Once upon a time, single people needed a travel bill of rights to keep from being discriminated against. If ever trying to book a vacation, cruise or tour as a single. Higher hotel costs and pricey single supplement fees added to everything connected to the trip. There is also the social stigma of traveling alone that keeps too many singles from stepping out their front doors. Happily, the world has changed for single travelers. Just ask people who are joining single travel clubs in droves.
Benefits
A travel club can give singles amazingly low rates because the company can negotiate with brokers for deep discounts. While single travel clubs do not lay claim to being matchmakers, they will do the best they can to pair each single with a compatible roommate so you and your new friend have plenty in common. As you would imagine, legitimate singles travel clubs are up-and-up agencies; there are no male/female bunking arrangements to be had. That said, many friendships have been launched when kindred souls are matched up for trips.
Benefits
Social benefits found within single travel clubs are bountiful. If you and your roommate enjoy each other's company, you can dine together, shop together and enjoy excursions together. Should you need some alone time, singles are encouraged to take breaks from each other. Perhaps one of the best perks you will find when you book with a single travel club is the overwhelming number of activities available.
Warning
Terrific relationships aside, you will be paired up with a stranger if you travel the world under the auspices of a single travel club. Remember what it was like when you arrived at your college dorm room and found a roommate who could have won prizes for slovenliness. This can happen. Additionally, dinners, excursion and activities could make you think you had landed in a theatrical production of "No Exit" if you end up with a roommate you dislike. Of course, you are saving money by making compromises, but everything is relative. Ask your singles club tour broker about the organization's policy for handling bad hook-ups before you sign on the dotted line.
Types
Because single travel clubs have become so widespread, you can cherry pick organizations. Select the one that is exactly right for you. For example, All Singles Travel--in business since 1996--prides itself on the security and camaraderie it offers members in addition to saving them money. AST specializes in single travelers ages 30 to 50. Another organization, Singles Travel Club, hangs its hat on adventure-focused trips, assuring members that their licensed, bonded agencies do nothing but unearth the cheapest group rates on the planet.
Seniors will find plenty of camaraderie as a member of the Travel Buddies Travel Club. This club has no membership fees and a huge membership base. There is also the Single Parent Travel Club. The club--based in the UK--welcomes anyone who cares to accept a child into the ranks. Because the SPTC is run by and for its members, this club is a very popular one.
Potential
Do yourself a big favor and check out a variety of travel clubs before you sign up. Don't be afraid to ask for references, then call or email folks who have used the club in the past for the skinny on the organization's operation and performance. Ask questions up-front about every fear or concern you may have. Not only will you feel confident about your choice of clubs, you may also open up a world of travel adventures you had once only dreamed about.
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