Breakfast on the sun deck as you slide past the castles of the Rhine Gorge. A guided walk through Vienna before lunch, then a lazy afternoon with a book while the vineyards roll by. By dinner, the retired teacher from Harrogate you met on the transfer has saved you a seat. That’s a river cruise on your own, and for a lot of people it’s the gentlest first solo holiday there is.
It’s also got much easier to do alone. There are more solo river cruises from the UK than ever: whole sailings for people travelling by themselves, rooms built for one, and lines that waive the single supplement on chosen dates. The catch? Each company only tells you about its own, so we’ve put them side by side.
Every company below was checked on 23 October 2026.
The short version: want everyone around you to be travelling alone? Book a solo-only sailing with Riviera Travel, Just You, One Traveller or Solos, where your own room is in the price. Happy to mix with couples? Saga and TUI have single cabins, and Avalon, Scenic, Emerald, AmaWaterways and Uniworld waive the supplement on selected dates.
Why does a river cruise work so well when you’re travelling solo?
Size is most of it. River boats carry a fraction of an ocean liner’s passengers, so you’ll see the same faces at breakfast, on the walking tour and in the lounge, and by the third evening there’s usually a table that feels like yours. You’re rarely the only one, either: Avalon Waterways says 10% of its guests cruise solo.
And you only unpack once.
Then there’s the pace. Most days have the same easy shape, with an excursion and a local guide in the morning, lunch on board, then an afternoon watching the scenery or exploring a city at your own speed. The atmosphere is sociable when you want company and quiet when you don’t, and with crew around day and night it’s a safe way to travel alone. If you’d rather be at sea, our guide to singles cruises on ocean ships covers the big lines.
Most UK river cruise holidays include:
- All meals on board, with a welcome dinner on most sailings
- Guided excursions in most ports, with free time around them
- A cruise director or holiday director who travels with you
- Return flights or the Eurostar, plus transfers
- On many solo sailings, an all-inclusive drinks package and crew tips
- Light entertainment in the evenings, and sometimes a small wellness area
Three ways to cruise a river on your own
1. A solo-only sailing
Everyone around you is travelling alone. You get a double to yourself at no extra cost, and among like-minded people the ice breaks fast. Riviera Travel, Just You, One Traveller, Solos and Friendship Travel all work this way.
2. A room built for one
A few boats have them. Saga’s three Spirit vessels have 12 each, TUI River Cruises has singles of 12m² (the same size as its standard rooms) and four AmaWaterways boats have single staterooms with French balconies. There aren’t many, so they go early. TUI also runs get-togethers for solo travellers on board.
3. A waived supplement
Some lines drop the single supplement on chosen dates or grades. Read the small print, because “selected sailings” can mean a handful.
The same three routes work on land, as our guide to escorted holidays for solo travellers explains.
Which companies run solo river cruises from the UK?
Tap a heading to sort, or use the Yes/No buttons to filter.
| Company | Solo groups only | A room of your own | Best for | Solo price from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riviera Travel | Yes | No supplement on 17 solo cruises | Widest solo choice | £2,479 |
| Just You | Yes | No supplement | Holiday Director | £3,149 |
| One Traveller | Yes | No supplement | Private charters | £4,090 |
| Solos | Yes | No supplement | Short cruises | £2,131.50 |
| Friendship Travel | Yes | Double for sole use | The Nile | £3,295 |
| Saga | No | 12 singles a ship, reduced supplement | Over 50s | Ask |
| TUI River Cruises | No | Singles | Solo get-togethers | Ask |
| Avalon Waterways | No | Waived on most Europe dates | Suites | Ask |
| Scenic | No | Waived on selected 2027 dates | Luxury | £3,745 |
| Emerald Cruises | No | Waived on selected 2027 dates | 2027 sailings | Ask |
| AmaWaterways | No | Waived on select 2027 dates | Singles on 4 ships | Ask |
| Uniworld | No | Waived on select dates | Boutique style | Ask |
| Travelsphere | No | Supplement applies | Nile and Yangtze tours | Ask |
| Viking | No | No UK solo deal | Couples and friends | Ask |
From each company’s own website, 23 October 2026. Prices are per person for a room of your own and change all the time, so treat them as a guide.
The solo-only specialists
Riviera Travel: the biggest solo programme
Riviera lists 17 river cruises for solo travellers, from the Blue Danube and the Rhine and Moselle to Porto, Paris and Provence, plus the Nile and the Mekong further afield. Your own double cabin comes with no supplement, along with a free all-inclusive drinks package, guided excursions, a cruise director and host, and ABTA and ATOL protection. When we checked, the eight-day Blue Danube for Solo Travellers was from £2,479.
Then there’s the MS George Eliot, which Riviera says will be the world’s first solo-exclusive river cruise ship from June 2027, sailing the Danube, Rhine and Moselle according to trade reports. Imagine a whole boat where nobody’s half of a couple!
Just You: a Holiday Director on board
Just You only sells holidays to people travelling alone, and its solo river cruise range uses Nicko Cruises vessels in Europe, such as the Rhein Melodie. Every guest gets their own room at no extra cost, with all meals on board, an unlimited house drinks package and a Just You Holiday Director looking after the group. Most guests are in their 40s, 50s and 60s, and our Just You review has more on who goes.
Cruising the Rhine is the easy one to reach: seven days with the Eurostar from St Pancras to Brussels, from £3,149 in October 2026, with 2027 departures on 23 June and 13 August.
One Traveller: chartered ships for mature solo travellers
One Traveller charters whole vessels for its own guests. There’s no single supplement, gratuities and drinks are included, and the line-up runs from an eight-day Douro cruise from £4,390 and a six-day Danube Christmas cruise from £4,090 to the Rhône by rail, the Nile and the Yangtze. Flight holidays are covered by ATOL 9718.
Solos and Friendship Travel
Both run a small programme. Solos has a six-day Douro Valley cruise on 27 March 2027 from £2,131.50 and a seven-day Bordeaux and Aquitaine cruise in August, each with a room to yourself. Friendship Travel’s only river trip is a Cairo and Nile cruise, with a double for sole use, from £3,295 in April 2027.
Lines with single cabins or a waived supplement
Prefer a mixed ship, with couples as well as solos? Try these.
Saga: rooms for one, for the over 50s
Saga’s boutique Spirit of the Rhine, Spirit of the Danube and Spirit of the Moselle each have 12 dedicated rooms for solo guests, plus a solo table in the restaurant where you can dine with others whenever you like. It’s for the over 50s, with a shared chauffeur service, selected drinks, crew tips, excursions, Wi-Fi and travel insurance in the price. Expect reduced single supplements rather than none, and rooms that sell out fast.
Avalon, Scenic, Emerald, AmaWaterways and Uniworld
Avalon Waterways waives the single supplement on its Deluxe Staterooms and Panorama Suites on most Europe departures and selected Southeast Asia sailings. Scenic and Emerald Cruises have no supplement on selected 2027 sailings booked by 31 December 2026, which can save you hundreds. AmaWaterways waives it on select 2027 Europe dates with the code SOLOWAIVED, again by 31 December, though not on suites. Uniworld does the same on select dates and staterooms, and CroisiEurope has a solo deal with the code SINGLE.
Viking? We couldn’t find a solo offer on its UK site in October 2026, so expect a supplement.
Travelsphere: a mixed group with a Nile or Yangtze cruise
Travelsphere is an escorted tour company rather than a cruise line, and it’s the sister brand of Just You. It doesn’t sell European river cruises, but two of its cruise holidays include a river. The eight-day Egypt tour pairs three nights in Cairo and the Pyramids with four nights on the Nile aboard the Iberotel Crown Emperor, from £2,709 per person sharing in February 2027. A 17-day China tour has four nights on the Yangtze aboard the Victoria Jenna, from £3,509 sharing.
Be clear on the money, though: single occupancy supplements apply on both, and Travelsphere doesn’t publish the amount, so ask when you book.
Solo travellers make up around 10% of its tours, alongside couples and friends, so it suits you if you’d like mixed company or you’re going with a friend. Our Travelsphere review has the full picture.
Which river should you choose first?
- Rhine: castles, the Rhine Gorge and Cologne, and the easiest to reach by Eurostar
- Danube: three capitals in a week, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest, plus the classic Christmas markets
- Douro: terraced port vineyards from Porto, on smaller ships
- Dutch waterways: Amsterdam and the tulip fields in spring
- Rhône and Seine: Lyon and Provence, or Paris and Normandy
- Nile and Yangtze: further afield, usually four nights on board as part of a longer tour
Just You suggests France, Portugal or Germany for a first river cruise. We’d add Austria and Hungary, where you can explore a different capital three mornings running!
When’s the best time to go?
The European season runs from spring into December, and some lines now sail the Rhine, Main and Danube in February and March too.
One warning for late summer. Dry spells can leave the water too shallow for ships, and in 2026 low water disrupted sailings into October. Lines usually swap ships or put you on a coach for part of the route, so check the booking conditions.
December is a busy month for solo sailings. There are more festive ideas in our guide to Christmas holidays for singles.
Your first solo river cruise: what to sort before you go
- Ask whether it’s a solo-only group, a single or a double for sole use
- Compare the price for one with the price sharing, and look for a deal that saves the supplement
- Check what’s included: drinks, tips, excursions and travel to the ship
- Ask about a solo welcome drink or a hosted table at dinner
- Look at the deck plan: lower decks have windows, higher ones French balconies
- Check the ATOL protection on any package with flights
- Buy travel insurance that covers cruising, unless it’s included
And go to the welcome drink, even if you’re tired. It’s where most friendships on board begin.
Questions people ask about solo river cruising
Are river cruises good for solo travellers?
Yes, for most people. Small boats, set days, included meals and daily excursions mean you’re rarely short of company. Want a lively bar until the small hours? Try an ocean ship.
Do I have to pay a single supplement on a river cruise?
Not on the solo-only sailings from Riviera Travel, Just You, One Traveller and Solos, where a room of your own is in the price. On a normal sailing you’ll usually pay one, unless you book a single or a date where the line waives it.
What age are the other passengers?
Mostly 50 and over. Just You says its guests are mainly in their 40s, 50s and 60s, Saga sails for the over 50s and One Traveller is aimed at mature solo travellers.
Will I have to eat on my own?
Only if you want to. Solo groups usually eat together, and on mixed sailings the crew can seat you with other passengers.
Can I book a Travelsphere river cruise on my own?
Yes, on its Nile and Yangtze tours, but a single occupancy supplement applies. Its sister brand Just You includes a room of your own.
River cruising is one of the kindest ways to start travelling alone, with somewhere to come back to and a new view every morning. The best value trips are the solo dates and waived-supplement offers, and both go early, so look at 2027 now. For more ideas, browse holidays for people travelling alone on Holiday Alone.
