Solo Travelers in 40s on trips?

I'm older than you but have done a bunch of Rick's tours as a solo traveler. There was almost always another solo traveler and/or often couples would invite me to join them for dinner. I feel they are very inclusive.

The ONLY time I didn't feel like the group was inclusive I was actually traveling with family but there was a group of 11 friends on the tour together. That really changed the dynamic. Out of 12 tours that was the only time that happened.

DO do some research ahead of time for what you might want to do in the free time. IF you have dinner plans, make a general statement when the group is still together that you are planning to go to "XX" restaurant and would anyone like to join you. Don't wait for people to ask you, if you hear them talking about something that sounds interesting, ask if you can join them. I am introverted and this is hard for me to do but I've had wonderful times this way.

Have a wonderful time! What tour are you considering?

Pam

Welcome to the forum Shama. Which tour(s) are you considering? I'm in my 70s and my husband will not travel. So far I have taken three, soon to be four RS tours solo, and one with my sister-in-law.

I have had three absolutely wonderful experiences, inclusive tour members, other singles to spend time with and couples who welcomed me into the fold. I had one tour that I was the only solo; although the tour was wonderful, some in the group were inclusive but others weren't.

Part of it is the luck of the draw with group dynamics. The other part is the tour itself. Some tours are designed for fun -- wine tasting, pasta making, you get the idea. Other tours are laden with Europe's darker side of history so the tour is more intense. To explain this, think Roman influence vs WW2 history.

How you manage group dynamics makes a difference too. I have become more of an introvert as I age. Regardless of introvert/extrovert, invite tour members to eat lunch and/or dinner with you. Research what each stay and free time offers. Plan to do things on your own but if possible invite others to join you. Try not to hang out with the same people everyday so you are open to others' invitations.

Bottom line -- Go, you will have a great time. Not only do you learn a lot about what you're seeing and doing, you learn a lot about yourself. Don't think that Rick Steves tours are only for the "old". Ages on my tours have ranged from 22 to 82.

I also went on a RS tour as a solo (Scotland) and it was great. Everyone was nice and I got to know some other ladies my age to spend time with. But I also did some things on my own. Definitely give it a try!

I have done two tours solo, and am signed up for a third in fall. One I was the only singleton and the other had quite a few singles. I definitely had to make more of an effort when I was the only singleton, but it wasn’t hard to find people to do things with.

As others mentioned, don’t be afraid to invite yourself along to meals with others. If you hear someone mentioning meal plans, sidle on up and ask if you can join them. The answer is almost always yes. Some tour members are much more welcoming than others who prefer to keep to themselves or the pod they are traveling with. You’ll figure out who is welcoming pretty quickly and then stick with them.
Be sure to look at the guidebook for ideas for free time. You can always announce you are planning to visit something and chances are good that someone else will pipe up that they’re heading there too, or that your plan sounds fun and they want to tag along. That’s the fun of being in a group. Definitely give it a go and don’t be afraid to fly solo!

I took my first Rick Steves tour as a 42 year old solo traveler back in 2012 and have been taking his tours every year since (other than the Covid years). I just finished tour #11, which should indicate how included I have always felt on Rick Steves tours.

I always connect with other solo travelers on the tour to do whatever—eat out on non-covered-dinner nights, explore a site/town during free time, chat on bus rides, etc. But I also do these same activities with couples and families.

I will say that as an introvert, I do enjoy having my alone time to recharge as well explore places and restaurants on my own—I like feeling adventuresome that way—and so it's nice being able to duck out of group activities whenever I feel like it.

Half the fun of these tours is meeting new people from all over North America and why I always book RS tours as a solo, even though I have sibilings and friends at home I could take along.

I'll just ditto what has been said already, well said. I've done 5 RS tours solo (age 35 on my first) and enjoyed every single one. Most tour members are delightful, and usually there is someone (including couples) open to an "I'm thinking about dinner at XYZ, anyone want to join me?" In small towns you'll likely run across tour members just about wherever you go. And yes, there could be one or two people who keep to themselves or are traveling as a somewhat closed group - you just have to read the room and take it upon yourself to mingle a bit (even if outside your comfort zone). If by chance you're feeling a bit isolated, chat up the guide - they are supremely interesting people and a little Q&A can lead to some cool insights into the guiding life, plus fantastic suggestions for things to do. And one last thought - the opposite situation can arise...just because you're solo and there are other solos on the tour, you don't have to be paired up or BFFs for the entire tour. You do you :)

I've been on 9 tours, 7 of them as a solo. I'm older than you, but I have found that each tour group dynamic is different. Some groups are very social and inclusive. However, on most of them I've found 2 or 3 folks to occasionally hang out with. I am somewhat introverted, maybe because I've lived alone for so many years, and going up to folks and asking where they are going on free time or dinner used to be very difficult for me. I actually feel my Rick Steves' tours have made me more sociable. The important thing is to be friendly and open to others.

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

I concur with the previous replies. Another thing you can do is be ready during the first meet up when everyone introduces themselves to the group. Mention you’re traveling alone, and you are open to doing activities or having dinner with others during the group’s free time. Stating it up front helps others know that you’re not wanting to do everything alone. On the other hand, have plenty of ideas ahead of time of activities you would like to do, so you aren’t depending on others to fill that gap.

If you have flexibility, we noticed that there were more solo travelers during the months of school vacation- either school teachers or college students.

Of the RS tours we did, I went on two of them solo, and I had a great time!

Oh, one more comment: when you’re with the group, don’t think about people’s age. You’re all a group of travelers. I had some wonderful afternoons with people 20 years younger and 20 years older.

Thank you all for your kind, supportive, and encouraging comments. I am considering the Best of Venice, Florence, Rome 10-day or the Heart of Italy 9-day tour in the June/July timeframe.

Thanks for asking this question! I'm heading out on my first Rick Steves tour, Best of Poland in July, as a 40-something solo traveler. The answers to your question from others gave me reassurance! Happy travels!

I went on my first Rick Steves tour to Sicily in 2024 as a solo traveler and had a wonderful time. Like others have suggested, you could always announce that you are going to ABC restuarant for dinner, would anyone else like to join tactic. I did this a few times and someone always says yes. I was also invited to join others for activities during free time. And then there were some days that I just took off by myself during free time to look in the shops for gifts for my family. I was able to make some purchases while only speaking my limited Italian and using sign language and it was fun. Right before my trip i hurt my knee and had a little trouble with some stairs and hills, but I was able to keep up and another tour member offered me the use of his extra walking stick if I needed it. So, don't be worried about being a solo traveler, everyone I met was very nice and it all worked out with a mixture of inviting others to go places with me, being invited to join others, or just being on my own for a while. In my group, there were 4 other solo female travelers. Also, it was a good mix of age groups. We had one young lady in her 20s traveling with her parents, a few couples in their 40s and others in their 50s and 60s and everyone followed the "no grumps" rule. I had so much fun I booked another trip for this year and another in 2026 as a solo traveler.

"I am considering the Best of Venice, Florence, Rome 10-day or the Heart of Italy 9-day tour in the June/July timeframe"

Either of these sound perfect! My first RS tour was Heart of Italy which I did with my brother, SIL and their 2 young adult sons (24 and 20). There was another "kid" on the trip - she was in college as well as my younger nephew. There was a younger couple - probably mid-30's and a few in their 40's and 50's.

IF you do Heart of Italy you can easily add on Venice afterwards by taking the train from Florence. Our guide helped people buy onward travel tickets one afternoon but that was before Covid and now it's extremely easy to do on the train app.

For either/any tour, I recommend arriving a day or 2 early. For Rome, there is so much to see that 3 nights ahead would not go amiss. We walked from the HOI hotel (Hotel Sonya on Via Viminale) everywhere.

thanks again to all for the encouragement, I did pull the trigger and booked a tour - just got my confirmation!
@Pam - thanks for the hotel advice, greatly appreciated.

I traveled solo on the first 3 Rick Steves Tours that I took. I opted to be paired with a roommate on all three, and in all three cases, my roommate and I were the only solo travelers in the group. I had wonderful experiences as a solo traveler and found it very inclusive. Every group has a different dynamic. I found most people on the tours really want to talk to the other group members and get to know them. As a solo traveler, I had couples adopt me and invite me to meals and activities. It wasn't unusual for 6-8 of us to join up for meals together. Of course there were some couples or groups who preferred to be more on their own, but I found that to be the exception. Also, the "buddy system" helps you get to know at least one person (and the person they are traveling with). Each group member is asked to find a buddy that they are not traveling with to make sure no one is left behind at bus stops, etc. You'll be asked to get to know your buddy and introduce each other to the group at one of the group dinners.

I also spent a lot of time during free time with my roommates. With the new mandatory single supplement and not having the option to room with someone, I guess it will be a little different. Still, if there are other solo travelers in the group, you can likely join them for meals and activities. I also enjoyed going off by myself to explore.

I see you decided to book your trip! Enjoy!

Yes, not happy with the new mandatory single supplement, as that was one way to meet another single person you could "hang" with, if you wanted. And it kept the tours affordable. I have done 10 tours, 4 with others and the rest on my own, and I agree with all the comments made so far. You can also sit next to a different person or group at the morning hotel breakfasts. Just another way to connect. I agree, every group dynamic is unique. But there have always been a few single people on every tour, and very welcoming couples or groups. Enjoy your tour!