a room and don't want to pay a single supplement? I've been on a number of RS tours. When I've shared rooms with other single tour members it's usually been ok (sometimes not); roommies are rotated so I didn't have the same one all the time. On a couple of trips there were only two of us singles, so we shared a room the whole tour. It isn't easy adjusting to living with a stranger, so I paid a single supplement once or twice. Last year I just rented another single room one night when my roommate and I decided we'd rather be separate. On the RS tours I've been on there has almost always been only one single man. Of course, he got a single room without paying a supplement. I've even considered finding a single room in the same hotel or neighborhood for at least part of a tour.
Aren't there any tour companies for singles near you? Here in the UK there are a few that don't charge single supplements and don't make you share a room.
To be honest I think when you are a solo traveller it is often easier to arrange everything yourselves. Some tour companies seem to treat you like an alien from the planet Zog if you say you are a solo traveller.
"On the RS tours with a single supplement, it's not 50-100% higher than the cost would be if you traveled with a companion or shared a room. Maybe 20-25% depending on the tour. I think you are saying that you don't want to share a room and don't want to pay a single supplement? I've been on a number of RS tours. When I've shared rooms with other single ..." (I copied the above just to illustrate a way to deal with the "hidden" messages. I do not think this difficulty is because of any particular ISP. AOL or otherwise.
In my case, RS tours were not available for places I wanted to travel. It also happens that I'm no longer in need of a tour. There were other alternatives that I discovered, which would allow me to do it on my own.
What browser are you using, Wayne? Which version?
The majority of us can see the helpline just fine. You seem to only be able to see it in classic view. And that's strange.
Many people on AOL are unable to read private messages.
When you go to the Traveler's Helpline, what is the URL you use? Would you mind pasting it here so we can try to help. (just start with the "www" you don't need the http://)
We're trying to help you....it can't be a helpline problem because the rest of us see it in "category" view for lack of a better term.
Thanks, Liz, I guess I did misunderstand. There are a lot of changes we'd like to see on the helpline but this won't happen for awhile.
One of the things that can be done to cut down on expensives is to find hotels that have single rooms. These rooms are smaller but fine for one person--and cost less than a double.
On a tour, you might have a chance to negotiate a deal with a tour company if you travel off-season and especially later in the year. I have a feeling tours will not be very full this year and the tour companies have guaranteed a certain number of rooms. As you get later in the year, the more likely they'll be willing to deal.
I have had to start traveling solo since my daughter (my travel partner) just got married. I am finding that certain types of travel do not lend themselves to single travel, i.e. cruises. Some tour companies, such RS and Gap Adventures, do not charge a single supplement, but expect singles to share rooms to lower their costs. Traveling on my own in Europe doesn't change the cost of a room, but there is no one to share the cost with.
My recourse has been to search the internet to find agencies/tours/etc. which don't penalize singles for traveling alone. It takes a lot of work, but you can succeed if you can put the time into the search. Good luck!
This can be a longshot....but consider making a "travel buddy personals ad"! You can post it here, in the Travel Partners wanted section. You could also try craigslist.com in the strictly platonic section.
Four years ago I was living in France and posted on the Rick Steves Travel Partners Wanted board. I invited people passing through Paris to meet and spend time with me. A guy answered my ad and we met up a few times in Paris. One time we shared a hotel room. We became friends and although he lives in Missouri and I live in Florida, we've kept in touch. Last December we spent 3 weeks traveling around Italy and this December we're going to Disney World for a week!
But to really answer your question:
I think it is a lot cheaper to travel independently than on a commercial tour. Really, the only thing that costs more as a solo traveler is lodging.
Hostels seem to be getting more all ages friendly, so you may want to consider that. Even though I'm 24, I was never in to the drinking and party scene, so for a long time I avoided hostels. But I've found that if you do research you can find some hostels on the quieter side. Plus, a lot are offering private rooms (with or without bathrooms) for a lot cheaper than a single room in a traditional hotel. Another bonus with a private room at a hostel is that you usually have access to kitchen facilities!
Another option you could look in to is Couchsurfing. Basically you offer up your home for travelers to stay in free of charge, and you can request to stay at other peoples homes. It's like a global house guest exchange. The mission statement is "CouchSurfing seeks to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance, and facilitate cultural understanding".
Check out the website: www.couchsurfing.org
Happy Solo Traveling!
"Really, the only thing that costs more as a solo traveler is lodging. "
There are others - some are small, but they add up. Private guide, taxis, car rental (!), beverages (a large bottle, carafe is often just slightly more than a small one), sharing a dessert, sharing audio guides, guide books, maps, 2-for-1 coupons for meals and entrance fees, not to mention quantity discounts on souvenirs. I am sure there are others, but these are the ones that come to mind that I have encountered in the last few months.
BTW, I took a cruise, went single on the room, but was with a small group, so I usually had at least one companion for day trips and the savings on a lot of the above were considerable.
A couple of the above posters mentioned hostels and I'd like to say ditto. In addition to being a good value, they're a great experience for the solo traveler.
It's so easy to meet other people, of all ages, and enjoy time together. Sometimes you can buddy up with others and share expenses. And share travel stories and suggestions and make new friends, some that you'll keep in touch with long after your trip.
When you're traveling solo, hotels are boring and lonely.
Hostelling is about more than just the price of a bed for the night.
Cheers,
Maggie
http://www.maggiewilliamswanderer.com/
Hi Wayne,
Maybe not for a one-week trip, but instead of Europe, maybe Thailand? It is really cheap and from California not much farther than Europe.
I had a 3-day stopover in February and only saw some of Bangkok, but I am jonesing to go back and see more. Winter is best - it is always hot, but no rain and possibly less humid.
If you want more info, just ask.
Chani
