Hey all -
So in August of 2007 i took my first trip abroad to Europe. The European Highlights was hitting 8 countries and many major cities I wanted to visit. However, I am going to warn you now so you won't discover this on day one liek I did, THE NAME SAYS IT ALL! "highlights" The bases of the trip is to be in a place long enough to see what you need to and move to the next. For those who....how do I phrase this....live a certian "rich" lifestyle, go for the hotel trip, otherwise save your $$ for the crap that your going to buy and go ont he concept tour. You stay in cabins a majority of the time, which can be small, but big enough for your stuff. You get a sleepign bag from contiki when you get to london, so you dont need to bring one, you get a bed everynight with a pillow, and trust me, that is plenty. If you are not keen on campgrounds and simple cabins, then go for the hotels, but you are in your rooms just for sleeping, otherwise your doing something every second of the day until you go to bed. So I didnt find the accommedatiosn that bad, then again I was raised camping. Movign on, you do stay in some hotels and a hostel in Germany - but let me tell you, the hostels are NICE!! The best bed i have EVER slept on. If anyone can sneak a pillow, comforter, and matress back to the USA, please send it to me!!! Bring an alarm clock, mostly the day starts at 8am, but some days it is earlier. There are bars at every campground, a club at the chateu, and you cna always opt to stay in town and pay for a taxi or train back to the hotels or campground. They will give you maps of the cities you are going to, but i suggest taking a guide book to europe. Contiki does mark important things like the Effiel Tower etc, but if you want to know more about the places and sites, then take a book. Some guys on my trip bought maps of the countries to highlight the route we took to each city, good idea, wish i had thought of it beforehand. If you are going with a travel buddy, DO NOT SPEND ALL YOUR TIME WITH YOU FRIEND. There are 50 other people on your trip, MAKE FREINDS!!! I now know people from 11 other countries, 12 if you include USA. Go on all the extra trips you want to, not what your friend wants to. You are there once, and believe me i regret not doing stuff because my travel buddy told me not too. I will say these one bits of advice, go on at least the first and last dinners just to meet people and be with your group one last time. All the dinners are not that great, but try everything even the pork nuckle at the german beerhall. But the Tuscan dinner in Florence, i opted not to go cause UR IN ITALY, you will find Italian food in any cafe for a lot cheaper, plus i head the food is crap. The food isnt the best at any meal they provide, but its the same policy for college, free food = good food. The roman guide sucked, but had good info, just talked A LOT about stuff i cant recall now. The one bit that helped was tickts for the collessium, dont wait in the line, go to this other place behind it down the road, smae price, but get to cut the lines. The bathrooms, for females there are no lids or seats on 95% of the tolits, so practice squating. Purell is your friend. And you dont have to tip the cleaning people if you dont want to. At food places, the tip is most likely included, check the menu. Bring extra chapstick, because i lost my Burts Bees in France and had to suffer with some french crap i bought for 6 euro!! Anyways, back to the extra trips. Get the picture because you may not wnat it at the time, but when you see it the last day, you will wish you had purchased one. Same goes for the shirts. I helped design our groups shirts and htey came out awsome, and it cool that there are only 50ish every made, and makes mroe unity and a special times for when you wear it later. do the gondola ride, i am partial to it because it was my 21st birthday when i was in Venice and on a goldola. Do not, i repeat, DO NOT go to the bathroom on the bus. Go at every reststop, lunch stop, and just plain stop in general beacsue what goes in the bus stays with you, and it will smell at times if you have a full tank. Dont party all night because you will want to sleep. and you can nap on the bus, but you miss all of the gorgious country side,a nd you piss of the tour manager because they would like to be entertained too. ok and now for a few things that are not in the brochure....THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE YOU TO A CONCENTRATION CAMP. You go to Dakow, the 1st camp, and it is so moving to actually be at one. its unbelieveable because you knwo the history and everythign that happened, but then you get there and you just dont wnat to say a word. Dont freak out and not go, because it is a one off thing. Also, in Amsterdam you have the option to go to a sex show. Its 30 euro and it is just what it says; a sex show. its not pron, its not emotional sex, it is these peopels jobs. I didnt go, but what i heard is that it was just 2 people havign sex, straight faced. it goes quick and is out there. I spent the night wanderign the red light district checkign out the sex shops and had a blast. So go if you want, ecperience it, but you can do other things too. Dont forget anne frank, berkenstocks, beer steins, cookoo clocks, pisa, the mona lisa, big ben, and everythign else you can cram into a 2 weeks european vacation. London, france, monaco, italy, vadican city, austria, germany, and the netherlands (USA doesnt have the optiong of going to belgium cause you fly out of amsterdam, buts its just a drive through like austria on the way back to london). Oh and before i let you go, bring a travel journal, save everything, and try everything. most of all have fun!!
Feel free to contact me and ask me any questions, i do not mind!! email at: wodneywoo@hotmail.com and i am on facebook as well (Renee Lee)
Enjoy your trip
Nay819

Hey thanks for that really interesting info.

I'm thinking fo doing this trip in September 08..I've never been out of Australia before, do you think this is a good first trip to go on?

Cheers,

Aidan

hi!, im going on sep 24th, wondering if you can actually climb the eifel tower or just see it?!

Hi, i have just come back form Europe on the European vista. was over there for eight weeks and enjoyed every bit of it. for your first trip out of Aus contiki is good cos they do a lot for you. its good value for money too. You show up on the day of departure and they tell you what to see before you get to each city and how to get around.

For the eifel tower question there is three levels. All accessible by lift. First lift to level one and two and a second lift to the top and go to the top. I hate heights and still loved it.

Hey,

Like Aidan i am thinking of doing this Highlights tour in September. Is it a good intro to Europe - that's all i really want as i'll be working/travlling for 2yrs.

Ta,

Hey, I've also been on an European Highlights and while I won't leave as long of a message as above, I will tell you it is completely worth it and an incredible experience. You makes friends with pretty much everyone on the coach, there's no drama and day or night your going to be having a good time. My bus was filled with people from US,Can, oz, nz, japan, taiwan, south africa.. those are the ones i can remember! So you get a great mix of people. The trip can be relaxing if you want, or it keep be non stop action for the 16 days. I chose non stop action and while I was incredibly sick after the trip because i was so run down, it was worth it because I've never had so much fun in my life! I know this doesn't give too many details a way, but for me that was part of the fun! The extra stop offs that they don't tell you about makes the trip seem more special and are nice surprises along the way. I definitely recommend this trip, it seems pretty popular and i havent really heard any complaints. PS you will LOVE your tour manager! From what I hear they are always amazing and I loved mine!

hey just a ote on the above, Nay819, said to bring a travelogue diary thing? Don't they provide you with one when they give you the rest of the contiki documents with the wallet etc?

Hi Nay, Nay here... funny we have the same Nickname.. I'm Naomi :-) I am all set to go on Eurpean Highlights on May 16 and I'm doing the concept tour. Thanks for all this interesting information!! Its my first trip solo overseas and I'm quite nervous! I'm organising my visa to work just in case I don't want to come back haha! My only worry really is about the food, whats it like really? Is it hard to get healthy stuff?? I'm a bit of a fitness freak....... and Contiki did tell me I needed to bring a sleeping bag.. but you say they give you one? would rather not have to lug it around unless I have to.. maybe I should check that out..
thanks again. do you mind if I add you on Facebook?

Hey guys, i just got back from a European Highlights tour a couple of days ago. It was the best two weeks of my life. I had so much fun made so many new friends. I travelled on my own and was so worried about not getting to know anyone but seriously by day 2 it was one big happy family.
You do move fast from one country to the next and the hightlights are what you get to see, and there are many a long day spent on the coach, but trust me you'll need this to catch up on some sleep. You're up most mornings before 7am and rarely did i go to bed before 2am.
Our tour was dubbed the 'Party Express' and trust me thats what it was. There is a bar at every camp site which means alcohol is always readily available and consumed in large quantities.
Honestly it was the most amazing experience of my life. You meet so many different and great people and get to see some of the most amazing sites of Europe.
Yes the accomodation isnt great, toilets very often dont have seats or are able to flush, a decent shower is few and far between and the rooms are barely big enough for 4 people and their luggage but in Europe 'its not wrong its just different' (our tour motto, used very often).