Hi all,

I'll be joining you on this tour and gee I am looking forward to it. I've already organised flights but I'd be interested to know what others are doing for accommodation.

Looking forward to meeting you all.

Ben

Hey guys,

Great to see some new people popping up on the message boards!!

I have a great feeling that this is going to be awesome group!!

Hey Ben,

In answer to your question, I'll be staying with my cousin in London, she is living in Hampstead Heath at the moment, so I'll probably crash with her!

Hey FiFi,

I've been keeping count of the days as well!!!!! Only 138 to go or something!!!! By the way, I looooove your pic!!

Hey Leisa

Welcome to the board!!

Looking forward to getting to know you all better!!!

See ya!


Lou

Hi All

My friend Brooke and I will be doing this tour... We cant wait we were so excited to hear that the tour is booked out and by the sounds of thing by a great bunch of people... Looking forward to chatting with you all... Our plans are: We will be leaving Sydney on 9th Sept we are in London for 3 nights staying at the famour Royal National Hotel (i have heard good and bad about this hotel)... We will be leaving the tour in Amsterdam and making our own way to Colone in Germany and then Dubai then HOME SWEET HOME...

Looking forward to chatting with you all..

Mel n Brooke xxx

Hey Everyone,

I have also booked for this trip! Im getting really excited. Ive been counting down the days I'm traveling alone, so it would be great to get to no some people before the trip! Im flyin out of Sydney on the 11th Sept, and will then hav a couple of days in london after the trip.
Anyways not long now!!!!!!!

Erin

Hi All

Iam a contiki message board virgin!!, as I have only tonight, found you all my contrast buddies!

I am on the September 13 Tour and travelling solo. My plan is to depart Sydney on 8 September then have a couple of days in Norwich then to London. I think I am to stay at the Hotel of Departure, however the name escapes me at present!! After the Tour I am back off to Norwich for a week then I hit Ireland for 10 days.

Look forward to chatting to you all soon, I will now check this board more regularly!

Monique

Hey Mel, Brooke, Erin & Monique,

Great to see more people on the board!!

Look forward to getting to know you a bit better before this amazing adventure!!

Louise

Hi Again

I have made it into the forum again, and thanks for saying hi Louise. It's been a long time coming for this trip but I am started to get excited about it..and reading the message's is a real kick!

Whereabouts does everyone live?? Anyone from outside of OZ on this trip???

Hope to meet up with you all soon and make it a regular gig!

Mon

Hey Everyone
Yeh its good to hear from more people that are doing this tour. Ive been having problems with the website so wasnt able to reply for a while there.
Monique Im from Brisbane, the only one I think so far, Ive seen a few more people from sydney though. Im heading over to the uk on august 11 so Im getting in early. Ill be in Birmingham for 2 weeks and then London for 2 weeks, in amongst that time im going to germany for a few days. After the tour I am in London for 5 days. Im not sure where I am staying in London at the moment, probably just a shared youth hostel, whatever I can find that is cheap!

Just wondering about everyone as well. What does everyone do?How old are you? Im 18 and work full time(its the only way I could afford this holiday!)What is everyone excited about visiting as well?I swear this tour goes almost everywhere!

Hannah

Hi Hannah, Mon and Louise

Not long to go now...

Well to answer some of your questions im from Newcastle...Im 23 and turn 24 on our tour so you guys will have to help me celebrate...

Im looking forward to visiting everywhere on our tour, and i hope we get some beautiful hot weather, im sick of winter in NSW, i do realise that alot of the places that we are visiting are going to be cold...

What is everyone else looking forward to seeing/doing?

Mel

hey everyone,

havnt been here for a while. hi new people.

sounds like there will be a few aussies on the trip.

im leaving sydney on 10th sep and get into london on the 11th. then looking around for couple days, then got 5 days after to look at stuff as well.

keen for oktoberfest and few days in corfu will be nice and amsterdam. but i think it will all be good.

im 23 and im also sick of the cold weather.just been to fraser island for a week and the weather was heaps better up there.

nick.

Hi All

Well I am from Canberra..so please you guys have the cold easy!! I am looking forward to everywhere as well but Prague is the place I am most looking forward to seeing..and Ireland but that's a whole another tour I am doing!!

Mon

Hello Everyone

My friend Crystal and i are booked on the Contiki European Contrasts on Sep 13. Any help and information regarding money and luggage and what you guys are doing would be helpful. Little bit scared of going but once im there im sure ill look forward to it.

Hi again everyone,

Monique, I hear you, I am well over the Canberra winter already and looking forward to heading off.

Candice, in regard to money I would recommend the Wizard Clear Advantage Mastercard, it's talked about lots in the general forums. There are no cash advance fees, ATM fees or currency conversion fees. This could save you heaps overseas compared to any other method and is easy to access.
For luggage I am taking my 65L travel backpack which should be plenty. I always prefer to travel with a backpack but that's just me.

I'm flying out from Sydney on the 10th and decided to stay at the Royal National on the 11th and 12th. With the pre-tour meeting (drinks) at 7pm on the 12th and the bus leaving at 7am or earlier on the 13th it just made things easier.

Ben

Some other helpful hints:

When on plane it is important to get up and walk around periodically to avoid developing deep vein thrombosis (or however it's spelled)
Also, drink plenty of fluids which can lessen effects of jet lag.

Bring disposable camera (s). You never know when your camera could stop working and there's nothing worse than not being able to take photos.

Put some sort of marking such as a ribbon on your suitcase to make it stand out. It's always difficult to pick out your luggage off the baggage carousel so may as well make it somewhat easier.

Bring nice clothing for going out at night. the kind you'd wear to going to a club or nice restaurant.


Hope that helps. If you need any more specific or general advice feel free to ask.

Brian (from New York)
brij75@yahoo.com

Southern Ireland '97
Grand Explorer '00
Rainbow Nation '01
Beaches & reefs '02-'03

Hi Everyone

Sorry its been ages since I have been on (I was luclyou7) I forgot my password, tried getting it resent to me, that didn't work was thinking perhaps my profile had expired as I hadn't logged on for awhile.

Yes it seems that there are quite afew people letting us know they are joining our tour.

It seems like I will also be the "granny" of the group - but hey don't hold that against me, am young at heart & certainly like to party & have a great time.

I am in Central Queesland, (west of Rockhampton), we have been experiencing a cold snap of late, its been getting down to 2 degrees here, very cold when you consider we have 45 degree days in summer.

Myself & Skeeta leave Brissie on the 10th Sept with a couple of days pre tour staying at the place where we depart. we leave straight after out trip and go home via malaysia staying in Penang for 4 nights....

We are looking forward to meeting you all and am absolutely sure we will have an awesome time.

May as well say only 7 weeks to go, seems to have taken forever to come around, guess that happens when you book all the way back in Feb.

Thanks for the tips too on waht to take etc...

cheers
Leisa