Contiki Holidays

Pros:
Meeting other travelers
Cons:
Everything to do with Contiki.
Accommodations– dirty and infested with bed bugs
Food– Disgusting and prepared by onsite managers who are mainly young and drunk while cooking your food.
Tour Managers– Anything but helpful.

I absolutely loved my tour with Contiki! I did the 9 day London and Paris tour and it was everything I expected and more. Contiki plans your rooming situations and flights, and they have a loaded itinerary for you for such a great price! I remember thinking «UGH I DONT WANT TO BE STUCK IN ONE GROUP THE WHOLE TRIP», which worked out perfectly because there is «me» time, where you get to explore by yourself or with whoever you went on the trip with (in my case-​it was my boyfriend). The best part is everyone is in the same age range so at the end of the day, everyone meets up and goes out dancing or to the bars. It’s amazing, you make friends from all over the world and travel with them! I highly recommend traveling with Contiki! NO REGRETS.

I took the Contiki tour Amsterdam to Barcelona for 11 days July of last year and it was a life changing experience! Contiki is great especially if you’re traveling by yourself because you’ll instantly have 50+ friends. I didn’t read too many reviews before I went on my tour so I was in shock by how many Aussies there were. There were a total of 5 Americans including myself and 4 Canadians. My tour guide, Mike was awesome. He prefaces all the places we’re going to and gives us accurate and excellent tips on what we can do and what to avoid.
Be prepared to plan you own day itinerary because Contiki will take you to all the cities and help you book the travel accommodations with some optional excursions but it’s up to you to do whatever you want once you’re in the city. Luckily, I already came prepared with my entire list of to-do’s so I was able to do my own thing in the daytime and then hang out with the Contiki crew at night.
When you’re going have an open mindset, understand you’ll be hanging around mostly 18-​early 20 year olds, and PREPARE YOUR LIVER for some seriously hard partying every single night.
Going on this trip has definitely allowed me to be more independent but also helped me get more out of my comfort zone by providing me a community of people I can socialize with. I’m definitely looking forward to traveling with Contiki again in the future! #noregrets

Right after I graduated high school last year, I wanted to go to Ibiza for a week but my aunt told me to take a tour of Europe using contiki. When I think of travel groups, I automatically picture the Asian tour bus type thing hahaha but I read the reviews for Contiki and I was like let’s give this a shot because it’s people within my age group 18 – 35. So I did and chose the «European Experience» trip and I kid you not this was seriously the most life changing trip ever!!! I’ve always wanted to go to London after following the 2012 London Olympics. London was the shit when I got there. It’s so much different and the environment is amazing! Anyways, after I signed up online, I checked out the group page on the website specifically for my trip and the dates and the first thing I noticed was that 90% of everyone was from Australia and like 7 or 8 North Americans. My aunt also told me Aussies are the party animals. The reviews said the same as well. It’s no joke they like to party and me just getting out of the partying stage of high school, it was a blast. I honestly still think about this trip as if I just got back yesterday because I miss it so much. My next Contiki I’m hoping to do is Greece
I highly recommend it for anyone that graduated out of college or high school. Everyone in my group was like 18 – 28 years old
Here’s a few tips if you do decide to go:
–book your contiki months in advance so you get to save enough for the trip! Remember, planes tickets are really expensive round trip
–create a spending plan for the days you’re out exploring with the friends you make or if you’re by yourself. I recommend € 50-​€ 75 a day. Just watch out when you get to Monaco if you end up going there ;) I lost $ 475 American dollars there.
–VITAMINS AND DRINKING LOTS OF WATER !! I can’t stress that enough. You will be drinking lots of alcohol and partying and being hungover the next day. Everyone in my group ended up getting sick and nauseous at one point. My trip was in the beginning of June and it was smack hot in the day so find Gatorades or anything with electrolytes.
–Take lots of pictures and create the memories you want to remember! My tour guide, Steph, told me people who go to Europe have a 80% chance of not going back so capture the moments and live it!

First off, I loved meeting all the other travelers in our group. I can now say that I have friends all over the world from Australia to South Africa. We all met together in Thailand.
I did enjoy my Contiki trip. We originally booked with a tour group because we didn’t know how many of the Thai people would speak English (pretty much everyone) and the convenience of having transportation arranged.
It’s great to meet people around your age, but I wouldn’t recommend Contiki unless you really like to party.
Would I do Contiki again? No. However, do I regret doing Contiki? Never!
If you are considering it, go for it! It’s especially great for people traveling alone. You have an instant friend group!

If it wasn’t for Chris groves the driver and Michael Mohrenberger (tour guide), I feel like my experience may potentially may have been worse. They are great mates and know exactly how to do there jobs. If I do another Contiki trip, it would be to a different location of the world but would hope to have them as part of my team. Thank you Contiki, thank you Mike and Chris for the experience. Contiki #noregrets

Hello Again,
As you all see i have already have written a post regarding this company. This is now in regards of the attitudes and the details i have been given that is based on this so called investigation they have done. Aside from the problems i personally had with the staff (Vice President and tour guide) i will also be talking about the Andes and Galapagos tour itself.
As stated before my phone was swiped by someone that was in my group. Instead of my tour guide/​manager taking control of the issue and getting my phone back she instead made the situation worse by telling the people at the table to «keep on passing it down». I mean what kind of person that works anywhere would do something like this? Never mind being in control and making things civil within a group. In my eyes she was not doing her job. Once i got my phone back it had been messed with so much i couldn’t do ANYTHING with it. Once i got back to the states i even contact Apple they said they couldn’t do anything and that id have to get a new phone or a replacement. This cost me alone 200 dollars and then throughout the time i was without a phone i had a bill to pay so add on another 133.00. So as i stated in my last posting i also went to Peru were i met the VP told er what happened and she seemed really concerned. So here i am thinking «oh good i should have no problem getting a reimbursement» welp i was WRONG! Instead when i got in touch with her the first time she said «oh yes i got your email but havent read it yet». I then found out it was being passed down to get the situation «investigated» so i gave it so time. So 13 days later havent heard a word, so i called her again she gives me an attitude like im the one who did something wrong trying to figure out whats going on. I asked «well am i going to get reimbursed for the replacement of my phone and the bill i had to pay where i was without a phone?». She said «No you had to mention that to the people investigating, now the way that department got a hold of me was when i did my first posting.
Now time to get to the trip at hand! It was great saw everything i wanted to and more, but considering the price of the trip you’d think the hotels would be a lot better. When you stay at the jungle lodge you will feel like death! The lodge had NO A/​C, just a huge opening outside this affected one of the other travelers that had a massive size spider on her bed net. There are also a hotel you stay at where the only way to get in is though a small little wooden door, and thats in hope you can wake-​up the person that is laying on the couch to let you in. If you are a person who needs to have internet connection don’t expect much at all! However, not all hotels where bad some where really nice. I would also like to mention the vans they use. There is no bathroom or internet connection like the buses contiki uses on trips in Australia and New Zealand. Also beware you will have a rude awakening once you get on the bus were they BLAST something called the day song. However to be far all the tours have this. The fact of the matter remains this has been the worst experience i have ever encountered with both the staff including the VP. If you ever decide to do a contiki stay FAR away from the American tours, because they are all run by one portion of contiki. Like i said i have been on other contiki tours and they were GREAT! If you have you heart set on going to South America, North America, or Canada go with another company!

My husband and I had the time of our lives in New Zealand on a Contiki tour. The trip was very well organized. There were so many activities to choose from. We did things like black water rafting, canyon swing, jet boating, luges, Zorbing. Too many to list here! I regret we didn’t stay longer on the tour. The people we met on the trip we’re amazing and we’ve actually kept in touch with quite a few of them even though they’re half way around the world. Although, if luxury is what you’re looking for this isn’t it, but if fun and adventure is what your about, I highly recommend them. I’m sad that we’re officially not in the 18 – 35 age range anymore which is the recommended age for their tours, but if they’re still around I’ll definitely recommend it to my daughter when she’s of age =)

Best times in my life! I have traveled with Contiki a few times and have met the most amazing people! The trips are super fun and allow for so many amazing memories. I went to New Zealand with them — jumped out of an airplane, into a canyon and it was awesome. My favorite hotel was in Queenstown, called the aspen on Queenstown, stunning views!!! I did another trip in Italy. Incredible. Food was awesome, sightseeing so good, Contiki got is front of the line at Vatican — awesome.
My favorite part of the whole trip was the friends I’ve made. Already gone to visit some of them and had some come stay with me! It’s definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity #noregrets

I recently traveled with my husband and I have to say this is the most horrible your experience I have bad. The quality of the hotels was far below what I even knew existed. Some days we literally paid $ 500 a night to sleep on a straw like «mattress» with no boxspring and a subway pass. There was no AC and multiple nights many people couldn’t sleep. Also many of the activities that are listed as part of the tour on the brochure are actually ones you pay extra for. It was a bad value for your money. Not to mention when I rated my tour on their website they literally changed the number of stars I gave them on my review. I find it super unethical.

My bf and I endured this painful trip together. First thing first, the people you meet via Contiki Tours are great! It’s an easy way to make new friends BUT everything else is pretty awful. There are other sites like TripAdvisor that will give you reviews very similar to what I am about to give you. The amount of money you pay for this trip is not worth it. The one thing that is more disappointing than the food are the hotel accommodations. Here is a break down of my complaint I submitted directly to the company. Which they did nothing about.
1. In Rome we stayed at the Regent Hotel Rome the address is Via Filippo Civinini 46 A Rome, RM, 197. On
the price for this hotel is $ 54 a night (Hotel Regent Cost). Considering that I paid $ 1565.65 and my bf paid $ 1633.61 that comes out to $ 400 a day for room, board and activities.
Upon checking in at the Regent Hotel we discovered fecal splatter on the wall behind the toilet as well as maggots in the ceiling light. I realize that this is a 3 star hotel however, that kind of hygienic carelessness is unacceptable. When we called to request another room we were advised that we couldn’t move because the hotel was full. If we had booked this hotel on our own I am sure I could have put a stop on charges via my credit card and moved to another hotel. Therefore, considering my bf and I each probably paid $ 100+, we obviously overpaid.
2. In Florence we stayed at the BBhotel Firenze Centro located at Viale Amendola 34, Lungarno del Tempio, 50 121 Florence. On
the price for this hotel is $ 71 a night. (B&B Costs). Compared to the hotel Regent Hotel this was a huge upgrade. However, although aesthetically this was a better accommodation, our room had this weird smell, almost sulfur like that permeated through our luggage and gave our clothes a weird smell. You can image our discomfort walking around in Florence, in the heat smelling as we did.
3. In Venice we stayed at the Michelangelo Hotel Mestre located at Via Forte Marghera 69 Mestre, VE, 30 173, Italy. On
the price for this hotel is $ 105 a night. (Michaelangelo Costs). We were here for the last two days of our trip, which happened to be the hottest days. Well, conveniently our air conditioner didn’t work. You can bet that we didn’t get much sleep those last two days since it was about 80 degrees in our room and we were sweating through our clothes. When we called to get a different room they said various rooms were encountering the same situation and they couldn’t do anything about it.
If I would have known that this is the kind of experience we were going to encounter using Contiki I would have preferred to take our chances on scheduling our own itinerary. The group tours move so fast through the sites that my bf and I lost our group several times. Towards the end we found that it was a better experience to buy site seeing books from the local vendors hopping onto wifi and trip advising our way through suggested spots.
Don’t use Contiki. Be adventurous, take chances and use the ton of resources out there.

Hands down, the best trip I have ever been on.
My tour guide was Jimmy for the London-​Paris tour a couple months back. I’m in my late twenties, make enough to save a bit to spend on traveling, so I’ve traveled quite a bit in the past few years. The fact that this was an organized tour to make sure I maximized my 12 day visit was what first appealed to me. I also stayed over to go to Rome and stopped through Barcelona on the way.
Beautiful sights in Rome, Barcelona, Oxford, Cambridge, London, and Paris with amazing people, new friends, a few hangovers, new dance moves, shopping on the Champs, cracked the heck out of my phone in the Colosseum (but oh well I’m in Rome!), got lost in London, took a million pics, tour guide hooked us up with backstage passes — no lines anywhere we went, further appreciation for a well dressed man (the men in Europe know how to DRESS), driving on the other side of the road (I only nicked a couple of curves lol), saw Mama Mia and Moulin Rouge — new fans of both, visited Brick Lane, Bastille, tried gelato for the first time, yummy crepes, lots of champagne, SO much walking, fish bowls, met Avicii, delicious new food, and everything else we saw and conquered! I had an absolute blast!
I can, however, see how this isn’t for everyone. They cater to more of the younger crowd, who’s on a budget, somewhat outgoing, and who wouldn’t mind going out to a club after a long day of sightseeing. I may need to pick up a redbull or some coffee before the late night activities, but since who knows if I’ll return to these cities ever again, I am going out! I’ll just sleep on the tour bus or better yet the plane ride back home! lol
I’ve heard people complain about being on a tour bus too long, but for me that wasn’t a problem. I didn’t think it was that long a time for one, plus that was either time I got to catch up on sleep from being out the night before or the time I got to know the people I was on a tour with, whom I still talk to today. People also complain about the accommodations. It’s definitely not fancy, but not terrible either. There as nice as budget rooms can get people! All I cared about was safety, which I felt they were.
Then after having traveled quite a bit, I’ve learned that there are just people that complain to complain. There was a couple people on my trip that I could tell wasn’t having as much fun as the rest of us even after we tried to get them to do things with us. By the end we barely saw them but I heard them complain. In my opinion, I don’t think they even tried to step out of their comfort zone or maybe they weren’t about that live it up or party lifestyle.
It’s all about your perspective. If you’re patient, somewhat outgoing, open minded to new experiences, and don’t freak out if everything doesn’t go according to the plan then you’ll have a good time. Everyone’s there to have fun and explore! Jimmy and our amazing bus driver did a great job of looking out for us and went above and beyond. I’m sure I’ll be going on another tour with Contiki in the future.

To be VERY clear: you cannot travel with Contiki unless at least one of the passengers is between the ages of 18 – 35 (that is not a recommended age; it is a REQUIREMENT). They can make a special request for someone who is 36 or so. So do not waste your time on their website getting your hopes up for a trip if you are not in that age group.
They also have sister companies called Trafalgar and Bus About that provide similar itineraries for people outside this age range.
Read the reviews. They cater to a crazy college party atmosphere who prefer more no frills travel and less fancy accommodations.
The Contiki website it easier to navigate compared to most cruiselines. You can expand most of the itineraries to see what you do each day in addition to nice overviews listed off to the side.

I’ve done four Contiki tours and all have been a great experience. Contiki’s website it very clear about the itinerary, type of accommodations (they do provide an exact list about 30 days out), what meals are included, optional excursions, and straight forward pricing. Make sure you take the time to clearly understand the itinerary — of course a tour that see 8 countries in 10 days is doing to feel rushed. If you are wanting more time select a slower paced tour and add extra days at the beginning or end of your trip to explore on your own.
All 4 tour managers I had were professional, friendly, and organized. All were good about enforcing people to be quite at the hotels and save the partying for the bars and clubs. I’ve always done superior tours, which I think tends to skew a little older. The vast majority of my tourmates were working professionals. Although ~50% of them were Aussies and the other 50% is a mix of Americans, Kiwi’s, South Africans, Canadians, Asians, and Germans. All the hotels except one, which apparently has since then has been replaced, were adequate. Most were equivalent to a Best Western or Holiday Inn. I will say the included meals were usually mediocre. I think you are better off splitting off with 2 or 3 other people and finding your own restaurants. Now that I am in my early 30’s I do feel a bit old to do another one.
1^st tour was Eastern Road — 36 people. This tour gives you more time in each city compared to some of their other European tours. So I thought the pace was good. If you want more time in Berlin arrive earlier to explore on your own. Great group, we did have some partiers but plenty that just wanted to go out for a few drinks then head home. This tour even had 2 married couples both who were actually very social with the group. Half traveled with friends the other half traveled solo.
2^nd tour — Western USA — 52 people. The group size does feel too large but overall there is a good mix of people that you can find others to connect with. A bit hurried and more time on the bus compared to my first tour but I did get to see a lot. The tour manager was excellent and organized lots of extras. It seems like most came with a friend but still a few of us who traveled solo.
3^rd tour — Croatia Sailing — ~30 people — best group yet. While I worried there might be too much party but this group was very chill and everyone got along great. Those that wanted to be loud and crazy stuck to the bars and not the boat. The tour manager was nice but provided the bare minimum of each of the cities we visited. If you want more history I suggest buying a book or setting up your own tours.
4^th tour — Beaches & Reefs in Australia — 50 people. Large group and many annoying people (the Americans unfortunately) who drank way too much and hooked up a lot. I am sure they created a new STD. Fortunately there was a decent amount of Brits and Canadians on this tour who were nice and I spent most of my time with them. Most traveled with a friend only a few solos but even those with a friend where great about trying to include everyone. I thought the tour itself was nicely paced. You spent enough time in each stop. I ended in Sydney and stayed a few days on my own once the tour ended. The tour manager on this tour was also excellent.

Ok so here is my experience with contiki. I went a few summers ago for just over three weeks and did a tour in Europe. I was travelling alone, and figured that contiki would be my best option as I could meet people and travel safe.
I had heard that it was a big party scene, and even though I’m not a partier myself, I decided I still wanted to go. My tour manager and bus driver were EXCEPTIONAL. They went out of their way for us and took us to places that weren’t on our itinerary. We had about 8 Canadians on our trip (me being one of them) so on our way to Paris my guide surprises us and says she is going to take us to see the Vimy Ridge War Memorial that France built for Canada. We got to see the trenches as well and it was so cool. She did that for us because of all the Canadians on our bus. We also went to a few cool cities which weren’t on our itinerary but were on the way to other places. Our guide and driver were amazing. We got to see so much more than what I had been originally expecting. Reading some of these reviews, I feel so sorry for anyone that had an experience that wasn’t like mine.
The bad was how much everybody wanted to party. I’d try to be in bed by 12 (we had to wake up at 7 every morning) so by 12 I was completely exhausted. It was hard to sleep some nights because the other people on my tour would stay and party wherever we were staying. They’d be up till 4 am screaming and yelling and then on the bus the next day they’d all complain about being hungover and would never want to walk anywhere to see anything because they were too tired. I couldn’t imagine spending several thousand dollars on a vacation and then being too hungover to appreciate any of it…
There were some nights when only me and 1 or 2 other people wouldn’t be going out to party (mainly because our campsites were so far away from the clubs so the cab rides back would be quite expensive and I just couldn’t afford that) so I did feel lonely at times and also felt very pressured to go out. I also found that lots of people on the trip intended to hook up with everyone… I remember one girl yelling to everyone «Why the F would you come on a contiki if you have a boyfriend?» Well. I had a boyfriend so that was awkward… haha
All in all I had a great time because I did what I wanted to do. I wanted to go explore rather than sit and be hungover, so i’d find the people who weren’t hungover and we’d go and explore. Our tour guide was great, which made my trip that much better. Due to all the partying, I’m not sure I’d want to do a Contiki again but it was a lot of fun.

It has been a lllloooonnnnggg time since I’ve traveled with Contiki, October 2001, right after 9/​11, but I’ve just discovered Unilocal and thought it would be good to relay my experience.
This tour (European Magic, 11 days) included arriving in London, heading to Amsterdam, St Gore, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and France. It was quite literally a whirlwind tour. I was 34 (about the max age, yet not maturity) for this, and I honestly felt it at the end. There was endless drinking, partying, coaching and touring. I had never be so damned tired AFTER a vacation than I was after this one. Mind you, I had a blast and met some of my best friends to this day, but exhausting.
The tour guides were great, and the coaches comfortable, remember they need to be because you’re sleeping off your binge from the night before in it during day on your way to the next destination. This was a tour that really suited me well at that time, just divorced, back in shape and ready to have some fun, and I hadn’t been to Europe since I was a toddler. It was exactly what the Dr. ordered. Tons of fun, Tons of friends, Tons of alcohol, Tons of beautiful sights. I’m still amazed that we managed to see that much in such a short time, OK I don’t remember some of the stops, yet I’m still in awe.
Fun, Fun, Fun for those who want to party and sightsee, and hopefully you can hold your booze, ’cause hangovers and bus tours can be brutal.
Have a great time, be smart, be safe, take lots of pictures (you’ll need them to remember)

Having first heard about Contiki from friends, I went on one in 2009. That tour was also my first to Canada, and it was memorable. Only wish I could have gone to that tour with the Calgary Stampede rodeo, but work won’t let me.
The second tour was in winter, and it was to Europe. It was a blast. Crossed through France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria and England.
You’ll have to accept the following on a Contiki (I went on two of them):
— More than 85% are from the land of Oz… with a few Kiwis. Not too many Americans go on Contiki tours.
— There will be drinking and clubbing.
— More fun if you’re younger, I’m about that age where I could be not eligible.
— Some portions of the tour are not escorted, some are.
— Contiki tends to focus largely on the European tours, where they make most of their profits. But they offer tours within the United States.
— On the European tour that I was on, the hotel accommodations were very first-​rate, though not quite upscale. But I haven’t had trouble. The only «trouble» I had was in Munich, where I had to deal with a blown thermostat at a Holiday Inn, but that was the hotel’s fault, not Contiki’s, and the staff was very accommodating in moving me to a room with a working thermostat.
If there are a few items I can complain about:
— Tours will be a bit too quick to explore. I was on a tour that spent two days in each location. Some tours stay two days on one location and just one night in another.
— Itineraries are pretty much set, and that’s the downside with ANY tour agency.
— Contiki does offer Asia tours but only within Chinese mainland and Indochina region (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos), though they do go to Thailand. I hope they offer Korean and Japanese tours if cost allows.
— There will be drinking and clubbing.
I wish I can give Contiki 5 stars, but I have to settle with 4.
The bottom line is that Contiki offers value and is a nice introduction to many areas in the world you might not be familiar with.

Ah, Contiki.
I could reminisce about staying out all night
partying
drinking
clubbing
hanging out with 20+ people in a tight bus
while traveling through Europe.
Except that I can’t because I was the shy girl in the corner
who decided that joining in on Contiki was going to get her
the best bang for her buck (think England, France, and Italy
with transportation, airfare, lodging, and some food for ~2K
during the summer time for 7days). I flew into England
from China and then flew back to the States from Italy.
I’ve heard that many of the Contiki travels consist of staying out
late and partying… which for the most part is true.
However, a good portion is spent just hanging out and meeting
people which is awwwesome. I can definitely say that having
a picnic under the Eiffel Tower and going into euro clubs were
definite highlights that I probably wouldn’t have done on my own. =)
As for accommodations, they are modest and humble.
For transportation, they are like any other tour bus …
I did feel like we spent a lot of time on the bus going from country
to country. Lesson learned — take euro rail next time.
*** Never having grown up with a bidet before, I was very surprised
to learn what a bidet was used for in England.
At first, I thought it was a clever way to wash your hair.
Glad I was too passed out to have ever tested my horrifically wrong hypothesis.
*AWKWARD FACE* I must say, I think the Japanese make much more intuitive bidets. ***

What a f* nightmare! Worst customer service EVER!
Booked 2 «Superior» Europe tours back in April due to a package discount. Took 1^st trip in June, the accommodation was anything BUT «superior». Sheets were paper thin, rooms were old and stinky, and there was bed bugs — I had red bumps all over on my arms and waist. The included meals were disgusting. The tour manager was rude and very impatient. I wanted to file a complaint but was told they only take via email, no phone numbers. wow! Emailed them 3 times over 4 weeks, no response.
2^nd trip: accommodation was better, but tour manager wouldn’t allow us to use the toilet on the tour bus. wtf? are they just too lazy to clean? I booked and also paid for several extra-​excusions, unfortunately due to weather issues, 2 of the excusions were cancelled. After 2 mths, they still haven’t refunded my $. I emailed customer service 5 times over 2 months — no response!
BEWARE!!!

If you are 18 – 22 or at least still in that mindset even if you’re 35 then Contiki is for you. If you just want to drink all you want and make out with everyone in your group then Contiki is for you. If you want to overpay for lame tours and excursions, then Contiki is for you.
If you want a great tour, with sensible people who work and had to pay for it themselves (and not with daddy’s money), full of culture absorption and sightseeing, a great value for the money you worked your butt off for, then Contiki is NOT for you.
(Did the 10 day Mediterranean tour, btw).