"Lone, but Not Alone!" Traveling Single...

All alone, Missy leisurely strolled down the Florida hiking trail miles from civilization; Melissa savored an unmatched moment of solitude.

"There wasn't anyone around. The forest was covered with a light dew that sparkled in the sunlight like little diamonds and the sky was a pale misty blue," Missy recalled. "I felt like I was strolling on the pathway to heaven. It just inspired lofty thoughts." As Melissa realized long ago, having a travel companion isn't a prerequisite to a rewarding vacation.

"This is the real beauty of solo travel -- getting in touch with that other part of yourself, and it cannot be experienced with any other person," says Melissa.

There are nearly 16 million single travelers from the United States, making up nearly 22 percent of all the nation's travelers, according to the U.S. Travel Data Center. If you're a solo traveler, you're not alone. About 16 percent of travelers this year will be on solo trips, and that doesn't include lone travelers checking out other tours.

And it's no wonder. The U.S. Census reports the number of unmarried adults nearly doubled to 101 million between 1970 and 1999. But solo travelers don't necessarily go it alone because they have to. Many do it because they choose to. "You've got total freedom to do exactly the trip you want and total freedom to do as you please each day," said Ann Beamon, author of "Traveling Alone & Loving It: A Guide to Solo Travel."

"Lone but not lonely"
Some lonely moments may be inevitable on a solo journey, but travelers can minimize them by taking advantage of -- or creating -- opportunities to meet other people. "You find when you travel alone you can control how much you're alone," said Barbara, a Chicago resident who began traveling solo after a 1985 divorce. "A new friendship is just as close as the next person you feel like starting a conversation with."

The right attitude helps
"Nobody wants to be alone all the time, so that means you have to be approachable," said Bob Wright, a former travel agent who lives in Gibsons, British Columbia, near Vancouver. "I will talk to anybody who will talk to me -- whoever is going to add something interesting to my day."

Alone with a group
A solo vacation might not be for everyone. If you don't want to be alone, consider traveling with a group. Tour companies, cruises, biking, hiking clubs and the granddaddy of singles vacations -- Club Med -- will welcome and often cater to the solo traveler.

For the first time traveler, I would suggest that you not just jump on a plane and fly. Have your itinerary planned and make copies, giving them to your family or friends. You should always let someone know where you are going. For men and women, be aware of your surrounding, but don't be afraid to enjoy the culture and its people. Some of the most interesting people you'll meet while traveling solo will become very dear friends over the years.

What are you waiting for? Plan today and let your dreams become your reality.

Single Travel Clubs

Single Travel Clubs - Many unattached people the world over like to travel but they really are not overly keen on traveling alone. Hence, the widespread popularity of single travel clubs.

Springing up all over the world, single travel clubs provide a nice way for single people to enjoy travel in the company of like-minded and similarly situated people.

The idea and concept behind single travel clubs is very simple. People merely sign up -- usually for a fee of some sort -- to become members in the single travel clubs. Throughout the year, the single travel clubs offer vacation and travel packages for their memberships.

The types of trips offered by these single travel clubs are as varied as the places on the planet where one can travel to at this point in time.

Single travel clubs have become very specialized operations. For example, not only are there more traditional (if you will allow the term) single travel clubs that offer trip and vacation programs for adults (men and women), there are now single travel clubs for gay men, lesbian women, Christians, younger adults, senior citizens and so forth. In other words, just as single travel clubs serve destinations all over the globe in the course of their "work," so there are now single travel clubs that meet the particular needs of any person.

If you are interested in finding out more about singles travel clubs, we suggest that you spend a spot of time on the Net. In preparing this article, we undertook a brief search in regard to single travel clubs to determine availability of such programs around the globe. In a general search, we received over 100,000 mostly helpful hits.

In conclusion, no one in the 21st century need travel alone if he or she is looking for travel companions. The single travel clubs are there to serve you.
Google Search for "Florida Single Travel Clubs" (Google)