Going on holidays on your own

I have only really gone away on my own a couple of times but really enjoyed it.

I find it's easier to do more of an active holiday on your own or something with lots of trips.

I did a ranch holiday in America which was fab and i'd do it again if i could, and visited Ayers Rock in Oz, other holidays I have flown on my own and met up with friends when I got there.

I think you need to feel happy in your own space, but I've always enjoyed doing what I want to do when I want to do it.

Go for it!

My Dads cousin went on a singles holiday (one where it is all single people wanting a holiday, not a dating thing) i think they went to Spain. I can find out what company it was if you like. this was about 7 years ago. she met 3 other women, all of differing ages, and they now all meet up at least twice a year and go on hols together. they are all from all over the country but keep in touch via imternet phone etc and she says it wwas one of the best things she did. She was about 40 when she went but she said the ages ranged from about 25 - 60. she said there were excursions etc but you could just go off and do your own thing if you wanted to, but it was nice to meet up at dinner time and have a chat and drink.

THanks EJJ. I think I am going to have to give this more thought plus investigate the type of thing that may work best. I am usually more of a beach person. Perhaps a better thing may be a long weekend to somewhere like Dubai where I can just slob on the beach with books. At least that way it may not be so long on my own maybe. Gah. I am useless at decisions.

Thanks claires. Maybe that is more the sort of thing I need. Will google on that too. Thank you.

I love going places by myself and if I had the mobility and funds, I would do it much more often.

Staying on my own in a nice hotel is such a treat, I love it.

I think with us, H and I lived apart until we were married and lived 250 miles apart. This meant that we had lots of alone time so we were used to being apart. I have friends who wouldn't dream of going away by themselves and that's absolutely fine but I personally think it's great. I quite regularly (although not as much as I would like) uproot and go to my mum's for a couple of weeks.

Thanks Mrs Magic. I think the more I think about it the less I think I could do it. Need to grow some balls and just do it I think. Will just have to think of places that would work better for me. Thanks again.

Last year I decided I wanted to go to Paris for a long weekend, so booked the train tickets and hotel and went. I figured I could cope with Paris as I spoke the language and felt fairly safe being a woman on my own.

I'm quite happy spending time by myself so would just go somewhere I wanted to go, I wouldn't necessarily want to go on an organised type thing because that's just not me.

My mum goes on lots of walking holiday on her own.

I'm going to India on my own for a month in November and I'm really looking forward to it. Because H and I have really differing attitudes to holidays (which may be summed up as "I like them/He doesn't"), we've evolved a system over the years where we go away together to one of the few places he likes and I then go away on my own to somewhere that he would hate.

Hence, India ("too hot for me").

I like my own company and am very used to eating alone from years of business travel, so the solitude element of it doesn't bother me at all.

I've had a couple of holidays on my own: I went to Barcelona, Budapest and Prague. I loved it. I found cities really easy to do on my own, as you can wander around. I actually found I enjoyed having meals by myself (I take a notebook and do some writing, or read a book).

Barcelona was the first place I went by myself: I'd just come out of a toxic relationship and needed a break. I even went without having arranged a hotel, which was very brave (I'd recommend getting one sorted before you go, for peace of mind). I wandered around Barcelona for a bit, plucking up the courage to go into a nice bar for a beer. I knew that once I'd done that, I'd have found my feet... and I was right.

I think a beach holiday would be good to do by yourself, if you enjoy sunbathing, as you can find your spot and chill out.

If I ever got asked if I was on my own, I would say that I was with friends but they were off doing x, y or z at the moment.

I got talking to some really interesting people, and generally had a great time.

Interestingly, it made me much more independent and I found I enjoyed being single a lot more when I got back: I even went to a nightclub to watch a live band once or twice on my own (again, I would say that I had come with a friend who had gone off with a bloke she'd met, if I was asked why I was there by myself). And, when I met H, I think I was better able to contribute to decisions about holidays as I'd had the experience of having to sort it all out myself.

I prefer having holidays on my own. I get to make all the decisions about what I do, and don't have to feel guilty for dragging Mr Liz along when he doesn't want to go. .

I'll second that. Sometimes I think it would be nice to have someone there to share experiences with but most of the time I'm happy not to have to make compromises about where I want to go and what I want to do.

Thanks all, lots of food for thought

Oh I love eating out alone. [wistful sigh]

In the last 8 years I've been with my H, I've away (mainly weekends alone or with my mum) more without him than with him. ??

I went to Majorca for a week on my own after an upsetting break-up 12 years ago when I was 24.

I went to prove a point after one of his parting comments was 'you'll never go anywhere on your own' so I though 'f**k you, I'll show you', booked it and off I went.

I have to be honest and say I found the first couple of days a bit of a shock and seriously wondered if I'd made the right the decision but once I felt comfortable and had been out on an evening for the first time, I loved it. I went purely for a week in the sun, on the beach but was lucky enough to meet a lovely family who I got friendly with and spent the evenings with for the second half of the week. We sat together on the flight home and I kept in touch with them for a few years afterwards.

I love going on holiday and have to admit I haven't been away alone again but certainly wouldn't rule it out.

If it feels right, go for it - you'll probably surprise yourself.

Thanks everyone. I am thinking the thing I might be the most comfortable with is a long weekend in Dubai. Short enough to not get too twitchy but long enough to chill with some books and get some sun. I don't think I will do 'going away alone' very well though.

Thanks for all your help.

I like small group holidays eg Explore, exodus groups. They aren't all active.