Solo trips with strangers: what joining a hosted group is really like

Solo trips with strangers work best when somebody has already thought about the awkward bits for you, and that is what Spice Escapes does. We run small hosted group holidays for people in their 40s, 50s and 60s who travel on their own, so you join a group of strangers with a host who makes the introductions, a first evening already planned and plenty of room to be yourself.

You have probably got as far as the booking page before and stopped. The holiday looked good. What stopped you was a picture in your head: walking into a hotel bar where everyone else seems to know each other, standing there with a drink and no one to turn to. Here is what actually happens when you join a group you have never met, told through five of our holidays.

Before you meet a single person

The strangeness starts to wear off before you leave home. You know your host's name in advance, you get joining information that tells you where to be and when, and you can ring us with any question, however small it feels. Most people book on their own, so you are joining a group where arriving alone is the normal way to arrive. If this is your first time, our page for first-time solo travellers answers the practical questions, and the beginner's guide to a first group holiday covers the rest.

You will have a room to yourself, and that carries a cost. Our single supplement page explains how it works on each holiday, so there are no surprises when you see the price.

The arrival: Venice, where the group gathers at the airport

The hardest moment for most people is the first one, so it helps when the holiday takes it out of your hands. On All Inclusive Treasures of Venice the group's flights land at similar times, and you wait for each other at Marco Polo before heading to the water taxi together. By the time you reach Venice island you have already shared a boat and a few remarks about the view.

The ship, the MS Michelangelo, is your hotel for 4 nights, moored close to St Mark's Square. There is a welcome drink with the crew, then dinner on board, and all meals and drinks at the bar are included, so nobody is splitting a bill with people whose names they learned an hour ago. The last evening is a gala night. Samantha Pike hosts. Dates: 19 Nov 2026 – 23 Nov 2026. From £929. Places: Waitlist only.

The first evening: one table in Athens

The first dinner is where a group of strangers becomes a group. On Ancient Athens it is built into the first day: you check in, have a wander, and in the evening the host walks everyone to a local restaurant to get to know each other. Sit by whoever is next to you, ask where they flew in from, and the conversation tends to look after itself.

The rest of the 4 nights give you shared plans to say yes to: an optional tour of the Acropolis and Ancient Agora with a licensed guide, and an optional food tour with more than eighteen tastings, from koulouri to gigantes. A food tour is an easy way to get to know people, because there is always something to pass round. Jackie Whyte hosts, from £579, 10 Mar 2027 – 14 Mar 2027, places: 16 places left. See more holidays in Greece, or city breaks for singles over 50.

Day two, when the names start to stick

On the second day you stop being strangers and start being the people from the coach. Iceland Discovery is good for this because the big days are done together and included in the price: a full day on the Golden Circle to Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, a panoramic tour of Reykjavik, and entrance to the Blue Lagoon.

It is 4 nights at the Centerhotel Plaza in central Reykjavik, which has a bar to sit in afterwards. Jackie Whyte hosts, 12 Nov 2026 – 16 Nov 2026, from £1,414, places: 1 place left.

The middle of the week, and the freedom to drift

What if you like them but want an afternoon on your own? On a longer holiday that is expected. Maltese Chillout runs for 7 nights in St Julian's at Number 11, an adults-only hotel with a rooftop pool terrace. Four evening meals are included, so most nights are already arranged, and the days are a suggested plan rather than a timetable: Valletta and the Grand Harbour, Mdina, a ferry over to Gozo, and one day set aside to do nothing at all.

You can go off to Mdina with two people from breakfast, spend an afternoon alone by the pool and still have a table waiting in the evening. Jackie Whyte hosts, from £1,288, 17 Oct 2026 – 24 Oct 2026, places: Waitlist only.

When the place gives you something to talk about

Some trips bring strangers together because of what you see side by side. World War I, A Journey of Memory and Meaning with Wings starts on the Eurostar from St Pancras, so there is no airport at all. In Lille you are met by your hosts from Wings and travel by private group transfer to Ypres, where an optional group dinner can be arranged on the first night.

A local guide takes you to Tyne Cot and the trenches at Sanctuary Wood, and the Last Post sounds at the Menin Gate each evening, minutes from the family-run Albion Hotel. People talk differently after a day like that. It runs for 3 nights, 8 Apr 2027 – 11 Apr 2027, from £1,019, places: 14 places left.

What the host is there to do

Groups are around fifteen people, and some reach twenty. That is big enough to find a few people you click with, and small enough for the host to notice anyone hanging back. The host's job is to make introductions, suggest plans, and make sure nobody is left wondering where everyone went for dinner. It is a mixed hosted group of people travelling on their own, and you can read more about what makes a Spice Escape different. If you are over 50, our over 50s solo holidays page shows the full range, and short breaks are a gentle first try.

Questions people ask

What if I do not get on with anyone?

In a group of around fifteen there is almost always someone you warm to, even if it takes a day. You also have free time on every holiday, so you are never stuck in one conversation for a week.

Is it awkward eating with people I have only just met?

It feels odd for about ten minutes and then it stops. The host usually starts the first meal off, and after that most people are glad not to be eating alone.

Do I have to do everything with the group?

No, you choose. Many excursions are optional and plenty of people spend an afternoon on their own, then come back for dinner with stories to swap.

What if I am shy or quieter than everyone else?

Quieter people often do very well in a group, because shared days give you something to talk about without having to perform. The host is there to bring people into plans, so you will not be left on the edge.

Can I share a room with a stranger to save money?

Every holiday carries a single supplement or a cost for a room to yourself, and our single supplement page explains how it works. Ask us about a specific holiday and we will tell you exactly what it costs.

Talk to us about your first evening

If the only thing stopping you is that first walk into a room of strangers, ask us what that moment looks like on the holiday you like the look of. We can tell you where the group meets, what is planned for the first night and who your host will be, so you arrive knowing at least one name.

Get in touch through our contact page and ask for Rob Thompson, who owns Spice Escapes and hosts holidays himself. Tell us what worries you, and we will help you find the group to join.