Just discovered Contiki and trying to figure out if booking a trip with them is the right move for you? I feel you – I was in the same boat years ago.
In 2018, I came across Contiki when I first started researching how to solo travel my way across Europe for 3+ months. Back then, I was on a super tight budget.
My goal was to travel for 3-4 months with only my annual bonus of $8,000 USD. And since I had planned on quitting that job entirely, I really didn’t have any more money to spare outside of that budget. With such a tight budget, I sadly had to let go of my bucket list dream of experiencing a Contiki.
Fast forwarding a handful of years brings us to today. I’m so excited to announce that I FINALLY got to go on a Contiki trip! My Contiki trip brought me to two of my favorite countries in Europe: Portugal and Spain.
On this trip (which happens to be one of their most popular trips), I saw a lot, learned a lot, and ate a ton – but most importantly – I got the chance to connect, have fun, and make amazing memories with people that I’d otherwise never meet!
And here’s the part that really surprised me… I no longer see them as my “trip mates”. Some of them are now my real-life friends… meaning they’re definitely going to get invites to my future wedding, so you know it’s the real deal!
Overall, I learned a lot about the Contiki trip experience. If you’re unsure if Contiki is right for you, I’ve got a few tidbits of knowledge based on my own experience that could help you make your decision one way or the other.
This trip was in collaboration with Contiki. All opinions are my own, which means you’ll get nothing but honest thoughts here! This post also contains affiliate links. You won’t be paying a cent more, but in the event of a sale, the small affiliate commission I receive will help keep this blog running/pumping out useful and free content.
Who Is Contiki Great For?
If you’re nervous about traveling internationally for the first time…
There’s a lot that’s probably on your mind – language barriers, understanding cultural norms, exchanging money, how to get around safely, potentially getting jipped/scammed on the streets… and that’s just the start of it.
With Contiki, they’ll take care of everything for you. For starters, you’ll have your trusty Trip Manager to help you with anything you possibly have concerns about.
Take my experience for example – upon landing, I discovered that the airline LEFT my checked suitcase in the USA while I was obliviously flying over to Lison. I don’t speak a lick of Portuguese and I’ve never dealt with lost luggage before. Thankfully, my legendary Trip Manager, Maddie, walked me through all the steps of handling the situation.
On top of helping us with any concerns, our Trip Manager guided us through each city, teaching us about local culture, customs, history, food, and more. We also traveled around by coach, which meant we didn’t have to worry about how to get around, getting pickpocketed on trains, etc.
All of the typical international travel concerns were essentially non-issues. Contiki really makes the entire international travel experience a breeze.
If you get overwhelmed with planning itineraries…
One of the biggest perks of a Contiki trip is that you don’t have to spend a SINGLE brain cell thinking about your trip itinerary. The Contiki team does all of the heavy lifting when it comes to crafting a well-thought-out itinerary for your trip. All you need to do is just pack your bags and show up!
In my experience, it really was that easy. Contiki booked the flights for me (you can add on flights during the booking process), which saved me hours of flight tracking/price comparing. And instead of spending 15-20 hours researching/creating a travel itinerary for my trip (because I’m Type A like that), all I did was pack my suitcase, check in for my flight, and get myself on the plane ride over to Europe.
Once I got there, I was able to fully enjoy myself without a worry in the world about hotel, train, excursion, or restaurant logistics. It felt like a real vacay for the brain!
If you want to travel but have no one to go with…
I think we’ve all been there. We catch feelings for a travel destination, try to rally some friends to go with us, but ultimately the idea falls flat. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t follow through with your idea!
If you’re not the type to solo travel, Contiki is perfect for you if you want to just get up and go on your own, but not feel alone.
If you’ve got limited PTO…
Despite what you may think, Contiki doesn’t just offer long trips for gap year travelers. No, no, they offer a TON more.
The benefit of certain Contiki trips is being able to see a lot in just a short amount of time. For example, their European Magic trip takes you through 7 countries in just 9 days. Trips like this are great for those who have limited PTO and want to absolutely maximize their time off.
And even if you’ve only got a week or even just a long weekend to spare, you can STILL enjoy the benefits of what a Contiki trip offers! A lot of their City Breaks and City Tour trips run anywhere from 3 to 6 days, which is perfect if you want to squeeze in a quick trip and not totally blow off your work and your life responsibilities.
If you’re an adventure seeker…
You’re so in luck because there’s a slew of amazing adventure trips waiting for you here. You can zipline through the dense jungles of Latin America, get your Inca on with a hike up Machu Picchu, get up close to marine life at the coral reefs of the South Pacific, and so much more.
These trips offer all kinds of adventure under the sun — rope course, paragliding, hiking, galavanting through adventure parks, canyon swinging, mountain biking, you name it.
Boy oh boy was I pleasantly surprised when I saw the entire collection of adventure trips Contiki offered. As an avid hiker, the ones that really caught my eye were the summer trip to Scandinavia and the Active Alps trip in Austria!
Who Is Contiki NOT For?
If you’re an experienced solo traveler…
The bestselling Contiki trips that introduce you to a series of popular destinations within the USA/Europe might be too basic for you. Chances are, as an experienced solo traveler, you’ll have already visited a good amount of those places.
Having said that, did you know that Contiki offers trips to more adventurous destinations like New Zealand, India, Vietnam, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Galapagos, Patagonia, Botswana, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, and Morocco? If you’ve always wanted to visit these places but never felt sure of solo traveling that far away alone, these trips could be a really good option for you.
I’d say I’m a pretty experienced traveler, but I still hesitate to solo travel to places like the Middle East, Africa, and the South Pacific alone. Not only are these places far from home, but I also think they’d be best experienced with others. These are the types of destinations I’ll be considering for my next Contiki trip!
If you’re a solo traveler who enjoys solitude and being in your own company…
If the idea of making new friends and seeing new parts of the world with them makes you cringe, then to be honest, Contiki might not be for you. Sure, you’ll have plenty of free time during each day of the trip to spend alone (or however you like), but there are going to be times when you’ll be in groups (walking tours, riding on the coach to the next destination, during the meals that are included as part of your trip, etc.)
If you don’t care to make any new friends and would rather travel alone, Contiki is not going to be your vibe.
If you’re a bougie luxury traveler…
If you’re used to 5-star accommodations and private cars shuttling you around, Contiki is not for you. Contiki focuses on helping you explore new destinations on a reasonable budget, experience local culture, and foster new friendships within your trip group rather than making sure you’re treated like a king or queen at a luxury resort.
If you’re over 35 years old…
Sorry y’all, at the time of writing, Contiki’s trips are exclusively for 18-35 year-olds, AKA, ‘youth’.
They’ve found that travelers want to meet people their own age and are more likely to build lasting connections when they have similar interests and want the same things out of a trip.
It makes sense – someone in their 50s or 60s probably won’t want to stay out and dance until 3 am with a group of 20-year-olds, then wake up by 8 am to sightsee, right?
But, there IS an exception! The exception to the rule applies to 35+ year-olds who have previously done a Contiki trip in the past. If you’ve aged out of the 18-35 age range, you can still go on Contiki Reunion Trips!
You can also go on a Reunion Trip WITH someone who was a past traveler with Contiki, even if you haven’t traveled with Contiki before.
If you’ve got a family with young children…
While Contiki trips are designed for the ‘youth’, that doesn’t include children. Contiki trips are still designed with adults in mind, so family-friendly amenities and activities are limited.
On my Spain/Portugal trip, there were lots of activities that young kids really wouldn’t enjoy, such as winery tours, ziplining, walking tours, street art tours, etc.
These trips don’t take you to places like zoos, amusement parks, or kids museums, so if you’re trying to plan a family vacation with the kiddos, you’ll have to skip on this one.
If large groups are not your thing….
If you prefer intimate group experiences, Contiki’s larger group sizes may not suit your style. A typical Contiki trip can consist of anywhere from 30 to 50 people (especially the ones that are bestsellers).
If you’re more comfortable in smaller groups, Contiki does offer a series of adventure trips and trekking/hiking trips that average 24 people or less (some are even capped at 10 people). In addition to that, a lot of their Asia and non-European itineraries are around 24-36 people in size.
You can browse their collection of trips on your own and look for the group size you’re comfortable with. Every trip differs, so be sure to take note of “Group Size” at the top of the Trip Description section. Sometimes, they’ll note the average group size; other times, they note the maximum group size.
If you prefer independent travel but still crave a touch of social interaction and local tour guide wisdom, these smaller group trips are perfect. On top of being more intimate, they often have a healthy mix of group activities and free time where you can explore on your own.
Ready to book your very own Contiki adventure?
I hope this post has helped you make a decision one way or the other on whether traveling with Contiki is right for you. If you’re ready to book your very own trip, all you need to do is explore their site to pick your perfect travel destination.
And if you’ve made it this far into the post, I’m excited to share this with you:
👉 DEAL ALERT: For a limited time, you can get an additional 5% off all trips with my special discount code: ELLE5. Get your discounted trip while the code still works!
Looking for more Europe travel tips? You may also like:
5 Itineraries for an Unforgettable 2-Week Europe Backpacking Trip
10 Best Women’s Shoes For Walking Around Europe (That Are Actually Cute)
50 Brilliant Ways To Travel Europe On A Budget
