Thinking of travelling with Contiki?  Here’s the low-down on what to expect.  If you’re looking for a comparison between Contiki and other tour companies like G Adventures, see here.

Before the Trip
You can expect a small welcome package, which includes a padded passport holder and luggage tag.  The passport holder includes all the required documents for the trip, including a strict luggage size/weight restrictions leaflet (you are only allowed one suitcase).  Be sure to adhere to the weight restrictions as Contiki does weigh your luggage before boarding its buses.  As for the passport holder, it tends to be a bit bulky (how much padded protection does your passport need?) so it’s probably not needed for the trip, but if you do take it with you be sure to remove the bulky Contiki marketing documents to save on weight.

Another import thing to consider is whether your tour starts on ‘Day 1’ or if the first day is considered a travel day to get to the starting destination.  Depending on tour, it might be required for you to arrive a day earlier (and stay an extra night).  Same goes for at the end of the tour if you plan on leaving right away.  Ensure that you have plenty of time to get to the airport from the final dropoff point.

If you’re interested in meeting other travellers from your group beforehand, be sure to sign-up online for Contiki’s ‘Meetup’ forum.  You will need your tour code to get into the group and it will allow you to message others and post pictures.  There is also a handy iOS and Android app available.

Arrival and Pre-Depature Meeting
Depending on the tour, there will be a pre-departure meeting.  Although not mandatory, it is highly recommended.  Plus you get the chance to meet everyone and even grab a drink after.

As mentioned above, before leaving the Contiki staff will weight your non-carry-on luggage.  The good thing is, it only has to meet the weight restriction at the beginning so if you’re worried that you might be slightly over, stuff all your heavy items into your carry-on (batteries, chargers, carmera, laptop, etc.) then reallocate later.  Be sure to take some water and snacks on with you as the departures are usually early and some locations don’t have convenient breakfast options.

During the Tour
The coaches are clean and well maintained.  Alcohol and dairy drinks are not allowed as it can start to smell if it spills or spoils.  To be considerate to others, water is probably best (there will be plenty of time later for other ‘beverages’).  As nice as the coaches are, germs can spread fast in a confined area so proper sanitation (alcohol wipes) is highly recommended.  Be proactive by eating properly, hydrating, and taking ‘immune boosters’ like ColdFx throughout the whole trip (regardless of how you feel).

Expect a good amount of interaction where you will get to meet the other travellers.  The tour leader will lead a lot of these, but they are always open to recommendations.  If you want to be a hero, bring stick-on name tags for the group.

The departure times at each stop are strictly enforced and the coach will not hesitate to leave without you.  Punctuality is very important regardless of how hard you partied the night before.  If you miss the coach, it will be up to you to catch-up on your own dime.

As great as the main attractions are, plan and make time for the more local experiences.  Goes without saying, the main tourist areas are overpriced for everything so taking the time to do the research to find areas away form the ‘beaten path’ is well worthwhile.

Near the End
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end.  Be sure to setup a Facebook group to share pictures and keep in touch with everyone.  There’s plenty of time on the coach throughout the trip to share contact info and plan ways to share photos and videos.  Also, be sure to ask around to see who’s sticking around after the tour.  Depending on how proactive you are, you might be able to split costs like hotel rooms, taxis, local tours, and meals.

Safe Travels Everyone!

*This post contains affiliate links.

One of the best packing videos I have seen!

One downfall I can see with this packing method is how much of a pain it is to put things back if you’re constantly on the move or need something quickly from your suitcase.

So you want to travel, but are having trouble balancing travel and finances. Where do you even begin? Here are some tips to get you traveling sooner, longer, and more often.

Cut reoccurring expenses:
Start by analyzing your reoccurring monthly expenses that are more wants than needs. This includes things that are always the same price (e.g. phone bill, gym membership, etc.) and things that fluctuate (e.g. weekly drinks with friends, gas, daily coffee, etc.). Be sure to create a list of these and total costs in some sort of chart to really help you visualize where your money is going.

Once you have a list, set a goal of how much you want to reduce these costs by – $100 a month? $250 a month? Then consider how many months it will take to reach your goal if you were to reduce these costs. Can you wait that long? Are you disciplined enough to not spend the savings on something else?

At the end of the day, it’s all about priorities. Are weekly drinks with your friends or daily coffees worth more than the experience of traveling? If so, carry on. If not, it’s time to start cutting!

Charge up at work:
It might seem extreme, but if you pay for your own hydro at home, get into the habit of charging your devices at work.  Stuff like your smartphone, laptop, and tablet can be charged during the day and run off its battery at night.  Same goes for your water usage.  If you can, wash your lunch containers and cups at work instead of doing it at home.

With electricity costs on the rise, being diligent could save you hundreds over the year without much additional effort.

Start an automatic saving program:
Along with the above, take the savings and invest it into a savings account through an automatic savings program. Have the savings get transferred on the same day as each payday to make it seem more painless. $50 a week will turn into more than $2600 in a year! For context, that’s $10 a working day (assuming 5 working days in a week) so you really have no excuse.

Move back home:
If you’re considering traveling for a good while, moving back in with the parents for a couple months before departure can do wonders for your travel budget (assuming your parents don’t charge you for rent or food) and it will give you an opportunity to spend time with them before you leave.

See your stuff on eBay:
If you haven’t used something in 6 months, you’re probably better off trying to get rid of it on eBay. On average, a user can make over $1000 by cleaning out and selling their excess stuff on eBay.

This applies to buying as well. If you need travel gear, it’s usually cheaper to buy it on eBay or Amazon.

Start planning accommodations early with AirBnB:
AirBnB is a great site to find highly affordable places to stay both on and off the beaten path. It’s also a great way to meet someone that lives locally to where you are going that doesn’t necessarily work in the tourism industry. This usually means more authentic local experiences that most others won’t get to experience.

On the flip side, you can always rent your place on AirBnb (both while at home or while you’re travelling) for some extra cash.

Group travel discounts and freebies:
If you’re planning on traveling as a group, be sure to look for group discounts. For even larger groups, the organizers usually get a free trip or highly discounted rate if they are able to get a minimum number of people together for the same trip.

Pickup some part-time work during your downtime:
Even if you’re ‘time’ is worth more, during downtime you can either make $0/hour or pickup some menial work for $10/hour (that you can do while watching TV) through sites like Elance.