European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 10, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine travelling alone Vand liking it by Linda White travel editor p opt r. Are  and at no limn is Ilmore  than when i . They roam in couples families groups. Hotels and Holiday activities Ore geared to multiples. The single trn Voler and there Are Many is laced with surcharges for a private hotel room if he can land one. It is not uncommon for Holets to turn away singles and in they admit to having single rooms at All those rooms May a under the Eves or Over he garbage dump. At dinner singles May be sealed at the Corner table beside the Kitchen in he path of waiters who prefer to serve the romantic pairs or convivial Gips. Activities Are a bit easier. Swimming horseback Riding wandering in the outdoors or through museums Don t present the partnership problems that Tennis say or Golf does. But even something As simple As making the obligatory tourist Camel ride on Lanzarone can be fraught Wil h difficulties. One Camel seats two people and the loner has to put up Ullh the unintelligible mutterings of the Camel Driver As he weights Down the empty Side of the Saddle with sandbags. Yet travelling alone can be an adventure if there is no Ona there to turn to to help solve a problem by the same Token there is no one to say i d rather do this when you would rather do that. Hare Ore a Lew tips an How to handle singles situations. Gleaned from five years of travelling alone. Choose a Good hotel. It Nead not be luxury class but a reputable hotel will Likely have single rooms. Be prepared to pay the extra charges. Private Homes Are a Good alternative when hotels Are booked up and can be better than hotels for gelling to know local people. The Kambies who have bed and breakfast establishments Are often More than willing to spend a few minutes or a Lew hours in a cozy Chat. Travel in the Olf season. During school vacations resorts Are crowded and single rooms few and a Between. The sight of Ami ties loge Lher May make you feel left out. Oil season travel does t necessarily mean bad weather september and october Are the nicest months in Europe in my opinion and the children Era Bach in school by men. If you Are shown to a poor table in a cell Buran. Ask Lor another. Be pleasant a smile goes a Long Way and a request is belter than a demand. Ii the restaurant is crowded Don t hesitate to sit with someone else and do strike up a conversation. If you prefer to be left alone while you eat. Take along a Book or postcards and letters to Wile. It is a l T-"""1method to say you Wani to be Tell alone a cars on a or if you Are hell Tan. About Pong out alone Al night. Most big cities have evening Tours which need to be booked Only a Day or two in Advance. D Miler yet. Check the local new paper listings for entertainment or ask the hotel concierge to help you select what you ate looking Lor. Single women do Faco special problems when they travel alone All Hough Europe is generally Saler than the United states. Most problems ate her Rossmont. And unpleasant As i is ii is Seldom life threatening. In almost every country men will speak to single woman on the Street. Usually they do not expect an answer. Ii 1hey persist ignore them walk briskly and Don t make Eye Contact. If they still Don t go away walk into a shop they probably won l wait around. In extreme cases ask the shopkeeper for help. Sometime at dinner single women find that hiding behind a Book does t work. Even in staid Switzerland the occasional drunk will find his Way 1o your table. Ask him to leave or get the mail re d to help dislodge him. People will usually help in you ask them to but they will not interfere if they think you Welcome the Man s attentions or that you Are lovers having a quarrel. Use common sense. Dine at reputable restaurants and drink at reputable bars. Avoid the divas they Are easy to spot. Stay with the crowds out of Back alleys and dark streets. Always carry enough Money Lor a taxi As Ucli As change for to Telephone. Don t Tell Chance acquaintances where you Are staying you could end up with phone Calls or knocks on the door All night. Don t Wear lots of expensive jewelry. It Calls attention to your Seil and May give thieves the idea thai you Are Rich and an easy target. Singles who still hesitate 1o travel atone have two recourse join a group or find a partner in Germany Al least two travel agencies specialize in the singles Trade each with a different approach and each disclaiming to be a lonely hearts Agency. Single travel is an Agency run single hand edly by Wilfred von Kalkstein Lor the 30-60 age group. The hours Are for Small groups with everyone getting a private room usually a double. Destinations include ski and Bike vacations in Austria and Beach vacations in Cyprus. Portugal Crete Corfu Spain and Turkey. Transportation is on scheduled airlines. Last year. Single travel had More than 1,500 participants in 55 hours von Kalkstein said. The average age was 41, with 30 percent men and 70 percent women. 01 those. 65 percent Are repeaters with 10 percent making More than four single travel Tours. The trips Are usually for two weeks at half Board and Cost from 1,619 to 2.417 Marks about $620 to $985. Most participants Are German but von Kalck Stern said that clients also come from Holland and Ireland and there have even been a couple of  a brochure in German listing the 19b6 Tours is available from single travel Heidelberger Strasse 1, d 6054 Rodeau 3/nleder-Roden, Germany Tel. 06106-72400. Heading onion the Road atone can be an adventure. Taking the pairing up approach to single travel is pm individual Reisen Friday january 10, 1996 run by Christel Malchow a participant can pay 100 Marks about $40 to sign up Lor meetings held in several German Ollas. The guests specify where they Are going and when and pair up Ullh others who Are heading for the same location. They can split the Cost of a double room and save Money. Meetings Are set Jan. 27 in Dusseldorf and Jan. 30 in Munich. A monthly newsletter Hsu people seeking partners or Holiday destinations. The Agency oilers hotel packages such As carnival at Winterberg Neu Allenberg feb. 7-11 for 539 Marks about $220 in a double and Tours to Mallorca. Canary islands Greece Portugal Turkey Austria and Morocco or from 8b9 to 1,900 Marks about $360 to $775 in a double. Brochures in German Are available from pm individual Elsen malkaslens.trass.e9, d-40qo Dusseldorf 1, Germany. Tel. 0211-369901. The stars and stripes Page 13