Solos Holidays hits the spot for sociable single travellers

Latest brochure showcases more than 40 tempting new trips – from Leeds Castle to St. Lucia.

The UK’s leading single traveller specialist operator, Solos Holidays has added over 40 new itineraries to its sought-after worldwide programme of short breaks and longer trips. Covering departures until April 2016, the latest brochure encompasses European city stays, exotic escorted tours and an array of active options, as well as an ever-popular ‘fly-and-flop’ sun and cruise selection.

Whether single through choice or circumstance, or simply someone with a partner or spouse who doesn’t share your passion for travel, Solos Holidays has a suggestion to suit. No longer limited to just joining a coach tour and enduring endless souvenir-shopping stops, the huge number of options available – from sightseeing to skiing – means solo travel has now become a coveted holiday option… especially when the choice is as extensive as that offered in Solos’ latest brochure.

Ranging from short breaks in the UK & Europe to active adventures in Costa Rica and escorted journeys around Sri Lanka and South America, Solos’ NEW itineraries for 2015/16 include:

In the UK:

Tempted to try a singles holiday but not sure what to expect? Discover Solos weekends are just the ticket. Choose from either Nottingham or Southampton for a two-night break that offers the chance to ask questions of the accompanying Solos Tour Leader alongside guided walks of local attractions, sociable dining and a disco on one of the evenings. Departing 15 November 2015 (Nottingham) & 18 March 2016 (Southampton), the price is from £249 pp including half-board accommodation in a twin or double room for single use, and all activities. Or why not sample a short break in Cardiff (from £295 pp), Kent (with a full-day excursion to Leeds Castle, from £279 pp) or The South Downs (from £279 pp), staying at a beach-side hotel, close to the popular coastal town of Bognor Regis?

European City Breaks:

Fancy something a little further afield? A European city break’s the ideal way to spend a few days away from home before committing to a longer trip. And, with Valletta, Vienna, Budapest, Berlin, Lisbon and Barcelona having been added to Solos’ selection for 2015/16, the only tricky part will be deciding which one to visit first. Prices start from £469 pp for a three-night stay at the three-star Hotel Eduardo VII in Lisbon, including flights (Heathrow), transfers, B&B in a twin or double room for single use, one dinner, a half-day guided city tour and Solos Tour Leader.

Discovery Tours:

Travelling in a companionable group, accompanied by an experienced Tour Leader, Solos’ Discovery Tours encompass destinations as diverse as Italy and Alaska, each carefully-planned itinerary blending sociable sightseeing with ample time for relaxation and/or independent exploration.

Gastronomes will particularly relish the five-night Flavours of Spain tour. Discover Andalucia‘s culinary and cultural delights with visits to the Alhambra Palace, Granada, Guadix and Las Alpujarras’ pueblos blancos, all washed down with sangria, mouth-watering cured hams and the chance to prepare – and sample – tasty tapas. Departing 13 October 2015, and 13 March & 17 April 2016, the price is from £945 pp*.  Or step across the border into Classic Portugal to enjoy a seven-night journey that ticks off Porto, Aveiro Guimarães, Coimbra, Alcobaça, Nazaré, Fátimal, Óbidos, Sintra and Cascais, before rounding off with a guided tour of Lisbon. Departing 27 September 2015 & 30 April 2016, the price is from £1,129 pp*.

Solos’ new Javi & Bali Explorer tour contrasts bustling cities with verdant rice paddy fields, tranquil rainforests and smoking volcanoes, and the chance to take in vibrant Singapore on an en-route stopover. Departing 2 October 2015 & 15 April 2016, the price is from £3,399 pp*. Or why not check out Wild Sri Lanka, a seven-night tour of the island’s impressive flora and fauna, with visits to some of its lesser-known National Parks, sightseeing in Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, and the chance to climb the breath-taking (literally!) Sigiriya Rock Fortress? Departing 8 February 2016, the price is from £2,439 pp*.

Also new to Solos’ long-haul selection this year are China & the Yangtze, a classic 12-night itinerary visiting Beijing, Xian and Shanghai, interspersed by a relaxing river cruise (departing 7 May 2016, the price is from £3,399 pp*) and Tempting Thailand, a 12-night tour that travels from Bangkok via Kanchanaburi (and the Bridge over the River Kwai) to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, before spending a couple of days at the coastal resort of Hua Hin (departing 8 November 2015 & 19 March 2016, the price is from £2,939 pp*). South America next on your ‘must-visit’ list? Solos’ new ten-night trip – taking in Buenos Aires, Iguassu and Rio de Janeiro – will hit the spot. Departing 27 September 2015, the price is from £4,099 pp*.

Active Breaks:

Increasingly popular with single travellers who prefer to combine sightseeing with one or more sporting pursuits, Solos’ selection of activity holidays has been further expanded. In Europe, walkers can now stroll in Suffolk, Tenerife, Mallorca or the Western Algarve, whilst intrepid trekkers can choose Costa Rica – a ten-night hike amid dramatic landscapes. Departing 10 November, the price is from £2,999 pp*.

Solos also serves up a new option for tennis enthusiasts. Based at the luxurious five-star Sensatori Resort Aphrodite Hills in Cyprus – home to the renowned Annabel Croft Tennis Academy – this seven-night holiday will appeal to anyone keen to escape the British winter whilst brushing up their backhand. Departing 23 February, the price is from £1,265 pp* including a five-day tennis programme. 

Golfers have a treat in store, too, with Marrakech and Mauritius joining Solos’ diverse selection of golf holidays. Rapidly becoming a golfing hotspot, Marrakech‘s benevolent winter climate, fascinating culture and excellent courses make it a must for keen players. Departing 7 November 2015 & 13 February 2016, the price is from £1,155 pp* including four rounds of organised golf.  Warm weather’s also on the menu in Mauritius, where a powder-white beach and close proximity to your hotel’s own award-winning course await. Departing 20 September, this ten-night trip costs from £2,999 pp*.

 Life on the ocean wave:

New to Solos’ cruise programme this year are six European sailings with Cruise & Maritime on board the newly-recommissioned Magellan. Spend summer in the Norwegian Fjords, exploring Scandinavian Cities & Fairytales or discovering the Grand British Isles and, in autumn, cruise Amsterdam & Antwerp or enjoy Autumn Gardens & the Channel Islands (includes Amsterdam, Zeebrugge, St. Helier, St. Peter Port and Honfleur).

Keen to spend the festive season at sea? Solos has introduced a Christmas & New Year Cruise, a two-week sailing to warmer climes in the Canary Islands, with shore visits to Gibraltar, Lanzarote, Gran  Canaria, Tenerife, Madeira and Lisbon. Departing 22 December, the price is from £2,139 pp*. Or why not try your hand at sailing? Solos’ new Island Hopping in the Ionian Sea holiday offers the chance to help crew the yacht; lounging on deck to look out for dolphins is perfectly permissible, too! This week-long trip visits Zakynthos, Kefalonia and Ithaca, with stop-offs for swimming, snorkelling and beach barbeques. Departing 12 July & 13 September, the price is from £1,299 pp*.

Fun in the sun:

If guaranteed sunshine’s high on your holiday wish list, Solos has a superb selection of warm-weather holidays across Europe and further afield. New resorts in Tenerife (Playa de Las Americas), Gran Canaria (Playa del Inglés), Malta (Mellieha) and the Dominican Republic (Punta Cana) join Solos’ collection for 2015/16, whilst Zanzibar and Goa have been added for the first time. Staying at the four-star Ocean Paradise Resort, treat yourself to ten nights on the Tanzanian ‘spice island’ of  Zanzibar. Departing 16 November 2015 and 25 January & 8 February 2016, the price is from £1,899 pp*.  Fancy giving Goa a go? Solos offers 11 nights at the three-star+ Citrus Goa, minutes from Calangute beach, from £2,329 pp*. Departs 28 November 2015 and 16 January & 27 February 2016.

Singular exclusivity:

For singles keen to mingle only with fellow solo travellers in their chosen accommodation, Solos offers several options.  New to the brochure for 2015/16, TheBodyHoliday in Saint Lucia provides the ideal solution for those seeking rejuvenation, adventure – or a bit of both – and is exclusively available to single guests only during September.  Set amid 42 acres of lush tropical gardens, TheBodyHoliday is a five-star resort boasting a choice of restaurants and bars, extensive sports facilities and a wellness centre offering fabulous treatments. It’s also the perfect base from which to hike, mountain bike and horse ride, or to enjoy the array of watersports on offer. Departing throughout September, a seven-night holiday costs from £1,895 pp*. Ten, 11, 14 and 21-night options also available. 

In Greece and Turkey, Solos also offers a number of hand-picked, family-run hotels – known as Club Solos – that are exclusive to its own clients, each combining a relaxing and fun atmosphere with all-important privacy, yet still close to local sights and attractions. The Olympos Hotel is a tranquil retreat, close to Ovacik and Hisarönü, the stunning Blue Lagoon of Ölüdeniz and picturesque Fethiye. Departing regularly from May until October, a seven-night holiday costs from £495 pp*; 14 nights are from £775 pp*.

New to ‘Club Solos’ in Greece, Villa Maistrali – on Santorini’s south-east coast – is conveniently located just 80 metres from stunning Perissa beach. Already fully booked until October, a seven-night holiday – departing 10 or 17 October – costs from £499 pp*. Or set yourself up for summer at the Iraklis Apartments on Crete, a three-minute stroll from a Blue Flag beach and close to the resort of Gouves. Departing regularly from May to October, a seven-night holiday costs from £599 pp*; 14 nights are from £915 pp*.

*Prices include flights, transfers, B&B in a twin or double room for single use, some meals (depending on the itinerary chosen), welcome drink & information meeting, and the services of an accompanying Solos Tour Leader (except TheBodyHoliday in Saint Lucia).

Voted Best Singles Holiday Tour Operator at the British Travel Awards for the last four years, Solos is the UK’s no. 1 singles holiday company, specialised in meeting the needs of solo travellers for over 30 years, and is the only single traveller specialist to offer tennis and golf holidays.

For more information about Solos’ worldwide programme of short breaks, escorted tours and activity breaks, call 0844 371 8860 or visit www.solosholidays.co.uk. To order a copy of Solos’ latest brochure – or view it online – click here.