Holidays for carers: a break where a host makes the decisions

The best holidays for carers are the ones where you do not have to organise a single thing once you leave home. Spice Escapes runs small hosted group holidays for people travelling on their own, so a host who travels with you handles the plans, the dinner bookings and the small decisions, and you get a few days in which nobody needs anything from you.

If you look after a parent, a partner or a grown-up child, you will know the particular tiredness that comes from being the one who remembers everything. A holiday can feel like one more job to plan, which is why many carers put it off for years. This page is about breaks that take that job away from you.

What a carer actually needs from a break

Most carers we speak to do not ask for adventure. They ask for three things. Somewhere they will be fed without having to think about it. Company, if they want it, from people who are not asking how the person at home is getting on. And permission to do nothing for a day without feeling guilty.

A hosted group gives you all three. Our groups are around fifteen people, and some reach twenty. Most people book on their own, so you will not be the only one arriving without a travelling companion. The host introduces everyone, suggests a plan for each day and makes sure there is always a table to join at dinner. If you would rather sit by the pool with a book, nobody will mind, and the group will still be there in the evening.

One thing to say plainly. Spice Escapes provides holidays, not care. The care at home needs to be covered while you are away, through family, a care agency or a respite place for the person you look after. Once that is sorted, everything on our side is arranged for you.

Three nights in Paris with every meal arranged

If you can only be away for a short time, All Inclusive Perfect Paris is the one we suggest first. It is 3 nights, and your hotel is the river boat itself, moored a short walk from the Eiffel Tower. Full board and drinks on board are included, so you can leave your purse in the cabin.

Two guided tours are included, the city by coach and Montmartre on foot, with free afternoons to wander or rest. Evenings include a gala dinner and a night cruise along the Seine, subject to the river. People arriving by Eurostar and by air link up for the transfer, so you are not finding your way alone on the first day. Your host is Samantha Pike.

Dates: 3 Feb 2027 – 6 Feb 2027. Price from £679. Places: 13 places left. For more on the boat, read seeing Paris from the Seine.

A week of winter sun where nothing needs deciding

When you need longer to come down from a hard stretch, All Inclusive Fuerteventura Winter Sun & Fun is built for exactly that. All meals and drinks are included at the hotel, which is adults only, and you stay in a four-star sea-view room above Jandía Beach. The spa, the jacuzzi and the pools are there for the days you do nothing at all.

There is no timetable to keep up with. Optional excursions to nearby villages and markets are there if you feel like it, and the host, Steve Dell, will gather people for a stroll along the sand or a drink at sunset. It runs for 7 nights. Dates: 30 Jan 2027 – 6 Feb 2027. From £1,199. Places: 3 places left.

See more sunny weeks in the Canary Islands, or read our guide to winter sun without breaking the bank.

Crete, where someone else has planned every day

Some carers find that an empty day is the hardest thing to switch off in. If that sounds like you, Crete Discovery gives you a gently planned week. There are only two bases, three nights in Aghios Nikolaos and four in Rethymno, so you unpack twice and that is it. Both hotels have two pools and a spa, and you are on half board throughout.

The days are laid out for you, from Plaka and Elounda on the coast to a home-cooked lunch at a family taverna on the Lasithi Plateau. Your host is Lauren Fawkes, for 7 nights. Dates: 5 Oct 2027 – 12 Oct 2027. From £1,499. Places: 12 places left. More Greek holidays sit under Greece.

A quiet Croatian island in the spring

Croatian Chillout heads to Lošinj, a less known corner of Croatia, to unwind in early sunshine. Half board at Hotel Punta means breakfast and dinner are taken care of, and there is a boat day round the Lošinj archipelago with a chance of seeing dolphins. Mali Lošinj is about 3km away if you fancy a walk or a cycle.

The transfer from Pula is around three hours, broken by a short ferry crossing, so it suits someone who can take a full travel day and then stop for a week. Your host is Jackie Whyte. It runs for 7 nights. Dates: 1 May 2027 – 8 May 2027. From £869. Places: 13 places left.

Other slower weeks are listed under chillout and relaxation holidays, and if you can only get away for a few days, look at our short breaks.

Travelling alone after years of looking after someone

Many carers have not been away on their own for a long time, and some never have. If that is you, read our page for first-time solo travellers and your first group holiday. Our wider guide to solo holidays over 50 shows the whole programme.

You will have your own room. Every holiday carries a single supplement or a room-to-yourself cost, and our single supplement page sets out how it works. For a carer, a door you can close and a night of unbroken sleep may be the most restful part of the week.

Questions people ask

Are there free holidays for carers?

Spice Escapes holidays are paid holidays, and we do not run a free or funded scheme. Some carers get help towards a break through a carer's assessment from their local council or through carers' charities, so it is worth asking them first. If funding comes through, we are happy to talk about which of our holidays fits.

Can I bring the person I care for?

Our holidays are for people travelling independently, and the host is there to look after the group, not to give personal care. If you need a holiday where care is provided, a specialist respite provider is the right place. Ours are for the times when you can get away on your own.

What if something happens at home while I am away?

Plenty of carers worry about this, and it helps to leave a clear plan with whoever is covering. You will usually have your phone with you and free time each day to call home. The host will understand if you need to step away from the group for a while.

Can I book something short at short notice?

Often, yes, depending on what has places left. Short breaks of three or four nights tend to be the easiest to fit around care cover. Call the team and tell us the dates you can manage, and we will tell you honestly what is possible.

I am exhausted. Will I have to join in?

No. Days on these holidays are flexible and nobody is marked absent for staying by the pool. Most people find they want company by the evening, and the group is there when you do.

Tell us when you can get away

The hardest step for most carers is the first phone call, so let us make it easy. Tell us the dates your cover is in place and how long you can be away, and we will match you to a holiday that fits. Ask for Rob Thompson, who owns Spice Escapes and hosts holidays himself, or anyone on the team, and they will talk you through the group, the room and the travel day. You can reach us through our contact page. For a sense of how we do things, read what makes a Spice Escape different.