Hi Guys,

Just wondering if anyone could offer me some advice. Im booked on the Winter Wild Western 16 December departure & I want to know whether I should add the 4 day Contiki LA Explorer tour on to the start of it or whether I should go it alone in a Hollywood Hostel for 4-5 days pre tour commencement and see the sights?

I'd love some help!! Im a total novice traveller!

Cheers,
Lauren.

the best advice...

Do some research and work out what you really want to do eg, theme parks, beaches, shopping, star watching and how to get there.

Then see if the tour does those things.

I did a contiki by myself last year and meet three girls on the same flight (randomley, one of them wasn't even on the same tour as me), and we ended up spending the time leading up to the tour sightseeing togeather.

There is always the possability that there are other people staying in the same hotel, or on the flight doing the same thing as you.

You can always get onto the meet your tour mates fourum and trying and see if there are people doing the same thing before hand.

But if you really worried about woundering around by yourself, join the tour.

I agree with JenSharp.

I had 5 days in LA before my tour; I stayed in a hostel on Melrose Avenue and did some day tours with hollywoodtours.us to see the sights.

For me personally it was great because I could do what I wanted, when I wanted and at whatever time I wanted! I could sit in the lounge area of the hostel if I wanted to talk to people and then go to my room when I wanted to chill out (I had a single room with ensuite).

I guess it depends on whether or not you feel you want/need friends around to have fun and see the things you want to see. The bonus of a tour is that it's all planned for you, you get somewhere to sleep and you're bound to have a mate or two to hang around with.

They'd both be good and in the end they'd probably cost the same too - just a matter of what would suit you best!

I did the la explorer before my wild western tour and it was the best thing i could have done. I had a group of friends to do disneyland and universal with, and a bunch of great friends i'd made on that tour were going on the ww as well. So it was great having a bunch of friends at the start of the ww tour when everyone else knows no-one. I'd definitely reccomend the la explorer