SA Footy

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 4:26 pm**

G'day all,

The girlfriend and I are wanting go travelling around Europe and are thinking about a Contiki tour? Has anyone out there got any recommendations? Probaly going around August. Any help will be appreciated.

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 4:31 pm**

Recommend you don't take the girlfriend. You'll have a better time.

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 4:33 pm**

I might consider it, but she wont have a bar of it;-)

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 4:41 pm**

Independent travel. Wing it. Much more fun, so I hear

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 5:07 pm**

Did one almost 10 years ago. "European Impressions". This went for 17 days, and was the sort of tour where they put you up in hotels rather than campsites or dormitories. I was late 20s at the time and figured I could afford the luxury of a real bed every night. :lol:

My tour was not full, only about 35 of us on the bus. My age would have been close to the median; the punters ages ranged from 18 right up to 36. I understand that the camping tours attract a younger crowd, and are more geared towards boozing.

The Contiki tour was the second leg of three; I started with a couple of weeks staying with a mate in London, then did the Contiki tour, then I jumped off the bus at the last stop (Brussels) and spent a month wandering across Western Europe with no fixed plan, staying in youth hostels. All three modes of travel have their benefits. I'd suggest that the bus tour is worth doing for its own sake, the experience is worth having. However it is also a good way to get your feet wet prior to a stint of independent travel.

I left my bird at home. :shock:

Wandering through Europe by myself did me the world of good... Nevertheless there were several married couples on the tour I did, and even a brother and sister (no, they weren't Tasmanian). So you won't be out of place.

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 5:10 pm**

If i know your missus, she would have given you the flick by day 3 and you will be left all alone. HAHAHAHA

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 5:10 pm**

When I did Europe I did a mix of both. Did a Contiki, and then went back to the places/areas I liked independently.

The tour I did was for three week, and went right down to the Greek Islands !!

Was a bit of a root fest as the bus was full of singles.

Fantastic way to pick up stray Kiwi's, South Africans and naive Yanks :lol:

For those not in a relationship (or swingers), get a single room supplement so that way if you strike lucky you've got somewhere to go

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 5:13 pm**

Pseudo wrote:Nevertheless there were several married couples on the tour I did, and even a brother and sister...

Ahh,selective quoting at its finest.

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 5:28 pm**

Booney wrote:
Pseudo wrote:Nevertheless there were several married couples on the tour I did, and even a brother and sister...

Ahh,selective quoting at its finest.

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 5:41 pm**

luvcricket wrote:G'day all,

The girlfriend and I are wanting go travelling around Europe and are thinking about a Contiki tour? Has anyone out there got any recommendations? Probaly going around August. Any help will be appreciated.

I am doing a Contiki around Europe late July, 22 days ending on 18th of August. Heading with another mate, decided on doing the 22 day tour as its just 1 way rather than a loop (Paris to Rome rather than Paris to London), as we can then do Spain and Portugal ourselves and also take our time to go back to places we like. The 22 day tour also has 2 nights in just about every stop, thought this was better so we could get extremely hammered the first night and then just semi hammered the second before we can catch the bus in the morning.

Had mates do Contiki as well as mates do Top Deck last Euro summer, as well as mates who talked up Bus-a-bout, which is pretty much just bus tickets from place to place with no fixed dates and no organised accommo. We chose Contiki as it had better one way options rather than just your Paris-London loop. Much of the muchness according to mates, although Contiki buses were always full by all reports and as Top Deck is a little less popular they were a bit more relaxed with departure times and also a bit more room on the bus.

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 5:54 pm**

Sam wrote:
luvcricket wrote:G'day all,

The girlfriend and I are wanting go travelling around Europe and are thinking about a Contiki tour? Has anyone out there got any recommendations? Probaly going around August. Any help will be appreciated.

I am doing a Contiki around Europe late July, 22 days ending on 18th of August. Heading with another mate, decided on doing the 22 day tour as its just 1 way rather than a loop (Paris to Rome rather than Paris to London), as we can then do Spain and Portugal ourselves and also take our time to go back to places we like. The 22 day tour also has 2 nights in just about every stop, thought this was better so we could get extremely hammered the first night and then just semi hammered the second before we can catch the bus in the morning.

Had mates do Contiki as well as mates do Top Deck last Euro summer, as well as mates who talked up Bus-a-bout, which is pretty much just bus tickets from place to place with no fixed dates and no organised accommo. We chose Contiki as it had better one way options rather than just your Paris-London loop. Much of the muchness according to mates, although Contiki buses were always full by all reports and as Top Deck is a little less popular they were a bit more relaxed with departure times and also a bit more room on the bus.

How much do you need for something like that mate?

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 5:54 pm**

Sam wrote:The 22 day tour also has 2 nights in just about every stop, thought this was better so we could get extremely hammered the first night and then just semi hammered the second before we can catch the bus in the morning.

Very good point. One-night stops are little more than rests in between days of driving. Case in point: My tour had a one-nighter in Bordeaux. This amounted to a full days drive from Paris, got into Bordeaux in the evening, spent the night in an Irish pub, then back on the bus for a full day's drive in the morning. Didn't see squat of Bordeaux. So be wary of tours with lots of single-night stops.

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 6:07 pm**

I'd recommend arranging your own trip and not being hearded like sheep on and off coaches etc. Done both and the independant trip I did to Jordan was by far the best.

For the same cost as an organized tour I stayed in really nice 3* hotels, had my own car + driver and my own guide. I bought a Lonely Planet guide and arranged it all myself with a local travel agent listed in that...flights I did with a travel agent here. All done via email (payment wasn't made until I reached their offices in Jordan about half-way through the trip...they worked on the grounds that if I trusted them to organize it via email then they trusted me to pay when I got there))...I gave them a list of places I wanted to see with the knowledge I might need to be prepared to alter it (lone white female in an Arab country so wasn't sure I'd be allowed to visit mosques etc) and asking them for their suggestions. That way you get to spend as much time as YOU want to visiting sites and you get to visit some gems that the tourists don't see. I also got to meet the real people and because it was just me, my guide and driver I was invited into people homes for tea and coffee...I'll never, ever do an organized tour again now.

If a scardy cat like me can shock the world by doing it then anyone can.

Regards
JAS

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 8:39 pm**

I've done in one Europe and one in the States.
Positives - If you are short on time and want to cover lots of the the touristy highlights of Europe, the tour is a good way to go. The tour guides give you good maps with clear directions on how to get to all the highlights. In Europe the accommodation will be very average (once or twice the hotels ran out of hot water) but you will spend very little time in there so it won't matter. The buses are very comfortable and the tour guides are great. You will get to mix with other young people, lots of fun drinking sessions in the evenings.Overall the price of the tour is very good and the optional activities they offered were worthwhile.
Negatives - You will likely spend lots of time on the bus (apart from around Switzerland, I found much of the drive boring). You will be on the go every day without a quiet one. The included breakfasts were rubbish, I usually didn't bother. Some of the hotels are not centrally located, or in the actual city. I went in Winter and got to see a couple of the cities only at night-time. You'll get to see the main spots of the cities but not a lot else. Being a young tour group there will likely be some knob-heads on your tour that will annoy you.

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 10:15 pm**

Drop Bear wrote:
How much do you need for something like that mate?

Not exactly sure mate. All up the Contiki is about $3500, managed to get flights over for $1400 only a month or so ago as international travel is pretty light on at the moment. The Contiki comes with breakfast and lunch included for most of the trip but would imagine buying a few breakfasts and lunches along the way as well as most tea's. I havent really figured out how much I will spend on this part of trip as also doing Ashes and British Open first, and then another 6 or so weeks of Europe after, ending at Oktoberfest. Probably goin to be about 30k all up (flights, travel insurance, cricket & golf tickets included). I have got mates in London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Rome to stay with which should help save a bit on accommodation.

If we werent doing a Contiki the accommodation and meals alone, plus the bus/train passes around would still cost a couple grand easy so I reckon Contiki will be good, got 6 weeks to go at our own pace after so like the tour idea to know what is worth going back to and to meet some other young people to drink and travel with.

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 10:24 pm**

http://contiki.com.au/ - The Contiki website has all the prices. The site's forum is good, lots of honest opinions/experiences.

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 10:25 pm**

I did one in 2003, 12 days around Europe.

Was great, although early mornings and a fair bit of travel.

Might be worthwhile to check out their website to get some info on how it all works, feedback from others who've been on trips etc.

http://contiki.com.au/

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 11:20 pm**

why doesn't everyone heading o/s make their base in scotland & stay with jas

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 11:22 pm**

bayman wrote:why doesn't everyone heading o/s make their base in scotland & stay with jas

because her place has only one bedroom ...

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 11:46 pm**

bayman wrote:why doesn't everyone heading o/s make their base in scotland & stay with jas

Dog_ger

I'm blaming you for this...now stop it...no one is staying at my place

Regards
JAS

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