Solo travel is becoming one of the most popular types of travel, yet travelers are often plagued with much higher per person costs. Solo travelers are well aware of the dreaded single supplement. Most cruise lines and tour groups require a solo traveler to pay the same as two people sharing a room. This is the 100% single supplement. However, it is possible to find offers that reduce the price of traveling solo. These are the best solo deals available right now.

AMAWaterways. Ever dreamed of a European River cruise?  They are delightful! Book select sailings by March 31 and there is NO single supplement! Explore the Rhine, Bordeaux, the Danube, Moselle and more. You may the same rate as anyone else! Follow this link to explore AMAWaterways solo specials. Before you book, check with us as we can often add additional perks or savings.

It’s no secret we love AMAWaterways.

Beautiful Strasbourg

Looking for an Ocean Cruise? Solo Travel Deals

Regent Seven Seas, one of the world’s most luxurious and all-inclusive lines has reduced single supplements for solo travelers on select voyages. Find one you like and check with us before you book to see what we can add on to enhance your experience.

We are fans of Virgin Voyages. Solo travelers can find reduced single supplement offers from Virgin here. Be sure to check with us before booking as we have many perks and tips to offer. Virgin invites solo travelers to a group dinner early in the cruise, and has other opportunities for singles to meet new friends.

Upscale lines Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, Oceania, Seabourn and Ponant are offering select sailings with no single supplement to destinations around the world, including Alaska, Greece, New Guinea, Norway, Iceland, Pitcairn and Easter Islands, Spain, and Polynesia.

Morocco

Solo Travel Deals: Land Based Tours

Two of the best choices for solo travel deals are G Adventures and Intrepid. These tours are very popular with single women as you travel safely with a very small group and guide.

However, if you’d like your own space, you can pay for an individual room on most of our trips.

Intrepid Travel is known for treating solo travelers well. They specialize in small group travel to fascinating destinations. It is perfect for solo travelers. In fact, half or more of Intrepid’s travelers are singles.

Intrepid will pair you with another solo traveler of the same gender. If you wish to room alone, the upcharge is reasonable.

Intrepid’s motto is Go Solo, But Not Alone. The average Intrepid trip has about ten people on it – people of all ages and backgrounds from all over the world. You are guided by a local guide who knows the backstreet bars, cool tapas joint and hidden galleries. They’ll give you tips for your free time exploring, and introduce you to locals. They can help you travel safely.

Intrepid truly covers the world with travels to the polar regions, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, pretty much anywhere you want to go.

Puffins in Iceland!

G Adventures is another great choices for the solo traveler. Known for offering National Geographic and Jane Goodall journeys, they charge no dreaded single supplement. You travel safely with a small group and guide. Visit destinations off the tourist trail such as Pakistan, Tibet, and Madacascar. They too will match you with another traveler of the same gender. And, for a small amount more, you can have your own room. Now they offer “Solo-ish” trips you can choose from too. Everyone in the group will be a solo traveler!

It’s a wonderful world and you can travel solo safely and affordably if you know where to look.

The post Solo Travel Deals Available Now appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Where and When?

European Christmas markets can be found throughout northern Europe in Germany, Austria, France, Norway, Italy, Belgium, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and the even the United Kingdom. Generally, they run from mid-November to a few days before Christmas. However, a few will run until New Year’s.  We use this helpful annual guide to make sure the ones we want to visit are open when we go.

Our favorite country for European Christmas markets is Germany. After all, Germany is the country that developed most of the traditions that Americans follow for celebrating Christmas.

Fairy Tale Dioramas In Lubeck Germany

What Will You Find at a Christmas Market?

Every market has a distinct vibe. Some are very child-oriented with carnival rides for the kids. Others are high-end shopping extravaganzas.  There are medieval themed Christmas markets, which are great fun. We saw one in Lubeck that featured adorable fairy tale dioramas.

In many traditional markets, especially in smaller towns, there will be at least one vendor selling household goods.  Of course, most will sell beautiful ornaments for your Christmas tree.  And it is a rare German Christmas market where you don’t see vendors selling giant Gingerbread necklaces with sayings in frosting like “Princess” or “I love you.”

You’ll see stands like this everywhere

Christmas Market Food and Drink

There will be food, almost always with vendors roasting sausages and wurst. Usually, there will be fried fish and vegetarian options. Try a flammkuchen, a flatbread usually topped with cheese, onions, and ham. Of course, you can get them topped with a variety of other items. By the way, you will often see a German favorite, currywurst. We are not fans.

You will find baked goods, including German pretzels, usually called bretzels.

Most markets will have stollen, gingerbread, and marzipan. Oddly, you will probably not find peppermint candy canes. But don’t fret, there are so many other treats.

Be aware the some of the treats are regional in nature, so you may not find everything we mention here at every market.

One of our favorites is a delightful sugar dough treat called Baumstriezel, also known as Chimney Cake. Picture this– spiraling wisps of yeasted dough, twirled lovingly around a cylindrical spit, and baked till it hits that golden brown sweet spot. You end up with a confection that’s caramelized just right on the outside and fluffily soft on the inside! Don’t blame us if you’re left wanting more!

The Divine Baumstreizel

And you MUST try the ubiquitous warm gluhwein, which is mulled wine. You can add a shot of rum or other liquors to make it even better. While there will be many outdoor stands, some will have a big indoor tent or temporary building where you can sit and warm up. The significant consumption of gluhwein appears to be the point of many Christmas markets. It does warm your tummy!

What’s The Best Way to Visit Christmas Markets?

We think the very best way is to take a special river cruise with a Christmas market itinerary. Imagine waking up each morning in a new town with new markets to explore! No packing and unpacking as your hotel is your transportation.

We love AMAWaterways which offers many Christmas market cruises. If you have never taken an AMAWaterways river cruise, you can read about our experiences here.

Popular Viking cruises also offers many Christmas Market itineraries.

Christmas Markets to Consider

Trier, Koblenz, and Mainz are particularly famous and are large markets. We loved the several markets in the charming Lubeck in northern Germany. Berlin has MANY markets to choose from and we have gone to most of them! In fact, if you tire of Berlin’s, Potsdam and Dresden are short train rides away so you can visit more. We also enjoyed markets in Erfurt and Weimar.

Strasbourg is a charming French town along the Rhine featured on many river cruises. It is a picture-perfect town for a Christmas market visit. And of course, there is the famous Romantic Road with lovely markets.

We hope you love these best Christmas markets in Europe as much as we do.

Ready for More Great Travel Tips?

We share our favorite travel secrets and tips every week. You can see them all here.

While you’re in Europe, visit some Great Art in Paris not the Louvre.

The post You Can Experience 2024 European Christmas Markets appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

We’re Growing! Ready to Plan Your Next Trip?

Thanks to you, our loyal clients, Far Far Away Travels is growing. Our big travel news in November is that we are happy to announce that Karen Dziadosz-Evans is joining Far Far Away Travels.  Karen will be focused on theme parks in Orlando: Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World, and Discovery Cove. She visits Orlando often and keeps abreast of the continually changing theme park environment.  And of course, she knows Disneyland and Universal California too.

Remember Fast Passes? Gone. It can take hours and hours of online research to figure out even a simple Disney or Universal trip. Karen does the work, so you don’t need to.  You can reach her at Karen@farfarawaytravels.com.  She will be sharing many tips for saving time and money. 

Karen has the highest level of training with Universal, SeaWorld, and the Disney College of Knowledge. 

As always, please reach out to Nichole, Gretchen, and Karen with any travel questions. 

Karen Dziadosz-Evans on her last Virgin Voyage

Travel Abroad, the Travel News You Need This November

We understand that the Israel-Hamas War, along with the war in Ukraine, causes concerns about traveling abroad for some. Personally, since these wars have broken out, we have traveled to Germany, Iceland, and Norway without incident or concern.

However, we recognize that everyone has a different tolerance level.

We always suggest checking the Department of State site for alerts about specific countries.

Finally, it is interesting to remind ourselves that some countries warn their citizens that travel to the United States can be dangerous.

Whether you travel at home or abroad, you should always take normal precautions and buy travel insurance.

Global Entry Just Got Better!

We have long said that Global Entry is a great deal. There is great travel news this November about this exceptional program.

When returning to the US, Global Entry lets you breeze through Passport Control in minutes, letting you bypass the very long lines of those without it. We estimate it easily saves us 30 minutes or more of wait time whenever we use it. It includes TSA Precheck for domestic travel and costs only $15 more than Precheck alone.

Now Global Entry is even better. You can download a free app on your phone, fill out the needed information, and upon arrival take a picture of yourself, submit it into the system and you get a digital receipt to show the agent. Amazing!

For now, the Global Entry app is only available for use by travelers arriving at seven airports. Hopefully, the list will grow.

• Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
• Los Angeles International Airport
• Miami International Airport
• Orlando International Airport
• Washington Dulles International Airport
• Pittsburgh International Airport
• Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport

And Global Entry without the app can be used at a long list of airports.

Remember, many major credit cards will fully reimburse you the cost of Global Entry so be sure to check your card’s benefits.

The only drawback is the background check and initial interview where you are fingerprinted. This year though, we were able to renew with a video interview.

Too busy to schedule an interview? They will let you interview upon your next return to the U.S.

News from Delta

Are you a Delta Medallion member? We can book you through Delta Vacations and you earn toward Medallion® Status on your flights, hotels, cars and activities.

Travel News November: Visiting Europe

This is a great time to visit Europe. The currency exchange rate is exceptionally good as the Euro and the dollar are generally at par. In past years, Americans would pay a 30-50% premium. We recently wrote about the joys of the Christmas market.

If you have followed matters, you know that Americans were slated to have to file for an electronic visa before visiting Europe beginning in 2024. However, that has now been postponed until 2025.

Eventually, international travelers will need to seek pre-approval prior to their journey into the group of 30 EU countries.

Ready for More Great Travel Tips?

We share our favorite travel secrets and tips every week. You can see them all here.

The post Important Travel News November 2023 appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Where and When?

European Christmas markets can be found throughout northern Europe in Germany, Austria, France, Norway, Italy, Belgium, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and the even the United Kingdom. Generally, they run from mid-November to a few days before Christmas. However, some will run until New Year’s.  We use this helpful annual guide to make sure the ones we want to visit are open when we go.

Our favorite country for European Christmas markets is Germany. After all, Germany is the country that developed most of the traditions that Americans follow for celebrating Christmas.

Fairy Tale Dioramas In Lubeck Germany

What Will You Find at a Christmas Market?

Every market has a distinct vibe. Some are very child-oriented with carnival rides for the kids. Others are high-end shopping extravaganzas.  There are medieval themed Christmas markets, which are great fun. We saw one in Luebeck that featured adorable fairy tale dioramas.

In many traditional markets, especially in smaller towns, there will be at least one vendor selling household goods.  Of course, most will sell beautiful ornaments for your Christmas tree.  And it is a rare German Christmas market where you don’t see vendors selling giant Gingerbread necklaces with sayings in frosting like “Princess” or “I love you.”

You’ll see stands like this everywhere

Christmas Market Food and Drink

There will be food, almost always with vendors roasting sausages and wurst. Usually, there will be fried fish and vegetarian options. Try a flammkuchen, a flatbread usually topped with cheese, onions, and ham. Of course, you can get them topped with a variety of other items. By the way, you will often see a German favorite, currywurst. We are not fans.

You will find baked goods, including German pretzels, usually called bretzels.

Most markets will have stollen, gingerbread, and marzipan. Oddly, you will probably not find peppermint candy canes. But don’t fret, there are so many other treats.

One of our favorites is a delightful sugar dough treat called Baumstriezel, also known as Chimney Cake. Picture this– spiraling wisps of yeasted dough, twirled lovingly around a cylindrical spit, and baked till it hits that golden brown sweet spot. You end up with a confection that’s caramelized just right on the outside and fluffily soft on the inside! Don’t blame us if you’re left wanting more!

The Divine Baumstreizel

And you MUST try the ubiquitous warm gluhwein, which is mulled wine. You can add a shot of rum or other liquors to make it even better. While there will be many outdoor stands, some will have a big indoor tent or temporary building where you can sit and warm up. Most of the point of Christmas markets is the significant consumption of gluhwein. It does warm your tummy!

What’s The Best Way to Visit Christmas Markets?

We think the very best way is to take a special river cruise with a Christmas market itinerary. Imagine waking up each morning in a new town with new markets to explore! No packing and unpacking as your hotel is your transportation.

We love AMAWaterways which offers Christmas market cruises on the Danube, Iconic Christmas Markets, and on the Rhine. If you have never taken an AMAWaterways river cruise, you can read about our experiences here.

Popular Viking cruises offers many Christmas Market itineraries. 

Christmas Markets to Consider

Trier, Koblenz, and Mainz are particularly famous and are large markets. We loved the several markets in the gorgeous Lubeck in northern Germany. Berlin has MANY markets to choose from and we went to most of them! In fact, if you tire of Berlin’s, Potsdam and Dresden are short train rides away so you can visit more. We also enjoyed markets in Erfurt and Weimar.

Strasbourg is a charming French town along the Rhine featured on many river cruises. It is a picture-perfect town for a Christmas market visit. And of course, there is the famous Romantic Road with lovely markets.

We hope you love these best Christmas markets in Europe as much as we do.

Ready for More Great Travel Tips?

We share our favorite travel secrets and tips every week. You can see them all here.

While you’re in Europe, visit some Great Art in Paris not the Louvre.

The post Experience an Authentic 2023 European Christmas Market appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.