We all know how tough it can be traveling with kids, and these days it only seems to be getting tougher. But how about trying it without a co-pilot? In an article in the Times of London, Jane Owen lists non-profit organizations and travel agencies that offer custom-designed holidays, discounts or other opportunities to single parents and their children. The offerings range from ways to dodge single room supplements to full-on group holidays, where the theory is “that if single parent families eat together and play together, the parents will be more relaxed and the children will have more fun.”

The focus is on winter holidays, but some summer options are included, too. Owen is frank about which of the listings make the most sense to her: “Eurocamp’s offer to help lone parents unpack seems pretty redundant. A bottle of champagne would be infinitely more helpful.”

As a kid splitting time between two houses, I never thought much about the difficulties of traveling as a single parent—all I knew was I always got to ride in the front seat, and that was a good thing. It’s only since I tried traveling with my dad each summer during college that I realized how strange it must be for him. (And to be fair, my being mistaken for his wife in Vietnam was pretty strange for both of us.) While Owen’s list comes a few years too late for me, it’s nice to hear that future generations of single parent families will be better looked after.

The Times listing is focused on UK-based organizations, but I’m sure the “single parent holiday” niche will be expanding in North America as well. After all, it’s what they call a growth market, isn’t it?

Related on World Hum:
* Southwest Airlines to Families: No More Early Boarding
* When Are Children Old Enough to Travel Abroad?

Related on Travel Channel:
* Family Vacation Ideas

Photo by muha..., via Flickr (Creative Commons).