There are plenty of challenges when it comes to booking a holiday for a family but even more so if you find yourself in the position of being a single parent who is keen to take your children away for a break in the sun.

Of course there could be any number of reasons why you find yourself in the position of being a single parent but there is little doubt that when it comes to booking a holiday, it leaves you with something extra to think about.

You only have to look at the traditional holiday brochure to see that a family holiday is often marketed using the familiar 2.4 children argument – with images of a couple enjoying the sun whilst their two children splash around in the pool, or of a family of four taking a stroll hand in hand along the beach.

There’s also the various deals that are made available for families, with free child places available on selected dates with many of the top holiday companies to the most popular destinations.

However, within the small print, there’s a bit of an issue for single parent families when it comes to such deals – as free child places are only available when there are two full paying adults.

It means single parents aren’t able to benefit from such deals, despite the fact that the Office for National Statistics shows that in 2017, there was a total of 2.8 million single parent families in the UK  - around 15% of the total number.

Of course you can make the argument that a single parent family benefits in savings from the fact that there is one less person to travel but at the same time, that might also mean there is one less person to bring in the money that is used to pay for the holiday in the process.

And when you consider a holiday on price per person basis, it makes it appear even tougher for a single parent family in terms of what they have to pay.

But that isn’t to say it’s all doom and gloom if you are a single parent and want to take the children overseas – there are still deals to be done and ways in which you can get the most bang for your hard-earned buck.

And when you might have to be that extra bit careful with the pennies, any potential savings you can make are going to be key.

Even though you might not be eligible to benefit from free child places, there are various deals that are still available for lone parents.

Some companies will offer a special single parent discount which, whilst not as large as a free child place, will provide a saving on your holiday in the sun whilst there are also various hotels that offer special rates for someone travelling alone with children in tow.

That helps because of the fact that most hotels base their pricing on double occupancy, so a single parent would otherwise have to deal with less favourable single occupancy rates.

Luckily, a number of hotels are getting wise to the fact that the family holiday is changing and there is a need to do away with ‘traditional convention’ and take an alternative approach to single parent market.

As such, there are deals to be done although as with anything, the limited availability means it pays to get in early before they disappear.

But as much as the price, what do you need to look for when booking a single parent holiday?

It’s a holiday for you too…

You don’t have to be a single parent to know that looking after children is hard. You invariably need six pairs of hands to juggle all their stuff and about ten pairs of eyes to try and keep an eye on what they are doing. That is something that is only going to be magnified, but you need to remember that the holiday is for you and not just the kids. With that in mind, try to find somewhere that has plenty of facilities to keep the youngsters busy – ideally with a good kids club or babysitting services that will give you a break and the chance to relax.

Toddler treats

You might be thinking of waiting until the kids are bigger before heading abroad but bear in mind that, whilst you won’t benefit from a free child place as a single parent, you will be able to grab free places for infants. That could mean saving hundreds of pounds simply from taking your break before your youngest reaches two.

Take your time

Don’t rush into booking a two week dream break in the sun when you first consider taking the kids abroad for the first time on your own – do a week at first to see how you get on.

Check your flights

It’s not simply a case of trying to find the right flight that works for you time wise, you might always want to try and find out what kind of plane you’ll be travelling on to head overseas. That’s largely because of the fact that certain seating configurations are better suited to a single parent family than others. The three by three layout of the Boeing 737 or Airbus A321 used in short haul is ideal for you to sit with the kids but if you are going long haul, you might want to check where you’ll be seated on a plane like the Boeing 767 with a two-four-two layout…

Plan ahead

If you do want to enjoy a single parent holiday then it pays to look ahead. Not only will that give you more chance of picking up one of the special deals available, it also provides more time to deal with the financial side of things – with the opportunity to pay off in installments and to factor the additional expenditure into your monthly budget. You’ll also want to make sure everything you need for your holiday is sorted in advance to so get ready to make some lists!

Check your entry requirements

Particularly important for a single parent family is to check the entry requirements for the place you are travelling. Although not true in all cases, there is always the possibility that as a single parent, your child may have a different surname to yourself, which could lead to issues when you get to the airport. That’s because passport control might question why you are travelling with a child who doesn’t share your name – something you won’t be able to prove on the spot. You should check what documentation you need to take, be that approval from an ex-partner, a change of name deed, birth certificate of a copy of a Child Arrangement Order. It’s certainly better to be safe than sorry.

Documentation

It might sound stupid, but make sure everyone had a valid passport – all children will require one of their own. It can take time to get your passport application done if you are travelling for the first time, so don’t leave it until the last minute. You should also get an EHIC card if travelling in Europe. It gives you access to state provided healthcare whilst travelling in the EU – and you don’t need to pay for it despite various websites that offer to fill the forms in for you for a fee.

Insurance

You may not have travelled abroad before so may not have considered insurance but its something you’ll definitely want to take out to cover any worse case scenarios that may occur. In the grand scheme of things, the cost of a travel insurance policy will be a very small part of your holiday budget but something that could be vitally important.

If you are a single parent looking to book a trip overseas then get in touch and let us know what your requirements are and we'll work with you to find the best possible deal to make your family adventure a reality.