purple monkey;
e-publication
First, clarify exactly what you mean by single travel. For some, that means traveling solo having your own hotel room or cruise cabin, without sharing. Seniors who want to travel solo will almost always pay more than the industry standard per-person rates based on double occupancy. But they don't always have to pay a lot more. Some of the big cruise ships include a few one-person cabins, with no single supplement but base rates that are usually substantially higher than the low-end per-person rates. Also, cruise lines often cut the single supplement to as low as 10 percent during promotions.
Similarly, a few tour packagers advertise relatively low single supplements. Tauck, the big high-end tour operator, is currently featuring no-supplement prices on some packages to Europe next yearabout $1,000 less than the usual solo prices. However, Tauck's regular prices reflect the upscale nature of its programs.
Of course, you can tour on your own, but you'll still pay a premium for going solo. These days, most hotels charge the sameor only a bit lessfor one person as for two.
If single travel simply means you want to share double accommodations but don't have a built-in travel companion, you have a lot more options. Many cruise lines and tour operators accept single reservations at the double-occupancy rate and set you up with another single to share. In most cases, they match by sex, age, and smoking preferences. Many guarantee you the per-person rate even if they can't find a match and you occupy the accommodation by yourself. That's a perfectly fine system if you're flexible and easy-going about sharing a room with a complete stranger.
But lots of single travelers are worried about sharing close quarters for a week or two with someone they quickly find they don't like. If you're in that group, your best bet is to find a compatible traveling companion well before your next planned trip and get to know that person before you commit to a tour or cruise.
Clearly, your first choice should be someone you already knowfamily member, friend, coworker, or such. Failing that, you can ask around organizations to which you belongclubs, church, or whatever.
As a last resort, consider signing up for a travel companion organization:
The oldest and the one I know best is Jens Jurgen's Travel Companion Exchange, but its operations are temporarily suspended.
Other options include Aim Higher Travel, Connecting Solo Travel Network, Travel Acquaintance, and Travel Chums.
They all offer about the same service. You register, list your preferences and interests, and screen similar data from other likely companions. Once you've identified one or more possible companions, you exchange mail or meet in person to make sure you're compatible well before you start any trip. Unlike the tour operators' programs, companion exchange programs provide for opposite-sex companions as well as same-sex.
As to the vegan meals, you have two options:
- Look for budget packages that include only airfare, hotels, and transfers, with no meals, so you can make your own eating arrangements.
- Look for tours that target vegans. I've located two tour operators that specialize in vegan tours: Vegetarian-Vacations.com (lots of destinations) and Vegantours.com (Costa Rica). And Green Earth Travel is a full service agency that features a range of tours for vegans.
Give them a try.
