Hey everyone,
I'm NOT going on this tour but have gone on 4 Contikis so I'd like to share some helpful advice:

If you plan on taking a credit card to Europe, you may want to call your credit card company to let them know you'll be travelling so they don't think the card has been stolen and cut you off.

Another thing I recommend is carrying your cash in a money belt, I find it safer.

Plan on spending $100-$150 USD per day. You'll have to buy lunches daily, souveneirs, some dinners and going out at night. You should try exchanging money before you leave. You'll have to chance to do so on the tour, but easier to get that part out of the way and have one less thing to worry about.


When you pack, throw some clothing into your carry-on to lighten the weight of the suitcase and in case your luggage gets lost. Leave room for souveneirs & carry with you an extra copy of your pasport and hotel address list.

In terms of weight of luggage, it's the airlines that are more strict than Contiki. Each airline has their own weight threshold & will only be too glad to charge you extra for going over. You can find out the limit/rules by going on the airline's website.

I have lots of other advice which I think will be useful, so don't hesitate to ask on here or email me.

Brian (from New York)
brij75@yahoo.com

Southern Ireland '97
Grand Explorer '00
Rainbow Nation '01 (no longer offered by Contiki)
Beaches & Reefs '02-'03

I've done 2 contiki tours before European Discovery and Northern highlights (NZ) I agree to plan on spending around $100-150 USD per day. However I always use my ATM card at the airport wherever I land and draw the max amount of cash. I like using ATM's because you'll only have to pay your banks fee and the atm fee you'll usually pay more at American Express or Thomas Cook. Also leave a copy of your passport at home with someone trustworthy. If some sort of emergency happened you can call home and get your passport number.

Book the transfer shuttles. Other countries can smell tourists and will rip you off.

I always book my plane seperately. I find cheaper deals then the contiki prices and you'll have your choice of what time to depart. Enjoy your travels everyone!