The grey guide to going it alone

Solo travel is booming for the over-55s – and that first trip on your own, whatever the reason, doesn’t have to be daunting. Gill Charlton introduces 20 life-changing holidays that will help you make the leap

Travel for solo travellers is on the rise, especially among those in their 50s and 60s, say tour operators that focus on guided and specialist tours. Cox & Kings, which runs small group tours worldwide, says 40 per cent of its sales this year have been to older people travelling on their own.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that one in three Britons aged 60-plus who go on holiday do so alone, either because they are single or because their partners cannot – or will not – join them.

After spending so much of our lives surrounded by family, friends or work colleagues, it can be a real eye-opener to spend time untethered. You often discover that you are stronger and more outgoing than you thought you were, and happier in your own company than you ever imagined.

According to singles specialist Friendship Travel, the solo holidaymaker’s biggest fears are eating alone, staying safe and not having company for sightseeing. As someone who has travelled the world solo, I can sympathise with the first two of these fears.

Even after all these years I dislike dining alone. To avoid the stares, and feeling like Sally-no-mates, I always try to find an outside table with a view. Security is an issue, though in my experience it lessens as you get older. Even so, I try not to walk alone in strange places after dark, never leave my room key number on show, and dress conservatively.

As for sightseeing alone? What a pleasure. There’s nobody to say, “I’m bored, can we go soon,” and you have a much better chance of engaging with local people who often go out of their way to help someone on their own.

I do recognise that taking a first solo holiday is a leap into the unknown. So I would advise starting with something structured like a city break with included meals and group sightseeing, either with a solo travel specialist or a tour operator running small group tours led by an expert guide.

Confidence gained, I can thoroughly recommend travelling independently. Some of my most memorable holidays have been solo: staying in family-run heritage hotels in Rajasthan and enjoying campfire drinks with my hosts; being welcomed into homes and art galleries in Jeddah by Saudis proud of their heritage and, last Christmas, exploring Cairo on foot with female guides I had found online who taught me more about life in the city than I would ever have learnt on an escorted tour.

Solo travel opens up a world of possibility, of adventure and new encounters that could change your life and will buoy up your selfconfidence. Here are 20 amazing trips that will make you want to take the leap.