Travelling alone with young children, especially overseas, can often be a daunting, nerve-racking prospect. Single parents families have always ‘drawn the short straw’ when it comes to holidays with no free adult time and the inevitable single supplements. While most tour operators will happily sell you holidays, very few of them really support single parents by not charging single supplements or by offering privately escorted group holidays with a full time host.
One piece of advice that is important for single parents is that if a parent is in receipt of a social welfare payment, such as the One Parent Family Payment in Ireland then they should notify the social welfare office if they are going away for more than 20 days, this is especially the case if a person has their payment made into a post office as it will be returned if not collected within the 20 days.
There also can be an issue of passports for children in one-parent families. In the case of unmarried fathers, their consent is required for passport applications if they have guardianship of the child. The National Federation of Services for Unmarried Parents and their Children Treoir has further information on passport applications for unmarried parents. We would always suggest that you carry a letter of consent with you from the other parent if you are travelling alone with the kids whether or not you are a single parent married just to be sure no issue arises.
OneFamily.ie provides support for Irish single parents and has an information and support helpline for one parent families, available on lo-call 1890 66 22 12 and further information on their website. One Parent Family is one of the longest running UK organisations for one-parent families and has good information on travelling with the kids as a single parent.
Many operators offer will waive single room supplements at quiet times of the year so always ask if there is a chance of getting this waived or at least reduced. Staying at resorts with childcare will provide you with some stress free time and it can be easier to meet other parents.
You might want to consider getting together with family, friends or your child's friends' parents for your holiday. That way you could share the costs and also share the holiday experience with other adults as well as your children.
Even if you cannot find someone to holiday with single parents do not have to holiday alone and can avoid a lot of time and stress by letting a specialist company take care of holiday arrangements. Children can have fun and parents can make new friends. This market is better developed in the UK than here in Ireland with companies such as Small Families and Mango organising group holidays so parents can get together and have some adult time as well.
Tour Operators which are good for single parents
Here are a few operators which we have found that provide a good service for single parent families but we would love to hear from you on our forum if you know of any more or would like to see any other types of holidays featured.
Small Families is a UK operator which arranges escorted holidays. The prices are transparent. 'What you see is what you pay' and there are no hidden 'extras' unlike many complex brochures. You can get the benefit of adult company and peace of mind knowing your child is safe, happily occupied and having a ball with all the instant new friends he or she could wish for. There is a friendly Small Families Host (not a resort 'rep') to accompany you on each holiday to look after your interests throughout your stay.
Mango Kids runs holidays in the UK and overseas. In the UK they have single parent holidays near to the coast for those who like the sun, sea, surf and beach and in the Yorkshire Dales, Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons for those who want more activities and enjoy the outdoors. For single parent families looking for sunshine overseas they feature Jersey, Mallorca and Cyprus. In all locations there is plenty for you to do as well as enjoy the sunshine; there are walks, boat rides, train and tram journeys, snorkelling, diving and beach games. The Mango ski holiday to Romania in the February Half term has now run for 3 years. The package, which includes all ski hire, 2 ski lessons a day, full board and a trip to Dracula's castle has proven to be very popular. All holidays operate as group holidays and are accompanied by a co-ordinator who is part of the holiday group.
Siblu offer a great range of European Holiday Park breaks across Europe and single parents can save up to £100 of 7 night stays.
Eurocamp understands that all families are different. Working closely with Gingerbread the support organisation for lone parent families in the UK it has devised ways of making life easier for lone parents travelling to Europe. They created Arrival Survival. This is a facility provided on all Eurocamp parks that helps lone parents to unpack and settle into their accommodation, giving them an extra pair of hands when they need it most. The variety of Fun Stations available on most parks will keep children of all ages amused during their holiday, giving parents, particularly lone parents, and a much needed break. In addition, Eurocamp offers a discount of up to £65 for parties with only one adult and Gingerbread members can save up to an extra £100 off the cost of their holiday. To highlight their recognition of the challenges faced by lone parents, Eurocamp has run a Lone Parent of the Year Award competition for the past two years.
If you are feeling adventurous and want to take your kids on the adventure of a lifetime then try The Adventure Company specialist section which includes lots of family flexible adventures.The company has now created dedicated single parent departures on trips to some of their most popular destinations.
Directholidays.ie features a discount for single parents including a €75 discount on the adult price for the first child sharing with one adult, a free child place for the second child or second child pays first child price.
If you are tired of ‘bucket and spade’ holidays or if your family has a real thirst for discovery or just want to see more of the great big world out there have a look at Explore's holidays to inspire and excite them. New for 2009/10 are Single Parent Adventures. Available on selected tours, these departures allow single or solo-travelling parents to spend time with other parents travelling alone in an informal atmosphere, while the children bond and enjoy themselves. Over 30% of all adults on Explore’s Family Adventures travel on their own: a mixture of solo parents, grandparents and single parents. Explore continues to offer specially designed ‘Teenage-only’ itineraries, where the minimum age is raised to 11, to allow teenagers to enjoy the company of fellow children closer to their age group and mindset.
Single parents wishing to get away to the pistes this winter can take advantage of discounts with Crystal's One Parent Savers in selected locations. When one child shares a room with one adult then a discount of between 10% and 30% is available for the child. Just book the holiday and then phone reservations to obtain the discount.
Club Med who have fantastic family friendly holidays offer holidays in off peak times to single parents based on availability. In the many cases, if you have a single parent travelling with a child they only charge the per adult and the per child rate. However, on certain peak dates in certain resorts they charge a supplement. Always ask for reductions or special offers.
You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday.
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