How to Avoid Single Supplement Fees

Let’s talk about single supplement fees – that extra cost solo travelers often face. In my 30 years of globetrotting, I’ve never paid one, and I want to share my secrets with you.

How do you avoid single supplement fees, Christine, when you’re a solo traveler?

When other travelers mentioned single supplements, I used to wonder how I’d managed to avoid them. I almost thought they were exclusive to cruises or all-inclusive tours, not something that applied to budget travel. but I realize as a long-time thrifty traveler, I instinctively avoided options that seemed to invite extra costs.

Now, as someone who designs and leads my own group tours, I understand the behind-the-scenes expenses – the ones that ultimately affect both myself as a small creator-owned business offering group tours and travel consumers. This experience has given me a real insight into why these fees exist.

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The Breakdown: What Are Single Supplement Fees, Really?

Single supplement fees are not a curse or punishment intentionally directed at those of us who choose to travel alone. It’s not a conspiracy to make our adventures more expensive.

A single supplement is simply what you pay for a private room when a tour or cruise package is really price- based on shared occupancy.

It is a fee for a traveler’s request for a exclusive or private single room, when the package is priced-envisioned for two people sharing the cost of one room.

It’s tempting to think that a single person in a double room uses fewer resources, but that’s not how businesses operate. From a business perspective, a single traveler in a double room represents lost revenue and special effort to accommodate one passenger.

As this Forbes article puts it:

“One might question whether a single traveler should pay double the going rate for a cabin. Although they indeed take up a cabin that would hold two people, they eat half the food that two people would and place less strain on free amenities like pool chairs, dining room seating,… Surely the single supplement could be less than the full cost of a second passenger, right? In fact, the supposed savings from the single traveler are minimal – the crew will be the same size, the buffets will still be filled with food, etc. ”

In the context of tours, there are other factors I hadn’t considered before becoming a tour host, such as hotel occupancy rates and how long they can hold the rate, single room availability (especially during peak season), and the risk for operators holding double occupancy prices.

Read 50 hotel tips & hacks

Why are Tours Priced for Double Occupancy?

It’s simply more economical. The cost of a room is split between two people, making the overall price lower for everyone. When you request a private room, you’re opting out of this shared cost structure, hence the supplemental charge or the actual full cost of the room.

From my perspective as a tour host, if I have an odd number of travelers who can’t share rooms, I get charged a single supplement fee, as well. I eat the cost. This can significantly impact the overall cost of the trip, regardless of the destination.

A single room is an upgrade, just like flying first class or booking an exit row seat. You’re paying for the full cost of the room. And in many cases, especially when your hotel is an “experience”, that supplemental fee is absolutely worth it!

Why Are Single Supplements Expensive?

Hosting my own group trips, I had to deal with local operators and vendors on the operational side, so I feel like I get why it can feel high on the customer end. Single supplement fees presented to me from tour operators are always higher than I think they will be and the financial risks for me as the trip organizer feels stressful as all hell. Single rooms present risks and stress the longer it takes to fulfill my passenger minimum.

Why? Single rooms become scarce when hotels start filling up and if you’re traveling during peak season for a festival it’s worse. I need to know how many guests are on board… fast!

That’s one example but there’s certainly more and here’s what you need to understand, so you can see the value.

1.  You’re upgrading to an exclusive room every single night

The shared double room is automatically factored into the group tour package price. The exclusive room is not. It is considered  upgrade. This means the traveler must cover the difference of not sharing their room for all the tour days. Additionally, there may be markups to cushion for any additional expenses for finding availability, etc…

So for a multi-day tour, let’s say hotel A, hotel B, hotel C, hotel D, hotel E ..and so forth offer their individual group discount quote based on a shared double room, during a specific season and now we’re painting outside that quote.

Attempting to create a Japan tour during Cherry Blossom Festival season, I had an operator revise their hotel quotes to me, before I could even finalize my itinerary, due to quickly rising hotel costs due to high season and the fact tourists were booking up hotels in Japan. The Japan operator took 1-2 months to get back to me whenever I requested itinerary changes and each time her report was that the hotel costs had gone up.

2.   It creates financial risk for tour operators

They need to account for potential fluctuations in hotel prices and availability. Holidays, peak seasons, festivals, affect this.

If a group is booked and paid for if I am still trying to secure my group’s operational minimum can affect the bigger picture of profit and losses.

3.   Limited availability of single rooms

Some hotels often have fewer single rooms, making them more in-demand. For instance, I love offering a boutique hotel experience, because they’re intimate and cozy, but they have a limited availability of rooms.

Another case scenario is that an operator might have to give a solo traveler a double room (or one with twin beds) to make a single room.  Now your double occupancy room -which is priced higher- is losing a guest so it can be turned into a single room.  That cost has to be passed on.

Working with one tour operator, I had a really incredible resort experience on my itinerary — one that my guests could experience incredible nature walks and pick produce from the garden that they’d then get a cooking experience with–  that had to be replaced with a large and more impersonal hotel, because the resort had limited room availability and I had to account for the possibility some travelers might want a single room.  In this case, it changed a powerful experience to my itinerary.

I know this won’t soften the blow of being a consumer paying an additional fee that may not appear fair, but sometimes, it helps to understand what goes behind the curtain and know there are inherent challenges that make up those fees. Not for all operators, but I’m sharing what I’ve experienced.

I hope these insights and tips help you navigate the world of single supplement fees and make your solo travels more affordable and enjoyable!

My Tried-and-True Tips on How to Avoid Single Supplement Fees

1. Book solo-friendly rooms

Look for accommodations with single beds or options to book a room as an individual without incurring extra charges. Some booking sites can be tricky, adding costs based on the number of beds or room capacity. Be vigilant!

When traveling Hong Kong, housing costs are high, so when I booked a room, I got costs based on the amount of beds in it; sometimes, you cannot see this until you are at checkout. If as a solo traveler, I booked a family room that has a capacity of four people, I got charged for four occupants. In the end, it was easier to book a bed in a hostel dorm, because pricing was straight-forward.

Tip: These days, I use Booking.com and Expedia is great for package deals. I also look at sustainable accommodation options, which can be lower cost, but unique and experiential value.

2. Choose a tour with lower single supplements.

Compare tour supplement fees. Keep in mind that a lower fee might mean more budget-friendly accommodations. Additionally, sometimes lower sticker prices can mean less inclusions like airport pickup, activities, meals, local guides, etc…

Tip: Tours with sustainable accommodations like homestays or boutique hotels. It can sometimes lead to lower costs, because you’re supporting a local community program and often it can accommodate unique experiences.

Read sustainable accommodations for female travelers

3. Find a travel buddy.

Reach out to friends, family, or even see if the tour has a community page, where you can see if anyone is interested in joining you. Be upfront about your travel style and need for some alone time.

When I attend travel conferences, there’s often a private Facebook group for the conference, where attendees do shout outs for roommate buddies. It is very common. For community and business events, it can be a little safer to trust strangers as you are there for networking.

4. Ask the operator about room sharing.

Inquire if they can pair you with another solo traveler of the same sex. Some operators do this automatically, while others may be willing to facilitate it.

If I’m already in the country and joining a tour group, I will ask fellow solo travelers directly if they’re open to sharing to upgrade our room. This can be a gamble, but it can also lead to new friendships!

Check out 20 street smart safety tips for soloists.

5. Join a tour priced by double occupancy (and let the operator handle the pairing):

For small group tours with prices based on double occupancy – like mine– the organizers or operators will automatically pair you with a traveler of the same sex, unless you request a single room. Pricing is purposely based on double occupancy to keep costs down for everyone, especially solo travelers who don’t have a travel partner.

If a traveler specifically wants a private room, they’re essentially requesting an upgrade and will need to cover the additional cost.

6. Book a company that does not charge a single supplement

Some tour companies specialize in solo travel and offer private rooms for each traveler.  However, the cost of the “no single supplement” is usually built into the overall price, so you’re not seeing it.  Everyone is paying for the full cost of the room but getting a group discount for meeting a minimum number of travelers.

7. “Join on” tours

In different scenarios, they called it “Join on” tours, which usually means that tours operate once a minimum number of participants is reached. Sometimes, if the group size is smaller than expected, the price might increase slightly to cover costs, but it’s still often a more affordable option than doing it independently as you’re getting a group discount.

I’ve taken many tours like this as I’m okay with sharing my room with a stranger, when I want to stick to my budget and I want to be social and make a new friend.

8. Book business hotels.

These hotels often cater to solo business travelers and may have more single room availability.

9. Book late (with caution)

Sometimes, single rooms become available at the last minute if there’s an odd number of guests. This is a gamble, and you might miss out on early bird discounts.

10. Travel during low season.

Hotel prices are generally lower during the off-season, which can also affect single supplement fees.

11. Look for early bird offers and special fares

These promotions sometimes waive or reduce single supplement fees.

Watch my video playlist of off-beat and unique stays for ideas for your next trip

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