SOLO HOLIDAYS

‘I am single and eager to get away – do I have options?’

Solo travel can mean many things. Your idea of a perfect getaway might be a peaceful week away, perhaps at a plush beachside hotel or in a small villa, where you can sunbathe and get through a few books. If booking a villa, you are likely to have to pay the same price as if you were booking a one-bedroom place as a couple, but some hotels will offer double rooms for one without a single supplement – enquire at the point of booking.

But if you want a bit more from your solo getaway and have been missing out on human interaction this winter, there are plenty of options where you can travel as part of a group with likeminded people.

Michael Edwards, managing director at Explore, has observed a boom in solo bookings. “Perhaps fed up with waiting for dates to match up with friends, or having different interests and ambitions from their partner, travellers are seizing the day and joining our trips solo,” he says. “More than 50 per cent of people booking on to our small group trips are travelling solo, so they are in good company.”

In these less certain times, if you have never gone away on your own then travelling solo might feel more daunting than ever, but booking with a tour operator as part of a small group will guarantee a comfort blanket of support, which you may miss if you book independently.

BOOK IT

Jules Verne runs exclusive single traveller holidays, including a trip to the Grand Hotel on Lake Como from £895 with flights and the services of local reps. Departures on April 2 and October 22 (020 3553 3722; vjv.com)

One Traveller has a 23-day South America tour taking in Brazil, Argentina, Patagonia and Chile costing £10,390 and departing on April 3. There are only a couple of places left (01760 722011; onetraveller.co.uk)

Explore has exclusive 60-plus small group solo holidays, including the eight-day Walks and Coastal Towns of Croatia tour from £796, flights excluded (01252 240 636; explore.co.uk)