Festive Solo Breaks

Festive breaks

for sociable singles

There are still lots of solo breaks available at Christmas or New Year with

the UK’s leading tour operator for single travellers

And so it begins. As TV screens and shopping centres around the UK step up the pace of the annual Christmas campaigns, and supermarket trolleys overflow, those hoping to escape the festive frenzy start to fret that they may have left it too late to book their perfect getaway. For single travellers unfettered by family obligations – or those simply seeking an alternative to The Queen’s Speech and a selection box this year – it’s good news. Freedom, in the form of a selection of great solo breaks is just a phone call (or website click) away, thanks to Solos Holidays’ appealing array of Christmas & New Year breaks.

With over 30 years’ experience in creating itineraries to meet the specific needs of the single traveller – and voted Best Singles Holiday Tour Operator at the British Travel Awards for the last four years – Solos is the go-to tour operator for a trip away at any time of year. And, for those still not sorted for the festive season, there’s still time (just) to plan an escape… with Christmas & New Year departures available on holidays ranging from active breaks in the Alps and the Algarve to sun-soaked sojourns to the Canary Islands and Cuba, and much more…

FOR ACTIVE SINGLES…

• Skiing in Switzerland: Swap sugar-dusted mince pies for snow-dusted slopes in scenic Switzerland, where Solos offers a choice of two ski holidays over the festive period. Departing 20 December, seven nights in the Bernese Oberland at Adelboden cost from £1,149 pp* (half board; Heathrow flights) whilst Les Diablerets provides a delightful setting in which to welcome in the New Year. Departing 27 December, seven nights cost from £1,349 pp* (half board; Heathrow flights).

• Skiing in Italy: With British households spending over £800 on Christmas last year, this budget-friendly break for solo skiers should even leave you with change, compared with the average festive outlay! Departing 19 December, a seven-night holiday in the vast ski area of the Val di Sole (Sun Valley) costs from just £699 pp* (half board including a special Christmas Eve dinner; Gatwick flights).

• Walking in Portugal: Step away from the sofa and shed the sedentary Christmas cliché (and possibly a few pounds) on a sociable walking holiday in the Algarve. Renowned for its year-round warmth, stride out alongside fellow single walkers, choosing from either seven nights in the Eastern Algarve – which departs on 20 December and costs from £1,039 pp* – or seven nights in the Western Algarve, departing on 27 December, which costs from £1,099 pp*. Both holidays include B&B and seven dinners; Gatwick or Manchester flights.

• Walking in North Cyprus: Mountain tracks and crusader trails, stunning coastal scenery, fascinating castles and abbeys, and pretty Cypriot villages all combine to make this seven-night holiday a walker’s dream. Departing on either 20 or 27 December, the price is from £799 pp* (B&B, four picnic lunches and seven dinners; Stansted flights).

• Golf in Cyprus: Tee’d off with the same old, same old over Christmas & the New Year? A seven-night golfing break to Penina in Portugal’s Algarve should ring the changes nicely. Play five rounds on the Penina Championship Course, considered to be one of the finest creations of Sir Henry Cotton (three times British Open champion) and relax in comfort at the resort’s impressive five-star hotel. Departing 20 & 27 December, the price is from £1,285 pp* (half board; Gatwick or Manchester flights). Or treat yourself to a 14-night stay, departing 20 December, from £2,369 pp*

FOR SUN-SEEKING SINGLES…

• SPAIN: This year, swap the usual blustery Boxing Day walk for a saunter along a sun-kissed shoreline on the Costa del Sol, staying just 250 metres from Torre Bermeja Beach and close to the bars, shops and restaurants of Benalmádena, with Gibraltar, Granada, Marbella, Ronda and Seville all easily accessible for day trips. Departing 20 December, the price is from £769 pp* (half board; Gatwick or Manchester flights) for seven nights.

Or go all-inclusive with a seven-night stay at the four-star Melia Benidorm on Spain’s Costa Blanca, moments from Levante beach and perfectly placed for enjoying all that Benidorm has to offer – from lazy days to vibrant nights, and a choice of excursions (additional cost) that include Alicante and the picturesque mountainside town of Guadalest. Departing 22 December, the price is from £959 pp* (all-inclusive; Gatwick or Manchester flights).

If island life appeals, a week in the Canaries – based in the heart of Playa de Las Americas in South Tenerife – is sure to tick all the boxes. Blessed with a wonderful year-round climate, there’s plenty to see and do. Get back to nature at Teide National Park, home to the world’s third largest volcano, or take a trip to the green island of La Gomera, where dramatic landscapes and fascinating flora and fauna await discovery. Departing 20 December, the price is from £1,289 pp* (half board; Gatwick or Manchester flights).

• MALTA: Eschew endless re-runs of Only Fools & Horses and The Sound of Music and pursue cultural highlights at a higher level during a seven-night stay in Sliema. Staying in four-star comfort at Hotel Fortina, overlooking Valletta, spend days exploring the chequerboard of streets, museums and palaces of Malta’s majestic capital, or venture inland to the ‘Silent City’ of Mdina. Departing 22 & 29 December, the price is from £745 pp* (half board including two Thalasso Pool sessions and harbour cruise; Heathrow flights).

• CUBA: Currently experiencing a period of significant political and social change that has already seen visitor numbers to Cuba soar, now’s the best possible time to see it for yourself. Solos’ 14-night holiday, based at the four-star Hotel Memories Jibacoa, promises pleasant mid-20°C day-time temperatures as well as convenient proximity to historic Havana, Matanzas City and Varadero Beach for interesting excursions. Departing 21 December, the price is from £3,299 pp* (all-inclusive, Gatwick flights).

• DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: For a welcome as warm as its weather, the Dominican Republic’s idyllic for a late December dash. This 14-night beachside break, based at Playa Dorada on the outskirts of Puerto Plata, promises watersports in abundance – complimentary snorkelling, sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and an introductory scuba diving lesson are included with your stay – as well as miles of golden sand, magnificent mountain scenery and excursions ranging from catamaran cruises to helicopter rides (additional cost). Departing 23 December, the price is from £3,199 pp* (all-inclusive, Gatwick flights).

FOR SIGHTSEEING SINGLES…

• If city breaks and sightseeing are more your style, why not add one of Solos’ European options to your Christmas list this year? Departing 22 December, spend six nights in sublime Sorrento from £1,019 pp* (half-board plus Christmas Day lunch; Heathrow flights), or enjoy a three-night stay in Lisbon from £789 pp* (B&B plus one dinner; Heathrow flights), a three-night stay in Trieste from £819 pp* (B&B plus one dinner; Gatwick flights) or a four-night stay in Budapest from £789 pp* (B&B plus Christmas lunch, Heathrow flights) – all departing on 23 December.

• Alternatively, see in the New Year on a four-night trip to Zagreb. Departing 28 December, the price is from £799 pp* (B&B plus two dinners, one of which is a New Year’s Eve Dinner; Heathrow flights). Or welcome in 2016 in Berlin, where a three-night city centre stay, departing 30 December, costs from £1,079 pp* (B&B plus one dinner; Heathrow flights).

• Or, if time and budget permit, treat yourself to a 16-night escorted tour of Enchanting Indochina that blends the very best of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam into one unforgettable journey. Departing 23 December, the price is from £3,699 pp* (full board; Heathrow flights).

FOR TRADITIONAL SINGLES…

• For a festive season straight from a greetings card, Christmas in Tyrol will satisfy even the most whimsical of winter wonderland enthusiasts. Staying at the cosy, snow-clad Hotel Tyrol, just a few minutes from Söll, there’s ample free time to visit the village’s traditional nativity sets and charmingly decorated churches, while included excursions to Innsbruck and Kitzbühel offer the opportunity to see even more of Austria at this atmospheric time of year. Departing 22 December, this four-night trip costs from £999 pp* (half board including a traditional Austrian Christmas dinner on 24 December and a traditional Turkey dinner on 25 December; Gatwick flights).

• For those for whom nothing beats a traditional Christmas in the UK – whatever the weather – Solos offers a selection of sociable three-night breaks encompassing all the essential elements of a classic festive season, with carol singing, gala dinners, dancing and excursions to local attractions all on the menu. Arriving 24 December, spend Christmas in Bournemouth (from £569 pp), Cheshire (from £509 pp), Gloucestershire (from £555 pp), Leeds (from £599 pp), Northamptonshire (from £439 pp) or Warwickshire (from £469 pp). Each festive package includes B&B in a twin or double room for single use, dinner with wine each evening, a Christmas Day lunch, excursions and full use of the hotel’s leisure facilities (where available).

• Always stuck for something to do with those tricky few days between Christmas & New Year? This year, give a ‘Twixmas’ break a try, staying at four-star The Oxford Belfry. Take a swim, steam or sauna, or enjoy a pampering spa treatment in the hotel’s leisure centre before meeting up with fellow Solos’ clients for drinks, dinner, a fun quiz and evening disco. A guided walking tour of Oxford – with ample time to explore independently or with new-found friends – is also included. Arriving 27 December, the price for this two-night break is from £269 pp.

• Sorted for Christmas but yearn to spend New Year’s Eve elsewhere? Solos has limited spaces on its two-night New Year’s Eve breaks in Cheshire, (from £469 pp), Harrogate (from £365 pp) and Newbury (from £399 pp) breaks. Arriving 30 December, the price includes B&B in a twin or double room for single use, dinner with wine each evening, a New Year’s Eve Gala and full use of the hotel’s leisure facilities (where available).

• Just out for the evening? Why not join in the fun at a Solos New Year Ball in either London (from £85 pp; with overnight stay from £239 pp) or Manchester (from £99 pp; with overnight stay from £189 pp)? Or party into 2016 on board a Showboat Cruise (from £299 pp) along the Thames that includes a four-course dinner with wine, champagne at midnight, dancing to a live band and a memorable view of the world-famous New Year’s Eve fireworks in central London as Big Ben strikes midnight.

All Solos holidays include meals/drinks as indicated, a welcome drink & information meeting, and the services of an accompanying Solos Tour Leader. Some also include excursions and/or activities. Accommodation is in either a single room or a twin or double room for single occupancy.

*Prices for overseas holidays also include return flights and transfers.

For more information or to request a copy of Solos’ latest brochure, call 0844 371 8860, visit www.solosholidays.co.uk or view it online here.