Jules Verne alternatives for solo travellers who want a host and a group

If you are travelling on your own, the Jules Verne alternatives worth comparing are companies where a host goes with the group and most people book alone. Spice Escapes is one: a UK tour operator running small hosted group holidays for people in their 40s, 50s and 60s. On South Africa Discovery, Sue Giddings meets you at arrivals in Cape Town and stays with the group for the whole trip.

This page sets out who Spice suits and who it does not, four questions to put to any company before you book alone, and four hosted holidays from Cape Town to Kraków. When one fits, see the dates and book online on its holiday page.

When another company may suit you better

If a room of your own with no single supplement matters most, Spice is the wrong choice, because every Spice holiday charges one for a room to yourself.

The same goes if you want a tour that moves to a new hotel most days, a guide with you from breakfast to dinner, or a country Spice does not sell. In those cases, compare what Jules Verne and other companies like it list for people travelling alone.

Spice suits you if you want a host with the group, most people there on their own, company built in and time to yourself as well. The four holidays below stay in one or two bases, so there is little packing and unpacking. Our over 50s solo holidays show the whole range.

Four questions to ask Jules Verne or any company before you book alone

Trusting a company with a holiday on your own comes down to four plain answers. Here are ours.

• Who travels with the group? A host, on every holiday. The host makes the introductions, books the table and sorts out the problems.
• How many people come on their own? Most of the group, so arriving alone is normal. Groups are around fifteen people, and some reach twenty.
• Is the price with or without flights? Each holiday below shows a price for making your own way there and a price with flights.
• How is my money protected? Payments are held in a bonded trust account, and every holiday booked with flights is ATOL protected. Spice's own licence is ATOL 9046.

Ask Jules Verne the same four, and compare the answers.

In our reviews, people talk most about being looked after, the food, the host and the friends they made. If a group holiday is new to you, our page for first-time solo travellers explains what happens when you arrive.

Cape Town, Cape Point and the Franschhoek winelands

South Africa Discovery is 10 nights from £3,499, or £4,399 with flights, and your local host stays with the group for the whole trip. You stay at The Vineyard on the slopes of Table Mountain, with a day along Chapman's Peak Drive to Cape Point and the Boulders Beach penguins, a day in the Franschhoek winelands and a night at a private game reserve with a sunrise game drive.

The free day leaves room for Table Mountain or Robben Island as optional trips. Next departure 29 Mar 2027 – 8 Apr 2027: 9 places left. More long-haul trips with a host are in our guide to escorted tours worldwide.

Athens: a first-night dinner, then the city your way

Ancient Athens, one of our holidays in Greece, is 4 nights from £579, or £799 with flights, hosted by Jackie Whyte. The hotel is the Acropolis Select or similar, a five-minute stroll from the Acropolis, and the first evening is dinner together at a local restaurant.

After that you choose from optional extras: a licensed guide for the Acropolis and the Ancient Agora, a food tour with more than eighteen tastings, and an afternoon at the Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounion. Next departure 10 Mar 2027 – 14 Mar 2027: 16 places left.

Crete: a touring week from two hotels

For touring without packing every morning, Crete Discovery sees much of the island from two bases, three nights in Aghios Nikolaos and four in Rethymno, with half board in both. The week includes a home-cooked lunch at a family taverna on the Lasithi Plateau, and Heraklion's market and Archaeological Museum on the way west, with Knossos if you wish.

It is 7 nights from £1,499, or £1,899 with flights, hosted by Lauren Fawkes. Next departure 5 Oct 2027 – 12 Oct 2027: 14 places left.

Kraków: open days and a host every evening

If a full programme has felt like too much, Kraków Discovery is the other way round. The days are left open for Main Market Square and Wawel Castle at your own pace, with optional trips to the Wieliczka Salt Mine and Auschwitz-Birkenau, and Jackie Whyte hosts all 4 nights, so there is company at dinner.

It is from £589, or £839 with flights, and there are more like it among our culture and discovery holidays. Next departure 26 May 2027 – 30 May 2027: 9 places left.

Questions people ask

Is Spice Escapes connected to Jules Verne?

No. Spice Escapes is a separate UK tour operator, and nothing on this page comes from Jules Verne. For its current solo departures, prices, group sizes and room rules, go to its own website.

Where can I read Jules Verne reviews?

Independent reviews of Jules Verne are published on Trustpilot, listed under its web address, www.vjv.com. Reviews of Spice Escapes are on our reviews page.

Will a room to myself cost more with Spice?

Yes. A room to yourself carries a single supplement on every Spice holiday, and each holiday page shows the figure before you book. Sharing a twin with another solo traveller of the same sex costs nothing extra, and our single supplement page lists the room costs together.

Will I have time to myself on a Spice holiday?

Yes. The holidays on this page leave free time, and extras such as the Athens food tour or the Kraków salt mine trip are optional. Join the group for a visit, or go your own way for the afternoon and catch up later.

Is Spice only for people over 50?

No. Spice runs small hosted group holidays for people in their 40s, 50s and 60s, and most people book on their own. The holidays run from short city breaks such as Athens and Kraków to long-haul trips such as Cape Town.

Book on the holiday page, or ask us first

Each holiday page has the live dates and prices, the single room cost and a Book button that goes into Spice's own booking, so when Cape Town, Athens, Crete or Kraków fits, see the dates and book online there. South Africa Discovery's next departure, hosted by Sue Giddings: 9 places left.

For a question about one holiday, ask Rosie, the chat on every holiday page. To talk the comparison through, contact the team and ask for Rob Thompson, who owns Spice Escapes and hosts holidays himself.