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AllEverything, All the time, Everywhere.
10th May 2012
Hi,
I’m just curious to know who has seen snow on a Contiki tour and where and when…
(though I think Europe just had a warm winter)
Ash
10th May 2012
I have been reading the posts about different bags but my question is…are you able to leave a bag on the bus with magazines, books, ect? I’m thinking I would then just bring a small bag around for the day with money, camera, ect. Is that what most people do? Thank you!
10th May 2012
Im gonna be doing the NY Explorer on the 14th September, but I want to stay another week after. Im thinking of two hotels The Pod and Hotel 31. Not sure which one would be best. Has anyone stayed at these hotels can you please offer any advice/comments?
10th May 2012
im thinking of doing a euro highlights, can anyone tell me wat sort of time of day we would arrive back in london?
morning/midday/evening?
10th May 2012
Hey
Ive have booked a tour to do European Panorama in June 2011 and the travel agent i booked it through suggested that i stay an extra night in Amsterdam instead of going straight back to london because i am staying there for an extra four days after the tour. If i did do this it would involve having to spend the extra on transport form Amsterdam to London by ferry, but apparently the bus ride is like 12hrs anyway on the last day. So would it be worth it?? has anybody done this??
10th May 2012
I am tossing up between several options for my eurotrip.
The only way to see absolutely EVERYWHERE I want to see in the budget I’m aiming for.. is the 46 day camping trip.
I could save up more and do the more expensive options but it means I couldn’t get there for probably another 6 months on top of when I want to go, which would make it winter, so I’d have to wait ANOTHER 6 months until it was summer again…
I can’t wait that long!!!!
So in order to get there, in my budget, in my time frame I have to either camp for 46 days straight (which I don’t think I could do)
OR
sacrifice either Spain, or both Prague and Croatia. All of which I want to see.
I’m leaning towards picking a tour that has Prague and Croatia, cos I can always come back and do the Spanish Spree further down the track..
10th May 2012
I know you can leave your bags at the Basement, but what if I arrive before the Basement opens – can I leave my bags with the Royal National reception? I want to make the most of my day in London before the tour starts so want to drop off my bag as soon as I possibly can!
10th May 2012
Tuscany!
Hey everybody. I went on the Tuscany tour in July 2007, so a while ago, but I noticed a lack of reviews on Tuscany and thought I’d fix that. I might be off on a few details but I’ll give it a go…
This trip rocked, and was my first contiki experience. Easily one of the best decisions I made. I was 29 and by myself. I think there were 35 people on the trip. 6 couples (mostly honeymooners), 3 single guys (myself included) and the rest were girls (yeah, I know, good crowd for a single guy). I’d say of the single folks, half were by themselves and half were with a friend. Average age was mid to upper 20s, youngest being 19 I think. I made some good friends, still talk to a few people, and have even met up with my roommate since then in New York.
The Trip:
I was surprised at how quick we got started. The first night we met for dinner, then loaded up the bus and hit downtown Rome. Boo-yah! It was a walking tour of Rome that night, but it was really a fast walking tour. not a lot of time to stop and ponder the meaning of the world. In fact, that goes for most of the trip. I am a wanna be photographer, and a I took along my nice camera and I was often frustrated at the lack of time I had to compose a good picture, but the average photog would have no problem. click, move on. click, move on. Get some ice cream, move on….
The first day was fairly low paced. One great thing about this trip is that there is not a lot of bus time. I think we had one 4 hour leg, but most of the time it was a little over an hour, which went by fast because our tour guide was talking about this and that. The trade off is that since you are not on the bus all day, you must then be on your feet. Lots and lots of walking on this trip. And holy crap was it hot there. 90s+. hot hot hot! A group of us spent 2 hours in an ice cream parlor one day just to get away from the heat.
I think you get to Sienna after the first full day and spend the next 3 nights there. Sienna is a great town, and most of us went out drinking every night to the bars. It was nothing insane, nobody passing out or anything, but a few people managed to give themselves hangovers (mostly the guys on their honeymoons…hmmm….) It certainly was not a booze fest by any means, but most people stayed up. One night we sat on the patio of the hotel and shared bottles of wine. very relaxed. I’d say that we stayed out, or at least up at the hotel, until 2am each night. that means I was averaging around 5 hours of sleep a night. What little bus time we had was spent sleeping. But all that said, there was certainly no “pressure” to stay out. There was usually one crowd that went out, and one crowd that hung around the hotel lobby, so depending on how you felt each night….
Pisa… Pisa was fast. In and out in a hour. nice to see, but there really isn’t a whole lot there. after Pisa we went to the beach. If i remember correctly, it was more of a pebble beach than a sand beach. Some of the gals really liked it but I’ve never been much of a beach goer so, I was ready to move on. More ice cream to be had there though.
Lets see….somewhere around day 3 or 4 is the bike ride. This sounds nice: “leisurely bike ride thought the tuscan countryside.” Umm…no, not leisurely. To be honest, this bike ride kicked my ass, and a lot of other people too. It sort of became the running joke of the trip. Put it this way, the first 45 minutes was fine, the for teh second 45 minutes I hated Italy. It started off downhill, but then that changed. I forget the exact distance, but it was too much for me. It is not like you putt putt around looking at the nice countryside, you are pounding away at the road trying to keep motivated to get through it. I was not looking around much, but instead concentrating on the bike. If you want, you can skip it and take a car ride. They do let you stop and rest every 20 minutes or so. Big tip here: There is a gift shop at the beginning, BUY A LOT OF WATER. By a lot, I mean 5-6 bottles. and find a way to carry them. I bought 2 and ran out fast. At one stop point, a guy who owned a house filled our bottles from his hose, so that was nice, but I was seriously worried about dehydration for a while. one girl took a spill somewhere along the line and messed her legs up, but otherwise everybody got through it. We all agreed that the bik tour was too much, all except for one crazy guy who was zipping all over the place on his bike with a smile on his face, acting like he did that kind of thing every day. So yeah, the bike thing was a bit rough I thought. At the end of the bike tour, you have lunch and free wine…. wine….after that?? all I wanted was water and a bed. Maybe I am jut a big baby though.
Speaking of wine, i usually don’t like it, but or some reason wine tasted so much better over there.
Anyway, back to the trip. Florence. Florence is great. The first day you do a walking tour, but some people bailed out because we could not hear hte tour guide anyway. On the second day in Florence, it is almost all a “free day.” Big tip here, if you want to get into any of teh museums, like to see David, buy those before you get there. The tickets to the museums are all sold for specific times on specific days, and none of us were able to get tickets. If i remember correctly, on the “free” day, you are set lose after 11am. So if you were to buy tickets for the museums, something around noon or 1pm would be fine. The only ones we could get were for 4pm, and the bus left around 5pm I think, so we literally RAN through one of the museums. Otherwise, Florence is the place to do your shopping, and more ice cream.
Lets see….one the last full day you get to Rome again around noon. I did the optional walking tour of rome. most of us did. It was okay, but you dont get to go INTO the coloseum, you just walk around the outside. Some people bailed out and headed over to the Vatican. They got in, but could only stay for about 45 minutes before it closed. So while I remember it, I would not recommend planning on seeing the vatican. it is not officially on the itinerary, and you have a very limited amount of time to do anything in Rome. I could easily go back to Rome and see stuff I didn’t get a chance to on this tour. But then again, Rome is really just where you fly in and out of, it is not really meant to be a major part of this tour. It is called Tuscany for reason, not Rome AND Tuscany. And holy crap was it hot in Rome. More ice cream.
Hotels:
This trip is evidently a bit different from the others, because there is very little bus time compared to the others, and you stay in most hotels more than one night, which means no packing and unpacking every morning. The hotels were pretty good I thought. They were all a bit out of town, but it was not a big deal, as we would eat dinner in town, and then those that wanted to go back would do so on the bus, and the rest if us would take a cab back. The Sienna hotel has a great pool, but there was only enough time for a quick dip before the bus loads up again, so Don’t plan on a lot of pool time (unless you sneak down there at 1am, hint hint).
Everybody seemed to get along with their roommates. There were a few squabbles about one person taking too long in the shower, and one girl was not thrilled that her roommate was 8 years older, but there was definitely no fighting. Everybody got along and we borrowed items from each other. One poor girl never, ever, got her luggage. She had one outfit the whole week, but the other girls gave her toiletries and loaned her some clothes.
I got a little sick of the same breakfast every morning. hard boiled egg, croissant, coffee, and corn flakes. But then again I am not sure what I expected.
The Optionals:
I think I did every optional, as did most people. I would recommend doing all the meal optionals, especially if you are by yourself. If you are on a honeymoon and you want some alone time, then go for it, otherwise eat with the group. The food is good, and then it means you are together when it comes time to decide who is going out for the night, and who is going back to the hotel. I didn’t go for the overpriced group picture, but now I wish that I had. I was expecting somebody to scan it and email it around after the trip but that never happened.
Come to think of it, I believe all the optionals were food related, except for the walking tour of Rome (not much time to do anything else anyway, except maybe shopping, but in reality all we did was shuffle from one area of shade to another, and I can’t say I remember much from the walking “tour”), and the Florence nightclub (which was okay. Expensive drinks, but what else are you going to do at 10pm? sleep? no fun). The farewell dinner was fantastic. Just fantastic. Tons of food, and easily the best restaurant we went too that trip. Afterwards we were all so buggered that we went back to the hotel instead of out on the town, and just relaxed in the hotel lobby, with a few bottles of wine that is.
okay…other stuff. Safety. Rome I believe is the pick pocketing capitol of the world, but we were all fine. Rome is very very very crowded, even at 11pm, so you dont have to worry about being beaten up in a dark alley, but you should watch your wallet and never ever leave your bag or purse anywhere. my backpack never left my hand. ever…. One other tour group was at our Rome hotel one night, and while tey were loading up the first morning, some local dudes walked on the bus and took some people’s stuff. Since it was the first day, the bus driver did not pay any attention to them. They had dressed like tourists and just walked on a walked off. So dont leave anything behind that is important to you. As far as personal safety, I’m pretty sure nobody had a problem. we were mingling with the locals everywhere, but never had a problem.
The people in Italy were very friendly. The language was never really a problem. I knew how to say “water” and that was about all I need. I found that most people spoke english, and if they did not I could point and act out what i was after. We carried a little “cheat sheet” with us that had the hotel address on it, and so we just showed that to the cab driver and off he went. The folks at the hotels and restaurants were all very very nice and helpful.
Lets see, random things. I brought my laptop. I was the only one with a laptop I think. I had no problem and I took it with me everyday, leaving it under the seat in the bus when we got off for a tour. I would not have left it in the hotel, but it did stay behind if I went to dinner or a bar. I got it insured and backed up the info before I left, so that meant I was almost wishing somebody would steal it. There was WiFi at every hotel, but there was an hourly cost. I set mine up in the lobby each morning at let people toss me a dollar to check their email. There were also some internet cafes in the towns we went too, and our tour guide knew where they were. not everyday day though….
Clothing: I brought 3 sets of shoes. Comfy walking shoes, black dress up shoes for the bars, and sandals for the beach. A couple tee shirts ad then some nice looking stuff for the bars. I wore shorts during the day and jeans at night, but it was damn hot with the jeans.
- I never needed the bug spray I brought
- Bring lots of sun tan lotion
- Bring a towel for the beach
- Get one of those belt things to carry around your cash and passport (come to think of it, I didn’t even bring a wallet. just cash, ID, and a credit card)
- if you plan on going to the vatican, keep in mind they have a strict dress code, no knees or shoulder showing. Kind of a problem since it was so damn HOT!
- Make sure that you buy the airport transportation from contiki. Those that found their own way to the hotel spent a ton of cash.
- Stay an extra day in Rome at the end if you like, but I must admit I was more or less ready to come home. All the walking, the ridiculous heat, and lack of sleep had taken a toll on me. maybe a day at the beginning of the trip would be a better idea.
- I sucked down vitamins everyday, and i didn’t get sick. i dont think anybody did, although others had talked about the “contiki cough” they got from other tours.
- bring a couple power adapters. if you dont lose one, you have something to trade with another person.
- I brought Gum and that made me popular.
- i washed my underwear/socks in the sink halfway through the trip, wore my shorts everyday, and ended up wearing every shirt twice, as did most people. One girl seemed to have 2 outfits for everyday. I dont know how she packed it all.
- Not many people mention this, but I think having a cell phone is a good idea. Point being that you get the tour guides cell number in case you get lost or run late. two girls got lost in florence, and were we leaving them behind but luckily we literally ran into on our march out of town. A cell is a good backup.
Overall I recommend this trip. not a lot of bus time which is a good thing in my mind. I do think this is probably one of the best tours Contiki does. Those that had done multiple said this was their favorite.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me at mattoxj “at” mac.com
james….
10th May 2012
I know it has probably been asked before.. forgive my laziness for not searching through other threads but…
Me and a friend are looking to check out NZ in January for a 3 week period. I am unsure whether we take a shorter contiki and do the rest ourselves .. or just take the longest contiki and be done with.
I have never been on a contiki before and dont know how id cope with being made to move on etc…
Anyway .. if we are there for 3 weeks… do we concentrate on just one island for longer.. or do we do the whole thing in shorter trips?
forgive my unstructured questions haha….
10th May 2012
Hi!
I’ve read somewhere on this board, that if you book the Moulin Rouge by yourself you can do it without the dinner and save some euros. I am not big on dinners, so I think that would be great for me — cause I want both to see Moulin Rouge A LOT and to save some money.
Question is: how DO you book it by yourself? Can I buy myself a ticket once I’m there? Can I buy it on the Basement? Do I have to call there before? Or can my TM also book it without the dinner part?
Thanks, in advance.
[]s
10th May 2012
How strick is Contiki with the 18-35 Age Restriction?
Thanks
10th May 2012
Hi Contikios! 
I wanted to ask everyone who has done or will do the Great Britian and Southern Ireland Tour if when you took a look at the Optionals included in the tour if you thought that it might be worth the money to do these things.
I was online converting GB Pounds and Euros to USD and realized how expensive the Group Dinners were(mostly)
I know that we don’t have to do the Optionals but I guess I was just wondering if paying $60 to $70 dollars was worth the Scottish Bagpipes and Story Telling. Maybey I converted wrong,and hoping that its not going to cost that much for group dinners.
Any advice would be helpful!
Thanks 
Moemab
10th May 2012
Hi all. Im flying into LA and spending a few days there first, before i head to New Orleans. Where is the best place to stay and areas to avoid.Any advice for good accommodation.
10th May 2012
Hiya
I am planning to take a small tog bag with me in addition to my suitcase. Last year, I did a Contiki Tour in the USA and we were permitted to put the small tog bag in the compartments above our seats. Is it the same for the European Contiki tours?
Also, when we stopped at a given place along the way, we were permitted to leave our tog bags on board. Is this also the same for the European Contiki tours?
10th May 2012
Hi Everyone.
I am 19 turning 20 in July. I am most likely going to go on the Best of USA tour next year (July 2009) just after I turn 21.
How much money should I roughly be looking at? Like how much should I take?
Also I am thinking of either going early and spending a few extra days in LA before the tour begins or after the tour spending a few more days in NY. Any recommendations?
Thanks!
10th May 2012
Hi, I’m going on the european adventure tour in August and I am trying to work out what type of luggage I need! I know that suitcases are recommended, but for the first part of my trip, I need a backpack. Someone told me that for contiki we have to have suitcases, so I was just wondering if this is true- because if it is, I’m a bit stuck!
Thanks!!!
10th May 2012
Hi
Can anyone please tell me how much things will cost in Egypt so I know about how much money I will need to take with me?
Thanks
Melinda (Australia)
10th May 2012
If I buy a converter for Europe, will it work in both London and Paris – do they have the same plug prongs and voltage?
I just priced a converter for Europe at $40+ …can anyone recommend other stores to look at in Canada where I might find one cheaper?
