airplane in the sky

Essential Travel Tips

Here are essential travel tips for stress-free single travel. Why do you need them? Traveling is an amazing thing. It’s an escape from daily life, an adventure, and a learning experience. It can open your mind to new possibilities and your heart to new places and people.

But traveling can also be stressful.

Missed flights, choosing the wrong hotel, packing the wrong stuff, not giving yourself enough time for all you want to do, and lost luggage are just some of the things than can ruin a vacation. But there are solutions for all of these than can help you have a stress-free and completely relaxing singles vacation in any destination.

Plan Ahead

First, you’ll want choose a destination carefully. Pick a place that you’ve always wanted to visit – or a trip centered on an activity that you love. Think: skiing, camping, learning about history and culture, or simply relaxing. Base your vacation around something completely enjoyable for you. When you go into a vacation knowing this, any negative experience can be counterbalanced easily.

Next, you should sit down and map out your itinerary. What places do you want to visit in the city or country you’ve chosen? How much skiing or scuba diving do you want to get in each day? Think about your “musts” for the trip – and then go from there. Choose a hotel based its proximity to what you most want to do. And read the reviews! A bad hotel in an amazing location is still a bad hotel.

One of the easiest ways to plan ahead is to let someone else do it for you! When you join a hosted singles vacation for groups, the tour operator will have done all of the research and planning for you. Hotels will be vetted, itineraries will be carefully curated, and flights will be thoughtfully chosen to provide optimal time in each location. At Singles Travel Service, we offer a range of hosted tours for single travelers. There is something for everyone.

Pack Right

And pack as lightly as possible. No matter where you are going – a beach, a mountain, or a city – you will want to put some thought into how you can only pack the essential clothing and gear that you need for the trip. You do not want to lug around more than you need. I made this mistake once years ago by taking 8 pairs of shoes to a Caribbean island. Sure each sundress had matching sandals, but this was completely unnecessary. I could have been fine with good flip flops, one pair of go-with-everything sandals, and a pair of sneakers for my morning run.

Also: do not forget that layers work. Temperatures can change quickly, air conditioned rooms can get really cold even if the destination is warm, and some locales are more conservative than others and vice versa.

Arrive Early

One of our favorite quotes here at Singles Travel Service is “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” William Shakespeare was a wise man. Never be late. Lateness can be so stressful for a traveler and your traveling companions. It can cause you to miss flights at worst, dinner reservations at best – and everything in between from guided tour departures to tee times to happy hour cocktails. And when you are part of a hosted trip on a singles vacation, it is simply poor travel etiquette to make the group wait.

Embrace Being Away

In this modern age, it is nearly impossible to disconnect completely. We are tied to our devices – smart phones, tablets, and lap tops. In many ways, this modern technology makes traveling so much smoother. You can receive up-to-the-minute flight updates, quickly get directions, find exactly the type of restaurant you want in the neighborhood you find yourself in after a day of exploring, and more.

It also enables you to check in back home or at work – for better or worse. But this can cause stress so give yourself a break. Turn off the news, forget work email for a few days, and take time to look up from your phone to see the new place that surrounds you.

Purchase Travel Insurance

We actually wrote an entire blog about how travel insurance can create peace of mind on a trip. Check it out. You might not need it on every vacation, but travel insurance is often a very good idea.

Did these essential travel tips help? At Singles Travel Service, we are known for hosting expertly planned and stress-free singles group vacations.  Contact us to learn more.

downhill skier

Winter Sports for Single Travelers

We love winter. And these five winter sports keep us happy, active, and outdoors even when it’s cold outside. These five winter sports are great for single travelers, too. They are all individual sports, but taking part in them as a group activity can add to the fun. On our hosted winter sports vacations for singles, our guests enjoy many of these winter sports and activities.

Skiing

Though this list is in no particular order, we really love to ski. Of course, the great ski versus snowboard debate inevitably comes up among our staff and guests each time we hit the slopes. And snowboarding is amazing (see below). But there is just something about classic, downhill skiing. There is elegance to the sport. And because it’s relatively easy to learn, skiing is very accessible. Resorts of all sizes have ski schools, “bunny hills” for novices, and more advanced courses for experts. Skiing is a great sport for single travelers because it’s an individual sport. Singles ski vacations are a great way to meet people – on the chair lifts or in the lodge during a post-slope cocktail.

Snowboarding

Unlike skiing, snowboarding is harder to learn. But as slope veterans know, snowboarding is easier to master once you’ve learned the right techniques. And it’s simply addictive, especially once you can snowboard through a terrain park. For single travelers, it’s also a great way to make connections with fun-loving people. Snowboarding culture is at once both relaxed and adrenaline filled. It’s also an amazing workout for your core. And who doesn’t want a great core workout?

Ice Skating

Whether you are on figure skates or hockey skates, ice skating is a great winter sport. Once you find your balance, ice skating provides many benefits. It’s a great cardio workout that builds endurance. Ice skating improves joint flexibility. It builds awesome leg muscles. Ice skating is a great way to relieve stress. And, of course, it is so much fun. Once you’ve mastered it, skating as fast as you can across a rink (or a frozen lake!) is exhilarating. Ice skating is easy to practice because most towns and cities have a rink – so when you get to a resort with a professional grade rink, it’s easy to look like a pro. Ice skating is a great individual sport that single travelers love.

Snowmobiling

If you ever have the chance to go snowmobiling, GO. It’s a great winter outdoor adventure, and not something everyone gets to do. Racing across snowy trails can be thrilling. When the forecast calls for serious snow, we head to closest place to rent a snowmobile. Single travelers love snowmobiling on winter vacations. One of the best places in the world to snowmobile is in the Montana section of Yellowstone Park (one of our favorite places to visit any time of the year!).

Snow Tubing

If you grew up around hills, you definitely spent snowy winter days sled-riding all afternoon. Snow tubing takes you back to that childhood experience, only at a much higher and more exciting level. Imagine spinning or swooshing down the side of a mountain on a wide, snow-covered trail. Many resorts know that adults love snow tubing as much as kids, so they offer nighttime tubing for the older set. Singe travelers often connect over the sheer whimsy of snow tubing.

Winter Sports Vacations

Each winter, Singles Travel Service hosts winter sports vacations. Check out our upcoming winter sports vacations for singles.

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2017 Travel Trends for Baby Boomers

AARP released an annual study on 2017 Travel Trends. We love to dig into this research each year. It gives us insight about one of our core group of travelers: Baby Boomers.

As we well know, single travel has been a huge trend for Baby Boomers, and the outlook for 2017 is no different. Both domestically and internationally, solo travel is among the top reasons why Baby Boomers will travel in 2017. Here’s what else we found out:

Almost Everyone Travels

According to the study, a massive 95% of Baby Boomers will plan at least one leisure vacation in 2017. What’s more, many plan an average of five or more trips each year. Why? Baby Boomers are more likely to be retired or have an empty nest. So this group of travelers tends to have more time and resources for vacation.

Singles Travel Abroad More

Baby Boomers are increasingly single due to divorce or the death of a partner. According to the study, single Baby Boomers are more likely to choose vacations in international destinations, instead of limiting themselves to trips within the United States. Whether it’s a “bucket list” trip or simply a much-needed vacation, single Baby Boomers are choosing international destinations. Latin America (especially Mexico and the Caribbean) and Europe (especially the England/United Kingdom and Italy) top the “most desired” destination lists for Baby Boomers. And we can’t blame them at all. Those international locations are some of our favorite places to visit as well.

Travelers Seek Authentic Experiences

There is a a major trend among Baby Boomers to seek authentic experiences while traveling. Think: eating a meal with locals, touring with native guides, or participating in local cultural activities. This highlight really rang true with us. Right now, we are planning a spring trip to the Mexico Canyons. Every time we visit this amazing area, there is sightseeing, culture, and great local food. Guests learn about native folklore, pottery, history, and more. Our stay includes a few nights at local bed and breakfasts where our single travelers mix and mingle with locals. The experience is more than authentic, and we understand why this is a top travel trend for 2017.

Money Matters

As it turns out, AARP found that 60% of Baby Boomers do not set a budget when planning a vacation. But when a budget is set, almost all (95%) stay within it. Though the majority of Baby Boomers do not start planning with a budget in mind, money does matter. This group of travelers is certainly seeking travel perks like complimentary Wi-Fi at hotels and airports, free breakfasts or happy hours at the hotel, and priority check-ins. In order to stay within budget and know ahead of time what amenities are included on a trip, Baby Boomers often choose to book group tour vacations. This takes all of the guess work and anxiety out of the vacation, leaving only time for leisure and adventure.

If you’re a Baby Boomer planning single travel in 2017, let us help plan your trip of a lifetime. Contact us for more information