Joining a group holiday where people already know each other

Joining a group holiday where people already know each other is less awkward than it sounds. On a Spice Escapes holiday the Spice host welcomes everyone and helps people get to know each other, and several holidays build the first evening around meeting the group, so you are not left to find your own way in. You may find that some people on your trip have travelled with us before, and the Spice host's job is to make the whole table feel like one group.

This page shows what the first evening looks like on three holidays, what guests say about being new, and what makes it easier. Ancient Athens4 nights · from £579 is a good example, because the stay starts with a dinner together.

What the first evening looks like

The first evening is where a group becomes a group, and the holidays plan for it. Here are three, each in the words of its own page.

Ancient Athens: dinner together at a local restaurant

10 Mar 2027 – 14 Mar 2027 · 4 nightsAncient AthensPlaces availablefrom £5797 already goingSee this holiday →

The first evening on Ancient Athens is spelled out on the page: after the transfer from the airport to the hotel, you walk to a local restaurant to get to know the rest of the group. Jackie Whyte is the Spice host. That dinner is the one fixed point of the plan, because the days after are suggestions: explore independently or join the optional guided tour of the city, with a licensed guide, and an optional food tour on another morning. Dinner together on the first night means you meet the group in one go, and you can take or leave the rest.

Prague Christmas Magic: a Spice host for every night

4 Dec 2026 – 7 Dec 2026 · 3 nightsPrague Christmas MagicPlaces availablefrom £67514 already goingSee this holiday →

A Spice host is with the group for all the nights of Prague Christmas Magic. The first day is flying in, transferring to the hotel and checking in, with an evening to settle: a stroll to see the lights of the Old Town Square, or a warming drink in a cosy local bar. Day two is the Old Town and its Christmas markets, with a cup of svařák, the Czech mulled wine, and day three is Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral. The hotel stands on Little Square, steps from the Old Town Square. A short break leaves less time to settle in, which is where a Spice host helps.

New Year in Puglia: the hosts meet you at the airport

28 Dec 2026 – 2 Jan 2027 · 5 nightsNew Year in Puglia with WingsItalyPlaces availablefrom £1,13924 already goingSee this holiday →

On a holiday run with WingsItaly, Claire Dymond and Andrea meet you at your airport, and a private transfer takes you to the hotel. The stay begins with a welcome aperitivo and a dinner of traditional Puglian cuisine and local wines, with optional nightcaps in the hotel bar afterwards, so the first evening is simply a welcome drink and a dinner with the hosts. New Year's Eve is a private five-course gala that the group shares, with a local celebration running next door.

What guests say about being new

You are not the first person to wonder. One guest, writing as "a first time slightly nervous single traveller", called their holiday "a great experience" with "lovely hotel, great company". Another wrote: "I was nervous the first time but you meet more and more people that you know with each trip you go on." A third recommended Spice "to anyone looking for welcoming, fun holidays".

The second review is also an honest answer to the question this page starts with. That guest says that with each trip you meet more people you already know, and they got there by being new once.

What makes it easier to be the newcomer

None of this is a rule, only things that tend to help.

• Be there for the first evening. On several holidays it is the part of the itinerary built for meeting people, so arrive in time for it.
• Let the Spice host introduce you. That is the job, and it means you do not have to open every conversation yourself.
• Join the planning if there is one. On Lake Como Discovery the Spice host arranges meet-ups over breakfast to talk through the day, and everyone can gather in the hotel bar before dinner. A plan made together is an easy thing to talk about.
• Take one optional extra. A shared visit gives you something to talk about, and you can skip the rest.

And it is fine to need time to yourself. Time is left open on the itineraries, and nobody has to take part in every visit. For more on the free time, read do I have to join in everything on a group holiday.

Where to read more

If you are weighing the idea of joining strangers, solo trips with strangers covers what a hosted group is really like, and what a holiday host does follows the Spice host through a trip. 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 Greece or the city breaks.

Questions people ask

Will I be the only newcomer?

There is no fixed answer, because every departure is different. What does not change is the Spice host's job, which is to welcome everyone and make sure nobody feels left out.

Do people who already know each other stick together?

Some may spend time together, as friends do anywhere. The Spice host's job is to help everyone get to know each other, and on several holidays the first evening is planned around that.

What if I do not click with anyone?

Time is left open on the itineraries, so you can spend part of any day on your own. The Spice host is there if you need anything, and some reviews mention friends made on the trip.

Can I see who else is going?

Every holiday page has a section called Who else is going, with the number of people booked on that departure so far. It can still grow before you travel, and you can ask about the first evening through the contact page.

What does the Spice host do on the first evening?

It depends on the holiday. On Ancient Athens the stay begins with dinner together at a local restaurant, and on other holidays the hosts meet you at the airport. The holiday page for your trip says what is planned.

See the dates and book Ancient Athens online

10 Mar 2027 – 14 Mar 2027 · 4 nightsAncient AthensPlaces availablefrom £5797 already goingSee the dates and book online for Ancient Athens

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