| How much free time will I have? |
| 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? |
| 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 and Outback of Australia 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? |
| 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? |
| 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 and New Zealand 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? |
| 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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| What are the optional excursions
like? |
| 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? |
| 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? |
| No
worries. That is one of the benefits of traveling
with Contiki, you𠑥l 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? |
| 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. |
| What happens if I'm not traveling
with a companion? |
| 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? |
| 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? |
| 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𠏋 Visa website at http://www.zvs.com/)
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| Do I need any vaccinations? |
| 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? |
| 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, free document wallet, travel
insurance invoice - if you choose to buy travel insurance
from Contiki and Contiki eKit Phone Card with messaging. |
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| How much money should I bring? |
| 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? |
| 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? |
| 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? |
| 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? |
| 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? |
| 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? |
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.
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| How do I find out more about
working for Contiki? |
| Tour
Managers are recruited by each Contiki region's head
office and may require local citizenship. Please read
the description and requirements for the individual
regions in the links below and contact the appropriate
Contiki office for details. Good luck!
To work in:
America
Australia
New
Zealand
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| How do I keep in touch while
on tour? |
| Your
Contiki Global eKit Card helps you to keep in touch
while on tour - it's your phone card with more! Save
up to 85% on International calls, friends and family
can leave you messages for FREE and you can use it
over the phone or the web. In your ticket documentation
you will receive a Contiki Global eKit card with instructions
on how to set it up or go to http://www.contiki.ekit.com/
to check it out now. |
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