MoneyMagpie Editor and financial expert Vicky Parry shares hacks to help solo travellers save money and avoid the ‘singles tax’
Travelling alone is one of the most liberating things a person can do. However, it also comes with extra costs that people aren’t aware of or forget to budget for. With some savvy planning, you can get around the singles tax to save money for your solo trip.
What is the singles tax?
A person travelling alone may sometimes pay a premium for doing so. Hotel rooms sometimes add a ‘singles supplement’, for example. The justification is that the base overheads of the room remain the same, regardless of occupant number – and a single person spends less on extras like food in the restaurant.
Even without a single supplement, a hotel is literally twice the price travelling alone compared to splitting the cost with a companion travelling with you.
Sometimes, you can’t find anywhere to sit in restaurants at peak times, because solo diners are less profitable and are turned away. Or, you will take more taxis when travelling alone for safety reasons (or simply because there is no one else to share the load of carrying luggage!).
The extra costs of travelling alone can add up quickly. But with some forward planning, you can save on your travels and make the most of the freedom of going it alone.
Find a singles tour operator
If you are planning on taking an organised trip, look for one that specialises in solo travellers. Not only does this avoid lumping you in a group with lots of couples who can leave you feeling isolated, you’ll be with people who understand the joys of solo travel.
That means they are likely to be interested in meeting new people and making friends, but will also understand if you want your own time to explore or have a rest.
Singles tour operators save money for solo travellers by avoiding the single supplement on accommodation, but also because they can offer group booking discounts on activities.
Book early
Early bird prices on activities, packages, and group tours will offer great discounts. It means planning far in advance for some popular activities and holidays, but will save you a lot of money (even if there are single supplements involved).
When you know your flight plans, be sure to book airport transfers to your hotel, too. Pre-booking can save you a lot of money, and ensures you get to your destination without the need to haggle prices or getting scammed on holiday.
Use reward points for flights
When travelling alone, you can make the most of single-seat upgrades. Spend the year (or two!) before your big trip collecting Avios points with your daily spending, through an Avios credit card. You can also collect points through Sainsbury’s Nectar or Tesco Clubcard schemes.
Then, plan your trip with Reward Flight Finder. This website lists all British Airways flights up to a year in advance, and sends alerts for your chosen routes when reward seats become available.
As you only need to upgrade yourself, or buy a single ticket with your points, it will be much easier to find a reward seat than if you were trying to coordinate other people travelling with you. Buying reward flights just for yourself also means your points will go much further!
Avoid peak season
If you can, travel outside of peak holiday times. The price of flights and accommodation rockets during the school holidays and near festival days like Christmas and Thanksgiving.
While it’s not always practical to travel outside of peak time, you will save a lot of money when you’re able to be flexible. Even the day of the week can have an impact: midweek travel and accommodation is often much cheaper than weekends.
Book just the first night
Hotels will always take a reduced price to fill a room later in the day. You could risk it and book a last-minute flight then find accommodation when you arrive at your destination. However, this is risky as you might not be able to get a room when or where you need!
If you’re travelling to a city with plenty of accommodation options, book a more basic hotel room or hostel bunk for your first night in your destination. When you’ve arrived, look around at the local hotels and approach them for last-minute same-day rates.
Use discount codes and cashback sites
Discount websites can nab you ten per cent or more off your travel costs – and that can cancel out any additional singles supplement on a bill. Shop around and make sure to check voucher sites like Groupon and Wowcher, as well as career-specific discount sites like Discounts for Healthcare Workers.
Stack discounts where you can with these websites and cashback, too. Going via a cashback site like TopCashback or Quidco will give you a small percentage of your purchase back, and doing this for each part of your trip could net you a chunky pot of cashback to help reduce your travel costs.
Check your eligibility for a National Railcard, too – this can save a third on your rail travel in the UK.
International discounts for under-35s
If you’re under 35, a TOTUM card includes an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) or an International Youth Travel Card if you’re not a student. This nets you discounts all over the world on packages, tours, activities, travel and accommodation.
TOTUM is the new version of the NUS card for students – but you no longer need to be a student to get one. The scheme has expanded to include any professional membership of an organisation, trade body, or trade union, and those taking professional education courses.
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