Solo Travel | Sep, 2025

solo cruising

If you're thinking of travelling solo, you're certainly not alone. If the pandemic taught us anything, it was how to enjoy our own company—and, ever since, more and more people are gaining the confidence to travel independently. We asked 1000 travellers across the UK, and a whopping 28% of you said you now favour solo trips. Why? Being able explore at your own pace, treat yourself whenever you want, and meet new people all ranked highly. What was once seen as unusual is now not just normal—it's aspirational. Travelzoo has created Solo September to celebrate our independent travellers. We'll highlight insider tips, inspiring stories, and the solo-friendly companies you should know about. We hope it'll give you the confidence boost you need to finally book that no-compromise trip.

Solo

solo touring

expert tips

member stories

Your adventure, your way

September

Solo touring

BACK TO THE TOP

Immersive exploration

On tours that are specially tailored to solo travellers, everyone is travelling independently, in the same situation as you. Prices cover flights, accommodation in your own private room, transport, entry fees, and guided tours. Some meals are included, too (and some of the highlights involve evening meals in local restaurants). At other times, you're free to eat wherever you choose. Mercury Holidays also have hundreds of other group tours with no single supplements. That means solo travellers don't need to pay extra to join the group—a real rarity on trips designed for two people sharing. There's a limited number of places without a single supplement on every tour, so once they're gone, they're gone. To get the best deals, we recommend eyeing up the dates that would work for you, and making a booking while these discounted spots are still available. For more information, click here.

Spotlight on Mercury Holidays

Mercury Holidays have been around since 1980, so they're experts in the travel game. They run escorted tours all over the world, from well-trodden tourist routes in Iceland and India to off-the-beaten-path adventures in Tibet and Tajikistan. There are 130 different trips to pick from, and departures cover every month of the year. Their tours are a great example of all the things we mentioned earlier: comfortable hotels, seamless transfers, and local experiences you'd struggle to organise by yourself. You can choose from Solo Tours, where everyone is travelling alone, or Group Tours, which you can still join as a solo traveller. Travelzoo members can claim £200 off all Solo Tour and Single Traveller Group Tour departures until the end of 2027. Book between 1 September–30 October, 2025, and enter TZT200 at checkout.

What are escorted tours?

Booking a group tour means you never have to deal with the most overwhelming question of all: where do I even start? You'll jump into a slick holiday organised by experts, and you can sit back while other, more experienced people deal with headaches like flights, transfers, and well-reviewed, well-located hotel accommodation. Escorted tours are carefully planned so participants get the best of both worlds. There's lots of time to explore the main attractions with the wider group, but there's also plenty of space to pursue your own interests. Groups are usually small, so you'll find it quite easy to get to know everyone else. Exploring with a local guide means you'll get the background info you might miss by wandering with Google Maps.

Solo cruising

BACK TO THE TOP

Never an afterthought

In partnership with:

Solo cruising with Fred. Olsen

Fred. Olsen is dedicated to making solo travellers feel especially welcome. They were awarded Best for Solo Travellers at the Cruise Critic UK’s Best in Cruise Awards 2024, because they do so much to help single guests settle in. You can attend pre-arranged welcome drinks for solo travellers like yourself, pop in to informal coffee mornings, and join other relaxed meetups. Events are designed to help you connect with like-minded people—we bet you'll get home with a lot of inspiration for other solo trips! If you'd rather bond over an activity, there’s a wealth to choose from, ranging from arts and crafts classes to deck games, card tournaments, trivia, bingo, and book clubs. And, of course, you can always just do your own thing—try out all the restaurants, enjoy all the cabaret shows, or just relax with a good book.

A voyage of self-discovery

Bear with us here. Even if you'd never normally classify yourself as a "cruiser", cruising can be one of the best starting points for solo travellers. Since there's a little bit of everything on offer, the experience can really help you to figure out which parts of solo travel you enjoy most—with no pressure to stick at anything for more than a few hours. Wander round the ports at your own pace, or perhaps see if you'd enjoy a more structured group tour. Spend some time chilling by the pool, or try giving an organised class a go. With a huge variety of destinations, lots of different types of activities, and a familiar space to return to every evening, you'll get a lot of food for thought to figure out what excites you the most. Fred. Olsen ships tend to carry around 1300 passengers, and if you ask us, that’s a sweet spot for solo travellers. You'll soon start to recognise familiar faces, but you'll also have the space you need to slip into anonymity if you want some downtime.

For many first-time solo travellers, evenings can feel a bit uncertain. That's why we love Fred. Olsen for solo cruising. Importantly, all dining is fixed seating, and special attention is given to independent travellers. You're allocated a shared table with other solo cruisers, and you'll have a set dining time, meaning you can sit with the same people every evening. That's not the case on most other cruise lines, and it really helps if you're feeling a litle daunted. You've got a ready-made circle of friends, and there's lots to talk about after long days of exploring. Feel like dancing? You'll never be Baby in the corner. There are male and female dance hosts on every single cruise, so you'll always have a partner, whether you're a seasoned dancer or just valiantly attempting the two-step. For more information from Fred. Olsen Cruise Line, click here.

Member stories

BACK TO THE TOP

A solo adventure in Jordan

When Sonali Morjaria booked a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in Jordan, she thought she'd elected to join a pre-existing tour group. When she arrived, she realised she'd actually booked a private tour: just herself, her guide, and her driver. She soon realised she didn't need the safety net of a big group. "What began with hesitation quickly transformed into one of the most empowering experiences of my life. I had the freedom to shape my days around my own curiosity." Sonali also got some amazing accommodation. "In Amman, I had a whole suite at the Four Seasons entirely to myself. In Wadi Rum desert, I slept in my own Martian tent. It was huge, with clear sides that let me see the stars from my bed. The journey reminded me I am capable, independent, and free to embrace the world on my own terms."

A table for one in Italy

Expert tips

BACK TO THE TOP

Getting the best deals

Solo-friendly companies

Many UK travel and touring companies create trips exclusively for solo travellers. Just You, established in 2000, curates a whole host of tours that you can only join if you're travelling alone. Though the average group size is 27, everyone is guaranteed a room of their own, and can socialise with the group as much (or as little) as they like. There's usually a good mix of ages, and a wide variety of solo travel experience, from first-timers to seasoned vets. It's a great way of meeting new people outside your bubble. If you're a mature traveller looking to meet people your own age, One Traveller is a great choice. They specialise in creating fully-escorted holidays for the over-50s crowd, and prices include sit-down meals as well as a full daily roster of excursions. The company hosts pre-holiday get togethers to settle any nerves, including evening drinks and an overnight stay at a hotel near the airport.

A global travel trend

Chloe Quinn planned a romantic birthday getaway with her partner, but things didn't work out as she'd hoped. The relationship ended soon after the tickets were booked, but her friends talked her into taking the trip to Bergamo and Lake Como alone. "The first evening was the hardest. I bought takeaway food and hid in my room, convincing myself it was "cosy", when in reality, I was too nervous to eat alone in public. By the second day, I was tired of hiding from myself. I picked a quiet trattoria overlooking the lake, ordered pasta and a glass of wine, and sat there—phone down, journal open. I realised no one was staring. No one cared that I was alone. And even if they did, why should I?" "By the last night, I sat at a candlelit table, ordered my favourite meal, and sipped prosecco without a hint of discomfort. Instead, I felt euphoric. Travelling solo helped me to rediscover myself."

Sunshine and sangria in Spain

Jess Scott headed off on a spontaneous solo adventure around Andalucía, covering Grenada, Seville, and Córdoba. She didn't give herself a strict itinerary: she just wanted to eat, drink, and explore. Here's how she organised things on the fly. "Google reviews were my best friend when I was solo exploring. At the start of each day, I would find a highly-rated café to go to and plan my day from there. Chat GPT also helpfully provided me with an instant itinerary if I wanted one!" "I chose to stay in female dorms in hostels so I was guaranteed to have some kind of human interaction each day. I also booked a tour on my first day in each city, which really helped me get my bearings. In Seville, I did a food tour with a super fun group. We visited some tiny local tapas bars together, and that gave me more confidence to get off the beaten path."

Industry data reveals that solo travel is skyrocketing. According to Hilton's annual trends report, 34% of people are eager to embark on a solo holiday by the end of the year. The figure is even higher among Millennials and Gen Z—in a survey by American Express, a whopping 76% said they'd planned an independent trip in the past 12 months. This is great news for savvy travellers, as it means there are more solo travel deals than ever before. Companies are racing to keep up with the market, and are putting out some really enticing offers as a result. Normally, solos need to pay extra to stay in a room designed for two people—but, nowadays, there are ways to avoid paying that dreaded single supplement. There are also more companies catering exclusively to solo travellers. There are specialists for solo beach holidays, tours, and everything in between.

Mercury Holidays is giving Travelzoo members £200 off all Solo Tour and Single Traveller Group departures. Elsewhere, Jules Verne, Brightwater Holidays, and Newmarket often have at least one date for solo travellers only. Riviera and Intrepid let solo travellers join group tours without paying single supplements. Closer to home, Shearings offer some lovely coach trips throughout the UK and Europe. If you’re willing to step outside your comfort zone, G Adventures offer “Solo-Ish” adventures, where you can avoid supplements by offering to share a room with a traveller of the same gender. Many cruise lines, like Holland America, Princess, and Lindbladt, run similar schemes, pairing same-gender solo travellers up as roommates. That means you both pay the double-occupancy rate, even if your roommate fails to materialise. To see our solo travel deals, click here.