I’ve started a new chat for 2025, maybe on here we can put places we have or are going to visit and the companies we are using.
This may give inspiration to others that are wanting to start travelling alone but not sure where to look for holidays, also give hope to new widows/widowers that you can get through the worst days of your life and achieve new things. It takes time and we are all at different stages of our grieving process take each day as it comes, make new memories and live life to the full. X
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Last year, 3 years after my husband died I went on holiday for the first time on my own. I used a local coach that does holidays for the over 50s. I went to Weston-super-Mare, is was fine, I could be on my own and do my own thing, but also be with other people, many travelling on their own. There are many coach firms all over the country that do this, both national and local.
But I also took a 3 day break by train to Brighton and stayed in a Premier Inn. That was a bit more scary, but I did it.
I hope to book a solo holiday again this year, possibly Cornwall a favourite place for both me and my husband.
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I’m using leger coach holidays, I’ve booked to go to the Italian and French riviera in May and the German christmas market in December both are solo holidays that they offer.
I’m 19 months into this journey and need to have something to look forward to. I’ve spent the last 8 months dealing with my own diagnosis of breast cancer, and I’m just coming out the other side of that stronger and more aware that our lives are for living.
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I’d also be interested in hearing how people get on. I’m early into my journey (4 Weeks) but all the solo ones I can find are things like walking holidays and although I do walk I don’t go for hours. (knees). I don’t mind my own company but much prefer to share experiences.
We have a house in France and I will have to pluck up the courage to go there but doing it without my wife fills me with dread.
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You are very early on this journey, take time to grieve, I do the coach trips as my friends are married or have children that they feel have to go on holiday with.
It’s hard and can be lonely, but it’s better to see new places than the same 4 walls every day.
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I braved it on November, 7 months after losing my Husband. I went to a holiday cottage in a familiar place in Northumberland. Best thing I did as I proved to myself that I could do it but had privacy in case I went to pieces!
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That’s excellent news. It’s hard to make the 1st move, but definitely worth it. I dont go to places where we went together as I want to experience and explore new cities and countries. I know if I went to places we went, it would be upsetting for me.
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JTig
Pleased you managed to do this. We often used to go to Northumberland particularly to the coast with the dogs. Don’t know when I’ll be able to do that again, particularly on my own.
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Punto
We used to go for trips out all over the North East so it’s impossible to find somewhere we haven’t been to together. I know I’ll go to pieces at the moment but at some point I will have to face up to it.
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That was very brave. Well done, I’m sure your partner would be very proud of you
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I still go to places for the day we may have visited as some are unavoidable but for a holiday I try new places I’ve never visited so it gives me lots of exciting new information to share with my family.
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My partner and I were due to go away the week after what ended up being his funeral, with his granddaughter. To a timeshare we went to most years. After a traumatic month of hospitals and the funeral, we both decided to still go together. I did panic the day before worried that I might not cope with the grief and looking after a 9 year old girl. Everything was so raw, we just went with it and didn’t really have time to think about whether it was right to go. His granddaughter was such a tonic - we talked about him a lot, I enjoyed showing her places her Grandad & I used to go, and talked about things he’d done. I had friends there also I’d known for years and they were amazing - we laughed about things he’d said and done in previous holidays. It was incredibly sad, but I felt it ‘broke the back’ of going away without him. I have booked again this year but sadly his granddaughter is moving away and now cannot come this year.
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That was a very brave thing to do and it gives me the hope and a little extra confidence that I might be able to do the same shortly.
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*Numb1
In some ways it is still like grieving at home - some times you just want to be on your own, and cannot face anyone, but when you can it is nice to be doing something else, somewhere else.
Northumberland is beautiful we had spent some time up there with our caravan. The wind and the openness I find liberating and calming. It is somewhere I would like to get back to at some point.
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I have also booked a solo holiday with my dog in mine and my partners favourite place where we spent so much great times. 1 of the downsides is its 7 hrs away but I felt it was important as it will be his birthday week and this is where we would have celebrated it. Plus I scattered some of his ashes there.
I am a bit nervous but I felt it was important to try and live a more normal life as I reach the 12 month anniversary of his passing, whatever the new normal will be. However if I hadn’t booked when I was in a rare more positive mood, it would never have been booked!
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Well done Carole - sometimes I think it’s important to commit to things without thinking about it too much. I find I feel better for having tried to carry on as painful as it is.
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I did my first solo trip to Blackpool between Christmas and the new year and while apprehensive before the trip it went pretty well. I learned that I can be pretty self sufficient and enjoyed the time to meet new people and at the same time enjoyed accepting my new life as a single person. I have now booked a trip to the Isle of Wight in June, somewhere I have always wanted to visit but have never done before. The first trip I used a Shearings Coach holiday, only thing that I found a problem with that is that they collect all passengers at their local pick up points and then everyone gets taken to a central location where you all change coaches to go on to your final destination, this made the journey very long. This time I am using a local coach company and am hoping that the travelling will be reduced. It is only 19 months since I lost my soul mate but I know that he would be happy to see me moving on with my life. It doesn’t mean that I am leaving him behind as he travels with me in my heart 
wherever I go
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It’s now 2 years since I lost my other half, but I have managed to do some solo holidays. Last year I went to Italy and then the German Christmas markets. I was very apprehensive, but thoroughly enjoyed both so much so that I will be going away again to Italy in the Summer and the Christmas markets in December. I have only used Leger, but the experience has been very positive and I was looked after from start to finish. It was so nice to have someone looking after me the whole time.
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Well I did stage 1. Went up to our favourite beach in Northumberland with the dogs. Not quite sure what I got out of it other than forcing myself to do it. It was still lonely without my wife.
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Small steps, still progress. They wouldn’t want you missing out and avoiding places x
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