Around 70% of Flavours Holidays guests are solo travellers, and a considerable percentage of those solo travellers have left their other half back home. Their reasons are many and varied, but one thing’s for sure, taking a break from the family is increasingly popular. Here are five reasons why:
1. You and your family have different interests
You like painting, but your partner’s into golf? Your kids love Orlando, but you dream of Tuscany? Going away by yourself means you get exactly the holiday you ordered – with none of the usual resentments that can bubble away when you find yourself in the wrong holiday time and place.
2. You don’t have to compromise
On a holiday for one, you never need worry about anyone’s needs but your own. Will you hold a grudge because you spent the afternoon by the pool rather than going for a walk? Nope. Will you tut because you stayed up late reading your book? We doubt it. Single travellers don’t have to do anything they don’t want to, so they’re not bothered by all the tiny niggles and squabbles that so often take the gloss off your holiday mojo.
3. You can be whoever you want to be
Suitcases aren’t the only baggage that couples and families lug about on holiday: they also carry a lifetime of behavioural expectations, forged through years of being together as a family. You fancy one more Prosecco at lunchtime, but you know your partner will raise an eyebrow? To hell with it. You fancy staying up late to chat to the group, but you know your partner will say that’s not really you? Well, too bad Old You, the New You’s letting their hair down.
As a solo traveller, there’s no one to hold you back. It’s amazing how differently people tend to interact with others when away from their family, how many new experiences they’re suddenly willing to embrace. Distance also allows single travellers to look at their life with a fresh set of eyes – it always amazes me how many of guests come back from a Flavours Holiday with renewed energy and a whole new set of life goals.
4. You really get to know the place you’re in
Family holidays are wonderful, but when you travel in a family group, the trip inevitably becomes more about your shared experiences than the country itself. If you really want to connect with a place and its people, solo travel is the best way to go, as you’re much less distracted by your nearest and dearest, and therefore much more open to observing the whys and wherefores of a different culture and its people. You’re also considerably more approachable, and therefore much likelier to meet people on your travels.
5. You’ll come back more confident
Nothing makes you feel more confident or capable than conquering the world on your own. Successfully ordering a meal in botched Italian, buying some figs from a local market— OK, it doesn’t suddenly make you Bear Grylls, but surviving on your own in a foreign country definitely gives solo travellers a feeling of confidence that stays with them long after they’ve unpacked their suitcase back home. It’s nice to have someone to rely on, but it’s particularly satisfying when that someone is you.
Click here to view tips for solo travellers, Q&As with other single travellers, and advice on choosing the right holiday for one. You can also give us a call to chat to our team about any enquiries you might have, and we will be sure to answer them as well as we can!
do you have brochure for cookery courses in italy you can post out to me please