Collette solo travel: a fair look, and a hosted alternative

If you are searching for Collette solo travel, you probably want a guided trip where someone else plans the route and you are not on your own at the table. Collette is a tour operator that runs guided tours around the world, and its own website says solo travellers can have a room of their own on them. Spice Escapes runs hosted group holidays for people travelling on their own, and this page sets the two side by side using only what Collette says on its own site.

Spice Escapes has no connection with Collette. Everything we say about it comes from its website, from pages read on the day this was written, and the terms for a booking made from the UK may differ. Check the current terms with Collette or with the travel agent you book through.

What Collette says about solo travel

• Your own room: its solo page says "Solo travelers can enjoy the luxury and privacy of their own room", and that single-room rates are offered across all tours.
• Limits on single rooms: its FAQ says "On many tours, triple and single accommodations are limited and are available on a first come, first served basis", and adds "Be advised that single rooms are often smaller."
• Tour managers: its Collette Difference page says "Tour Managers are locals who feel more like personal hosts, insiders, and friends."
• What the land price covers: its FAQ says the land price does not include air travel, airline fees, airport or departure taxes or transfers, that round trip airport-to-hotel transfers are provided for passengers who buy airfare through Collette, and that prepaid tipping is not available on its tours.
• Group size: its solo page describes its Explorations tours as small group tours and says small groups make connection easy. Its Collette Difference page speaks of "a Classic tour with a larger group" and "an Explorations journey with a maximum of 24 travelers".

Its solo page has also advertised limited-time solo savings on select small group tours. When we read it the offer had a booking window and applied to the land package only, so check what is on offer on the date you look.

What those pages do not say

The pages we read do not mention roommate matching and do not show UK prices. They give a maximum of 24 for an Explorations journey but only "a larger group" for a Classic tour, so the number on a particular departure is not on the page. None of that means the answer is bad, only that it is not there. If those matter to you, ask before you book, and ask for the single room rate on the departure you actually want.

What a Spice Escapes holiday looks like instead

A Spice Escapes holiday is built around a Spice host who is part of the group, welcomes everyone, helps people get to know each other and is there if you need anything. The group usually stays in one or two places, and time is left open on the itinerary. Sharing a twin with another solo traveller of the same sex costs nothing extra and is optional. A room of your own is a separate row on every holiday page, with a single supplement that varies by trip. Each holiday page shows how many people have booked on that departure so far, under Who else is going, so you see the real number and not a maximum.

South Africa Discovery: a local Spice host from arrivals

29 Mar 2027 – 8 Apr 2027 · 10 nightsSouth Africa DiscoveryPlaces availablefrom £3,4997 already goingSee this holiday →

For a long haul trip, South Africa Discovery shows the shape. Sue Giddings is a local Spice host who meets you in arrivals at Cape Town and stays with you for the rest of the stay, starting with an orientation tour of the city and an included late lunch. Breakfast is included each day, and where other meals are not, the Spice host heads to a restaurant near the hotel and you are welcome to join. There is an overnight at a private game reserve with a sunrise game drive, and Chapman's Peak Drive, Cape Point and the penguins at Boulders Beach are covered in one day.

Mediterranean Cruising Italian Style: hosted from Rome

6 May 2027 – 14 May 2027 · 8 nightsMediterranean Cruising Italian Style with WingsItalyPlaces availablefrom £1,6798 already goingSee this holiday →

If the idea of a cruise appeals, this one is run with WingsItaly and is described as a personally hosted experience rather than a standard group departure. Claire Dymond and Andrea meet you at the airport in Rome, and you fly out a day early so a delay cannot cost you the ship. You then travel together to Civitavecchia to board the Costa Toscana. The hosts stay with you throughout, drinks and gratuities are included on board, and the page mentions free hosted tours in certain cities.

India: Kolkata and the Lower Ganges River Cruise: a charter

10 Oct 2026 – 20 Oct 2026 · 10 nightsIndia: Kolkata & The Lower Ganges River CruiseWaitlist onlyfrom £3,48521 already goingSee this holiday →

This is a Spice Escapes exclusive charter on the RV Kalaw Pandaw, a boutique river cruise ship with eighteen staterooms, all of them ensuite and air-conditioned. The page describes nine nights aboard, seven of them cruising, with an all-inclusive drinks package and bistro dining. Wings meet you and a private transfer takes you to the boat, and the itinerary includes a rickshaw ride at Kalna to a Shiva temple ringed by 108 shrines and a private visit to Raj Bhavan arranged for Spice Escapes guests only. Claire Dymond is the Spice host.

Who might prefer Collette

• If you want a destination we do not run, Collette may have it, so look at its list.
• If you want a long route that moves on most days, a touring operator is built for it, and we are not.

If you want to unpack once or twice, have a Spice host who is part of the group and a twin share at no extra cost, a Spice Escapes holiday is built for that. For the wider comparison, hosted holiday or escorted tour explains the difference, and alternatives to escorted coach tours compares named coach operators.

Questions to ask any operator, including us

• What is the largest group on the date I want, and who is in charge of it?
• What does a room of my own cost on that date, and how many are left?
• Is there a twin share option, and does it cost extra?
• What is included, and what do I pay on the day, such as tips and transfers?
• What financial protection applies to my booking, and who is the operator?

For Spice Escapes, the answers are on the holiday page and in our FAQ: payments are held in a bonded trust account, and holidays booked with flights are ATOL protected under licence 9046. Flights bought elsewhere are not covered by our ATOL.

New to booking a group holiday? Our guide for first-time solo travellers covers the rest, solo holidays for the over 50s shows what is on sale, and single supplements explains the cost of a room of your own. For somewhere to begin, try holidays in South Africa or the cruises.

Questions people ask

Does Collette charge a single supplement?

Collette's pages say single rooms and single rates are available on its tours, and that on many tours single rooms are limited and often smaller. They do not say the supplement is waived, so ask for the single rate on the date you want.

Does Collette match roommates?

The pages we read do not mention roommate matching. On Spice Escapes holidays, sharing a twin with another solo traveller of the same sex costs nothing extra, and it is optional.

How big are Collette's groups?

Collette describes its Explorations tours as small group tours, and one page puts the maximum on an Explorations journey at 24 travelers, against "a larger group" on a Classic tour. Ask Collette for the number on the departure you like.

What does Collette include?

Its FAQ says the land price does not include air travel, airline fees, taxes or transfers, and that prepaid tipping is not available. The itinerary for each tour lists what is included, so read it before you compare prices.

Is Spice Escapes connected to Collette?

No. We have no connection with Collette, and everything we say about it comes from its own website.

See the dates and book South Africa Discovery online

29 Mar 2027 – 8 Apr 2027 · 10 nightsSouth Africa DiscoveryPlaces availablefrom £3,4997 already goingSee the dates and book online for South Africa Discovery

For a question before you book, ask Sue Giddings, the Spice host, through our contact page, or ask Rosie, the chat on every holiday page.