Travel Tours? Who to use or avoid?

[brucebanner]

Alright, in light of my other thread( http://forums.beyond.ca/st/356604/what-would-you-do-house-traveling-question-inside/ ). I'm going to travel and I think using a tour to do so would be my best option to get the most out of the trip. I have friends that used Contiki Tours (www.contiki.com) and have nothing but good to say about the company.

Who have you guys used? Good/bad experiences? I know some Beyonders are travel agents or the like, you guys/gals could PM me with info, that would be great.

I think my first destination is going to be Europe(Italy, Greece). Dates are open for now.

Looking for your help once again Beyond.:thumbsup:

[toyboy88]

Contiki is great if you are looking for a more 'lively' travel group (as everyone is 18-35, and I'm assuming you are too). This is great obviously if you want to enjoy nightlife/going out/etc. along with you travel. However, IMO, they sort of make you pay a premium for this...as their tour prices are generally about the same as other tour operators who include alot more for the same price (ie. better hotels, more meals, more included admission, etc.).

Also check out G Adventures (formerly GAP Adventures) if you want a more (generally) party-open travelling group.

If you want more 'luxury'-style of a trip, I would highly recommend Globus for Europe. Did two Europe tours with Globus, and absolutely loved it. Compared to similar operators, their extra 'pluses' are things like:
- WAYYYY more included admissions (in tour price) to sights/attractions. Be careful that when some other operators say "visit St Paul Cathedral" - it means just go to visit (outside) and not entry also...Globus I found (when researching) has admission as well for alot more sights (ie. "visit and admission/entry).
- Included meals were fantastic.
- Hotels were top-notch (all 4-5 stars, most being 4.5-5 end).
- I can list more as well (if you want specifics, but I'll see what type of trip your going for first). ;)


Any other specific questions about any of them in particular, feel free to ask! :)

[[GaGe]]

I used http://www.gadventures.com/ for a YOLO (budget, 18-30) tour this summer as part of my SE Asia trip. They were cheaper than Contiki and the hotels were way better than I had expected. I'd go with them again (although I preferred backpacking solo instead).

I'm not sure how they are for Europe though. Try looking up some of the user ratings for the European tours, and make sure you pick one with a good tour guide!

[brucebanner]

It's definitely a party trip as well but that's not the focus of the trip haha. I'm 25 so I like the age group and feel like it would be a lot of fun.

Keep the info coming.:D

[thrasher22]

I did a 4 week tour through Asia with Intrepid Travel (similar to Gap... or G adventures or whatever they're called now) and have nothing but great things to say about them. It wasn't a party trip, but had a good mix of everything. Guides were great, got way off the beaten track, met lots of good people, and it really helped with the language barrier.

I've seen a lot of Contiki buses in my travels and they sound like great fun, but I get the impression the focus is pretty heavily on partying. Nothing wrong with that, but I wouldn't want to be checking out historical sites hungover every day.

Europe isn't hard to navigate on your own, and there is never a shortage of people to party with at hostels, but on a tour you automatically have people to hang out with, and they take care of all the no-fun details for you.

Personally, I only like tours when you're short on time, or its a place that's hard to navigate on your own. Otherwise if you're a social person do it solo, you'll come out a better person because of it.

[SilverGS]

I have done Contiki and it was great. Can't really comment on other companies other than Trafalgar. They seem to cater to an older crowd. Our bus driver drove a few trafalgar tours since they are the same company as Contiki and said it is nothing like the Contiki ones and most people just go into the rooms and rest after the tour day ends maybe around 6-7. If you like to check out night life or even go out in the evenings the younger Contiki crowd is more for you.

We did the Road to Athens which started in London then made it's way down through France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and ended in Greece. We then stayed extra days in the Greek Islands on our own. It was a fantastic trip and we still talk to some of our tour mates on Facebook once in a while.

Hotels: Contiki has 3 levels. Camping, Hostel, Hotel. We did the hotel one which is obviously more expensive tour type but I felt it was still a great deal. The hotels were all fine for the most part. mostly 2-3 star type but we barely spent anytime at the hotel anyway.

Meals: They include a lot of breakfasts and a few dinners but you have to find your own food for maybe 50% of the other meals are pay to go on the extra Contiki planned events. Some are good and some are not. I went to the Contiki forums and there are good reviews on which ones are worth it and which ones are not. I actually liked finding my own food since we could choose style and price point.

Partying: There was definitely some partying but it wasn't every night all night. Well not for us. No one forcing you to do it. Some nights if the group wanted to go to the bar a bunch of us would just go check the town out on our own then meet back at the bar/club. Really up to you how much you want to party. The camping tours seem to do a lot more partying then ours did since it seemed to consist a lot more of the younger 18-22 year old people wanting to do that on a budget.

[86max]

I've only ever done a Contiki tour of Europe and it was the best thing I ever did. Liver took quite a beating though.

[brucebanner]

Lots of good reviews for Contiki. I'm kicking off travel plans already with the opportunity to hit up Vegas / LA next week. I know it's nothing like Europe or actual travel destinations but the opportunity come up and I can't pass it up haha.

I know there is a thread on Vegas but partying on a Thursday night? Someone recommended Marquee, any other places?(I've only been to Vegas once before.)

After 2 days in Vegas, we head to LA for a RHCP concert and taking in an Angels game the next day. Before coming back home, there probably is day to two days to fill total in LA. Any recommendations? Places that are must sees/must do?

Thanks for the info everyone!

[msommers]

I backpacked Europe on my own without a group and I really enjoyed the flexibility of not having to be anywhere I didn't want to be and spend as long at one place as I wanted. I've had a few friends do the Contiki tours and they had a blast so I don't think you can go wrong either way.