Is Solo Travel for you? My experience of a solo tour in Paris!

A Weekend in France with Just You: Monet’s Garden, Versailles & Paris. An escorted tour - for solos.

Some trips manage to pack an incredible amount into just a few days, and my recent Monet’s Garden & Château Weekend with Just You was definitely one of them.

From travelling to Paris by Eurostar and exploring the magnificent Palace of Versailles, to watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle after dark and stepping into Monet’s beautiful world at Giverny, this was a fabulous French escape – and a great example of just how much you can experience on an escorted short break.

Who is this holiday for?

First and foremost, Just You holidays are designed specifically for solo travellers – people who want to travel independently, but don’t necessarily want to feel alone while doing so.

And there are so many reasons why you might choose to travel solo. Perhaps you’re single or divorced, perhaps you’ve suddenly found yourself widowed, or maybe you have a partner who simply doesn’t share your love of travel or doesn’t want to visit the same places you do. Or maybe you just quite fancy going away by yourself! Whatever brings you there, everyone arrives with one thing in common: they want to travel independently, see new places and have new experiences.

What I particularly loved about the Just You concept is that you have the reassurance of travelling with a group and an experienced Holiday Director taking care of everything, while still having plenty of independence. There are opportunities to eat together, explore together and naturally make friends along the way – and I certainly saw that happening within our group. But you’re not joined at the hip for the entire holiday. There’s plenty of free time to wander off, grab a coffee, explore somewhere by yourself or simply enjoy some time alone. You can also opt out of activities and meals should you wish to do your own thing. It never felt claustrophobic or like an organised school trip! You can have as much company or independence as you like.

For me, that’s the real appeal: you may arrive on your own, but you don’t have to feel alone.

Day 1 – Eurostar to Paris

Our weekend began at London St Pancras, where we were met by our wonderful Just You Holiday Director, Kelly.

From the moment we arrived, everything felt incredibly easy. Kelly guided us through check-in and the EES formalities, which all went smoothly, taking away any worry about navigating the process ourselves.

We travelled in Eurostar Plus, but on our outbound journey we also had the opportunity to experience the Eurostar Premier Lounge before departure. It was such a lovely way to start the trip, relaxing with a glass of fizz before boarding. Having experienced it, I would definitely say that if funds allow, the upgrade to Premier is worth considering. The lounge makes the journey feel like part of the holiday from the moment you arrive at St Pancras. If you have mobility issues and struggle to stand for long periods, Premium is the way to go.

Then it was onto the train for our journey to Paris. Eurostar is such an easy way to travel, taking you directly from central London to central Paris in just over two hours. On arrival, our air-conditioned coach was waiting just outside the station to take us directly to our hotel.

Our Hotel

We stayed in a lovely four-star hotel, which made a really comfortable base for the weekend. The rooms were spacious and immaculate, with large double beds and lovely en-suite facilities. One of the big advantages for solo travellers is that double rooms are provided as standard with no single supplement.

Each morning began with a lovely continental breakfast before heading out for the day’s adventures.

After checking in on our first afternoon, we had time to freshen up before meeting for welcome drinks at 6.30 pm. It was a relaxed opportunity to meet everyone properly before Kelly walked us down to a local French restaurant for dinner. It immediately highlighted one of the benefits of travelling with Just You. Although you’re travelling solo, you’re very much part of a group, and your Holiday Director is there taking care of all those little details. Kelly even made sure everyone had plenty of bottled water to take back to their rooms.

Day 2 – Versailles by Day, Paris by Night

Our first full day took us to the magnificent Palace of Versailles.

Versailles really is a spectacle. The sheer scale of the palace and its beautiful formal gardens gives you some idea of the extraordinary world of the French royal court before the Revolution.

We had around four and a half hours to explore, and there is an enormous amount to see.

One thing I would point out is that clients need a reasonable level of fitness and mobility for this particular excursion. The gardens alone cover a huge area, and there is a lot of walking involved. However, there are options including golf buggies and bikes to hire, and even boats on the Grand Canal, which can make exploring easier – and more fun!

Beyond the main palace, you can explore the Grand and Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette’s estate, so it’s worth having an idea beforehand of what you particularly want to see. The queues for the palace itself can be eye-watering during the busy summer months, but Kelly advised us to skip those queues and just enjoy the gardens and Trianon - it really was the right advice, and we enjoyed seeing the interiors of the Grand Trianon instead,d which involved no queue - our Holiday Director‘s knowledge really paid off here. She was quick to give us a rundown of the best lochs to stop at and where to eat too, which really helped our visit flow.

After returning to our hotel, we had time to freshen up before heading back into Paris for dinner,r followed by our Paris by Night tour. This was such a fabulous evening. We travelled along the Champs-Élysées, saw the Arc de Triomphe, passed the iconic Moulin Rouge and took in some of the most famous sights of Paris illuminated after dark. Kelly even made a special detour for us to visit some of the filming locations from Emily in Paris, which was such a fun addition to the evening. But the highlight had to be watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle against the Paris night sky - again another great perk to an organised tour - your holiday director manages timings and makes sure you're in the best spot just in time for the spectacle! However many times you’ve seen photographs or videos of it, there’s something very special about standing there and seeing it for yourself.

Day 3 – Monet’s Garden at Giverny

Sunday took us to somewhere I had particularly been looking forward to – Claude Monet’s house and gardens at Giverny, and it was absolutely fabulous. Monet lived at Giverny for more than 40 years, and the gardens he created became the inspiration for some of his most recognisable paintings. Seeing the famous Japanese bridge, water-lily pond and beautiful flower gardens in real life makes you understand exactly where that inspiration came from. At times, it really does feel as though you’ve stepped into one of his paintings. The house itself is equally charming, with its colourful interiors and distinctive green shutters.

One thing I hadn’t appreciated beforehand was just how popular Giverny is. The general admission queues were ginormous! Travelling as part of an organised Just You tour meant we were able to bypass those enormous general queues, which made a vast difference to our day. It’s one of those occasions where you really appreciate the benefits of an escorted tour – the tickets, timings, transport and logistics have already been taken care of for you. Giverny isn’t just about Monet’s house and gardens. The village itself is absolutely gorgeous, with lovely little places to stop for lunch and soak up the atmosphere. It’s definitely worth allowing time to enjoy the village rather than rushing straight back to the coach.

That evening, we gathered for our farewell French dinner in the local town, which was a lovely way to round off our final full day together.

Day 4 – One Last Taste of Paris

Before heading home, there was time for one last coffee on the Champs-Élysées. After such a packed few days, it was lovely to sit and watch Paris go by for a little while before beginning our journey back to the UK by Eurostar. And then, just like that, it was homeward bound.

What Is Travelling with Just You Actually Like?

Having now experienced it for myself, this trip really reinforced why escorted touring can work so well for solo travellers. You have the independence and excitement of travelling by yourself, but without having to navigate every element of the trip alone. Our Holiday Director, Kelly, was fantastic. She left no stone unturned and made sure everyone knew where they needed to be, what was happening next and had everything they needed. From meeting us at St Pancras to organising coaches, excursions and meals, there was always someone there looking after the practical side of the holiday – leaving us free to simply enjoy it. There’s also the social side. Welcome drinks at the beginning of the weekend gave everyone an easy opportunity to meet, and over the following few days you’re sharing meals, excursions and experiences with people who have also chosen to travel solo. Friendships naturally begin to form, but there’s no pressure to spend all your time together. That balance between company when you want it and independence when you don’t is something I think Just You gets really right. And importantly, there’s no single supplement, with lovely spacious double rooms for solo guests rather than being relegated to a tiny single room.

Would I Recommend It?

Absolutely.

For such a short break, we experienced an incredible amount: Versailles, Paris by night, the Eiffel Tower sparkling, the Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe, Moulin Rouge, Emily in Paris locations and Monet’s beautiful home and gardens at Giverny, alongside some wonderful French meals.

It also reminded me just how lucky we are in the UK to have Paris and northern France so accessible. Eurostar makes getting there incredibly easy, and travelling with Just You removes so much of the organisation once you arrive.

So if there’s somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit, but you’re waiting for someone to go with you, perhaps you don’t need to wait.

Travel solo, but never feel alone!