The View National Express Autumn 2017 - 39

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S O L O T R AV E L ◆

of One Traveller (onetraveller.co.uk).
The UK singles holiday specialist
offers everything the discerning,
but oft-nervous, singleton could need,
including pre-flight get-togethers,
escorted itineraries and singleoccupancy double rooms as standard.
'There's a psychological barrier to
overcome when you decide to travel
alone. But once you've taken that leap,
there are huge benefits. If everyone is
travelling alone, you've got so much more
in common and you're more sociable.'
While an image of the solo traveller is
a romance-seeking youthful backpacker,
you can dip your toe in this brave new
world at any age - even if you're not
single. Perhaps you and your partner
can't agree on where to go, or you just
want to zone-out from a frenetic family
life and do your own thing.
But there's no such thing as a typical
lone traveller, agrees Ian. 'You don't have
to be single to join our holidays, as long
as you're happy to travel alone and make
friends. People travel on their own for
a variety of reasons. They might have
lost their partner, while a proportion
of our travellers are married, but their
partner can't, or doesn't want, to travel.
Our aim is that people start out as single
travellers, but end up a group of friends.'

ON MY
OWN
Solo travel
gives you the
opportunity
to indulge
yourself
without
worrying
about anyone
else. You can
choose what
you do and
when you do
it - and rest
when you
feel like it. It's
also character
building
- you'll be
forced to
step out of
your comfort
zone, which
will make you
braver, more
resourceful,
a better
communicator
and more
reflective.

And the new breed of holidays means
you can avoid some of the downsides of
going solo. If I'm honest, I've never been
100% comfortable eating on my own and,
at times, I miss having someone to turn
to and say 'wow, wasn't that amazing?'
And it goes almost without saying that
being on your own means you have to be
extra vigilant about personal safety.
BOLDER AND BRAVER
As a single traveller within a group
of fellow single travellers, you get
the best of both worlds: the sense of
liberation that comes from travelling
alone, plus the safety net of being in a
group. And it's a great option if, like me,
you're eyeing up a destination a little off
the beaten track - in my case, trekking
in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco - but
are feeling cautious.
'With some parts of the world, such as
China or Russia, it's a good idea to go with
a group for the extra security,' adds Ian.
'Also, you might only have limited
time to take a holiday and travelling in
a group means you have a ready-made
itinerary, so you can pack in more than if
you were on your own.'
Since that timid first taste of travelling
alone on the Welsh coast, I'm hooked.
From blissing out on a yoga retreat in
Turkey to getting revved-up on the
buzz of New York, I've had life-affirming
experiences and met people that I never
would have if I'd travelled with others.
And the benefits have gone beyond
my travel life - you can't underestimate
the value of being resourceful and at
ease in your own company, even when
you're not on holiday. Solo travel has
made me bolder and braver - even if I
haven't mastered the surfboard yet. 
National Express goes to all major
airports, visit nationalexpress.com

39



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The View National Express Autumn 2017

The View National Express Autumn 2017 - 1
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