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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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