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Contiki tours
FAQ - if you have
further questions please
contact our office.
:
How
much free time will I
have?
:
How
many people will be on
tour with
me?
:
What
other nationalities will
be on tour with
me?
:
What
are the Tour Managers
and Drivers
like?
:
What's
the difference between a
Budget/Concept and
Superior/Time Out tour
in
Europe?
:
Are
there optional
excursions?
:
What
kind of nightlife can I
expect on
tour?
:
Must
I know the native
languages of the
countries I am
visiting?
:
Do
you allow smoking on
tour?
:
Does
a tour cost more if I am
traveling
alone?
:
Do
I need travel insurance,
and if so, what should
it
cover?
:
Do
I need a passport and
travel
visas?
:
Do
I need any
vaccinations?
:
What
should I expect to
receive from Contiki
after booking my
tour?
:
How
much money should I
bring?
:
What
is the safest way to
take my
money?
:
What
size does my luggage
have to
be?
:
What
should I
bring?
:
How
much should I pack to go
on
tour?
:
How
much film should I
bring?
:
What
happens if I have to
cancel my
tour?
Note: Before you leave
for your tour, be sure
to read your Backpacker
Tours Traveler's Checks
booklet for other great
travel advice. This will
arrive with your other
documents. Happy
travels!!
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How
much free time
will I
have?
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We
design our
tours so that
you'll have
lots of free
time to do your
own thing. Not
only do we
schedule free
time, but you
can venture off
on your own at
any point
during the
tour.
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How
many people
will be on tour
with
me?
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That
depends on
where you are
going. For most
of the tours,
we operate
luxury motor
coaches and
therefore carry
between 25-50
people per
tour. On some
tours such as
Hawaii, Alaska,
Botswana,
Outback of
Australia, and
Namibia we use
smaller
vehicles, mini
coaches, or 4
wheel drive all
terrain
vehicles, which
carry 8-20
people.
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What
other
nationalities
will be on tour
with
me?
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Contiki
sells its
travel packages
in more than 35
countries
around the
world. It is
therefore quite
typical to
expect between
6-15 different
nationalities
on any one
tour, i.e.,
Australians,
Americans,
Canadians,
Germans,
English, Swiss,
New Zealanders,
Japanese,
Dutch, South
Africans,
Italians,
Danes,
Brazilians,
Mexicans,
Austrians,
Singaporeans,
Swedes,
etc.
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What
are the Tour
Managers and
Drivers
like?
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We
have former
policemen,
actors, Peace
Corps
volunteers,
sales managers,
bankers,
management
consultants,
bartenders,
psychologists,
surfers, chefs,
and even
nuclear
physicists -
you name it and
we've got 'em.
The road crew
are around the
same age as you
and they're
really fun!
These guys are
with you on the
entire trip and
give you all
the info you
need on tour:
city tours,
histories of
countries,
provinces and
states, fun
nightlife and
daytime
activities, and
they keep you
entertained on
coach rides. On
the tours to
Europe, many of
the crew are
from Great
Britain,
Europe, New
Zealand,
Australia and
Canada. On the
tours in the
United States,
Australia, New
Zealand and
Africa the crew
are natives of
that country.
Contiki has
both male and
female Tour
Managers and
Drivers who
have very
different
experiences
prior to
working for
Contiki.
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What's
the difference
between a
Budget/Concept
and
Superior/Time
Out tour in
Europe?
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On
Superior/Time
Out tours, we
ensure that the
places you stay
meet the
highest
standards. At
the heart of
all tours we
offer our
superior
tourist class
hotels (many in
the center of
major cities)
and to really
spoil you, most
tours include
some
exceptional
properties like
our City Club
in Vienna - a 5
star resort
with
outstanding
sporting and
leisure
activities at
Europe's
highest hotel
on Mount
Pilatus,
Lucerne. Choose
to explore the
Nile for 3 days
on our cruise
boat or revel
in the magic of
the Greek
Islands.
Budget/Concept
tours offer
three styles of
accommodation
in some of
Europe's best
locations.
Contiki has
exclusive
properties. Not
expensive and
not flashy, the
emphasis is
always on value
and fun, but we
do make you
feel special at
our exclusive
properties.
Where do we not
have an
exclusive
property, we
stay in
specially
designed
Contiki
Villages with
our own
resident
Contiki staff
at Europe's
best campsites.
Accommodations
are comfy
cabins.
Accommodations
are mostly twin
share and never
more than 4
persons sharing
a
room.
Please
note: In some
markets
Superior Tours
are called
Timeout and
Budget Tours
are called
Concept.
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Are
there optional
excursions?
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Yes.
We have
included a
great deal of
excursions in
all our tours,
but we cannot
and would not
want to include
everything.
Personal choice
is important
and our clients
like the option
of being
included/or not
on certain
"Optionals,"
i.e., Paris
Nightclub show,
Gondola ride in
Venice, Rafting
in Austria.
From
experience, we
know which
Optionals have
proven most
popular with
our clients and
only these will
be offered to
you. These
Optionals do
cost extra and
a full list
relating to
your trip will
be sent to you
with your final
documents to
assist with
trip budgeting.
These Optionals
can be
purchased
through your
tour manager
when on
tour.
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What
kind of
nightlife can I
expect on
tour?
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There's
something for
everyone! The
tour manager
will always
give the group
a variety of
options. For
those of you
looking for a
little
adventure,
there are
nightclubs and
bars. If you
want a quiet
evening, some
of the hotels
have swimming
pools,
jacuzzis, and
in-room movies.
Contiki tries
to offer
alternative
evenings where
events are
organized (e.g.
pub nights,
cabaret shows
in Paris and
Las Vegas, beer
halls in
Munich,
candlelit canal
cruise, Tuscan
dinner, Texas
rodeo, paddle
wheel river
cruise).
Remember, the
legal drinking
age in the U.S.
is 21 and
everyone must
possess a photo
I.D. (passport
or driver's
license) to
enter any
establishment
serving
alcohol. In
Canada, the
legal drinking
age is 19 years
old. Drinking
age in Europe
is
18.
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Must
I know the
native
languages of
the countries I
am
visiting?
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No
worries. That
is one of the
benefits of
traveling with
Contiki,
you’ll be
traveling with
a tour manager
who knows how
to get around
the countries
you will be
visiting.
However, if you
have some time,
it never hurts
to know a few
courteous,
friendly words
(e.g. hello,
please, thank
you, etc.) of
the native
languages of
the countries
you will be
visiting. It
does make
traveling more
fun and you
will find most
people from
these countries
will appreciate
the effort and
will be more
receptive to
your
visit.
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Do
you allow
smoking on
tour?
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On
all Contiki
motor coaches,
mini coaches,
and 4 wheel
drive vehicles
we are pleased
to provide a
smoke-free
environment.
For those
dedicated
puffers, we
stop every
couple of hours
so you can
light up during
our
stops.
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Does
a tour cost
more if I am
traveling
alone?
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No,
if you're
planning on
coming alone,
(and nearly
half of our
clients do) and
don't want to
pay for a
single room, no
worries --
we'll set you
up with a
roommate --
same sex, of
course!
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Do
I need travel
insurance, and
if so, what
should it
cover?
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All
clients should
have an
insurance
policy which
covers
cancellation
curtailment,
loss of or
damage to
baggage, loss
of money
(cash),
traveler's
cheques, or
personal
belongings and
medical
insurance.
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Do
I need a
passport and
travel
visas?
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Depending
on your
nationality,
you may need
visas to enter
certain
countries
included in
your tour. You
are responsible
for obtaining
all necessary
visas prior to
the departure
of your tour.
Consult your
travel agent
well in advance
to determine
which visas you
will require
and how to
obtain them.
Important:
visas can take
up to six weeks
to obtain and a
fee is normally
charged.
Failure to
obtain all
necessary visas
could cause you
to miss part of
your tour and
will result in
considerable
expense and
inconvenience.
It is better to
apply for ALL
visas through
your travel
agent before
you leave home.
(For U.S.
passport
holders, a good
resource is
Zierer’s
Visa website at
http://www.zvs.com/)
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Do
I need any
vaccinations?
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Please
consult your
travel agent or
doctor to find
out which
vaccinations
are required.
If you suffer
from any form
of illness, be
sure to have an
adequate supply
of medicines
before
departing on
tour. You must
advise us
through your
travel agent of
any important
medical
condition you
may have,
before
departure.
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What
should I expect
to receive from
Contiki after
booking my
tour?
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After
final payment
is received,
Contiki will
send you the
following
items: Tour and
hotel vouchers,
Airline tickets
- if you
purchased air
travel through
Contiki,
day-to-day
itinerary,
Optional
Excursion list,
Traveler's
information
booklet,
Backpack,
Travel
insurance
invoice - if
you choose to
buy travel
insurance from
Contiki.
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How
much money
should I
bring?
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That
will depend on
what tour you
take. A good
guesstimate
would be
between
US$50-$100
dollars for
each day you
are on
tour.
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What
is the safest
way to take my
money?
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Traveler's
Cheques. It is
far safer to
purchase
traveler's
cheques before
your trip,
rather than
carrying large
amounts of
cash. Keep a
record of all
the numbers and
denominations
of your
traveler's
cheques (which
should be kept
separately) in
case of loss or
theft.
Depending on
where you are
traveling, we
would recommend
specific
currency
Traveler's
Cheques. You
should purchase
traveler's
cheques in
small
denominations
(i.e. US $20,
$50 and $100).
You should
carry
internationally
recognized
traveler's
cheques such as
Thomas Cook or
American
Express. ATM
machines
(available in
most major
cities) are
also a great
way to go if
you need some
extra cash
while on tour.
Be sure to
memorize your
pin# by number
as some foreign
ATM machines do
not have
alphanumeric
keys.
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What
size does my
luggage have to
be?
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Luggage
size
restrictions
are strictly
enforced on all
tours. Maximum
size on most
tours is 29" x
20" x 10" (73cm
x 50cm x 23 cm)
and maximum
weight is 20
kgs (non
expanding).
Maximum size
for
Scandinavian
and Camping
tours is 28" x
18" x 9" (70cm
x 45cm x 23cm)
and maximum
weight of 20
kgs. Metal
framed
backpacks will
not be allowed.
It is best to
ensure that
your
suitcase/backpack
is the correct
size before
departure. If
not, you could
incur the extra
cost of buying
a new suitcase
and storing
your excess
luggage.
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What
should I
bring?
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Luggage
is restricted
to one
reasonably
sized suitcase
(maximum
29"x20" or 73cm
x 50cm.) (No
metal frame
backpacks.) We
do reserve the
right to refuse
to accept
larger
suitcases on
tour. A
checklist is a
very useful
tool to use as
a last check
before you are
on your way.
Some items that
you should have
on your list:
necessary
medication,
airline
tickets,
passport,
traveler's
cheques,
insurance
policy, credit
cards, visas,
cash, Contiki's
'Ticket to
Ride', driver's
license,
vaccination
certificate,
camera, and
film.
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How
much should I
pack to go on
tour?
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Decide
how many
clothes you
want to
take--cut that
amount in half,
and that's how
much you'll
need. Remember
that depending
on the seasons
in the country
to which you
are traveling,
you may need
warmer clothes
at least for
evenings.
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How
much film
should I
bring?
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It
is very
difficult to
offer advice on
the amount of
film to take as
you may shoot
three rolls of
film in Paris
in two days and
take three days
to shoot the
next one.
However, we
have found that
on the average
a person will
shoot one roll
of film every
2-3
days.
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What
happens if I
have to cancel
my
tour?
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If
you
cancel
- Notice
of
cancellation
must be made
in writing
to
Contiki
- If
you cancel,
your deposit
is
non-refundable
upon
cancellation
by
you
- Upon
cancellation
you will be
liable to
pay a fee to
cover the
estimate of
cost and
expenses
incurred by
us in terms
of the
schedule set
out
hereunder.
This is
expressed as
a percentage
of the
vacation
price and is
calculated
as
follows.
Period
of Notice:
Cancellation
Fee
More
than 45 days
notice: Deposit
is
forfeited.
45-22 days: 20%
(22% in
Australia) of
tour fare
21-8 days: 30%
(33% in
Australia) of
tour fare
7-1 days: 50%
(55% in
Australia) of
tour fare
Day of
departure: 100%
of tour
fare.
If
you fail to
join a tour or
join it after
its departure
or leave it
prior to its
completion, no
vacation price
refund can be
made. Please
note that if
the reason for
cancellation
falls within
the terms of
any vacation
insurance
policy which
you hold, then
any such
charges may,
subject to the
terms of your
insurance
policy, be
refunded to you
by the
insurance
company.
Note:
Hotel tour
cancellation
fees may also
apply.
 Europe
by Coach -
Departing
frm
London
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