Contiki Guides: The Ultimate Contiki Guide
In April 2015 I embarked on a once in a lifetime Contiki Trip around Europe. Before I left Australia I searched the internet for all and any reviews or advice I could find on Contiki trips. I had so many questions and queries and just generally wanted to know as much about it as I could. Now that I've experienced it for myself I felt like it would be a good idea to write my own "guide" to Contiki so that anyone else who had the same sort of itch for information that I did, can find out as much as they want to know.
Just remember: Part of the adventure is sometimes not knowing and being surprised. There are those of us who like to plan everything and know everything thats going to happen before it does and those of us who like to be spontaneous and surprised. Every trip is going to be a different experience completely to the next one and that's a good thing.
So lets start with the basics:
What is Contiki?:
Contiki is a tour company that offers travelling trips around the world for 18-35 year olds. They do trips around Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada & South America. They provide a tour guide, book all your accommodation for you as well as all the transportation (usually via coach), a lot of included meals and offer opportunities to see all the major sights.
(http://www.contiki.com)
Who is Contiki aimed at?:
Contiki is for all kinds of people aged between 18 and 35. From my experience the people who mostly go on Contiki's are majority 20 somethings (with a handful of 18-19 year olds and a handful of 30-35 year olds) and mostly a mixture of Australians, Kiwi's and Canadians with the occasional mix of Americans, English people and anyone in between. It is usually pretty even with genders although I have heard of groups being quite uneven- every Contiki is different.
Types of trips:
Contiki offer 8 types of trips- High energy, discovery plus, in-depth explorer, easy pace, freestyle camping, sailing & cruise, festivals & short stays and winter & ski.
Do people often go alone?:
The majority of Contiki goers are solo travellers either travelling for the first time or just enjoying their newest adventure. You can't go on a Contiki without making friends (unless you are an unbearably horrible unfriendly person who goes out of your way to avoid everyone) and most people leave with (AT THE VERY LEAST 2) lifelong friends. You spend so long with these people that they start to feel like your family. You are guaranteed to meet other solo travellers and you will not be on your own. Most people will be in the same boat as you and even the people who have come with friends, partners, siblings, etc, still want to make friends just as badly as the people who came solo. So don't feel like you can't go on one on your own- in fact I would RECOMMEND it because it encourages you to put yourself out there and make new friends.
Why you should go on a Contiki:
If it's your first time travelling, you probably have an extensive travel bucket list of places and things you want to see and do. Unfortunately, some of these places and things don't quite live up to your expectation and can be disappointing. Contiki offer most of their trips as a sort of "Taste Tester" giving you a brief glimpse into different cities, countries and famous icons. They try and give you the opportunity to see everything you want to see in each place in the small amount of time you have there. Then if you love the place and want to see more you can go back on your own and spend as much time there as you want because now you know what its like and what you want to do there. If you didn't love it and it was disappointing then you can happily move on after a day or two and be glad you didn't waste money on a weeks worth of accommodation there or an expensive flight just to have ended up hating it.
The amount of time and effort that goes into researching for trips can be really overwhelming, confusing and down right frustrating. Researching every city and looking for the perfect accommodation to suit you and then having to book transportation from each place and hope that it all runs smoothly and that you can get to the bus stations from your hostel in time or that you definitely have somewhere to stay that night can all be too much. It is tough and doing a lot of travel after Contiki and planning it myself really made me appreciate the organisation of Contiki. They transport you from place to place, book all your accommodation for you, plan most of your days and activities whilst also giving you free days and the option to either do your own thing or go along with plans they've organised and it all just makes the trip so much less stressful than it has to be.
As I've said it also is one of the best ways to meet people who are in the same situation as you, make lifelong family-like friendships and it really is one of the best things you will ever do. I highly recommend booking a Contiki trip!
My Trip:
My Contiki trip was the "Ultimate European plus Greek Islands" tour. I knew I wanted to see as much of Europe as possible and be away for a while so I searched for the longest trips and found this beauty. It literally took me to most of the countries I'd always wanted to see as well as taking me to places I'd never even known about and was pleasantly surprised. My tour was a high energy tour that went for 45 days (they offer trips that are much shorter or in the middle) through 16 countries (route & countries shown below). The countries were all so different from their culture, to their weather, to their people. It was literally the best thing I've ever done, I had an amazing time and would do it again and again.
-I went from April 2015 to June 2015 so keep in mind that my opinions are based from that time in the year as well in these specific countries.
Prices + What's Included:
Trip prices vary depending on where you go, how long you go for and what type of trip you choose to do (camping, hostels, hotels, etc). Contiki list all their trip prices on their website so all you have to do to find out the cost is literally just click on a trip that interests you. As I mentioned above, the prices include transportation, accommodation, most breakfasts, some dinners, some free walking tours, lots of Contiki themed parties and a knowledgable tour guide.
Lets talk FOOD (Included Meals):
All the included breakfasts are continental breakfasts with fruits, toast, cereal and sometimes cold meats and cheese... except for a few days where they might throw in a fried egg or a toasted croissant to which you jump for joy. It also depends if you actually get up in time for breakfast because it's usually to and from certain times (we missed quite a few due to hangovers). There was one magical day we got sausages, bacon, hash browns and baked beans in Austria and it was a very happy day. On some particularly long travel days or one morning when we took an overnight ferry and got straight on the bus afterwards, we got these packed lunches that were sandwiches, juice boxes and some fruit. There are also some occasional included dinners at hotels, where you don't get the option to go and get your own, which are basic meals (most of them quite good) that everyone just has the same of (you don't really get a menu- just what you're given). Contiki also take into consideration anyone with a food allergy or preference.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR AUSTRALIANS: if you love Vegemite- bring it. It will make breakfasts so much more enjoyable and it will save your life many times.
Extra Spending Money:
You do have to pay for most of your lunches and own dinners, snacks, souvenirs (if you want any), flights and what Contiki call "Optionals" (explained next). You get a lot of "free days" where you get to do whatever you want in each city and have to organise yourself. Your tour guide gives you heaps of info on the city, maps, recommendations of popular sights and good food places, explains public transport if you want to come back early (otherwise the coach drops you in town in the morning and has a pick up time in the afternoon) and is there for you to ask any questions about extra things they didn't mention to the group. On these days you obviously pay for yourself to do little extra things like if you chose to go up the Eiffel Tower then you would pay for it or if you wanted to go inside the Sagrada Familia then you would have to book and pay for it yourself. There are lots of shopping opportunities, souvenir shops, gypsies that sell selfie sticks and sunglasses and hats and all sorts and you get to pick where you go for food or drinks, etc. DRINKING is a big one. There is no such thing as a "free drink" unless you're at a wedding or a huge party. Some of the Optional dinners provide drinks but it's included in that price- not free. You will drink most nights if you are a drinker so make sure you budget for that.
So depending on what kind of person you are and what you enjoy doing, make sure you consider all of that when you're budgeting so that you can enjoy yourself and do as much as you want to. I'd honestly say the more money you save the better. There is no amount of money that can be "enough" if you plan on travelling for as long as possible. So the more the merrier! Contiki recommend how much each trip should roughly cost you per day so that can give you an idea. For my trip the optionals altogether roughly costs me about $1000 (Australian) in the end and then I had to pay for food, alcohol, entry fees, some souvenirs, any shopping I did and more most days- so if you make sure you budget for AT least $100 a day (literally minimum!) then you could easily make it. If you want to be carefree and TREAT YOSELF then I'd recommend more (again- the more the merrier).
Optionals:
Contiki offer a list of "Me Time Optionals" which are extra activities you can choose to pay for when on the tour. They range from boat trips to dinners to shows to activities like bike rides or paragliding and are run through other businesses/tour groups. You get a list of the Optionals during your trip and your tour guide runs your through them and allows you to tick which ones you want to do and pay for and which ones you don't want to do. The optionals are mostly great fun and everyone recommends just doing them all to get the most out of the trip but if you want to know more or are on a budget, I have a compiled a list of MY Contiki Optionals (most Europe Trips will have the same if not similar ones) and written detailed reviews on them. You can read it here.
Souvenirs:
Contiki take you to lots of different "displays" such as a perfumery in France, a leather factory in Florence, a Schnapps museum in Austria, swiss army knife shop in Switzerland (and so many more)- and at the end of each "tour" of the place you get taken into their shop where you get a chance to buy the items they have shown you. There's nothing wrong with buying these things but it does put you in a situation sometimes where you feel like you have to buy them or you try and convince yourself you need them because they are there. Be careful how many of these things you DO buy because they can be very pricey and they all add up! PLUS they take up lots of room in your suitcase. I'd also suggest if you want to collect something from each place (shot glasses, postcards, wrist bands, etc) then choose something at the start of the trip and STICK to it! My (now) boyfriend has an armful of wristbands from every city we've visited and it's so cool to have something from each place but again if you choose something like mugs or shot glasses they're going to take up lots of room so be wise. If you're planning on staying and travelling Europe for a while then also don't go overboard and don't feel obliged to get people at home souvenirs- they'll understand.
Recommendation: If you go to a cheese factory in EDAM (Amsterdam) there is a life changing smoked ham cheese that changed my outlook on cheese forever and I sometimes dream about it.
Luggage Restrictions:
Firstly see my Ultimate Packing List blog post for tips on packing and what kind of bag/suitcase to bring! Secondly, Contiki usually have limitations on your baggage weight and size due to how many people have to have bags on the coach. The coach is packed and repacked almost every day by the driver and if everyones bags were 80kgs each, the driver would die. The coach would also not be able to take the weight and not everyones stuff would fit. So they have a 20kg bag limit and the size of the bag isn't meant to be larger than 73cm X 50cm X 25cm. If it's slightly over they usually allow it but if they don't they WILL make you take stuff out and leave it behind. You can also have a backpack/bag on the coach but it can't be massive and it can't be a mini suitcase/carry on case. You can bring a neck pillow and usually leave it on the coach. Your suitcase/bag is only weighed at the start of the trip and not again so if you do buy a lot of stuff then you don't need to worry about weight unless you have a limit on your flight home.
A quick note on luggage: even though I give a lot of advice on the right bag to bring in my Ultimate Eurotrip Travel Tips blog post- I'd just like to reiterate that you really should aim to bring a suitcase/bag that is easy to carry and that you make sure you pack light because you WILL have to carry it up lots of stairs, over lots of gravel, sand, dirt, crap roads and suitcase wheels will break and if you can't carry your luggage then you are screwed.
Sleeping Bags + Towels:
My tour and any hostel/camping tours require you to bring a sleeping bag and usually a towel. Hostels usually don't provide towels but they do often provide bed sheets. Some don't however so you are normally asked to bring one. Sleeping bags don't count towards your 20kg limit and are stored in another section under the bus so that you only get them off when the place you are staying requires you to have one (which is handy). The best towel to bring is a micro fibre towel as they dry fast and are very light and take up hardly any room. Sleeping bag wise, Contiki sell them at their basement when you first arrive and meet up, otherwise just buy one thats decent or use an old family one (There were only a few nights that I really needed it from the cold out of my 45 days keeping in mind I was travelling in Spring/Summer time).
Contiki info packs:
You will get sent an information pack before your trip (roughly a few weeks before) with all the information you need like where to meet, all the accommodation names, addresses and phone numbers, luggage restrictions, a packing list and they even throw in a global sim card (which no one really uses) and a list of your ME time Optionals to look over. So don't stress too much that you don't know anything a month before hand because it will come!
Accommodation:
Accommodation all depends (again) on what type of trip you choose. Camping trips are obviously all camp sites and tents and air mattresses. High energy tours like mine are a mixture of budget hotels, contiki on sites, cabins and hostels. Some nice, some shit and some that you don't even notice because you only use it to sleep. I have written an entire blog post reviewing all the accommodation places from my trip here (most European based tours will stop at the same hotels/hostels/campsites).
Contiki Onsites:
Contiki have what are called "on sites" around Europe that are mostly campsites with cabins where a group of Contiki people are permanently based. They are usually teams of 3-4 Contiki employees that cook for you, throw parties for you and tag along on outings and optionals. They are like tour guides except that they have assigned locations/campsites that they run. Contiki either own these places or they permanently use a part of the campsite for Contiki tours, whilst other tourists use the rest.
Roomates:
Most of the accommodation is twin or quad share. Some people really stress about rooming with randoms but it can be really fun and you're only ever there for sleeping, showering, getting dressed and packing. Basically before you arrive at your accommodation your tour manager passes around a rooming list where you write your name down and can either choose who you're in a room with or just write your name under a room and let whoever else wants to be with you write theirs in too. Mostly you get a choice and if you've made friends you can all go together but it depends where you're sitting sometimes and who gets the list first. There was only one occasion where I didn't get to go with my closest friends because I got the list lastly but usually if one of your friends gets it they'll put you down too. If you don't get to go with your closest friends then it lets you bond with newer people so it's really no biggie. There were a few rooms with three to a room, but mostly they were 2 or 4 bed. Having room mates is all part of the fun so don't stress.
Ultimate Packing Guide:
Packing can be hard because you don't want to over or under pack and you never seem to know what to take. I felt like this was something that needed a whole separate blog post because I wanted to be as detailed as possible. The key is to pack light and as I mentioned before, bring a bag you can carry. What you need to pack is all going to depend on what time of year you go and what countries you visit. Check out my Ultimate Packing Guide for my top tips.
Service Stops:
As you are driving quite a lot on the coach, it's legal in Europe for the driver to stop every few hours and have breaks. The coach usually stops at service stations where you get the opportunity to use the toilets and buys snacks/have lunch. These service stops are mostly pricey, busy, have gross toilets and usually offer junk food or fast food, which can be frustrating but isn't really avoidable. Make sure you eat when your tour guide tells you to get food because it'll mean you won't stop or get dinner until late. Stock up on water and snacks as much as you can and ask your tour guide which cities have water thats safe to drink from the taps so you can refill water bottles and save money on overpriced bottled water. A lot of the stops also have Wifi but none of them are that great and often die once everyone jumps on it.
VISAS:
Unfortunately, Contiki don't have to advise you on what VISAs you need - you have to research that yourself. If you book through a travel agent then you can ask them but I had one and she didn't let me know I needed one for Turkey which meant I had to get my parents to apply for one on my behalf, email it to me and then I had to find somewhere to print it and it was so stressful. You have to find out for yourself because it depends where you're from, what nationality you are and where your trip goes. So make sure you do your research! The only places I had to get a VISA for was for Turkey. Also if you're planning on staying in Europe or interested in working in the UK or anywhere in Europe, look into working VISAS and anything else you'll need.
How long to stay travelling (Before/After Contiki):
You have to decide how long you want to travel for. If you only want to go for a few weeks, if you just want to do the Contiki trip then go home, if you want to do a few months or if you want to try and stick it out for a year and work overseas. If you don't know what you want to do you can always look into a thing called "open ended tickets" which is basically a return plane ticket where you can get a certain amount of free return date changes. It can be super handy if you change your mind and want to stay longer or end up wanting to go home earlier. I'd recommend flying to London (which is usually your starting point for Europe trips) or wherever your trip starts a few days early so you can explore the starting city and meet anyone on your trip early. There's usually a Facebook group or the Contiki website has a board where you can meet other people going on your trip and find out who else is getting there early. You can go even earlier and do some solo travelling first to some places your trip doesn't go or do extra travelling AFTER the Contiki. I would definitely say if you have the money that you should book an open ended flight and have a rough plan of what else you want to see or where else you want to go on your trip but not to book anything permanent. This is because you often will meet people on your trip that are also sticking around and want to travel too. Then instead of travelling alone you get to book trips with all your new friends. Keep your options open and SAVE SAVE SAVE so you can stay as long as possible and enjoy every moment.
Getting Sick:
Contiki has something well known called the "Contiki Cough". Basically, you're probably going to get sick at some point throughout your trip and spend a lot of time in and finding pharmacies. With all the fast food and junk food and drinking along with being stuck on a bus with 40+ other people spreading germs- you're going to get sick. I was sick throughout the whole trip. It can be especially hard to get rid of a cold once you catch one on Contiki and even worse if your immune system is as bad as mine :/ Since I had such an unlucky time I have also written a blog post about the essential first-aid items you should aim to bring with you as well as some of the sicknesses that are common on Contiki- FIRST AID KIT MUST HAVES
Bed Bugs:
I read a lot in my research about bed bugs being common on Contiki and was researching on how to prevent them or get rid of them but I didn't see any and no one on my trip got them so I guess it depends where you stay and if you're lucky.
Sim Cards:
My Tour Guide was very Anti-Wifi and wanted us to experience everything and not miss a thing or waste any time and he was so right. Obviously you want to let your loved ones know you're safe and keep them updated and upload photos and check social media, etc, and wifi is available at most of the accommodation and during service stops and other places but honestly the less you're on your phone the more you will appreciate the trip. I will say that it would have been handy to have been able to contact people on the trip because sometimes you want to meet up with people on the trip during the free days or nights or even if you get lost its nice to know you'll have internet but honestly I did more than fine without internet and it was great! If you want an international Sim Card however do some research get one. Don't use your Sim Card from home because it will cost you a fortune in roaming charges. Uk phone company Three do a pre-paid deal that costs 20 pounds with all-you-can-eat data and you can use it in heaps of European countries which is really handy. If you're away for the 45 days you can buy 2 top ups in England before you leave- once you top up they last for a month and once you buy it they are valid for three months.
Cameras:
If you're a photographer or have a good camera and want to take it- keep in mind that although you'll get amazing photos you also have to carry it around with you. I had a Go Pro because I wanted to make a video montage of my trip (which you can watch here) and my good camera but a lot of people on my trip had these digital cameras which took amazing photos, were water proof and shock proof, took videos and were so much easier to carry. Definitely look into different cameras because these days they make conveniently sized cameras that take just as good photos as the massive expensive ones so pick wisely.
Weather/Temperatures:
Before you leave add all the cities you are going to visit onto your weather app so you can get a brief idea of the kind of weather to expect when you visit them. Obviously the weather is going to depend on the time of year- if it's winter it'll be cold and if it's summer it'll be hot. Pack winter clothes for the cold countries and summer clothes for the hot ones. Research the average temperatures for each country and city for the time of year you're going and pack accordingly. If you're going in summer bring a few outfits for cold weather just incase (not too much) and vice versa if you're going in winter bring a few summery outfits just in case. My trip was surprisingly hot- they were having a heat wave of some sort and I was not prepared. I had to buy some summery clothes which sucked.
Strict Schedules + Day Sheets:
If you are the type of person who likes to do their own thing than Contiki may not be for you. Some people complain about the "strict schedule" and "routine" feel but I honestly didn't have a problem with it. It was nice to have things planned and they were mostly ALL optional to do. You can choose to do your own thing or you can go along with the group. Your trip will be on a semi-strict time limit but thats just so that you can see every place and make the most out of your trip. It can be painful to start at 6.30 on days after a huge night when you have a raging hangover, but it is all worth it. Your tour manager will make "Day Sheets" which are a piece of paper with an outline of the day. They're often pretty flexible but give you a rough guide of what you can participate in and where you will stop and planned activities.
Partying/Drinking:
You will drink and party most nights. If there isn't a party, there will be a bar, if there isn't a bar there will be a club, if there isn't a club someone will suggest drinking anyway! Contiki themed parties are so much fun!!! They are mainly held at Contiki on sites and more often than not there are other Contiki groups there at the same time. Sometimes you might "parallel" with another Contiki group which means for a while they might be in the same places as you at the same time. This can be fun because it brings in new people to make friends with, party with and get to know. The themed Contiki parties my tour had were: A "P" party at the French chateaux held in a bomb shelter (you have to dress up as something starting with P), A masquerade party in Venice, An I love Roma party in Rome (You buy I love Roma shirts and everyone signs them and they have an onsite club/bar), A toga party in Corfu (they provide the togas), A tight, white & bright party in Austria (fluro lights so you glow) and a red and white party in Switzerland. All of them were so much fun and it does help if you come prepared.
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| Tight, White & Bright Party- Austria |
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| The Pussycat Dolls- "P" Party- France |
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| "P" Party- Prostitute, Parisian & Pimp |
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| Toga Party- Corfu, Greece |
Because my trip was high energy it was really GO-GO-GO! We were super busy and had very jam-packed days which was great to see everything and we did so much and saw so much but it was incredibly exhausting. When we finally got to the Greek Islands it was the best, most relaxing week ever and so nice to spend days at a time just going on boat trips, laying by the pool, not having a specific time we had to be up and so much relaxing. You do get some days where you get to just chill out and rest which can be very needed. Bus days are good for snoozes, they sometimes put movies on and you can pass the time by chatting to everyone, playing games (we came up with some funny stuff), writing, reading, listening to music, etc. You also do sometimes have a few hours in between your day out and dinner which can be nice to just chill in your room with roommates and friends, catch up on social media, put on music and get ready, have a few casual drinks, or anything you feel like- even an afternoon nap. Most of the high energy tours require that high energy though. It is a lot of travelling, unpacking and repacking, sight seeing, walking, lugging suitcases up and down stairs and streets, busy activity days, lots of hang overs, etc.
Tour Leaders + Drivers:
Your tour manager and driver do work very hard. Your tour manager has a lot of managing and planning to do on your behalf, has to try to keep everyone entertained, run things on time and smoothly and make sure that everyone is having a good time and is ok. It would be such a stressful job but they do also get to enjoy a lot of the trip with you and bond with you and become friends with you! They aren't there to babysit you, they are just there to guide you. Some people would go to our tour manager with the stupidest problems that he obviously couldn't help with. The bus drivers also do a lot of driving and we were all so impressed with our
Extra Tips:
Honestly, the trip is what you make it! You will get out of it what you put into it. If you sit by yourself and isolate yourself from the group you won't make any friends. If you are too hungover for an early start then you're going to miss an amazing day and regret it in the long term. NEVER miss a sightseeing/city day because you are hungover. Unless you are critically ill and can't get out of bed, do not let yourself miss anything!
For heaps of other tips on Europe travel, check out my blog post Ultimate Eurotrip Travel Tips for heaps of info that will hopefully help you be super prepared!
If you have any other questions or things you really want to know about then feel free to leave a comment either on here on my Facebook page!
Thank you for reading and I really hope that at least one person found this blog helpful or more prepared for their Contiki trip or just convinced you to try a Contiki!
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