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10th May 2012
Hi =)
I’m booked on the Winter European Vista on December 28th. Contiki documents arrived yesterday, and it turns out that our tour doesn’t stay at the Mt. Pilatus hotel that seems to be so widely promoted by Contiki, and that I was so looking forward to staying at. We spend New Years Eve in Switzerland, and I was so pumped to be spending it in such an awesome place!
I feel kind of cheated by Contiki, they put the picture in all the brochures and build the hype so much… Does this happen to may tour groups? Has anyone else missed out on this hotel in the past? For an Aussie girl who has never seen snow this was going to be the most perfect New Years ever. I’m so disappointed.
Any comments welcome…
Jess =)
10th May 2012
I have decided to spend a few nights in Paris after my tour. I was wondering if anyone knew of any good hostels or budget hotels in Paris.
Thanks,
Josh
10th May 2012
Hey everyone… so I got back from my euro magic trip a few weeks ago and I thought I’d help you all out with some optionals! I went on the European Magic tour, however I know these optionals are available to other tours as well so I hope this helps some people out!
In AMSTERDAM
-Canal Cruise: you gotta do this! We took this at the beginning of the tour and it was a great way to meet everyone and it has endless drinks, so basically as much wine or beer as you can drink in 1 hour. there are some little salty snacks, the views are great. And there is some music, not too much room to dance! Oh and warning I managed to drink myself about 6 glasses of wine (oh yeah I’m made the most of the unlimited drinks!) and there is a small toilet on the boat however the whole time I was too into getting to know the people than use the toilet. Right when the boat docked everyone made a dash to the toilet however the man in charge said we were out of luck, well he literally said “You had your time, get off the boat”. So use the toilet ahead of time or else you’ll be regretting it later!!
-Sex Show: This is recommended for anyone who is not a prude, can look at something a bit awkward and not laugh out loud, and someone who is comfortable with their bodies. I didn’t go on this tour however some people on my trip told me about it and it sounds like a riot! It is definitely exactly how it sounds. It’s a SEX SHOW. So yes, there will be sex. LIVE sex. On a rotating stage. And there will be time for volunteers… but don’t volunteer if you are not willing to participate in some way! (one guy got pulled up and had to wear a dildo hat… you can only imagine what he had to do with that!)
ST. GOAR
-Wine tasting: it’s a very small town, one street. It’s beautiful however there’s not much to do. The wine tasting was a great way to pass the time, and the wine was surprisingly good. The first wine was my least favorite.. it seemed to get better as the samples came. And you got to taste it in these little shot glasses that said “St. Goar” on them and you get to keep it! So cute! There is bread and cheese to taste the wine with however there was a previous post on here about a girl getting sick and she thinks it was because of the cheese and not being pasturized… I ate the cheese and I was fine, but a word of caution!
MUNICH
-City Bike Tour: These guys are extremely funny! Mad perverts, but hilarious! It’s a good way to see the city however you are RUSHED. No chance to really stop and take pictures because you would lose the group. We biked around the main square then through some beautiful gardens then to a HUGE beer garden, we had about 45 minutes to stop, eat, drink a pint and then back on the bike!
VENICE
-Gondola Ride: I didn’t go on this, I had previously went to Venice and went on a gondola ride but everyone who went liked it! They thought it was a little rushed, you were able to bring some drinks (BELLINIS ARE A MUST!) and drink a little bit if you wish.
-Venetian restaurant: It was OK. The food was mediocre. There was a lot of food though: pastas, vegetables, a meat platter, bread, there was a sort of seafood ceviche however the seafood was disappointingly rubbery. For some reason I found the food to be a bit salty as well. However, each table (there are 2 tables pushed together 4 people per half table, 8 people in total) recieves a bottle of red wine and sparkling white wine. Our whole table only had 6 people at it and one person didn’t drink alcohol so I got a whole bottle of wine to myself. it was great 
I don’t really remember the dessert… which is unfortunate because I LOVE dessert. It must not have been very good.
LUCERNE:
-Mt. Stanserhorn: I’m afraid of heights. However I went on this cause I heard the sights were beautiful. Bummer is… I wore shorts and a tank top that whole day cause it was extremely hot, we arrive at the top of the mountain to find out that it’s RAINING! Needless to say I missed the sights because I was under the awning the entire time.But if I had been prepared it would have been fabulous! On top of the mountain there’s this restaurant/cafeteria/gift shop and I bought a coffee with schnapps in it… umm ya it didn’t taste so good.
-Lake Lucerne Cruise: Gorgeous! Amazing views! I highly recommend this because the sunset is to die for. You get one free drink and the rest of the drinks are only 2 SF, which is amazingly priced for the area. The drinks are either beer or wine, I suggest the beer.
PARIS:
-Group Photo: Didn’t pay for this one… I took many photos of the group throughout the trip so I didn’t find this necessary however it would have been nice to have the photo. Next time I will!
-Moulin Rouge- I didn’t go, the price would have been way too much for me (Almost 300 dollars!) however everyone who went loved it. Next time I go I’ll make sure to save up enough money for it.
Hope this helped some people! If you have any more questions don’t hesitate to ask! And here’s some extra advice, free of charge 
, make sure you go on this trip and think to yourself “No Regrets”. It is only one time that you will be in that area with those people in that situation, have fun! Be yourself! Be open, and don’t go back home thinking “I wish I would have done that differently”
10th May 2012
How much is beer in Germany – Prague – Austria – London? Will we be paying a premium like in Las Vegas ($16 a drink) or are they reasonably priced?
Also, typically how much is a nice lunch and dinner?
10th May 2012
HI
I’m heading to NY for easter. Can anyone tell which area to stay in NY ie Upper East Side, Soho, Manhattan. I’ll be doing the touristy things like Statue of Liberty, Macys, Central park, ground zero all that sorta stuff.
Any advise is appreciated!!!
10th May 2012
Hi,
Just wondering if anyone has done the north by north east/ grand northern and could give me their opinion of it. im looking at doing the north by north east next summer. would ave liked to do the grand northern but not enough time. i cant see many reviews of the tour on here so any comments will be appreciated!
thanks!
10th May 2012
Is there any advice you could give to people travelling to NZ?
What were you glad you did/took?
What do you wish you did?
What would you NOT do again?
Was there anything you would add to your packing list??
(I know there is a general forum asking the same thing, but I was thinking of things that are specifically for NZ)
10th May 2012
Hi,
Does anyone know if the Contiki Basement has lockers that you can store your stuff in? I need to store my sleeping bag cos I don’t need it for my 1st tour but do for my 2nd tour.
Thanks
From Amanda
10th May 2012
Hi –
My boyfriend and I are on the 12/24 Grand Explorer in NZ but we have to leave the trip a day early. We talked with the tour operator and they said they can drop us off in Queenstown on the way back from Milford Sound. This would be on 1/8/08. Our problem is that our flight home is out of Auckland, so we need to grab a flight from Queenstown to Auckland on the same day. Contiki wasn’t able to tell us what time the tour will get to Queenstown after the Milford Sound (before Mt. Cook) Does anyone remember? We want to book a 1pm flight, but dont want to miss it.
THANKS!!
10th May 2012
Hi there,
I am doing the Best of USA tour on August 31st – Sept 12th and i’m going to be booking a day tour to the Grand Canyon, and am wondering that if i booked for the Sunday afternoon/evening, would it be clashing with anything important that the tour would be doing eg the night of the group Cabaret show etc?? I just don’t want to book something and be gutted that i booked it on the wrong day and missed out on doing a group thing.
Any advice on how the days in Las Vegas pan out would be much appreciated
Jen
10th May 2012
I’m just curious as to what kind of luggage people typically bring on their trips. I wanted to bring a duffel on wheels, but the information they sent us said that the max size is 29″ × 20″ × 10″, and I don’t think there are any duffels that are 10 inches or smaller. I really didn’t want to bring a regular suitcase. Any thoughts? Anyone know how strict these size requirements (esp the height) are?
10th May 2012
Hey,
Is anyone planning on doing this tour?? I am doing it solo so it would be good to get in contact with other people doing the tour, I know it’s a while away yet though…
10th May 2012
anybody out there has any advice on travel guides for italy?
i was also looking to buy a phrase book…
10th May 2012
Hey there,
I was wondering…when you go out at night to bars or clubs etc, what kind of purse would you take? i am only bringing my suitcase and day bag on my tour because my day bag can double as a large purse, but i dont want to bring it into a bar or club. so i was wondering if a little clutch or small wallet that has an little handle on it would be alright? if anyone has any info for me that would be great!
10th May 2012
I’m going to London and Paris on the 9th of March and I know that during the week we are allowed to go to the West End for a show one night. Should I buy my tickets now or should I wait to see what every one else does? I really want to see wicked, but I don’t know how fast the tickets sell.
Suggestions would be great!!!
allie
10th May 2012
This could be a no brainer perhaps, but doesn’t everyone generally stick to the same seat on the bus? Does the seat you choose when you board end up becoming your bus home? Cheers
10th May 2012
Hi All,
I was just wondering how much a proper, authentic Venetian mask will set me back? I dont mind paying a bit extra for the proper ones (as opposed to the cheap nasty, tourist ones) but any advice would be great… also beer steins in Germany and the Swarovski Museum??… I’m not a clothes shopper, more into knick knacks and decent, real souvenirs… not cheap and crappy stuff… i just wanna know in advance so i dont run out while im over there =)… thanks in advance and i hope you have a great day =D
10th May 2012
Hello Wonderful Person or Persons reading this message….
My husband and I will be traveling to Europe in December 2010 we’re going on the Paris for New Year Tour and so I would like to know how much spending money should we bring with us. Regarding our luggage is there a weight restriction with Contiki and what MUST SEE sights should my husband and I see when in London, now mind you we will only be in London for 1 1/2 days…..Also any advice for Versailles is welcomed (ex: Tickets should I get them online or when I get there & what is a good time of the day go over there)
