First Time Summer Europe Trip. Contiki??
 

Three of my friends and I from Arizona, USA, are planning on going to Europe this summer for our first times. At first I wanted to plan my own trip, but was overwhelmed and opted to look at group tours. Through some recommendations and research I found Contiki, and a specific 19 day trip called "European Whirl" that visited many different countries in Europe. We all agreed, but after reading some more reviews about the pros and cons, we have become more worried about the quality of where we are staying, the amount of time on the coach bus, as well as some other things that come with a big group trip that you do not have to deal with while planning your own. I am now second guessing and wondering how difficult it would be to plan my own trip and if it is already to late because we want to go in early June and it is already mid March. Would it be better to put in the effort to plan our own trip?

You will likley get a somewhat biased view here as this board attracts people who like to plan travel, but that tour looks downright ghastly.
With no clue about your age, budget, interests, any mobility limitations, etc. it is hard to advise about specifics, but your instinct is bang on about too much time transiting and not enough time experiencing. Come back with more info about what you want to see and spend and you'll get some great advice from the friendly denizens of Fodorville. And while you don't have a lot of time and some options may be unavailable, you do have enough time to put together a very pleasant trip.

I'm one who hates tours but I decided before I trashed in on principal I'd take a look so I googled it. OMG! Looks absolutely dreadful. You really don't even have two nights anywhere. You will be spending virtually all your time on the bus. They drive you from one city to the next - each one being several hours away from the last and then you essentially get an afternoon if you are lucky. Some tours, like some Rick Steves tours, can make sense if you are someone who is unable to plan their own trip, or needs a lot of help, but this one looks awful.

Tell us how many days you have available and where you most want to see and we will help you plan it. But keep in mind that two nights in a destination gets you just over one full day and most 'major' cities really deserve at least 3-4 days even on a 'whirlwind' trip. That trip you mentioned is 18 days so if that's all you have then I'd pick at most 4 or 5 cities. Ideally you'll pick only two or three countries at most.

A couple of suggestions for "a taste of " type trips (18 days)would be:

London - Amsterdam - Belgium - Paris (from each of those you could add a day trip to a geographically close town)

London - fly to Italy - do Rome, Florence and Venice - then Switzerland

Contiki trips are largely female IME of seeing many getting on and off Contiki buses - a plus if you're a guy perhaps - guided tours are what they are - a comfort zones but also regimented - be prepared for very early reveilles - up and out at an ungodly early hours at times.

I'd consider getting a Global Eurailpass, if planning on several countries and doing it on your own - three is great for not worrying about being by yourself in Europe where they speak a different language, etc.

But Europe has a zillion of neat youth hostels and youth hotels where you can meet lots of folks your age from all over the world - you may join up with folks to go out or even to travel together. (Keep your itinerary flexible!) - get a copy of Let's Go Europe - written by American folks your age with a stupendously good rundown of zillions of hostels and youth hotels and a wealth of info for you all.

Some great resources for planning a European train trip: www.budgeteuropetravel.com (download their free and superb IMO online European Planning & Rail Guide for a low down on European trains and suggested rail itineraries; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

Trains are really great - on them you will meet again folks your age from all over the world. If under 26 yrs old you can bet the bargain Eurail Youthpass.

So others cab see how awful this itinerary is . . . here is the link

http://www.contiki.com/destinations/...european-whirl

Just dreadful! And five nights are spent in Contiki 'villages' so even less time in the various cities.

oops >>So others can see how awful . . .<<

janis have you ever seen a Contiki village - guess not - they can be quite connivial - the one in Lauterbrunnen is right in the heart of town. And others are in big campings - like in Paris at the TCF Joinville-le-Pont, a nice suburb the likes of which many tourists never see - on the banks of the Marne River and European camps, for your information, can be very very lively places - lots of folks their ages there with bars and all.

I've stayed in a zillion European camps and often they are right in cities and IMO I rather like the more real if you have it nature of the perpipheries they are in - you may love to be in the center of Paris for good reason but don't trash what you obviosuly know little about - the Contiki Villages are small cities in and of themselves in well-equipped campgrounds with amenities better than some hotels.

Not so awful and dreaful as you make out.

Not because they aren't >> connivial<< as you say. But because they are way outside the 4 cities where this tour uses them.

So even less time to 'experience' Europe and more time to 'experience' party central.

Au contraire - these places are in neat close-in suburbs - Paris is just a 20-minute RER ride from Joinville - the real Europe is much more around these camps than inside Paris. And no one has to party - many go into Paris - actually Contiki has buses that cart them into towns and pick them up later so there is time on their own.

Again I think you know little about these places and my perferred accommodation is also camping - I love time in big cities but at night I perfer the calmness of these places (Contiki Villages are not party dens - but socializing dens - oh well you seem to know more than you understand about these tours!

I am not pumping Contiki tours any more than I would Rabbies because to me tours are an anathema. But to the OP - Contiki Villages and tours are not IME of seeing many the dreadful awful things that janis thinks they are - they are a plus and one reason the tour price can be so low compared to hotel tours, which I believe they also run.

longer ago than i wish to say, i took a contiki tour. not this one, a 29 night one with 5 three night stays, 4 two night ones, and 6 one nighters. don't seek it out, it is no longer offered. i would hate to go faster than that, and your tour, does.

pros: i actually enjoyed camping. the campgrounds as campgrounds were better quality than the hotels as hotels, used in contiki's so-called 'superior' tours. they are quieter than the inner city and many settings can be quite lovely.

- when sightseeing, all luggage except for personal valuables (which one took with one) were locked on the bus. no need to find a locker to store luggage.

- although i don't like shopping, i didn't mind the demonstrations (e.g. tours of winery, perfumery,etc.) once, that is. i wouldn't do them twice.

- i was extremely busy right up until i left. no time to plan, esp as this predated internet era. having my arrangements made was handy.

- i was on my own. going in a group i could socialize, or not, when and as i chose.

negatives: the tour guiding isn't great, in fact it is lousy. be prepared to research thoroughly, understand all transit systems so you can cut out on your own and get back to your accommodation on your own. arrange all your own 'optionals' and museum visits. be prepared to smile sweetly when the tour director scowls because you are so independent.

- it isn't always comfortable having to stick to a tight schedule, especially at rest stops.

- you have to accept the tour as a rehearsal for a later trip, because it covers, or tries to cover, so much in so little time.

- you probably would spend the same amount if you go on your own, but you will be able to stay either longer or at a higher standard. you will need a 'contingency' budget for the mistakes you will inevitably make if you go on your own.

if you keep your goals simple (i.e. be prepared to be selective about what you visit) you could still have time to plan your own tour.

by the way, the worst thing about you tour is that it attempts to include prague and berlin. those are great cities but they are too far afield. the 4 nights would be better spent slowing the rest of the tour down. going on your own, you can also take advantage of 'open jaw' fares, e.g fly into paris and out of munich, etc. etc.

My 24 year niece has do more than 5 Contiki trips (from Australia) both with friends and on her own. She has travelled extensively on her own too. She has a ball on Contiki, made lots of friends, learned a lot about herself, and a bit about the places she has been. I think its more about "the going, the places and the fun" than experiencing Europe and its culture, I think there is plenty of time for indepth exploration and experiences later on. On these tours there is always someone to go out with, some one to have fun with and I think its a valid way to travel when you are young and on your first big trip away.

Thank you guys so much! Just as a heads up we are all 18 and just graduating high school. We are looking to spend 2-3 weeks and at a price of around $6000 or less a person, which includes the $2000 for round trip plane tickets from Phoenix, AZ. I will look into the info you guys suggested and see if what I can do with it, but if it proves to be too difficult for me with no experience of planning international travel, I might use this as a test run because it still looks like an enjoyable trip and I could sample much of Europe to see what I would like to visit in more depth later down the road.

DD did a Contiki tour in her younger days and loved it. Her tour was only Southern Spain and Portugal. She loved meeting people from a dozen different countries and loved seeing a lot of places. Now that she is older, it would not be her style, but she still says it was a great experience.

It is not just about the sights. It is the "Contiki Experience", a bunch of young people, strangers at the start, hoping to become friends, traveling around at a fast pace, seeing amazing places, eating, drinking, singing and partying together. If that "overall experience is off putting, it may not be for you. If it sounds like fun, and you don't want right now to explore any one place for a long, or do the work of booking lodging, trains, etc., it may be perfect. If you like to be alone, wander for hours in museums, sit for hours at a cafe, not be tied to a schedule, you might want to plan your own tour.

>> which includes the $2000 for round trip plane tickets from Phoenix, AZ.<<

That is very high. You should be able to fly RT to Europe for $1000-$1500 depending on the specific dates

Re: plane ticket, I don't know which dates you are travelling, but I looked at dates I pulled out of hat in summer, July 11 departure, coming back July 25.
PHX-CDG-PHX is $1401 on Delta.
PHX-CDG, FCO-PHX is $1676 on Delta.

Note the respected Fodorites above who say they loved Contiki tours - it is not awful and dreaful and some above say but for many a pleasurable experience - just because something does not purport with your idea of what is right many folks enjoy these tours - enough said.

The nonstop flights on BA are $2000, but the cheaper connecting flights will work out fine and save you a lot of money.

If you are set on Contiki, is there something with fewer stops? I'm not sure what an overnight in Munich and then another Austria gets you for example. Also note that much of the profit is in the options, like the Jungfrau 136 euro side tour, if you opt out are you left at the village all day?

I'm one of the few who defends Contiki here and if I were you (and more afraid of doing it myself than I am), I'd consider two concentrated single-country tours (France and Italy, Italy and Spain, etc.) and provide your own transport between the start points instead of one whirlwind. First, they're more in depth; second, the demographic is different - more 20 and 30 somethings who are professionals in their home countries and want to tour instead of hang out and drink (although the tours are also chock-full of Aussies, which means if there are bunch of Aussie boys there'll be drinking aplenty). Honestly, with a built-in group you should figure out how to go it alone.

The one you're considering is fairly nuts. Tom brings up a good point about opt outs - you can be pretty screwed by the tour if you don't take the side trip (happened to me in Portugal). And be ready to roll immediately after any obligatory demonstration bs (the tours always take you to this type of thing) - back in the day my full day in Venice was the best of the tour because two friends and I just wandered about. But our group went to a glass-blowing shop (ok, souvenir for mom) and a lace-making chatter (YAWN) before then. The lace-maker could see I wanted to bolt. And the second her demo was done I hopped up, said I'm going to the Doge's Palace, who's with me, and started hoofing it.

Don't get me wrong, I am most definitely not anti Contiki (despite PQ's kvetching) . . . But that particular tour just looks DREADFUL.

Big Russ makes a good suggestion (assuming you really can't see doing it on your own) - take two shorter/more concentrated tours and maybe fit in a few days in Paris or Rome or London or somewhere on your own in between the two tours.

I've never done these but I read a trip report of one awhile back on a travel blog which explained the experience quite well so I would recommend you look up some travel blog trip reports of the tours and see how people who actually did them felt about it.

In addition, I think you and your friends should do some research into where in Europe you really want to go and what you want to see (what's truly important to you) and look for a tour that incorporates most of those things instead of one that just whisks you quickly from place to place. There are lots of tours out there - it doesn't have to be Contiki.

Don't get me wrong, I am most definitely not anti Contiki . . . But that particular tour just looks DREADFUL>

it is a typical Contiki tour - at least the one most popular that most folks take I believe - not as dreadful to the several above who have taken one and actually, unbelievably enjoyed it. Different strokes for different folks - lose the didactism IMO - again I would never ever take a group tour as I want to be a traveler not a tourist carted around but I can see why some folks, especially first time people take tours - in fact the vast majority of Americans going to Europe

go on group tours and most of them take whirlwind if it's Belgium it must be Tuesday afternoon type tours if you look at the brochures. More in a better seller apparently in the tour industry - yes to you and me more may be less but let's not judge everyone else by our desires and what we want in a tour. What's dreadful to me or to you - well again several above have actually enjoyed!

Contiki has a long long track record - been around for years - started as an Aussie company I think and then sold out to some Swiss bank holding company who last I knew still owned it but that was several years ago - but if so on rock solid foundation.

I think a good thing about the fast pace is that this is your first time there and it will help you get a fix on what Europe is all about - covering a lot of places in a compact time gives you an overall about where to go back to on your own - there is free times in cities like Paris on Contiki tours so you are not on the bus all the time (though a lot of the time) - anyway I urge folks to go on their own because it is so so easy and to me much more a learning experience but I do understand why the huge majority of first-timers gravitate to the security of a tour and also you will be with folks your own age - mainly female in my many observations of Contiki tours - and there is a comraderie that develops in groups like that (this coming from someone who led thousands of college students thru Europe in the distant pass - Contiki being one of our biggest competitors - well much bigger) - a group tour - the people in it develop bonds that many prefer - prefer over going alone.

So don't throw the baby out with the bathwater - there are pros and cons to everything - not the bleak assessment that some jump to without really knowing anything about it.

A 23 year old well traveled former student went on a Contiki tour of Europe last summer and LOVED it. She also is still keeping in touch with the friends she made on the trip.

JanisJ - It looks dreadful *to you*.

It's not meant for anyone over 35 - there is a clue. It's also an immersion visit. Not designed for 'foodies' or 'people watchers' or 'slow travellers'. It's a dip your toe in and move on.

I did a 35 day tour which went everywhere - so it seemed and gave me enough insight to discover which places I wanted to revisit and which to leave out. I went back a year later and did the slow travel rail travel youth hostel thing but I'm glad for the Contiki experience. It was amazing.

The "European Whirl" tour isn't as "dreadful" as some of you are making it out to be. For starters, it's mostly two-night stays in each city, not one-nighters. I've never taken one of these, but I would guess the first thing a lot of people do after they get on the bus in the morning is take a nap. And there is an advantage of having one's bus pick one up at the hotel and then take you directly to the next one. This probably saves two hours or more on each travel day.

My advice would be to arrive a couple of days early to London, so you can do some sightseeing on your own, and then linger in Paris (or elsewhere) after the tour for four or five days. You can combine tour and independent travel, to some extent.

I can't edit my comment, but I want to add that you ought to be able to get a round-trip ticket for way under $2,000. In fact, you should probably check fares from LAX to various cities. I would bet there are good options for under $1,000. You might have to wend your way to London, but that will give you a chance to experience independent travel.

I think FHurdle has a smashingly great idea - plan for a little independent travel after your trip - though some folks actually find independent travel even more dreadful than a group trip - but by that time you should have confidence that traveling around Europe is as easy or easier as around the U.S. - especially the great train system.

If considering a Contiki tour check out this:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...n_England.html