Help for Single Travelers

Hurtigruten does not charge a single supplement for its off-season Norway cruises between October and April, and during the rest of year the supplement is only 25 percent of the base fare, which is far less than what most other cruise companies charge.

Uniworld, which specializes in small ship European river cruises, does not waive the single supplement as a matter of standard policy, but they often drop it during sales and special promotions.

Lane also advises that many travel companies often won't volunteer information about singles rates, but if they have the space, you may be able to get a discounted cabin or room for a single traveler, especially at the last minute. So the most important advice is to make sure you ASK the company when you’re out looking for travel packages that cater to people traveling alone.

For example, the private luxury tour company Absolute Travel will try to pair you with another single traveler if you ask. If there happens to be another single on your trip willing to share, you can room together and avoid the single supplement. However, they cannot guarantee that they’ll be able to match you with someone, and if not, you'll have to pay the surcharge. Momentum Tours, which specializes in tours to Israel but also offers trips worldwide, has a similar match-up program.

In addition, individual spas and resorts are creating packages for solo travelers. The Westin St. John Resort and the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica are two popular destinations that offer singles packages. There are numerous others, but again you have to specifically ask if such a package exists when you call the reservations agent (or your travel agent).

Lane's Web site, SoloLady.com, is a great resource to find singles-only trips aimed at women. The great thing about Lane’s site is that it gives solo travelers information about trips that are not advertised, not commercial, and filled by word of mouth.

Another good resource is the Connecting Solo Travel Network (www.cstn.org), a membership-based organization that shares news, tips, tours and other information for single travelers.