The hardest part of a first solo trip is usually the bit before you leave: booking it. Who will I eat with? What if I don't click with anyone? Will I pay double for a room? A small group trip answers most of those questions for you, and it's why so many people who travel alone choose one.
You're in good company. In the UK, Jules Verne told Travel Weekly that 51% of its 2027 small-group bookings are from solo travellers. At Soca Islands it's even higher: three in four of our bookings are for a single traveller.
What "small group" actually means
On our trips, groups are 6 to 16 travellers. That's big enough to always have someone to talk to and small enough to fit round one long dinner table, get into a neighbourhood restaurant or a fete without a fuss, and move without a coach-full of people. A Soca Islands host travels with the group from start to finish.
The first day
Most trips start with a welcome or meet-and-greet, so you know names and faces before the first big event. You'll usually arrive to an airport transfer, not a taxi queue. By the second day, people tend to have found their pace: the early risers, the ones who'll try every street food stall, the ones who want an afternoon by the pool.
Rooms: sharing or your own
Trip prices are per person, sharing a room with two beds. If you book alone and want to share, you don't pay a single supplement: we pair you with a fellow traveller of the same sex. About four weeks before departure you'll get a short form about your habits, like sleep times and how social you like to be, and we use it to match you. If you'd rather have your own room, single rooms are available at a supplement, subject to availability, and the price is shown on each departure.
Time together, time alone
A good group trip isn't a school trip. Expect a mix: guided visits, group meals and events, and free time that's genuinely yours. If you want an afternoon on your own, take it. If you want company, there's always someone heading out.
Safety
Travelling with a group and a host takes a lot of the worry out of a new place. On our multi-day trips, airport transfers and transport to every itinerary event are included, so you're not arranging rides alone at night, and roommates are always the same sex. We still recommend the basics: keep a copy of your passport, share your plans with someone at home, and check your government's travel advice for the country you're visiting.
Paying for it
You can secure your place with a deposit (US$300 per person, or US$500 on Carnival trips, when you book 90 days or more before departure) and pay the balance in equal monthly instalments, finishing 60 days before departure. Paying in full at booking takes 5% off when a deposit option is available.
Questions to ask before you book any group trip
- How many people are in the group, at most?
- Is there a host or tour leader with us the whole time?
- How does roommate matching work, and what if my roommate cancels?
- What's included, and what will I pay for on the ground?
- How much free time is there?
- What's the cancellation policy?
You'll find our answers in the Info Centre FAQs. Then pick a trip: Caribbean carnivals, small group tours in Europe, Asia and Oceania, Africa and the Middle East or Mexico, Central and South America.
