Contiki
Tour operator · Cypress ·
Guided tours for 18-35 year olds, visit 7 countries in 9 days
Guided tours for 18-35 year olds, visit 7 countries in 9 days
"Contiki launched a Taylor-themed tour to coincide with the Eras Tour’s European dates, providing comprehensive travel arrangements except for concert tickets."
"An international tour company offering group itineraries worldwide that cater to solo travelers through themed departures for solo female travelers, young professionals, and various specialty audiences; it provides a way to join a vetted group experience for companionship and convenience without needing to know anyone beforehand." - Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of Be a Travel Writer, an online course for the next generation of travel journalists. Her photos, videos, and words have appeared in print or online for Travel + Leisure, Time, Los Angeles Times, Glamour, and many more. You'll usually find her in an airport. If you do see her there, please say hello. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"Contiki, a tour operator specializing in trips for 18 to 35-year-olds, is offering to pay for your first passport if you book one of their seven-days-or-more trips. They are giving away 100 passports to those who secure spots on trips to various destinations, including Europe, Asia, and South America."
"When Contiki posted on Facebook claiming you could “literally save hundreds of dollars” by touring with them and that backpacking was “so 1997,” I called them out and they replied that group rates give them better deals — but after digging into one of their 2019 budget options (the European Discovery Tour) I found that to be disingenuous. That tour is 12 days and listed at $1,656 USD, includes 16 meals (5 dinners and 11 breakfasts), 21 activities (plus 12 optional at extra cost), and 11 nights in shared hotel rooms with 1–2 other people; on paper it looks like $138 USD per day, but with the first and last days mostly in transit you really get about 10 travel days (closer to $165/day), and once you add even modest extra meal costs (~$9/meal), typical attraction fees (~$30/day) and a round-trip flight (~$600) the trip approaches ~$2,800 total (about $280/day). By contrast, my independent 10-day budget numbers (flight $600, meals $300, sightseeing $300, transport $250, accommodation $350) come to about $1,800 ($180/day) — roughly $1,000 less — so Contiki is not cheaper. I’ve never taken a Contiki tour (I’d thought about it but couldn’t justify the cost and frantic pace), and while friends report it’s fun, social and party-focused (young travelers, lots of alcohol), it’s not the sort of value or travel style I want." - Matthew Kepnes
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