On package vacations, single travelers are often hit with a "single supplement" to the base price. To avoid it, you can agree to room with other single travelers or find a compatible roommate before you go, from one of the many roommate-locator agencies.
Canadian-based Connecting Single Travel Companions (tel. 604/886-9099; www.cstn.org) runs personal ads on its website from single travelers looking for companions; it also offers useful links to other sites.
TravelChums (tel. 212/787-2621; www.travelchums.com) is another Internet-only travel-companion matching service with elements of an online personals-type site, hosted by the respected New York-based Shaw Guides travel service.
Many tour companies offer singles-only trips. Singles Travel Company (tel. 888/286-8687; www.singlestravelcompany.com) offers budget-oriented singles-only escorted tours to places like Italy, Belize, and Egypt. All Singles Travel (tel. 800/717 3231; www.allsinglestravel.com) arranges Egypt tours with good hotels and possible extensions to see Israel as well. Backroads (tel. 800/462-2848; www.backroads.com) offers "Singles + Solos" active-travel trips to destinations worldwide.
For more information, check out Eleanor Berman's classic Traveling Solo: Advice and Ideas for More Than 250 Great Vacations, 5th Edition (Globe Pequot), updated in 2005.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
