- claudiarose93
Topdeck vs Contiki
It is a right of way for every young Aussies first trip to Europe to be on a Topdeck or Contiki Tour. They only hard part is which one to choose. I had originally put a deposit down for Contiki’s 45 Day Ultimate European while I was on my Southern Adventure Tour with Contiki in America. Hearing about everyone’s adventure while in Europe got me so excited, I could not wait!
My trip with Contiki in America was my first taste of solo travel. It was amazing and I got to do so many things I never thought I would do. I could not recommend their USA trips more!
There 45 day tour offered so many amazing opportunities to visit Europe's most popular destinations. When it came down to the two, the itineraries were the main factors for choosing Topdeck.
Contiki’s Itinerary had so many amazing places to visit like Pompeii and Gallipoli that I would love to visit one day! I was dead set on the tour but then my mum found the Topdeck Mega European 49 Day Tour. At that point I was all about doing a long trip as I felt my US tour was just so short. She showed me all the different things Topdeck were offering on their trip I could not resist.
When I came to choosing between the two, I had to go in with the mindset of what if I never go again!
When you are given the opportunity to travel to Egypt you want to do as many things as possible. Some of you would have seen my Abu Simbel photo either on my Instagram or in the Topdeck brochure. Well I would not have gotten that photo without going on Topdeck! Contiki were offering a fly over of the magnificent place whereas Topdeck drove you to the place so you could go in. It may have been a 3:30am wake up but it was so worth it!
I would have loved to have sailed on the red sea but that will have to make it in the next trip.
As it was 2018 when I was choosing, I was in the mayhem of Game of Thrones ending! One of the places they filmed in, is Dubrovnik in Eastern Europe. Topdeck had 3 days in the city with a GOT tour that was right up my alley in terms of nerdiness.
There were also a few destinations that sparked my interest over some of the ones on Contiki. That included Copenhagen which became one of my favourite places to visit on the whole trip. Poland was incredible seeing Auschwitz and visiting Krakow the medieval city within Europe and Prague. Although I could have skipped Prague because that is where I lost my toenail… I kid, Prague was wonderful going to a medieval dinner where there were snakes and fire was wonderfully entertaining.
In France Contiki offered a stay at their private Chateau which would have been really cool, but I would personally rather go out and do touristy things then hang at a chateau for a few days. Instead of a Chateau I was able to visit Bordeaux and San Sebastian. These were like little holidays within my holiday. I was able to see the local life of countries outside of their main cities.
Topdeck offered a 3-night cruise in the Greek Islands which I thought would be great! Although the boat was not great (Topdeck will not be using them again) I had a wonderful time bonding with my fellow travellers and visiting a few wonderful islands in Greece.
Finally, Topdeck’s dates seem to fit in with what I wanted to do and it was longer and I was all about a big trip.
I would not have changed my decision for the world. The people I got to know and love and the experiences I had were unforgettable. I cannot wait to go on more tours with both companies! But when it comes to choosing, Itinerary is key! What do you really want to do? What are you happy to give up for next time?