Solo travel carries a real financial penalty, and pretending otherwise is unhelpful. You pay for a room designed for two, you cannot split taxis, and single supplements exist on almost everything. The good news is that each of those has a workaround.

Where the solo penalty actually falls

  • Accommodation. The big one. A private room costs the same for one person as for two.
  • Transport. Taxis, private transfers and car hire cannot be shared.
  • Tours and cruises. Single supplements can add 30 to 100 percent.
  • Food. Portions and set menus are often built for sharing.

Fixing accommodation costs

  • Hostels with private rooms. The best compromise: your own space, hostel prices, and a social area when you want one.
  • Guesthouses and family-run places over hotels, particularly in Asia and Latin America.
  • Stay longer in fewer places. Weekly and monthly rates cut nightly costs substantially, and moving less is cheaper in every category.
  • House sitting. Free accommodation in exchange for looking after a home or pets.
  • Work exchanges. A few hours daily for bed and often food. Check visa implications, as this is not permitted everywhere.

Choose countries where solo is cheap

Your destination affects the budget more than any tactic. Southeast Asia, parts of Central and Eastern Europe, Central America, India and Nepal all have dense budget infrastructure built around independent travellers. Iceland, Switzerland, Japan and the Nordics punish solo budgets hard.

Transport

  • Overnight buses and trains save a night of accommodation as well as the fare.
  • Book trains early where dynamic pricing applies, which is most of Europe.
  • Use public transport from airports. Solo travellers cannot dilute a transfer cost across a group.
  • Regional budget airlines are frequently cheaper than long-distance rail.

Food

Street food and markets, guesthouses with kitchens, and eating your main meal at lunch where set menus are cheaper. In much of the world, the food that costs least is also the food worth travelling for, which makes this the easiest saving to accept.

Tours and activities

Book group tours locally rather than online, where you join an existing group instead of paying a private rate. Free walking tours in most cities. Ask hostels about others heading to the same place, since sharing a day trip taxi three ways removes the penalty entirely.

What not to cut

Travel insurance and safe arrival. Landing somewhere at 2am to save on a flight, or skipping insurance to save a small sum, are the two false economies that cost solo travellers the most.

See also how to travel the world on a budget.