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What sets apart the best small and specialist tour operators from many of the biggest holiday providers is the level of expertise that goes into every holiday.
These specialist operators stand out with their intimate knowledge of destinations. These are often shaped by first-hand experience, or their experience in arranging a particular type of trip – from beach clubs to activity holidays.
Inghams topped our table with its excellent collection of lake and mountain stay & walk holidays. Hayes and Jarvis, which finished just behind it, is more focused on luxury tailor-made trips including multicentre holidays to far-flung destinations.
Sunvil Travel is another highly rated small operator known for its beach and villa-based holidays to Greece and Cyprus, with holidaymakers staying in unique properties and discovering little-known locations. Meanwhile, Neilson provides activity-based holidays that offer great value, with tuition included in the booking price.
You can compare customer scores and prices in our table and, for extra peace of mind, all the companies that have our WRP (Which? Recommended Provider) status guarantee they won't apply surcharges in 2026 – so the price won't go up after you book.
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| 81% | ||||||||
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(37) | 80% | n/a | ||||||
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| 79% | n/a | |||||||
(69) | 78% | n/a | ||||||
| 78% | n/a | |||||||
(34) | 78% | n/a | ||||||
(70) | 77% | |||||||
(35) | 76% | n/a | ||||||
(42) | 74% | n/a | ||||||
(43) | 74% | n/a | ||||||
(80) | 74% | n/a | ||||||
| 74% | n/a | |||||||
| 72% | n/a | |||||||
(31) | 72% | n/a | ||||||
(31) | 72% | |||||||
(41) | 71% | n/a | ||||||
(38) | 69% | n/a | ||||||
| 67% | n/a | |||||||
(32) | 65% | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Using the table Based on a survey of 19,958 holidays taken in the past two years from 12,119 Which? Connect members and members of the public in August/September 2024. Sample sizes in brackets. Star ratings are based on one to five stars. The more stars the better. n/a indicates we did not receive enough responses to report on a company in that category. Average price based on the median price per day of holidays taken by survey respondents with the company named in ALL categories of holiday. Short-haul destinations are defined as anywhere less than a five-hour flight from London. Customer score based on a combination of overall satisfaction and how likely people are to recommend the company.
Inghams offers Stay & Walk holidays among Europe’s lakes and mountains, with an excellent customer score and four- or five-star ratings across the board.
There are no set itineraries. You simply pick a beautiful base, then stroll or hike at your own pace, with the option to join expert-led walks.
Inghams is also a Which? Recommended Provider, and top of the table for its ski holidays.
Which? verdict: Inghams is top of our table of smaller and independent providers.
Read the full Inghams review or visit the Inghams website directly
Long-haul specialist Hayes and Jarvis provides luxury tailor-made trips worldwide.
Holidaymakers praised its customer service and attention to detail. It also received an impressive four stars for value for money.
Which? verdict: Good-value, luxury holidays, tailored to your requirements.
Read the full Hayes and Jarvis review or visit Hayes and Jarvis directly
Family-owned Sunvil started out as a Greece and Cyprus specialist, but now offers tailor-made beach and villa holidays in more than 30 countries.
Sunvil was praised for its ‘friendly and helpful’ service, highly personal service and its selection of excellent accommodation.
Which? verdict: Extremely well-organised holidays to lesser-known destinations
Read the full Sunvil review or visit the Sunvil website directly.
Neilson is an active holiday specialist offering beach clubs in Greece, Croatia and Sardinia, with sports and activities included in the price.
It received a four-star rating for value for money and readers were impressed by the ‘first-class’ kit and tuition included with the package.
Which? verdict: An excellent option for active holidays with the opportunity to learn new skills.
Read the full Neilson review or visit Neilson directly
In August and September 2024, we asked 12,119 Which? Connect panel members and members of the public to complete an online survey about their experiences of booking and going on holiday in the past two years. Our results are based on 19,958 holidays. We only reported on companies in any given category when we received at least 30 relevant responses.
