Picture breakfast on a terrace in Sicily, the summer sun already warm, coffee in hand, chatting to someone you met at the airport yesterday who already feels like an old friend. That’s what a good group trip for single travellers feels like. You get the company when you want it, your own room when you don’t, and nobody to argue with about where to eat.
This guide covers what a singles holiday really is, the companies still running them in 2026, how single supplements work and how to pick a trip that suits you.
What are singles holidays, and who goes on them?
A singles holiday is a trip built for people travelling on their own. Everyone in the group has booked solo, so it’s a friendly, welcoming crowd of like-minded people, nobody’s the odd one out at dinner, and a tour leader or host is there to break the ice on the first evening. It isn’t a dating holiday. Most guests are widowed, divorced, single by choice, or have a partner who’d rather stay home than climb Petra.
Ages vary from one operator to the next.
Just You says its typical guests are in their 40s, 50s and 60s. Friendship Travel puts most of its travellers between 35 and 65, GoSingles talks about people in their 30s to 70s, and One Traveller only takes over 50s. If you’re younger, our guide to holidays for singles under 40 covers the trips that suit you better, and there’s a separate guide to solo holidays for over 60s.
Solo doesn’t mean lonely. On a hosted trip you’ll usually share breakfast and a few dinners with the group, then have free afternoons to explore at your own pace. Nobody makes you join in, and that freedom is part of the experience.
Which kinds of solo holiday can you book?
The phrase covers a lot of ground. Here are the main styles, roughly from most looked-after to most independent.
Escorted tours
Flights, hotels, transfers, most breakfasts and some dinners are sorted for you, and a tour manager travels with the group from start to finish. Just You and Solos are the big names here, with guided tours that run from Andalucia in Spain, Sicily in Italy and Croatia to Japan, Jordan, India and the Canadian Rockies. You’ll move between hotels, discover the history of each destination with a local guide and still get free time each day to explore.
Don’t mind a mixed group? Just You’s sister company Travelsphere runs the same style of tour for couples, friends and solo guests, with more dates to choose from, though you’ll pay a single supplement on every tour. Our Travelsphere review explains who it suits, and our guide to escorted holidays for solo travellers compares 13 operators. Heading for Japan? See our solo tours of Japan guide.
Hosted beach and houseparty holidays
Prefer to unpack once? This is the easiest way to travel solo in the summer sun. Friendship Travel’s houseparty style puts a group of solo travellers in one hotel with a host, a few shared dinners and optional trips out. GoSingles runs similar sunshine weeks in Malta, Tenerife and Greece.
Small group adventure trips
Adventure specialists such as Exodus and Intrepid aren’t solo only, but a big share of their guests come alone. Intrepid says over half its travellers go solo, and its groups top out at 14. The catch is the room. Both pair you with another solo traveller unless you pay extra for your own, and Intrepid matches room-mates by gender.
Walking, golf, tennis and ski weeks
Solos lists golf, tennis, ski and walking trips alongside its tours, and Friendship Travel runs walking breaks from the New Forest to the Algarve. Sharing a hobby is the quickest way to meet people, and it gives you something to talk about from the first morning. For tougher trips, see our pick of solo adventure holidays.
Cruises with cabins for one
River cruises on the Danube, Rhine and Douro are popular with solo travellers because you unpack once and wake somewhere new every day. Some lines, Norwegian Cruise Line being the best known, also build studio cabins for one on their big ships, with a lounge where solo guests can meet. Our guide to solo river cruises shows which river lines have single cabins or waive the supplement.
UK weekends, balls and events
Not every trip needs a passport, and GoSingles has UK breaks from £299 and Friendship Travel lists a two-night New Forest walking break from £430 half board, both checked in October 2026. Christmas and New Year are big for the solo specialists too, so our guide to Christmas holidays for singles is worth a look if December’s coming round fast.
Christmas and New Year with company
Just You runs festive tours for solo travellers, with a room of your own and a group to share the celebrations with.
Independent package holidays
Happy to do your own thing? Jet2holidays gives solo travellers £30 off with the code SOLO30, with no minimum spend, and it can be used alongside its sale prices. You won’t get a group or a host, but you’ll get a cheap beach week in Majorca, Malta or the Algarve.
The solo holiday companies worth knowing in 2026
Every firm below was checked as trading in October 2026, and each has a friendly, sociable feel of its own. Tap a column heading to sort, or use the filters to show only the ones that put a room to yourself in the price.
| Company | Style | Typical ages | Own room in the price | Where they go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Just You | Escorted tours, worldwide | 40s to 60s | Yes | Europe and long haul |
| Solos | Tours, sun, activity, cruises | Mostly 40 plus | Yes | 60+ countries and UK |
| One Traveller | Escorted tours and cruises | Over 50s only | Yes | Europe, long haul, UK |
| Friendship Travel | Houseparty, walking, cruise | 35 to 65 | Some trips | Europe, UK, Caribbean |
| GoSingles | Beach, cruises, UK breaks | 30s to 70s | Yes | Sun, cruises, UK |
| Exodus | Small group adventure | All ages | No | Asia, Africa, the Americas |
| Intrepid | Small group adventure | All ages | No | Every continent |
| Jet2holidays | Independent package | Any | No | Mediterranean and Canaries |
Just You
Just You runs escorted tours with return flights, hand-picked hotels, breakfast together every day and a Holiday Director who’s there to bring the group together. Your own room is guaranteed, and groups average 27 people. Trips listed in October 2026 included Walking in Tuscany at eight days from £1,999 and Albania Uncovered at eight days from £1,699. Which? readers were less keen than you’d expect, though: in its 2026 table (survey fieldwork in 2024) Just You scored 68%, the lowest score in that table. Read our full Just You review or browse the Just You last-minute trips.
Solos
Solos has been running trips for like-minded solo travellers since 1982. It doesn’t charge single supplements, lists over 250 holidays in more than 60 countries, and says its average group is 15 people. There are women-only tours, ski weeks, golf, tennis and UK balls as well as the classic tours, with regional flights on most departures. See Solos’ current trips.
One Traveller
The family-run firm founded in 2007 topped the Which? solo holiday table with a customer score of 83% and five stars for customer service, and it’s a Which? Recommended Provider. It’s strictly for over 50s, there’s no single supplement, and many meals and excursions are in the price. Visit One Traveller for the brochure.
Friendship Travel
Friendship Travel has been organising sociable solo holidays for over 40 years. Its hosted weeks range from the Aquamare Hotel in Paphos (seven nights from £1,095 half board in November 2026) to a Cheltenham dinner dance. Single supplements are kept low and some departures have none. More in our Friendship Travel review.
GoSingles
GoSingles guarantees you a room to yourself and splits some trips by age, with breaks for 35 to 55s and over 50s. Prices checked in October 2026 started from £949 for seven nights in Sliema, Malta. Its website lists the festive and winter sun breaks.
Exodus and Intrepid
Both suit fitter solo travellers who want trekking, cycling or wildlife, with local guides who explain the history and way of life in each destination. Exodus says it’ll pair you with a fellow solo traveller so you needn’t pay a supplement unless you want your own room, and Intrepid works the same way.
How do single supplements work, and how do you avoid them?
Hotels price most rooms for two. When one person takes a double, the hotel still wants close to the full room rate, so the tour operator adds a single supplement to your price. On an ordinary package it can add a big chunk to the cost of a week away, which is the main reason solo specialists exist.
There are four ways round it:
- Book a solo-only operator that builds the room into the price, such as Solos, One Traveller or GoSingles.
- Share a room with another solo traveller on an Exodus or Intrepid trip.
- Watch for no single supplement departures from firms such as Friendship Travel, which flag them clearly.
- Use solo discounts like Jet2holidays’ SOLO30 code, or book a cruise line with cabins for one.
Your own room, guaranteed
Every Just You guest travels solo, so a room to yourself comes as standard. The offers page lists the current savings.
How to choose the right trip for you
Start with how much company you want, as every solo traveller is different. Someone who likes a busy itinerary and a group dinner every night will love an escorted tour, while someone who wants a book by the pool and a chat at the bar should look at a hosted beach week. Then think about pace, age mix and budget.
Ask these before you book:
- Is your own room guaranteed, or will you share?
- Is there a single supplement, and how much is it?
- What’s the usual age range on this trip?
- How many people are in the group?
- Which meals are included, and which nights are free?
- Do flights leave from an airport near you?
- Is the holiday ATOL protected, or covered by ABTA if there’s no flight?
- How fit do you need to be for the walking?
- What do recent Trustpilot or Feefo reviews say?
- Have you bought travel insurance as soon as you’ve booked?
Is your money protected?
Check before you pay. Any UK package with a flight should be ATOL protected, and the certificate should come with your booking, so if the operator fails you’ll get your money back or be brought home. Trips without flights are often covered through ABTA instead. One Traveller lists ATOL 9718 and ABTA Y3177 on its home page, Just You’s flight holidays carry ATOL 11266, and Friendship Travel shows ATOL 6683.
Safety on the trip itself is one of the best reasons to travel solo with a group, and the support is a big part of the value. A tour leader knows the area, there’s always someone to walk back to the hotel with, and help is a phone call away.
Questions people ask about going solo
Is a singles holiday a way to find a partner?
Not really. Most solo travel companies say their trips are about friendship and shared experiences, and most guests simply want good company. Romance does happen now and then, but nobody expects it.
Which solo holiday firm is rated best?
In the Which? 2026 solo holiday table, based on a 2024 survey, One Traveller came top with 83% and Jet2holidays scored 78%. Just You scored 68%. Ratings move, so check recent reviews too.
Will I have to share a room?
Not with Just You, Solos, One Traveller or GoSingles, where a room to yourself is the standard. Adventure firms such as Exodus and Intrepid pair solo travellers unless you pay extra.
What if I’m the only person in my age group?
Ask the company for the age range on your departure before you book. GoSingles splits some trips by age, and One Traveller only takes over 50s.
Is a group tour good for a first solo trip?
Yes. With a tour manager, set meals and a ready-made group, a first time solo trip is far less daunting, and the support gives you the confidence to try more, and you can go fully independent next time.
When’s the best time to book?
Early booking offers usually come out when the new brochures land, and last-minute deals fill unsold rooms in the weeks before departure. Rooms without a supplement are limited, so they tend to go first.
Ready to plan your first trip?
The best singles holidays are the ones where you come home with new friends and a camera roll full of places you’d never have seen alone. Pick the style that suits you, explore the brochures, check the room and the protection, then book. Holiday Alone has honest reviews of the companies and the latest offers to help you choose.
