How to cut the cost of travelling on your own
6 min readHeading off abroad alone? Give the single supplement the swerve and cut the cost of solo travel.
Ditch package holidays
Package holidays are designed for couples and families. Tour operators don’t seem to want single travellers – something they make very clear in their pricing.
Research by the debt advice company UK Debt Expert found that solo travellers were charged a premium of almost £500 for the same package holiday compared with one half of a couple.
Who wants to stay in a hotel full of screaming kids anyway? Planning your own “DIY holiday” involves a bit more legwork, but it will save you hundreds of pounds.
Air fare comparison sites, such as Skyscanner and Google Flights, allow you to find the cheapest fares. Book with airlines directly for the best deals.
If you want to stay in a hotel, sites such as Booking.com, Trivago and Expedia can help you find single rooms, or cheaper doubles.
It might sound obvious, but research countries where the cost of living is lower. Eating and drinking in south-east Asia, and some parts of eastern Europe, will be much cheaper than in, for example, Switzerland.
Solo travellers should always let a friend or family member know where they are going, where they have booked to stay, and their flight details. If you are hiking or cycling alone, you may want to check in with someone each evening.
Aim to arrive during the day if possible – strange cities can be overwhelming if you arrive at night. And don’t tell everyone you meet that you are travelling solo. Women, in particular, should consider wearing a fake wedding ring or mentioning their fictitious boyfriend waiting for them back in the hotel room.
Give hotels a miss
Jessica Bollinger, a travel adviser at the gap year specialists Kilroy, says: “Hostels (where you stay with other travellers) or home stays (where you stay with a host) are usually much more affordable than a hotel. They’re a great way to meet and make memories with others.”
She suggests using apps, such as Agoda and Hostelworld, to find the best deals, adding: “Many places will provide breakfast, and offer cheap transport deals that you can book with them.”
Airbnb is another option. Look for listings where you stay with the host rather than rent the whole place, and where you can use the kitchen to cook your own meals.
House-sitting and pet-sitting involve staying in someone’s home for free in exchange for taking care of their property, or pets. Check out sites such as TrustedHousesitters or HouseCarers to make connections around the world.
Use local transport
Rebecca Crowe, a travel writer and the author of the Wandering and Wine blog, says: “One of the easiest ways to save money when you’re travelling solo is to use public transport. Car hire is ridiculous on your own, especially when you add in costly insurance, and taxis quickly eat up your budget.”
She says that using public transport can be a bit daunting in some places, especially if there is a language barrier, “but there are plenty of sites, such as Omio and Rome2Rio, that can help you figure out different buses and trains.”
Your best bet is to go to the local bus or train station, and look at the boards and timetables and work it out from there, Crowe says.
It is also worth checking out hired electric scooters and ebikes to help get around urban areas. Hoppy, for example, is available in 17 cities across Europe.
In Tenerife, when we looked, a weekly pass cost €24.95 (£21), allowing three “unlocks” a day, and a maximum ride length of 60 minutes.
Skip the private airport transfers, too – book a shuttle bus or study the local bus routes before you fly.
Travel off-peak
It is often easier for solo travellers to be flexible, with only their own annual leave restrictions and commitments to worry about.
Crowe says: “It often means you can travel on your schedule. Going off-peak, or just outside peak times, in the ‘shoulder season,’ is an easy way to bring your flight and accommodation costs right down.”
She adds: “You don’t necessarily want to travel entirely off-peak, but by going on holiday a month or two on either side of the peak season, you’ll find that the attractions are mostly still open, the weather is still great, the prices are lower, and there are fewer crowds to contend with.”
Consider volunteering
If you don’t mind doing a bit of work on your travels, how about volunteering? Many organisations around the world offer free room and board in exchange for a few hours of work each day.
Websites such as Workaway, WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) and HelpX connect volunteers with hosts offering opportunities ranging from farming, to working in a hostel.
Although some hosts welcome couples and groups, many specify that they only want solo travellers. There is often the chance to participate in a “language exchange,” too.
Walk the camino
The Camino de Santiago is technically a pilgrimage in the form of a network of hiking trails spanning across Europe. All the routes lead to the shrine of the apostle St James in the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain.
The 500-mile Camino Francés is the most popular option, and takes the average “pilgrim” about four weeks, with the majority of participants walking alone.
Many people stay in albergues, which offer cheap hostel-style accommodation, usually in dormitories.
Some public albergues charge nothing, while “donativos” are run on donations.
Private albergues usually cost about €15 for a bunk bed, and often offer affordable single or double rooms, too.
Albergues or nearby bars typically charge €12 to €15 for a three-course pilgrims’ dinner, including wine.
Join a small group tour
If the idea of a “tour group” conjures up visions of 25 couples on a 50-seat coach, and a tour guide with a loudspeaker, think again. Small group tours offered by the likes of Much Better Adventures, G Adventures and Exodus usually limit groups to about 15 people.
Sam Bruce, the co-founder of Much Better Adventures, says companies such as his have options specifically for solo travellers, “avoiding the dreaded single supplement, and benefiting from negotiated rates and more shared costs”.
He adds: “These sorts of tours often include sharing a twin room (or tent if you’re feeling more adventurous) with a room-mate – eliminating single supplement fees – and giving you someone like-minded to bond with during your trip.”
Use credit card rewards
Traditionally, credit card reward offerings for those who meet the criteria favoured those travelling in pairs by offering two-for-one vouchers rather than discounts for everyone.
But things have changed over the past couple of years.
Rob Burgess, the editor of the travel website Head for Points, says that in 2022, Barclaycard launched an Avios credit card with a cabin upgrade voucher each year. “This allows the user to upgrade a pair of seats on one leg of an Avios trip – but there is also the option for a solo traveller to upgrade a full return ticket.”
Burgess says this prompted American Express to improve the British Airways American Express credit card offering.
As a result, a solo traveller with this card can now use their annual two-for-one companion voucher to book an Avios seat for themselves at a 50% discount.
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