My Way Tours as a solo?

I've done My Way Italy and Alpine Europe as a solo. Not difficult at all to meet people. There is still an orientation meeting on first day. People usually congregate around the same time for breakfast. The guides may arrange a happy hour or two along the way. Don't let solo status deter you from these great trips.

Yes, you will be able to meet and enjoy the other tour members, however, since this is "your" tour to plan the activities in each locale and some will require a reservation, your timed reservation may not match up with other tour members. I can see that happening in Paris more so than the other city/locations. You will probably need to take the initiative to invite others to join you rather than wait on them to include you. We've taken two other My Way tours and found the tour members to be open to sharing experiences with others on the tour. Specifically, on the My Way Italy tour my husband and I enjoyed sharing experiences and meals with four others who were travelling with friends and wanted to split up for the day and accommodate their different interests. Yes, there is the initial meeting, breakfasts, social hours and once you leave Paris, time on the bus to forge a new friendship.

I took the MyWay Italy as a solo in 2019, my first time traveling by myself. I had planned on having meals on my own most of the time, but that was not the case. Our trip manager organized a group dinner and also a potluck. Several other members had happy hours or invited the group to dine with them at favorite restaurants. It was fun to get together in the evening and hear about what others had done during the day. Go and enjoy.

I've taken four My Way tours with my teen daughter, and one back in the day solo when they had a different name. My Ways are great for being able to customize your days, from sightseeing to eating on your own terms (and budget). I'd say that most of the couples seem to stick together. If your group has other singles, they may be more eager to spend time together with you. Having said that, I agree with the others that there are group opportunities to chat and mingle, and if you hit it off, to arrange things together. In general, I get the impression that people who gravitate towards My Ways like to be more independent (makes sense) but it can end up being a really nice mix of being on your own and then spending some time together too. I also agree that you may need to be the one to try to initiate things. I love them and wish there were more itineraries!

If you are short on time or don't want to travel "truly solo", then a My Way tour is a way to go. However, if you do not have a time constraint, I would seriously consider doing the trip on your own. It will be cheaper and you will have an opportunity to spend more time in many of the cities listed.

@Threadwear, Have you taken a “my way” tour?

I soloed Alpine in 2019 and met most of the group. I was prioritizing seeing as much of the sites as possible over meeting people so I left the hotel before breakfast and ate at my first destination, and can only recall four dinners where I got back in time to see some of the group gathering for dinner and was invited. Am guessing if you make an effort you’ll be fine.

Carol Now. I have not taken a My Way Tour. Always solo travel.

I did the My Way Italy tour in 2014, My Way Alpine in 2016 and the My Way Spain tour in 2018 as a solo traveler and had a wonderful time. All three tours exceeded my expectations and I met some great people, most were couples but a few were also solo travelers. As mentioned you can get to know people during breakfast, and on the bus or train while moving between cities.

The tour manager usually would conduct an orientation walk when we arrived at a new city and sometimes they organized a group dinner or a happy hour at the hotel, all optional. I had my own plans for each day but invariably I would run into other tour members seeing the same sites which was great. Often times one or more of the couples would invite me to have dinner with them which was a bonus. I did make a conscious effort to not wear out my welcome with any one couple during these tours.

Before the My way Italy tour I was leery of going on any kind of organized tour, as I had seen the non RS tours with 40+ groups of people wearing headsets swarming the various tourist sites and wanted to avoid that scenario. I had been to Europe on business in the 1990's and went back several times in the early 2000's with friends but spent many days as a solo traveler. You can certainly travel less expensively by yourself but sharing your experience with 24-28 other like minded folks made for some of my best travel memories. I am scheduled to go on the My Way France tour this spring and my first guided RS tour in the fall.