EUROPEAN DISCOVERY REVIEW JUNE 2009! - Topic Powered by Eve Community

Hey,

I'm doing my trip in October and I can't wait. Did you buy your admission tickets online? I can't wait till you finish your blog since I need a lot of advise as I can get.

Thanks

Posts: 23 | Location: Ontario, Canada | Registered: 19 Jun 2009

Ignored post by Asian.gem posted

Posted

Which admission ticket? I didnt buy anything online, pretty much any admission ticket we bought at the actual place, except for the Louvre which our tour manager told us to buy at the Virgin Megastore (and it saved us time)
Im jealous your going, I think about going back every single day since Ive been home!

Posts: 9 | Registered: 29 Apr 2009

Ignored post by Rachel5565 posted

Asian.gem

Posted

i'm saying all admission tickets like anne frank house, vatican museums, just because i want to avoid line up as i know that line up can be long and it will take a long time to get in. Did you do all the optional excursions?? how much money did you bring? did you take all cash/traveller's cheque/debit card/credit card??

Posts: 23 | Location: Ontario, Canada | Registered: 19 Jun 2009

Ignored post by Asian.gem posted

Posted

our tour manager had alot of stuff pre-arranged, so we didnt sit in any lines for a long time. anne frank house, maybe stood in line for 20 min. its the first stop of the day so we were there around 8/9 am ish.

the excursions i did were:
amsterdam: canal cruise and anne frank
nothing in st goar
munich: bike tour and HB (beer hall)
austria: white water rafting
venice: gondola ride
rome: walking tours of roman forum (ruins) and collesseum, vatican. (spent maybe 30 min in line?? i really dont remember alot of this, ill explain later in the blog)
florence: walking tour of the city (dont know if this was an excursion or included??) & space disco club
switzerland: mt. stratsehorn/cable car ride. (dont do the boat cruise go walk arond this city... so absolutly beautiful!)
paris: nothing

when i say nothing, i was out seeing the cities...

i brought enough money for 100/day. some days i spent barely anything, some i spent way more shopping. I had about 500 in cash, and the rest i did on credit cards n debit. dont do travelers checks, pain in the ass. you TM will know where you can exchange money, everyone takes cc and debit. also i set aside the right amount of money for tips for the driver and TM too before I leave.

Posts: 9 | Registered: 29 Apr 2009

Ignored post by Rachel5565 posted

Posted

OK this is finished, there are tons of pics you can click on so you can see the excursions and also what people are wearing so you know what to pack!!
Any questions just ask, i had a million before I left!

Posts: 9 | Registered: 29 Apr 2009

Ignored post by Rachel5565 posted

ptooma

Contiki Moderator

Posted

Very nice write up ... especially the opening paragraph which summarizes anxieties of first time solo Contikiers and some recommendations on how to appease your fears. A seleection of the main points I liked and are oft repeated:

quote:

*No, I didnt just go to Europe to drink, even tho at times it might sound like it But hell, Im still young and after 3 of the hardest years of school of my life I flippin deserved it. There is no need to worry that this was only a "party trip" there were many couples who didnt hang out with us all the time, went out and did their own thing. No need to follow the group, in case you were wondering.

...

*Before you go on this trip, it is wise to research the trip itself, and of course the places you are going. I was amazing that some people didnt have a clue about the places we were at. I read every review I found on Contiki, some were bad and some said the tours suck. I knew A LOT of what to expect. I knew what I wanted to do and see and what I didnt want to do. I figured that the people on your trip and your TM/driver are 95% of the reason your trip will be amazing or horrible. If you complain the whole time cuz the hotel is ghetto or about anything, then your ruining your trip and others. Sit back and take it, make the most of it. So you have to pay to use bathrooms and the food wasn't always the best, my bathroom flooded and I could have been electrocuted... Looking back I laugh at that and it was all these things that make your trip great.

...

* Some places are super nice, some are not. You will get over this.

...

* Sit back and enjoy every second. Most likely you will be depressed when you get home cuz you dont see those faces anymore. I was originally going to go on the one that left 3 days before this one, but it was booked. Thank God!
* If you have the time, I would go on a longer tour. I honestly didnt think I could be gone for 2 weeks, usually I go on vaca's for a week and all I want to do is go home. I really did not want to leave when this vaca was over. No you dont get a lot of time on this particular trip so we named it "The European teaser". But I got to see a lot is the short amount of time I was in each city, which is why it is wise to research each city before you get there!

*Read what others said to bring and not bring, what to wear not wear, what was fun and not fun, then figure it out yourself! I had the absolute best time of my life. I went solo and was scared to death my tour would suck or the people would suck. Im SO happy I went by myself. No one else to worry about, meeting new people. There were actually a lot of people by themselves. ... now I have friends all over the world.

... and yes, all the multi-country tours should be considered as a "Taste of Europe", with some having longer sampling sessions

.

-Vic

13% off Contiki tour prices / Optionals Discount
Pretour suggestions ...
I want to fly a wingsuit !!!!

Posts: 1907 | Location: wherever my feet take me | Registered: 26 Jun 2005

Ignored post by ptooma posted

Manders0725

Posted

Hey Rachel awsome travelogue!!! I also am going by myself on the European Discovery. I leave on Sept 3rd. I was looking at your pictures and was wondering did you use a tripod?? would you recomend one?
Did you pass your camera over to random people to take pictures? I'm really worried about having it stolen.( I have major bad luck with cameras I had 2 digital cameras stolen this year). Also, How much dressy clothes did you bring with you? Thanks for the insight.

Posts: 9 | Registered: 29 Jun 2009

Ignored post by Manders0725 posted

Posted

no, no tripod just take tons and tons and tons aof pictures so you'll be guaranteed to have some good ones. plus when your walking around a city all day and/or going out and drinking (like I was..) do you really wanna have to keep track of it? i could barely keep track of my purse

Yes i had random people take some of my pics, but they were mostly other tourist (you can tell by looking at them) or people on my bus.

i only took a few dressy clothes but i wish i would have brought more, i would recommend stuff you can mix and match. you wanna be comfy for the days in town and your walking like a madman-i wore flip flops the whole time and heels when i went out. but def take cute clothes, it is europe and the people are beautiful-def bring dresses for italy, it was blazing hot and at least one jacket for the beginning of the trip.

Posts: 9 | Registered: 29 Apr 2009

Ignored post by Rachel5565 posted