How to avoid paying single supplements, from a solo travel expert
Solo travel is one of the fastest growing sectors in the travel industry in 2024. However, travellers are feeling the pinch of this autonomy thanks to the dreaded 'single supplement'.
As the editor of 101 Singles Holidays, the UK's only independent singles holiday site, I'm a huge champion of exploring the world alone. Travelling on your own agenda is a great way to see new countries and experience new cultures but not everyone – and I'm looking at you tour operators, hotels and cruise lines – sees travelling alone in the same light and often penalises solo travellers with extra fees.
According to the UK Solo Holidays Market Report 2024 by Mintel, 16% of those asked said single supplements were becoming a barrier to going on holiday. Luckily, things are starting to change with more and more tour operators are catering to the single travel market. In the meantime, here's a few suggestions for how to avoid paying a premium when travelling solo.
Book early
They say the early bird catches the worm, so do keep an eye out for early booking privileges. Travel companies will often waive the single supplement as an incentive for customers to book now.
Mercury Holidays have an allocated number of supplement-free holidays for solo travellers, including this gorgeous seven-night trip to Madeira. However, the destinations and dates are very popular and once they're gone, they're gone.
HF Holidays is another a good option. They offer guided and independent walking holidays across the UK with no supplement on single rooms, including this three-day guided walking tour of the Peak District. However, there are limited single rooms at each HF property and these do get booked up quickly.
Join a group
In my experience, big overland tours, safaris and special interest holidays tend to attract more solo travellers, like Good Housekeeping's incredible women-only trip to Morocco. Adventure travel companies like G Adventures and Intrepid Travel specialise in small-group tours and some trips will have a 'no single supplement' policy or will match you with a same-gender roommate, which is a great way to meet new people while avoiding extra room costs.
Seek out solo holiday specialists
The best way to avoid the single supplement is to book with a solo tour specialist. Operators such as Flavours Holidays, who offers trips including pilates holidays in Spain and cooking holidays in Italy, always guarantee guests their own room at no extra cost. Solos Holidays is another good option. They offer every type of holiday from city breaks in the UK, big-ticket escorted tours to places like Colombia to Solos Exclusive beach holidays in the Caribbean.
Friendship Travel also has a focus on the solo traveller market and therefore don't penalise its single customers on their solo holidays like this three-centre trip to Bali. And Newmarket Holidays has launched a Solo Traveller collection, which has 25 holiday options with no single supplement from island hopping in Croatia to exploring the Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands.
Avoid peak season
If you can be flexible with your travel dates it's worth booking out of season when tour operators, hotels and cruise lines are more likely to ditch single supplements In order to fill empty rooms. And if they don't already offer this, it's always worth calling and asking for the single supplement to be waived. If you don't ask, you don't get.
Book at thlast minute
While it's often good to book early, waiting until last-minute can save you a single supplement and a few pounds, too. Solo travel specialist Just You offers more savings on last-minute breaks to Prague, New York and India, and with no solo supplement, while Solos Holidays also has some good last minute deals, again, with no singles tax.
Alternatively, sign up to my monthly newsletter and receive special offers, no-single supplement deals and last-minute bargains on some great solo trips.
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