How Much Did You Spend on Your Solo

Vacation?
We spoke to readers about their recent solo travels, including their motivations to
travel alone and what they chose to spend on.

Two snapshots from a reader’s recent trip to the Faroe Islands. Credit. Meg Christensen

By Christine Chung April 18, 2023

Solo travel — curating a vacation perfectly suited to you and no one else — is the
ultimate idiosyncratic experience.

For some, the goal is to fully test their limits and develop confidence. Others say the
allure of traveling alone lies in wholly embracing their desires and their own pace. It
can also be about rediscovering joy after a particularly challenging period in one’s
life.

We spoke to eight readers about their recent solo sojourns. Here’s what they told us.
(These interviews have been lightly edited and condensed.)

ABOUT $3,000
In search of flamenco in Spain

Reader: Heather Hodges, 52, New Orleans

Where she went: Seville, Spain

Tell us about your trip: I booked the trip two days before flying out to Spain. I spent
every day sightseeing and every night at a flamenco performance. Everything about
Seville reminded me of New Orleans, and it is one of three places I have visited in
the world as an African-American Southerner where I felt completely at ease — and
at home.

How much did it cost? About $3,000 for a week last December. The largest expense
was airfare. There are not many direct international flights out of New Orleans, so I
had to take several connecting flights.

Most surprising cost: No real surprises.

Why did you choose this trip? I wanted to see flamenco and learn more about the long
African presence in Iberia and Andalusia. It’s important to understanding the history
and culture of where I live and the broader African Diaspora from which I am
descended.

Was this your first solo vacation? No. When I first started doing it almost 20
years ago, people still found solo Black women travelers unusual, especially at the
holidays. First I ventured to Caribbean destinations. Then, as I became more
comfortable traveling alone, I went to bigger European capitals. And I haven’t
stopped.

I always think about whether I will be safe — who else will be there? — and about the
intersection of both ethnicity and gender. That’s a reality for solo travelers.

ABOUT $3,500
Finding solace in the Faroe Islands

Kayaking off the coast of the Faroe Islands. Credit. Meg Christensen

Reader: Meg Christensen, 37, Portland, Ore.

Where she went: Edinburgh and the Isle of Skye, in Scotland, and the Faroe Islands

Tell us about your trip: I got to the Faroe Islands by traveling through Edinburgh,
and at the end of my trip I took a three-day tour up to the Isle of Skye. Because there
are so few restaurants (and hotels) on the Faroe Islands, I stayed at Airbnbs with
kitchens so I could cook for myself. I rented a car to island hop.

Some highlights: kayaking on a big lake and taking in a beautiful waterfall in the
sunshine — one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen.

How much did it cost? About $3,500 for two weeks last October.

Most surprising cost: I decided spontaneously to travel to the Isle of Skye ($520), an
add-on that I booked while I was in Edinburgh.

Why did you choose this trip? I wanted to be outside surrounded by natural beauty,
and I wanted to enjoy my own company. I chose the Faroe Islands because I love
Scandinavia, and they seemed spooky and beautiful. It also seemed safe for solo
female travelers.

Was this your first solo vacation? No, but it had been a decade since the last one. It’s
important to me to have a good friendship with myself, and being alone on some tiny
islands in the North Atlantic felt really powerful in that regard. I had a great time. I
took measures to stay safe — really grippy hiking boots, venturing out only in the
daylight hours, communicating often with my husband.

Taken and adapted from: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/18/travel/solo-vacation-

spending.html
Before reading

1- Have a look at the pictures in the text.

a- What is the text about?

_________________________________

b- What do the number above each title represent?

____________________________________________________

While reading

1- Match the highlighted words in yellow in the text with their corresponding
image.
2 - Decide whether the following sentences are true or false. Account for the
false ones.

a - Heather went to Spain for two weeks.__

b - Heather spent every day sightseeing. __
c- Heather didn´t feel at home in Seville. __
d- When she first started traveling alone, she went to Caribbean destinations. __
e- Meg travelled only to one island.__
f- When she was in Edinburgh, she spontaneously booked a trip to the Isle of Skye.__
g- Kayaking was one of the activities she did on her trip. __
h- This was Meg´s first solo vacation. __
3- Answer the following questions about Heather and her story.
a- How old is she?
___________________________________________________
b- Where is she from?
___________________________________________________
c- Where did she go on a solo trip?
___________________________________________________
d- Did she take connecting flights?
___________________________________________________
e- What did she do on the trip?
___________________________________________________
f- Did she travel alone to other places? Where?
___________________________________________________
4- Answer the following questions about Meg and her story.
a- How old is she?
_______________________________________________
b- Where is she from?
___________________________________________________
c- Where did she go on a solo trip?
___________________________________________________
d- Where did she stay?
_______________________________________________
e- What did she want to do on the trip?
____________________________________________________
f- What measures did she take to stay safe?