How to Avoid the Single Supplement

The setup

You find the perfect tour, see the price, and then the footnote: "per person, based on double occupancy." Traveling alone, the real price is often much higher. That's the single supplement, and it's the most expensive two words in solo travel.

Why it's hard alone

Tours and cruises price rooms for two. When one person takes a double room, the company loses the second fare, so it charges you to make up for it. On cruises the extra can run from a small top-up to the price of a whole second fare, depending on the line and the sailing. On tours it can add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to a long trip.

The solo method

1. Agree to share a room. Many small-group tour operators will pair you with another solo traveler of the same gender at no extra cost. G Adventures and Intrepid both work this way on most trips. You get the double-occupancy price.
2. Pick operators built for solo travelers. Some companies are designed around people traveling alone and don't make the supplement compulsory. Look for phrases like "no forced single supplement" or "room share guaranteed."
3. Book a solo cabin on a cruise. Norwegian's studio cabins have no single supplement, and lines including Royal Caribbean and Cunard have added cabins for one on some ships. Compare the price against a regular cabin plus supplement: solo cabins are smaller, and aren't always cheaper.
4. Watch for waived-supplement sailings. River cruise lines such as Avalon and Uniworld regularly waive the supplement on selected departures. Sign up for their newsletters and check shoulder-season dates.
5. Look for solo-only departures and promotions. Some operators run trips only for solo travelers, or periodic deals that cut the cost of a private room.

What nobody tells you

On shared-room tours, you sometimes get a private room anyway: if you're the only solo traveler of your gender on that departure, there may be no one to pair you with. It's never guaranteed, but it happens.