12 things you should know before you travel with Contiki + Tips

Contiki is a world wide organisation who caters for travellers between the ages of 18 to 35 years old. Contiki takes the stress out of planning trips as they plan the itinerary , accommodation, transport and suggests attractions to visit. Below I have included some helpful tips for you if you are going on your 1st contiki or if you are interested in traveling with Contiki and some things I wish I knew before I booked. Be prepared to spend lots of money, party every night and see lots of sites in a short amount of time.

Mykonos, Greece

1. Budget

I often get asked and I always see on travel groups how much money you need to take on a Contiki, I always recommend a minimum of $100AUD per day (at the time of writing that’s about 61 Euros) .I personally take around 500 to 600 Euros in cash to be used towards any additional food, drinks, tipping and any shopping that I might do , I pay for more expensive things or the Me Time add on activities on a travel card. I find carrying cash is easiest as many countries in Europe prefer cash and you will go out for meals as a group and its easiest to have small change so you are able to split the bill.

2. You will spend more money than than you expect

Contiki only covers the bare minimum of the tour, You will need to purchase your own flights, accommodation before and after the trip and pay for transport to and from the airport. Only accommodation in hostels or hotels, basic breakfast, some lunches and dinners are included although they are normally a set menu or buffets. Keep in mind that the breakfast in hotels are european so this normally includes cheese, meats , toast and cereal. Transportation is provided by Contiki once the tour starts this is normally buses or ferries when travelling between countries or islands.

The accommodation provided by Contiki is normally located quite far from the main attractions, you will need to included public transport and Ubers in your budget. Some days the Contiki bus will drop everyone into town and pick you up but its not always arranged.

Contiki offers 'Free Time Activities', some activities are free although majority of the activities you will need to pay for, these range from bar craws, group meals, boating , water sports. I recommend paying the extra money to do the additional activities, they are generally overprice but 100 % worth the money. Some amazing activities I have done include visiting the Vatican in Italy, hiking active volcano and swimming in natural hot springs in Greece, going to the top of a mountain in Switzerland and going on a cruise of the canals in Amsterdam plus many more. Keep in mind that some of the 'free’ activities are normally walking tours or demonstration in shops such as watch making or a leather shop where they offer you a slight discount afterwards.

Almost every night your trip manager will take you out to bars and clubs, you will notice that they are clearly in partnership with Contiki and you will see your trip manager get free drinks for themselves. They will often entice you with free shots or free drinks to get you to come out. Honestly I have had heaps of fun going out on Contiki although it does get quite annoying sometimes when you are feeling pressured to drink and buy drinks.

Overall, Be prepared to spend a lot more money then you think on the additional activities, alcohol, lunch, dinner and extra transportation.

Walking Tour - Berlin, Germany

3. Lots of time spent doing nothing

Depending on what type of tour you do, you will find that you end up spending at lot of time in busses , boats or ferries. My 1st Contiki was a bus tour around Europe, each day we spent between 3 to 8 hours on the bus travelling, the 2nd tour I did we spent around 2 to 3 hours on the ferry travelling between islands For myself personally this was not explained that so much time would be spent travelling. Make sure you take a travel pillow, take a good book and load some movies on to your phone to keep yourself entertained. The positive thing to this is that you get to catch up on some sleep or soak in the sights around you.

4. Tipping

You are asked to tip your trip manager at the end of the trip in cash; they generally ask that you tip around 2 Euros a day. This of course is optional, I found some other travellers especially Australians thought this was awkward as all of the trip managers i’ve had have been Australian also. I of course tipped as they did an amazing job.

5. Packing

Do not over pack. Contiki set a weight limit of 20kgs per person, some tours will weigh your bag before the trip starts. You will find that you wont actually wear a lot of the clothes you bring they will just be wasting space in your suitcase, I am often guilty of this although I have gotten better with my packing. Keep in mind that the bus drive will need to physically lift your bag in and out of the bus every day and some hotels I stayed out in Europe had no lifts and we had to carry our suitcases up the stairs, even on ferries in Greece I had to load and unload my own bag. Do yourself a favour and be mindful of your bag weight.

I would also suggest taking a backpack with you to take on the busses to put your small belongings in such as passport, Ipad, book, etc. Some tours you are required to take an overnight bag as the suitcases are left on the bus.

6. The bus doesn’t wait for you

The heading says it all, if you are not at the bus by the nominated time by your trip manager they will leave without you even if the bus is travelling to a different country that day. I learnt my lesson on the 1st night in Amsterdam when my roomie and I where late to the buss and we where told off in front of everyone.

7. Day song

Each tour gets a day song, be prepared to pay this on repeat for months after you return home from your trip, this song will forever remind you of your holiday.

8. You’ll make life long friends

This sounds very basic and generic but I have friends all over the world now. I met people from many countries such as Mexico, America, Canada and South Africa. My roommate who I met on my 1st Contiki, we both speak every week and have met up a couple of times to catch up, I can tell that we will be friends for ever.

9. Free pour warning

In Europe the free pour method is used, meaning there’s really no method they just pour the alcohol without measuring. Will you have 10 drinks and be fine or will you have 2 drinks and be absolutely blind? Who knows, it’s a guessing game each time you drink.

Prague, Czech Republic

10. Contiki Cough

Contiki cough is a viral infection that spreads throughout tours, by the middle of your tour you will find that majority of your fellow travellers will have a nasty cough, Everyone is vulnerable to this due to spending so much time on the bus in a confined space. I managed to avoid the cough by not sharing drinks and by excessively using hand sanitiser.

11. Washing

Contiki’s are normally not relaxing or slow paced, you will be doing something everyday. At some hotels you are offered to get your washing done, this is really overpriced. Take a zip lock bag of washing powder and do you own washing in the hotel room, you can save money and your washing can dry overnight.

12. Take risks, do something different

Use this opportunity to get lost, try different foods and learn about other people’s cultures, take the risk and go on tour by yourself, don’t rely on other people to come with you or you will never go! Contiki is a great way to discover new countries and lots of countries in a short amount of time. Some of my favourite memories are when I did things out of the ordinary, such as trying traditional Czech meals or walking (trying to walk) back to the hotel in Switzerland while it was snowing after a night out with friends.

Research each tour before you book it, make sure you look at what is included and what isn't included, check the accommodation types to see if you stay in hotels or hostels, read the reviews on the contiki website before booking to make sure you are booking a tour thats suitable to your travel style.

I have done 3 Contiki's, I have had 2 great experiences and 1 not so great, the tours are way overpriced for whats included and what accommodation is provided. Although I will say that Contiki is great if you are a young person to see the world especially if you travel by yourself or if you have never been to Europe before. I would recommend booking a Contiki and If I saw a cheap deal I would book another tour.