Contiki traveler Daniele Holmberg, a blogger who writes about great deals on her site Dani’s Decadent Deals, traveled with her husband on Contiki’s Amsterdam to Barcelona trip and she dishes about why she chose Contiki and writes about her favorite moments from the trip.
Guest Blog Post by Daniele Holmberg, past Contiki traveler
I took a fabulous trip in summer 2010 with Contiki, a tour company that accommodates 18-35 year olds. Contiki includes different ways of travel; such as Superior (hotels), Superior Easy Pace (hotels & relaxed pace), Budget (cabins, hostels, and budget hotels), and Camping. Contiki travels worldwide. Of the 260 tours of varying lengths, they offer different sightseeing experiences, excursions, some meals, and optional excursions.
Our Contiki trip, called Amsterdam to Barcelona, was awesome and I came home with 36 new Facebook friends and a lifetime of memories I will treasure forever. Our tour group was like a family as we set out to explore sights, experience activities, and taste food. My husband and I celebrated our five year wedding anniversary on this trip!
We added three days in England at the beginning of our trip, an extra day in Amsterdam, and 2 days in Barcelona. It is economical to add on days because Contiki has pre-purchased hotel rates.
In London, we discovered a Contiki office and found out these are in most cities for Contiki travelers. There is a lounge area, free WiFi, and staff that can assist you in your journeys.
Our Contiki group started in the Netherlands and we hit up the Heineken Brewery. For $15, we saw how beer was made, made a video singing Dutch music, and got 2 beers. At night, we went on an unlimited buffet and drinks canal cruise and then went to the Red Light District. The following day we went to a cheese farm & clog maker’s house and we took a bike tour through the city of Edam.
We arrived in Paris by night and explored. Our day in Paris was a day at leisure and my husband and I decided to seek out Jim Morrison’s grave which was an adventure in itself to find… At night we enjoyed the Moulin Rouge Dinner Show with the group. This was a fabulous night to remember and we all trekked into a local bar following the show and had a blast!
The next stop was Lucerne, Switzerland where we stayed in a hotel that was a former jail called the Lowengraben. Upon arrival, we went on a cruise around Lake Lucerne which was some of the most breathtaking views of the city!! In the evening we walked through the cobblestone streets to a local dance bar.
Upon arriving in Chamonix in the French Alps, there were gorgeous mountains and an opportunity to take a cable car to the top of the mountain to check out the view. This place was one of my favorites.
On the way to Nice, France along the gorgeous French Riviera, we stopped at a French Perfumery called Fragonard and got to sample and buy products. In Nice, we wandered around the city and hit the gorgeous beaches (these are nude beaches might I add.) There is one bar in particular that we all fell in love with called, “Ma Nolan’s” and we got to party with our tour guide, Emmo and our bus driver, Hans!
A close drive from Nice is Monaco, where we saw the Monte Carlo Casino and the port of Monaco with many boats and blue waters. We had a great anniversary dinner there to celebrate our five years of marriage.
Our last city was Barcelona and we stopped at the Sagrada Familia Catholic Church designed by Antoni Gaudi that has been under construction since 1852. Our hotel was in the Catalonia area and by La Rambla, a long street packed with street acts, shopping, tapas & sangria cafes that had some of the best food!
It was hard to say goodbye to our new friends upon leaving. I recommend Contiki to anyone in the 18-35 age groups that is interested in traveling with a fun group of like-minded people that want to enjoy both day and night activities.
About the Author:
Daniele is the author of “Dani’s Decadent Deals.” You can subscribe to her blog to learn how to live champagne dreams on a beer budget. Visit her Facebook page, dani’s decadent deals, and “like” to receive daily deals on everything from clothing, travel, restaurants, activities, and events.