Are you a mature single person who wants to get out and explore but haven’t yet found a way of doing so? Do you want to see the world, but are fed up with being quoted expensive prices for a single room? Do you have a partner that cannot or will not travel? Or do you just want to travel with like-minded people?
There are many single people out there who want to travel and see the world but are quite understandably daunted by the prospect. The majority of people would rather not travel alone – where’s the fun in that anyway? Being alone in a foreign country where you may not speak the language can also be a scary thought. But just because you are single doesn’t mean that you can’t travel – the solution could quite probably lie in a singles holiday.
Safety & Security
The most important part of single travel is safety, security, and the certainty of help and support when needed – but the overriding desire is to ensure that you see as much of the place you are visiting and have an enjoyable and relaxing time – after all you are supposed to be on holiday!
This is where the services of an established specialist tour operator come in and are invaluable – and so earlier this year I travelled to the beautiful city of Budapest with the established singles holiday operator, One Traveller, who specialise in holidays for the mature single traveller.
Before you go
A particularly important part of the whole holiday is the pre-holiday get together offered on most departures and hosted by an experienced company representative, or the actual Tour Manager who then travels with you. This will be hosted in a hotel close to your departure airport the previous evening and will include a welcome drink and meal with some, if not all of your fellow travellers.
The next day you will travel to your destination along with your Tour Manager – unlike other companies, the same person remains with you throughout the duration of your holiday. They all speak the native language and most of them are English and can help you overcome any language barriers; they could even help you learn some of the language!
And so to Budapest!
Budapest is one of the jewels in the One Traveller crown and is a great starter choice for those wanting to experience a singles holiday. The city is relatively small and easy to get around, most of the population speak English as well as Hungarian and so language is not so much of a barrier as it could be in some other destinations.
The city has a long and fascinating history that is evident wherever you go. Guided tours take you round the magnificent Parliament buildings where the Crown Jewels are still held and the Hungarian Parliament still sits. You also see the imposing Castle District on the Buda side of the water with its imposing views across the city as well as up and down the iconic Danube.
The chain bridge, to many a symbol of the city, is a sight to see when it’s lit up at night – in fact the whole city at night is just captivating. The Holocaust Memorial is a poignant and moving reminder of the 600,000 Jews killed by the Germans during the Second World War and I was particularly moved by the ‘Shoes on the Danube’ memorial. This is a memorial that consists of 60 pairs of rusted shoes, men’s women’s and children’s all facing the water.
Travel needn’t be avoided!
For the single traveller this really is a great way to holiday. You are with like-minded people, looked after all the way, and you travel in comfort. Your itineraries are well thought out and fully escorted. Indeed, the customer care that the company provide from the date of booking through to your return to the UK is one of the reasons why their holidays are proving so popular. To top it all the company have recently been announced as the winner of ‘The Best Singles Holiday Company’ in the 2015 British Travel Awards and what’s more it’s the second year running that they’ve won the award!
Their 2016 brochure is out now – to obtain a copy call them on 01760 722 011 or visit their website – www.onetraveller.co.uk.
by Aiden Sawley
