Singles Travel: Beating the 'Based On Double Occupancy' Rule

A week ago I began a new, one-hour travel talk show on the CBS all-talk station in Los Angeles, KFWB-AM 980, and a listener called in to ask how she could save money while taking trips that routinely require two people traveling together to snare a bargain price.

It's a good question, but before I answer it, let me invite you to tune in on Sundays from 4 to 5 p.m. Pacific to the radio version of "Rudy Maxa's World" if you happen to live in Southern California.  Otherwise, you may listen to the show as a live stream at the station's web site and join the party by calling in with a question or comment.  And beginning any day now, the station promises me that a podcast of each Sunday's episode will be available for downloading at the KFWB website.

OK, for the listener who asked the question and who was driving in her car and unable to write down the several web sites to which I pointed her, here is what she (and perhaps, you) need to know about saving money as a single traveler.

There are two ways to beat the double occupancy rule. The first is to find a tour or cruise that only charges a modest "singles surcharge."  This is not easy, but if you find a trip you'd like to take, it's worth calling the trip provider to ask if there's a reasonable surcharge if someone is traveling alone.  Sometimes, if an organized trip or cruise has empty spaces, a provider may be willing to have you aboard simply for the incremental revenue.

The second way is to find a suitable traveling companion.  Some cruise lines and travel companies will match you with another single traveler, though it's obviously a crapshoot as to whether or not the two of you will get along in, say, a cozy on-board berth.  Several web sites promise to come to the rescue by introducing you ahead of time so you can perhaps judge your compatibility.  Some charge a fee.

--The Solo Travel Network promises to "search the world for singles tours, singles cruises, singles travel clubs, hospitality organizations, any and all single-friendly holiday ideas."  That's a pretty big promise, but the group's home page provides plenty of examples.  Based in British Columbia, Connecting: Solo Travel Network (CSTN), publishes a travel newsletter, and you can see a sample here to help you decide if you'd like to subscribe. In my opinion, this is one of the more robust sites that can be helpful to singles looking for travel companions or deals for singles.

--If you're of a Certain Age (which means 50 or older), check out Wired Seniors, a site that links seniors for free to one another for social purposes.  There is a travel section that isn't all that helpful but does provide lots of links that might be.

--Solo Travel is another site that links to singles tours mainly by linking to appropriate Google ads.  However, there are a few articles about traveling alone or with a partner that you might find interesting.

--Airtroductions is a membership website that posts profiles and the travel schedules of folks who want to meet fellow travelers with similar interests.  Or who just want to share a flight they happen to be traveling on together. It seems to me a complicated way to find someone to share a cab with into town, but it may be a low-pressure site for meeting a new friend. Or, then again, you may meet the man or woman of your dreams and you can then thank me for changing your life. 

--Singles Travel International calls itself "America's premier singles travel company" attracting single professionals between the ages of 35 and 63 from around the world.  This is a travel agency, but there's nothing wrong with that if you find a trip that meets your criteria.

--And Solo's bills itself as the United Kingdom's "number one" singles tour operator with a worldwide menu of trips geared to solo travelers.

--Travel Chums claims to have almost 50,000 membes who are all looking for travel companions.  Sort of a Facebook of travel, you are invited to post your own web page with a photo and details about your likes and dislikes.  About 75% of members live in the US, 56% are single, there are slightly more men than women who are signed up, and membership skews across almost all ages with a surprising number of younger members. It's a big, wide, wonderful world, isn't it?