single tours

Debbie - Are you only interested in tours made up of singles? The Rick Steves tours are wonderful and there's always a good mix of singles and couples.

I am not limited to just singles' groups, I just don't want to be the only single person traveling in a group of couples. I would prefer it to be more of a mix or mostly singles.

Debbie, Actually, being the only "single" in a group of couples is not really that bad. I've taken a number of RS tours and on some of them there are few other singles, while on others there were only couples. All of the groups so far have been wonderful! I like to focus more on the travel experiences I'm enjoying on each tour and the places I'm visiting, so whether or not I'm the only solo traveller isn't really an issue. Cheers!

I've been the only single on a tour, and it was great. For one thing, I had a room to myself without paying a single supplement. For another, when there were activities that required people to pair up (such as riding in rickshaws in Beijing), I got paired with the local guide. That gave me the opportunity to find out what street vendors were selling, or what signs said along the way because he translated everything for me.

As a former tour director, I can say that I never led a tour where there was only one single person. RS tours are excellent. There are also tours strictly for women but they are very specific in subject matter rather than a general tour. For further recommendations, I'd need to know your age group and what you are looking for specifically.

I am 55

Since I have done very limited traveling, I would like to see as much as possible. I was looking at the Best of Europe 14 day tour beginning in France and ending in Italy.

Debbie, I'm in basically the same age range as you, and that's not a problem at all when travelling on the RS tours. As you haven't done much travelling, the tour would be an excellent way to "get your feet wet" and see some of Europe in a comfortable and safe environment. The Guides and your fellow tour members will be able to help you with any minor difficulties. Good luck!

A Rick tour is fine for a single person. There are always single travelers or non couples traveling. i have been on a Rick tour as a single traveler and never felt out of place. I am taking my 4th tour in May and I am 63. Don't worry --- don't wait ---go!

I've taken three RS tours solo. Often the other singles are in your age range, and in my experience, almost always women (Ken is the exception!) I'm younger by a bit, but loved sharing my time with everyone - couples and singles. On one tour there were 9 singles, some traveling together, some not. You can call the RS people and they will give you an idea of the tour make up (but not specifics like names) so you can see what the mix is ahead of time. Now that they offer a single supplement, you can get space to yourself (if that's important to you).

If you're interested in the 14 day tour then you really can't go wrong. You will fit in just fine. What will probably happen is you'll learn enough to start traveling on your own in the future. My suggestion would be, if you have the time, to fly to London 2-3 days prior to the tour starting. You could use the extra time to see London and get over jet lag, then take the Eurostar to Paris on the day the tour starts in Paris. You could also go to Paris a day earlier to see things not included in the tour.

CL, I agree there usually tends to be more single women on the tours (that was certainly the case with my Ireland tour). However, there were two other single males on my Greece tour last year, which was a bit of a surprise.

Debbie, just go ahead and sign up for a RS tour. I've been on 7 tours as a single woman. Once I paid the single supplement for my own room. The other trips I shared rooms with other single women. That worked out ok. There is quite an assortment of people on the tours. Age range 20s to 80 or so. Some "couples" are two family members, not a married couple. Some are friends sharing a room. So there are plenty of folks to spend time with. The tour leaders make sure that people know each other's names and a little about them. The single people tend to gravitate toward each other for meals and socializing, but are not segregated in any way. I always spent some time with the married couples and the other singles. There are enough people on the tours that you can get to know everybody but can socialize with those you prefer. My hesitation about an "all singles" tour would be that it might seem like an encourgement for "coupling." I prefer the mixture on RS tours. If you prefer not to be on tours with children, don't go in the summer.