Research shows that globetrotting and taking time out for annual holidays are inspiring and good for the soul - though holiday makers and travel agents now seem to be aggressively swimming in all of our hard earned cash...even more so for solo travellers and holiday-goers, where they are expected to pay premium rates and single supplements. As you know, I love to explore and more often than note, am visiting places alone. I am all about #LuxuryOnABudget, but sometimes a lot of research and determination goes into planning my trips and finding the best bargain.
Below are my top tips on how you can get more for your buck, travel to paradise and not have to slum it...
Do your research. They say spontaneity is key, but I cannot stress enough the importance of doing your research and that ever important, precious planning. You're going at it solo, so cannot rely on someone else managing the travel documents, booking the hotel, arranging a hire car and insurance - in most cases, this is always my Dad - but my big, upcoming adventure down under is 100% my idea and therefore 100% my planning (admittedly the folks offer advice, but there's many things to consider).
Sometimes package holidays are cheaper. You can get better value for money if you book through an agent; arranging flights, a half-board hotel, airport transfer, tours and hire cars. However sometimes booking flights and going through an accommodation provider such as Air B&B and Sky Scanner independently are also best. It depends on the destination, your budget and which travel providers you go through.
Try and avoid single supplements. I personally hate that holiday makers seem to target us single pringles when it comes to hotel bookings. A single supplement basically means you pay the rate for the entire room, as appose to per person. Bear this in mind when doing your research and trolling through hotel websites. By default, rooms will have a minimum occupancy of 2 persons when giving a quote. So the price quoted for two, is usually the price you will pay in total for one. There are some ways to avoid single supplements however: Cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, P&O and Norwegian have a small selection of rooms just for one person. This is what I am actually doing when I travel around New Zealand in the New Year. Ovation of the Seas actually has x4 single occupancy rooms on each deck. It's described as a 'small suite' - but you still get a double bed, en suite bathroom, mini bar and all the regular amenities, just at a 1 person price. For my 10 day cruise, on one of the top ships in the world (including dining and pre-paid gratuities), I paid a total of £1300. Cruises are a great and luxurious way to travel and excellent value for money. It's a great taster into seeing so many islands and countries, the dining is nothing but fine and you are guaranteed the entertainment to be laid on thick. I typically travel by sea, and it's not as pricey as people may think.
If you are looking at package holidays; Virgin Holidays and British Airways often do deals on their moderate to deluxe resorts which include free dining. You may still have to pay for the whole room, but your meals are taken care of, so that can sometimes outweigh the costs.
Other ways/companies to avoid single supplements...
Air B&B have many apartments, glamping pods and villas if you want to stay in luxury. Places usually come at a much cheaper rate than hotels, and more often that not you will be given breakfast. 99% of the owners and home hosts are locals, so can give you some great insider tips on places to dine and areas to visit.
Secret Escapes often have a singles option in their search filter and are renowned for discounting at 60% off and more. It is essentially a last minute booking page; allowing most wanderlusters to book 3 months out, but you can find some awesome deals out of season at some great rates. And surely that's a perk of travelling solo? Being able to jet off in low season in term time, making trips even more cheaper!
Voyage Prive is great if you’re keen to do a tour/long holiday/multi-stop alone but want all the planning, accommodation, flights and itineraries taken care of. The best part about this, is that it often includes free food, transport and a tour guide available at your disposal. Places like this are great if you are wanting to visit more 'high risk' countries, which can be a bit dangerous if you head down the wrong path alone. A close friend has used this travel provider to visit the majority of Bali and South Africa, and can't recommend it enough. If you do fancy a traditional African Safari, then I can't recommend a better pre-arranged holiday tour operator such as Voyage Prive. BA and Virgin also do some great tours; however their availability is limited and you can still be paying in excess of £2000 per person - again, it depends on how much experience you are after, versus your budget...
Keep scrolling for more tips...
Be confident and try to make friends. Tours allow great opportunities to see the area and meet new people. However, if you are planning a night 'on the razz'; don’t get too drunk - as the people you’ve just met might not be your best friends, and you're not sure how much you can trust them - especially if something goes wrong and you don’t have any close companions to look after you.
Sometimes you need to be abrupt. This is especially the case when you haggle, order a taxi, want a hotel or flight upgrade. Taxi drivers in some 'risky' areas are renowned for putting their fares up when they see a young, single female getting into their vehicle. My recommendation is always ordering your Ubers, or for extra safeguarding; book airport transfers through your airline provider. You will then have the peace of mind knowing someone will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall to take you to your destination, and more than likely will offer to carry your bags (for a small tip of course). On that note, it's important to research beforehand if your final destination is a big tipping culture - most places ask for 10% out of courtesy. I personally always tip when I travel, just as natural instinct, though if you aren't a fan of tipping (and only tip for good service as appose to someone just doing their job), then you can get away with it a bit more being alone by playing a bit naive etc. though this isn't a recommendation of mine.
Only take a small amount of cash for tipping. The rest of your cash; either keep on a currency card or credit card. I personally put everything on my credit card and pay things off with my online banking app as I go along. I do have the benefit of currently having an interest free account, with minimal international transactions fees - however do your research and check with your bank before leaving the country. Some banks will put a block on your card if there is suspicious and frequent spends abroad - so just make sure you pre-inform your bank if this is the case. Another tip I recommend is to take out a new credit card (obviously this option is not easily available to everyone) and take advantage of having it there. Most hotels max out your card on check-in; making it extremely difficult to then use your card for regular purchases. It's always helpful to travel with more than 1 card in this scenario, and if your secondary card is new, you will likely have 2 years interest free credit; meaning there's less pressure to pay off your holiday overspends immediately.
If you’re staying in a busy tourist city, like New York, London, Bangkok, Paris, Miami, Vegas etc - you can save money by opting for Uber share. This is a great way to meet people (with caution) and your fare is split between all fellow passengers, if you are going to nearby/similar destinations and areas. It's a great and cheaper alternative to getting around; I would just avoid doing this late at night or when leaving a semi-dodgy nightclub...
Make sure you have all the gear. Your world is your best friend and you have travelled all this way - so why not share your #Wanderluster moments on Instagram by taking endless pictures? It can be hard getting great shots, especially if there aren't any fellow tourists around who can snap a shot of you in exchange for one of them. So make sure you take what you need to get great selfies. I take my selfie stick and tripod EVERYWHERE. You may get some funny looks, but this saves the scenario of your phone/camera potentially being stolen and asking people for a shot where English may not be their first language. As you are alone, and it's essentially only you carrying the backpack; make sure you have a protective case for all your equipment, GoPro/camera etc.
If you’re going out on a hike or have a long day planned; bring a good, sturdy backpack with lots of compartments. It’s only you carrying it, so your cameras, water bottles and snacks need to be accessible to you and the weight evenly distributed.
Avoid looking like a tourist and don’t draw too much attention to yourself with flash clothing, jewellery and camera gear (the camera gear can be tricky, but nearly all travellers own a GoPro or iphone these days, so you should be okay...) Especially being alone, this might attract the wrong people. I always recommend a bum-bag though. It may look touristy, but it’s safe and they’re doing pretty stylish ones these days.
Make sure you have travel insurance. I'll admit it - I have sometimes gone on a weekend away/left the country with no travel insurance whatsoever! Luckily nothing happened, but it definitely isn't the wisest move. It's easy enough to go on a price comparison site (such as money supermarket) and get some quotes. I have luckily had the same travel insurance provider for years. I am with American Express and have worldwide cover at only £30 a year. When you're spending over a grand for a holiday; £30 is most definitely worth it!
Where can I eat? How can I travel?
Eat big. Don’t go to fast food joints each night - do posh restaurants for better attention. If you’re choosing to dine out at nice restaurants; have your bigger meals at lunch time. Many restaurants offer lunch time specials and discounts, so you can get more for your buck if you have a 3 course meal at lunch and then just snack in the evening. Factor in whether your hotel or accommodation includes breakfast. If not, weigh up the costs. Most hotels come with mini bar fridges and in-room coffee making facilities. Head to a nearby supermarket to get milk, cereal and pastries for less than $5 and store in the fridge in your room. When I travel I usually get a hire car and raid the nearest supermarket so I have enough food etc. I store everything in my hotel room fridge and am confident that I can get a quick, easy breakfast, have sandwiches for lunch and even some midnight snacking. Those Cheetos aren't gonna eat themselves.
Try taking your breakfasts at a communal cafe/coffee shop. This is a great way to get advice from locals and meet others. Plus it's usually cheaper. An added perk: If you are trying to save your data or not a fan of mobile roaming; you can usually get a coffee and croissant for less than a 5er and tap into the free WiFi to stay up to date with everyone at home.
Stay connected to friends/family at home. And give them a full copy of your flight details, accommodation plans and itinerary. If dare I say something go wrong, you know your nearest and dearest at home know your every movements and have got you covered.
Bring some map print outs or buy a pocket guide from a tourist store, in case you run out of mobile data or can’t connect to WiFi. It’s also good to research public transport info, just in case you miss a shuttle service or are in an Uber free zone. It’s happened to me once, which resulted in a 5 mile walk home at 3am - not a nice start to a 2 week holiday...
Learn a little bit of the local language. This is really helpful if you are in a country which doesn't predominantly speak English. Phrasebooks cost next to nothing and you can also use Google translate and other language apps on your smartphones. Making an effort to pick up sayings and phrases in other languages is now easier than ever, so there really isn't any excuse.
Hostel bars are great if you want to meet people and miss being the social butterfly. Even if you're not a hostel resident, you can easily gain access to their bars. This is a great way to tap into the community, meet new people and find out some tips with what others have seen/done alone.
Embrace being selfish. I have been on holidays with many friends, and I have been on holidays with family. But nothing quite beats going alone and doing exactly what YOU want to do, when YOU want to do it! That's from the time of year you decide to travel (we all know not having kids and travelling during term time is massively beneficial), heck you can even fly Premium Economy if you want to, as you aren't having to work to other people's budgets. You can go on whichever tour you want, eat when you want and wake up when you want. Yes, it comes with a slightly higher price bracket when travelling solo, but the overall satisfaction (if you are that way inclined) is so much more rewarding.
Head to destinations which are renowned for welcoming solo travellers. Places such as Amsterdam, Melbourne, Montreal and Bali were voted 2018's top solo venues. You can also try solo tours and holiday operators such as Contiki, STA Travel and Gap 360 - these places will typically feature much more younger travellers, but they always have good rates.
Do your research whether you definitely need a hire car or not. If it’s included in your package, by all means take it, but be aware of all the hidden costs that come with it: The premium insurance costs are high when driving in a different country, consider toll roads, parking at hotels is usually an average of $10-15 a night, and more often than not, you need to return the vehicle full with added fuel costs. Renting a car is sometimes still cheaper than a coach trip and offers the added storage space for your luggage, so if you’re doing a lot of driving or planning roadtrips then definitely consider it and weigh up your cost options. If you’re in Euro cities; then getting a metro pass or hiring a bike is your best option to hop around.
Find free stuff: Museums, concerts, street festivals etc. Download apps that can offer you dining and attraction discounts. The Vegas app was a lifesaver for me, and there are so many out there which include taxi fare discounts and dining bundles. Some package holidays will also give you a free dining out card which includes discounts or free desserts. Plus really take advantage of your concierge in the hotel. Use and abuse the free leaflets in the lobby, as more often than not they include free maps, attraction guides and retail and restaurant coupons.
Finally there’s the hostel option. I personally don't do hostels as I am a firm believer of a vacation 'being an upgrade from your everyday life'. But I have friends out there who swear by it and only ever travel in hostels. Yes, they are much cheaper with great availability and if you are more of a backpacker, then this is definitely the environment and scene for you. Having done a lot of research into the travel trade however; I am confident that you can go on a luxury holiday, still see all the sites and not necessarily pay the premium price tag. I am going away for 3.5 weeks to Dubai, Australia and New Zealand and have paid less than £3000 which includes: All my flights, accommodation, a luxury cruise (with drinks and dining) and many pre-booked excursions and tours.
There are grand holidays with cheaper price tags out there; you just have to be willing to do your research and don't be afraid to play travel agents off each other. I often go into Virgin with a Thomas Cook brochure under my arm and vice versa - I seriously do whatever it takes to try and get the best price!
One thing you must do before globetrotting, is finding out if your accommodation offers airport transfers or a shuttle to get around to local areas, as this can save you so much money. Whichever way you decide to travel, make sure you create enough memories to last a lifetime and more importantly, be safe!
And that's it for now guys and dolls! Hopefully you have found this article useful? Have you travelled solo before - are you considering it? If so, I would love to hear your tips.
From one wanderluster to the next:Take care, explore and keep on discovering!
Danie xxx
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