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Answers to frequently asked questions & things you need to know:
What’s included?
• Coach, train, air transfers & ferry transportation
as specified.
• Accommodations, breakfast, lunch & evening
meals as detailed under ‘What’s Included’ on
tour pages & the Backstage Pass includes section.
• Sightseeing as detailed on p.16-17 & in the
itineraries on the tour pages. Unless specified,
entrance fees are not included.
• Experienced team as detailed on p.14-15
& on tour pages.
What’s not included?
• Personal expense money.
• Visas, personal insurance, medical fees.
• Sightseeing, visits & entrance fees other than
those specified on tour pages.
• Whitewater rafting, gondola rides, etc.
• All other meals not specified under
“What’s Included”.
• Anything else not listed in the “What’s
Included” section on itinerary pages .
included flights
Flights as specified on individual tour itineraries
are included as part of the price. As detailed within
our Booking Conditions (p.117) under ‘General’
we rely on international conventions regarding
air travel & other transportation as specified.
Through enrolment & payment for your tour you
acknowledge & accept such. Individual electronic
tickets may not be issued to you prior to travel due
to the group nature of the air/flight booking. In such
circumstances you acknowledge that by receipt
of any applicable boarding pass &/or by boarding
the aircraft you have accepted the airlines terms &
conditions of travel & the application of all relevant
International Conventions & applicable national &
international law governing air transportation.
Where will I stay?
SUPERIOR TOURS:
Accommodations are in superior tourist class
hotels, ships & trains. These are described on
p.30-31 & on individual tour pages. On trains in
Egypt, two people share a two-berth couchette &
facilities are shared. Other train journeys are as
detailed in individual itineraries.
On overnight ferries, tours are provided with
allocated seating on deck.
Depending on the numbers & configuration on
your tour, availability of singles can sometimes
be limited in some locations. On certain
occasions, alternative hotels to those listed in this
brochure may be used. While it is our intention to
use hotels of a similar standard & location, no
liability can be accepted for any variation of
either. Twin-share means 2 people sharing, either
traveling together or as a twin-share same-sex
room match. Triple-share means 3 people
sharing, either traveling together or as a
triple-share same-sex roommates.
BUDGET TOURS:
Your accommodations are a combination of
cabins in Contiki Villages, hostels, hotels, guest
houses & Special Stopovers depending on the type
of tour you select. Refer to p.82-83 & individual
tour pages for details. On overnight ferries, tours
are provided with allocated seating on deck.
On certain occasions alternative
accommodations to those listed in this brochure
may be used. While it is our intention to use
accommodations of a similar standard &
location, no liability can be accepted for any
variation of either.
• Special Stopover accommodations are a
combination of twin & quad-share but never
more than 4 people sharing. You must bring
your own sleeping bag & towel. Stopovers are
NOT hotels & you will be asked to assist with
serving meals & washing up. All stopovers have
hot water, showers & a bar, some have clothes
washing facilities.
• Contiki Villages provide accommodations in
cabins, in Europe’s best campsites each with
private facilities. You must bring your own
sleeping bag & towel. You will be asked to assist
with various tasks such as serving meals &
washing up on a couple of occasions.
CRUISES:
Refer to p.70-71 for details of accommodations
on the Louis Hellenic Cruise ships, p.73-75 for
details of accommodations on Croatian Island
Cruising & p.72 for Turkish Sailing tours. Cruise
companies reserve the right to change itinerary
& ports due to poor weather.
SKI & BOARD VACATIONS:
Both our ski & board packages stay at our Contiki
Special Stopover, our Austrian Gasthof. Refer to
p.105 for details.
FESTIVALS:
Some tours offer ‘multi-share’ accomodations.
These rooms maybe for up to 8 people with
shared facilities & at times may be mixed gender.
Will I get more
information?
Upon receipt of final payment, your tour
documentation will be released 21 days prior to
your departure. You’ll receive a copy of Contiki’s
‘Travelers Guide’- an information book about
your vacation & Europe. You’ll also receive a
comprehensive day-by-day itinerary including
full details & costs of all optional activities
available on your tour. Your free Contiki
document wallet* & luggage tag will be sent to
you with your travel documents. The wallet is a
safe place for your tickets & passport.
* Contiki reserves the right to substitute an
alternative travel accessory for the Contiki
document wallet.
How much money
do I need?
You should be able to use debit & credit cards
for most items. You’ll need to allow enough
money to cover meals where not included
(breakfast, lunch & dinner), souvenirs, shopping,
drinks, ME Time optional excursions & activities,
entrance fees to attractions & evening
entertainment.
It is advisable to start your tour with some cash
in local currencies such as Euro, Swiss Franc &
Great British Pounds.
me time Optional
Activities
WHEN DO I CHOOSE?
Optionals are arranged & paid for on tour. By
leaving the final decisions until then you can
choose at the same time as your new friends.
You’ll get great value as we get you great rates
& your Tour Manager can offer personal advice.
Some activities are seasonal & weather
dependent as well.
HOW DO I PAY?
You pay on tour in cash (Euro, Swiss Francs,
Great British Pounds or US Dollars only,
depending on the activity).
Past traveler
5% discount
Eligibility for this discount is based on clients
having booked & traveled with Contiki (or one
of our Travel Corporation sister brands, visit
www.thetravelcorporation.com for details)
within 5 years of their last tour. Clients must
have completed a tour before they can redeem
the discount on a subsequent tour booking. Only
one discount can be redeemed per past traveler
annually. A deposit must be received before the
discount can be applied to the booking. It is not
available on pre- & post-tour accommodation
rates & other selected products. The discount
applies to brochured prices only & cannot be
combined with any non-brochured special
market promotions.
Brochure authenticity
We have put a great deal of effort into
producing this brochure. The information given
& literature produced by Contiki has been
compiled with care & is published in good faith
(this includes contiki.com & our e-brochures).
Sometimes, because of circumstances outside
our control, we have to alter some activities due
to seasonal closing or repairs to buildings, etc.,
especially early or late in the season. If this
happens, alternatives will be arranged.
no mandatory tipping -
reward only excellence!
Every country in the world has different tipping
policies & in Europe, within service industries,
tipping is common practice. Tipping is totally
optional & only given if you feel the service has
exceeded your expectations.
If you think your Contiki Team have done an
exceptional job then you may wish to tip them.
This is entirely discretionary – it’s completely
up to you. No mandatory tipping - reward
only excellence!
Booking Security
Contiki has been running tours for young people
since 1962 & is a member of the United States
Tour Operators Association (USTOA). USTOA
includes all the major tour operators who are
financially bonded for your security & who maintain
the highest standards. Contiki is also a member of
the National Tour Association (NTA) & the
American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA). With the
guarantees of these organizations, you know your
vacation & money are secure with Contiki.
Online check-in
It is strongly recommended that you check in to
your tour prior to departure at contiki.com/
checkin. Checking in will you save time on your
first day of tour, give you essential information
& also ensure that Contiki can contact you in
the unlikely event of any changes to your trip
due to matters out of our control. For more
information on how to get more before & after
your tour see p.24.
How much luggage
can I bring?
On our tours, luggage is restricted to a maximum
suitcase size of 29” x 20” x 10” (73cm x 50cm x
25cm) & maximum weight of 44lbs (20 kg) plus
one small hand/day bag that can go on the
coach with you.
Contiki reserves the right to refuse to accept
larger & heavier suitcases on tour.
On Budget tours you’ll need a sleeping bag (which
can be purchased from Contiki in London, if
necessary) & a towel, unless otherwise indicated.
On Ski vacations you may bring one pair of ski
boots & skis or a snowboard. Any luggage over
the restricted size or amount can be stored with
Contiki in London at a small charge. Baggage is
carried at the owner’s risk & baggage insurance
is strongly recommended.
Do I need vaccinations?
At the time this brochure went to press (September,
2012), no vaccinations were necessary. However, it
is wise to check up-to-date information with your
travel agent prior to departure. Don’t forget to
bring with you any medication that you may
require en route, such as antihistamines, antibiotics.
Photography credits
Photos courtesy of © Thomas Trinkl: p.8
Paragliding, p.85 Whitewater Rafting,
Photos courtesy of © Çapkin van
Alphen-CauseCentric Productions:
p.47 Celine Cousteau, p.118 Celine Cousteau,
Photos courtesy of Himmelrich Hotel, Kriens,
Lucerne: p.31 Himmelrich Hotel,
Photos courtesy of © Titlis Rotair &
Engleberg Titlis: p.31 Alpine Lodge Trubsee,
Photos courtesy of Lucerne Tourist Board:
p.33 Lion Monument Lucerne, Photos courtesy
of Lawrence Chan p.67 Desert, Photos
courtesy of Sam Stevens p.76 Donkey Ride,
Photos courtesy of Louis Cristal p.70 Cruise
ship, Photos courtesy of Lily Rhodes: p.108
Pamplona, Photos courtesy of © Ascot
Racecourse Ltd: p.110 Ascot, Photos courtesy
of Adventure Cat: p.119 Catamaran Cruise,
Photos courtesy of AJ Hackett Bungy
Queenstown: p.119 Bungy Jump.
If you want to put yourself forward for one
of our photoshoots in the future, just email
contikiholidaysphotography@gmail.com with a
bit of info about yourself, a few photos & who
knows, next year it could be you!