The pleasures of travelling solo cannot be underestimated. The ability to explore at your own pace, have time to reflect, and - we hate to be cheesy, but it's true - to find oneself.

In this article, you'll find ways to be a sociable single traveller, tour pricing information, popular solo traveller trips, and tales from solo travellers to inspire you to do the same. 

 

From walking the Camino to exploring the Great Glen Way, there are plenty of solo travel experiences to discover.
 

Just because you're travelling by yourself doesn't mean you won't be able to make friends along the way. We've identified two ways to tour Europe as a solo traveller but you're guaranteed to meet people.

 

These small group tours attract like-minded souls who share a common goal - to explore the European destination. Also on hand is your local guide, who helps the trip run smoothly and provides cultural insights better than any guidebook could.

 

 

On certain routes, an essential aspect of the journey is the camaraderie shared by travellers. The Camino de Santiago is a popular track for solo travellers because there's a constant flow of pilgrims walking towards Santiago de Compostela and a strong sense of community forms. Other sociable routes include the Tour du Mont Blanc, Coast to Coast, and the Danube Cycle Path.

 

There are generally additional charges to our trips for solo travellers as they're initially priced for twin share. The below information aims to shine a light on these surcharges.

 

The Single Supplement relates to when multiple travellers are on a trip together and they want individual rooms.

E.g. Tom, Mary and Jane are walking in the Cotswolds (lovely!). Tom and Mary are sharing a room, and Jane needs her own room. Jane will need to pay a Single Supplement.

The Solo Traveller Supplement applies for solo travellers. This is because our self-guided trips are priced based on twin-share accommodation.

E.g. Tom is walking in the Cotswolds by himself (still lovely!). Tom needs his own room and luggage transfers. Tom will need to pay a Solo Traveller Supplement.

The Solo Traveller Supplement is more than the Single Supplement because other costs, such as luggage transfers, can not be shared. If you are travelling solo, the Solo Traveller Supplement is the one that applies for you – you do not pay both.

 

The main reason is due to safety concerns. Some of UTracks' active travel trips venture into remote locations and in the unlikely event an incident does occur, it's always safest to travel in pairs.

 

There are many benefits to exploring Europe by yourself. You can enjoy total freedom in making decisions and doing the experiences that interest you. It also gets you completely immersed in the region as you need to rely on yourself for directions and communications. Talk about a boost to your confidence and self-esteem once you work out how to use the local public transport!

 

In this day and age, there's also a wealth of information online to help you travel and most of the people you'll encounter in Europe speak some level of English.

 

 

Selfies! Or ask a local to take a photo (also a great opportunity to start a conversation). Or invest in a small tripod, they aren't as expensive as one might think. Just please - reconsider a selfie stick.

 

3 Popular self-guided cycling holidays for solo travellers

Provence Backroads

Blue Danube Cycle

Camino de Santiago by Bike: Leon to Santiago

3 Popular self-guided walking holidays for solo travellers

Camino de Santiago: Sarria to Santiago

Great Glen Way

Mont Blanc Classic

 

 

 

> Leanne cycles the Camino de Santiago on a self-guided solo tour. Leanne cycled from St Jean Pied de Port to Finisterre on a solo bike tour. In her words, "it was the most wonderful time of my life!".

 

> Janet walks the Portuguese Camino in Winter - by herself. Janet's thoughts on the Portuguese Camino and how much she adored being a pilgrim during the seasonal buzz of winter.

 

 

Do you have any more questions about solo travel in Europe? Reach out to our friendly team who are more than happy to help you with firsthand knowledge.

 

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