Dinner for one? No thanks. Wander around a strange city by myself? Nope. Some women delight in solo travel. They wander through Paris, Peru, and Egypt. I know these women. They are not me. But then, how am I going to see the world? Watching travel channels won’t do. I am delighted I discovered group tours. Many tours cater to solo travelers. Do these travelers skew older? Probably. And the problem is?

There are tour groups specializing in learning, and they will wear you out as you tour castles, cathedrals, Mosques, and Roman Ruins. It can leave you breathless, but that’s what you signed up for. There are more rugged expedition tours where you get off the ship and go ashore on zodiacs. Then there are leisurely river cruises which are really ideal for solo travelers.

Here are my tips and some of my experiences.

First rule: Find a small ship. Ships with around 100 passengers are ideal. Usually, they have a high crew-to-guest ratio, and you will be well cared for. There is usually one dining room, and everyone eats at the same time. You can find a different table every night or stay with a small group you just met. 

Second rule: No large ocean-going hotels. I find those too disciplined, and I only meet people in a small crowds. Also, there is usually a piano bar at night. Sit and enjoy or make a new friend. BTW, do not

expect to meet a man. A tour leader in a recent group I was with said that in the five years, she has led groups, there has only been one man. Don’t ask me why. In my opinion, when you reach a certain age, you do not want to share a room. (Well, with an intimate partner, but that’s another story). 

So watch out for the “single supplement.” Notice prices are listed as “per person per room.” In other words, double what you are looking at. Some tour groups have lower single supplements, and sometimes they will have specials with no supplement. They would rather have one person in the room than none. An experienced travel agent can be beneficial in this area. 

Third rule: Another area to watch is “optional tours.” The cruise sounds delightful and goes to ports you want to visit. But are those shore excursions included in the price? Are there the “standard” and the “premium?” My preference is that all shore excursions should be included. But I have made exceptions—the German beer garden, for example. What about mobility? Many brochures will have a graph for the degree of difficulty. A recent tour I went on specified no walkers or wheelchairs. 

I take the measurement with a grain of salt. Folks who know me know I am not the most accomplished hiker, but I want to avoid seeing the world from the back of a bus, so some walking is necessary. When they say one to two miles a day, they mean for the whole day! Occasionally there are steep steps without handrails. I either stay below, or there is often a hand to help me. So don’t be intimidated if it sounds like a heartier tour than you think you can do. Of course, I am not going to Machu Pichu or the Himalayans.

Here then, is a summation of some of my solo travels. Expect to learn more about these over time.

Riverboats: I have done three— all in Germany. I was supposed to do one in Venice, but the boat was in an accident and was not serviceable. So another trip down the Rhine. Two were what would be considered high-end, more luxurious, which I enjoyed, but I would have to say my favorite was Viking. While not all excursions were included, I didn’t mind paying a nominal fee for some fun shore excursions. Viking had speakers almost every night. Or sometimes musicians. Always enjoyable. 

Small ships: I have taken several small ship excursions, including my most recent trip to the Iberian Peninsula. Unlike my other tours, this was with an “affinity group”—many people I knew and the rest from a shared community. I highly recommend finding such a group. You could get a free cruise if you gather enough friends to go with you. This particular tour was with Overseas Adventure Travel OAT.

Not a leisurely sit around the pool with umbrella drinks; this was educational and exhausting in a good way. We learned so much history, art, and architecture. Then we had a wonderful meal every night on a very luxurious ship. Another small ship and very different tour was an expedition from Vancouver, Canada, to San Francisco. We toured my own backyard of Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula. Rather than castles and cathedrals, we saw mountains and beaches and tide pools. 

The crew was very credentialed marine life enthusiasts. When a planned hike was beyond my capabilities, one of these scientists took me on a beach walk. I learned more about lichen than I had ever thought about. This was a special excursion and not a regularly scheduled cruise. A big shout out to Silver Seas for a fabulous trip; I missed travel in the fall of 2021, and many borders were closed. 

However, I heard an ad for Iceland. Iceland was allowing vaccinated individuals into the country. Count me in! This was a land tour, but we didn’t have to change hotels every night. We stayed in one central location, and the buses took us to different sights. Highlights were the Blue Lagoon and Northern lights. I very much liked Iceland and, once again, the friendly people on the tour.

What would I like to do next? I am not sure. I want to spend some time savoring and organizing my photos. And, of course, writing about my trips some more. I would love to engage with folks who want to know more about solo tours. Let’s start our own affinity group.