WHY WE LOVE HOLIDAYING ON OUR OWN: MEET THE NI WOMEN WHO PREFER TO TRAVEL SOLO
A recent survey by British Airways found that more women than ever are now travelling on their own. Karen Ireland asks three seasoned travellers why they love flying solo
Joyce Craig (50 plus), a retired stockbroker, is divorced and lives in Donaghadee. Named Belfast Telegraph Mum of the Year in 2015, she lost her daughter, Nicola, in 2011, and son Michael (25), who had a brain tumour, in 2015. Her son Christopher (26) has cerebral palsy and lives in independent living accommodation. Joyce is travelling to Portugal on her own next week to look at options for taking Christopher there for Christmas. She says:
My son Michael passed away three years ago from an inoperable brain tumour. For the first time in my life I felt all alone. I’d always had my career, was married and a mother. But suddenly I found I just wanted to get away. I had travelled a lot in the past and always loved it. I love airports and aeroplanes. But I had never been anywhere on my own.
I just started with small trips away on my own to clear my head and get some space and then I really got the bug for travelling again.
In the beginning I went to places which were familiar to me such as Majorca and Portugal.
I don’t mind being on my own — I like the independence of being able to come and go as I please and do my own thing and set my own agenda.
In the last couple of years, I have travelled to Australia and New Zealand on my own and attended a friend’s wedding in Barbados and a wedding in Italy.
Now I would go anywhere. I just love the feeling of booking a flight and getting away. There are always plenty of people to talk to. I made some lifelong friends, who I stay in touch with, just by chatting to them on the plane and connecting with them.
I always stay in a hotel as I like to do my own thing and come and go as I please.
I’ve also been to Venice by myself.
‘When my son died I was all alone, but I’ve made lifelong friends on my solo trips’
The only thing I wouldn’t do was go on a gondola as everyone seemed to be in couples but apart from that I don’t let anything hold me back.
Friends often comment that they would never be as brave as me and travel all over the world on their own, but I really don’t mind.
I book all my travel myself as that way I get better deals than by going through a travel agent and I always try to get good times and connections.
I have never gone on holiday as part of a group of singles. I like doing my own thing too much. I have connected with a hotel in Crete which caters for people travelling on their own and I may try that.
My next big adventure is to New York — I’m already planning and looking forward to that.
Flying is one of my favourite things and if I was told I couldn’t fly anymore it would break my heart.
I’ve found that, wherever you go, there are always plenty of people to talk to in the hotel etc — people are very friendly. The only downside is it can be expensive as you have to pay extra for the single supplement in hotel rooms.
Apart from that there are no negatives to travelling solo that I can think of.
It is very liberating and I’m always on the lookout for the next big adventure.”