Summer holidays for solo travellers: four hosted departures and what to pack

The best summer holidays for solo travellers are the ones where the company is already arranged: a city weekend in Berlin, a week of books and long dinners in green Cantabria, a total solar eclipse in Andalucía, or a fjord cruise that sails from London. Spice Escapes runs all four as small hosted group holidays for people in their 40s, 50s and 60s who travel on their own, with a host who goes with you and a group of around fifteen people, and some reach twenty.

Summer is the season that shows up an empty diary. Friends disappear into family villas, the school holidays fill every beach with couples and children, and a lot of people end up searching for what to do in the summer holidays alone. This guide answers that practically: the departures we have this summer, what each is like when you arrive knowing nobody, and what to pack.

Why summer alone feels harder, and what changes it

In winter nobody asks what you did at the weekend. In summer the question is everywhere. Booking a holiday fixes the diary, but people tell us the real worry comes after: the table for one, the evening with nothing planned, being the only person not in a pair.

A hosted group takes those away. Most people on a Spice Escapes holiday have booked on their own, so nobody is the odd one out. The host makes the introductions and draws the quieter people in without pushing, and you keep your own room for when you want to step back. Our page on solo holidays for over 50s explains the format, and first-time solo travellers walks through the journey from the airport to the first dinner.

A slow week with a house full of company: Cantabria

Read, Relax and Restore: A Week in Spain's Green North is for anyone who wants to rest without resting alone. It lasts 7 nights, departing 6 Jun 2027 – 13 Jun 2027, from £969, hosted by Jackie Whyte. Places: 13 places left.

The group has a whole house, Agara, to itself. Every room is sole occupancy, so it is practically two of you to a bathroom. Breakfast, a light lunch and dinner are provided each day, with wine and beer you help yourself to, so eating alone never comes up. Days are yours: a book on the patio, one of the bikes at the house, a self-guided walk, or the coast at Comillas and San Vicente de la Barquera. Evenings bring everyone together for home-cooked food, with a murder mystery and a literary quiz likely. There is a very friendly resident dog, and you do not need to be a great reader. A magazine counts.

This is the green north, so when the sun shines it is hot and when it rains it pours. Read our guide to northern Spain holidays or see everything we run in Spain.

Early summer, short and sociable: Berlin

Berlin Bound is the easy way in. It runs for 3 nights, departing 4 Jun 2027 – 7 Jun 2027, from £549. Places: 22 places left.

The hotel is by Alexanderplatz, a short walk from Museum Island, and the rooms have air conditioning, which matters in a city summer. On the Saturday your coordinator leads a day round the city on hop on, hop off tickets, and you can stay with the group or go at your own speed. The plan may include Monbijoupark, where on Saturday afternoons Berliners dance tango in the open air. Join in, or sit in the sun with a drink and watch. The rest of the time is your own, which suits anyone who wants company at breakfast and freedom by lunchtime. Our guide to city breaks for singles over 50 has more.

High summer under a darkening sky: the eclipse in Andalucía

Chasing the Eclipse is a week built around a rare event. It runs for 7 nights, departing 31 Jul 2027 – 7 Aug 2027, from £2,899, hosted by Rob Thompson. Places: 18 places left.

The group stays in Vejer de la Frontera, a whitewashed hilltop town in the path of the total solar eclipse, at the Hotel Tugasa Convento San Francisco, a restored former Franciscan monastery. The expert for the week is Dr Matthew Bothwell, the University of Cambridge Public Astronomer. Around the eclipse there are plans for sherry and flamenco in Jerez, the old town of Cádiz on the Atlantic, and a guided walk round Vejer. Watching something this rare on your own is strange. With a group, you turn to someone, and there is someone there.

Late summer at sea, with no airport: the Norwegian fjords

Summertime Fjordland Cruise closes the summer. It sails for 8 nights, departing 21 Aug 2027 – 29 Aug 2027, from £1,129, hosted by Pam Harte. Places: 4 places left.

It leaves from London Tilbury and comes back there, so there are no flights to manage. The ship calls at Eidfjord, Austefjorden for Bergen, Måløy and Geiranger, and full board, the spa, pool and hot tubs are included. On a big ship the risk for someone alone is drifting from deck to deck without speaking to anyone. With a hosted group you have people to share a table with at dinner and to go ashore with in port. See more cruise holidays, our trips to Norway, or our guide to cruises for solo travellers over 50.

What to pack for a summer away

People ask about summer holiday clothes almost as often as destinations, and it depends on the trip. For Berlin and Andalucía, think light layers and comfortable walking shoes. For the eclipse, bring proper solar eclipse eye protection, because you should never look directly at the sun without it. Cantabria needs a waterproof and, if you plan to walk, boots for changeable weather. On the cruise, daytime is casual and the ship's daily programme suggests what to wear each evening, with generally two formal or gala nights. Our guide to packing light for group travel keeps it to one case.

The cost of a room to yourself

Every holiday carries a single supplement or a cost for a room to yourself, shown clearly before you book. Our page on the single supplement explains what you are paying for. For many people it is the price of closing the door at the end of a sociable day.

Questions people ask

What can I do in the summer holidays on my own?

You can go away with a hosted group, so you have company for meals and outings without planning it yourself. A short city break suits a first try, and a week away suits anyone who wants a proper rest.

Will I be the only person on my own?

Very unlikely. Most people on our holidays book on their own, and the host makes the introductions.

Do I have to join in with everything?

No. Each holiday mixes time with the group and time on your own, and you always have your own room to go back to.

Is my holiday financially protected?

Spice Escapes is ATOL protected under licence 9046, which covers our flight-inclusive holidays. The team can tell you how a particular trip is protected before you book.

Plan your summer now

Summer is a popular time to travel, so check the live places shown on each trip above. If one has caught your eye, or you are torn between a short break and a full week, talk to us. Jackie Whyte, who hosts the Cantabria week, and the rest of the team can tell you what the group days are like, how much time is your own and which trip suits you best. Get in touch with the team and we will help you plan the summer.