City Travel Guides

A Day in New York City

2011-12-06T05:20:00.000-08:00

A Day in New York City

Getting To New York:

Served by three major airports, two train terminals and a massive bus depot, New York City is the most important transportation hub in the northeastern USA. John F Kennedy Airport (JFK), 15 miles (24km) from Midtown Manhattan in southeastern Queens, is where most international flights land. Recently voted the third-worst airport facility in the world by business travelers, JFK is best avoided.

La Guardia Airport in northern Queens is 8 miles (13km) from Manhattan and services mostly domestic flights. If you're arriving or departing in the middle of the day, La Guardia is a more convenient choice than JFK. Newark Airport is in New Jersey, directly 10 miles (16km) west of Manhattan.

Eating In New York:

Need some recommendations? Try the relaxed gourmet cuisine of Portuguese restaurant Alfama on 551 Hudson Street (especially on Wednesdays); the funky yet provincial Italian hotspot, Max on 51 Avenue B; and in the summer there is always the 79th Street Boat Basin for sunsets, barbecued food and great atmosphere.

Getting Around In New York City:

There are 5 main ways to get around New York, they are;

By Subway

By Taxi

By Car

By Bus

By Foot

The subway isn't the cleanest form of transportation---homeless people live in stations and even in subway cars---but since everyone uses it all the time, central Manhattan is generally considered safe.

Nighttime is not necessarily a dangerous time to travel as long as you are taking a popular subway line, abstain from flashy jewelry, and are not going to one of the outer boroughs. Stay away from the platform's edge, and board the train during non-rush hours from the off-peak waiting area, marked at the center of every platform (this area is monitored by cameras, and the conductor's car often stops here).

Once you board, try to be in the same subway car as other people you think are safe and stay near the middle to be close to the conductor (you'll see his face from the platform).

During rush hour and in crowded stations like 42nd St.-Times Sq., hold your bag with the opening facing you to discourage pickpockets. A real concern for women is sexual molestation---there are quite a few crazies who ride the subways to brush up or grope others. If this happens, be loud in your indignation.

When dealing with taxi drivers, remember that they know where they are going better than you, so don't presume to know the best route to somewhere because it's what you've heard.

Remember to tip at least 15% and a minimum tip of at least 50 cents if not more.

Where To Stay:

Lambda Mews - New York City North Chelsea Guest House in fabulous residential loft. Located on West 30th Street between 5th Avenue and Broadway. Spectacular views of the Empire State Building are yours when you stay in my stunning 2,600 square foot loft.

An exclusive elevator takes you takes to the 6th floor with entry directly into my spacious living room. Because of this room's extra large windows it almost seems as if the Empire State Building is in the room with you, making for an unforgettable New York City memory.

More Where to eat:

If you're looking to splurge, try one of the Upper West Side's well-known and expensive restaurants, Cafe Luxembourg between Amsterdam and West End Aves, attracts the pre-performance crowd from Lincoln Center with its French-inspired food: cassoulet, escargots and interesting salads.

Prices range from $15 at lunch to $25 at dinner for main courses. Don't even try getting in here without a reservation.

What To See:

Waterfront Museum - Visitors can enjoy visual and performing arts programs and educational tours in marine history aboard the Lehigh Valley Railroad Barge #79.

Skyline Cruises - Skyline Cruises offers tours of all types, schools, international tourists, senior citizens, etc… completely customized to your specifications. Times, locations, food & beverage options, multi-lingual narration's and entertainment.

Madame Tussaud's - The American idea of wax museums will be changed forever when you visit Madame Tussaud's in the heart of New York. The Museum features over 175 wax figures of celebrities, sport figures and singers.

Carnegie Hall - Carnegie Hall is a world famous concert hall. For more than a century, Carnegie Hall has set the standard for excellence in performance.

Central Park - Central Park was the first landscaped public park in the United States. The park offers over 840 acres of landscaped and recreational areas that include a zoo, a theater, sports facilities, lakes, food, entertainment and lots more.

Where To Shop:

Calvin Klein 654 Madison Ave between E 60th and 61st Sts, is a study in elegance by the media savvy designer.

Barney's 660 Madison Ave between E 60th and 61st Sts, has become famous for treating potential customers as too fat, too poor and, in the men's department, too straight. This is the hip and haughty clothing chain's flagship store.

Valentino 747 Madison Ave between E 64th and 65th Sts, displays the creations of one of the world's best- known couture designers.

The massive Giorgio Armani 760 Madison Ave between E 65th and 66th Sts, shows that the world-famous designer can't stand to be outdone by anyone. Armani's gorgeous clothes fill four floors.

Prada 841 Madison Ave between E 69th and 70th Sts, showcases the Milan company's expensive and trendy offerings. The shoes start at $300.

Entertainment:

Go to the Blind Tiger Ale House on Hudson st and sample Ale's from all over the world. Great place to meet singles.

How To Take Your Dream Bahamas Cruise

2011-12-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

How To Take Your Dream Bahamas Cruise

The Bahamas is arguably the most popular cruise destination for U.S. travellers, and is especially popular with first-time cruisers from the U.S. Only 75kms from mainland USA, the outer islands that make up the group can be reached within a matter of hours.

This makes the Bahamas an excellent choice of location for a short Bahamas cruise break of two, three or four nights away from home.

Some 700 islands make up the archipelago of the Bahamas, of which only around 50 are inhabited. Cruise lines generally focus on just two Bahaman ports - Nassau and Freeport.

Nassau is Bahamas' capital, and is located on the island of New Providence. It is a beautiful compact city that is easy to explore inside a day's shore excursion.

The city's charm is in its architecture - and of course its people. Late 18th century and early 19th century colonial buildings stand as reminders of Bahamas' British past.

Parliament Square in downtown Nassau offers a unique perspective on the city's architecture, watched over, as always, by a grandiose marble statue of Queen Victoria.

But Nassau is not just about history. It has a vibrant modern side too. Quality shops, fine restaurants and golden beaches, up onto which the inviting warm transparent waters of the Caribbean lap, are all there to be sampled. Activities such as snorkelling, diving and passenger submarine rides make for an exciting time in this tropical paradise. The nightlife in Nassau is buzzing too, with casinos and nightclubs offering the best of Bahamian life.

A Bahamas cruise to Freeport on the island of Grand Bahamas offers tropical paradise that is very close to home.

Easily accessible on a two-night Bahamas cruise, Freeport is a city that welcomes cruisers and tourists with open arms. Duty-free shopping is one of the biggest draws of Freeport, and the city itself features a 10-acre international bazaar - a real shopping paradise in the tropics!

The nightlife in Freeport is world-renowned.

Casinos, nightclubs and live entertainment in Freeport are amongst the best in the Caribbean, and make for a great night out when you're on a Bahamas cruise.

For travellers looking for a Bahamas cruise of a longer duration than four nights, some cruise lines offer special extended cruises, several of which incorporate a port call at a private island owned by the cruise company.

Bahamas cruises generally depart from ports in Florida. Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale and Miami port are the big three which offer cruises to the Bahamas.

So, if you're looking to take a short romantic break, or just fancy a change of scenery for the weekend, why not get yourself down to Florida and book a Bahamas cruise.

Bahamas cruises are reasonably priced, and I guarantee you that the experience will be one that lives long in the memory...

-John Metcalfe is the author and web publisher of A to Z Cruises your #1 source for cruise information, discounts and great deals! Visit http://www.azcruises.com now to book your very own dream cruise

Best Party Destinations In The World

2011-12-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

Ok, so you don't want to go on a tour, but you still want to party all night with your mates with beautiful people and in exotic and beautiful destinations.

Well do I have the list for you! Below is a list of the hottest destinations in the world for young people. Young people from all over the world come to these spots just to party.

· Olu Deniz, Turkey

· Ios, Greece

· The Ould Bridge Bar, Ireland

· Cinque-Terre, Italy

· Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany

· Corfu, Greece

· Santorini, Greece

· Castellana BLVD, Madrid, Spain

· Flying Pig's Hostel, Amsterdam

· Rotterdamn, Netherlands

· Ibiza, Spain

· San Sebastian Jazz Festival, Spain

· Kabul Youth Hostel, Barcelona, Spain

· Palma, Majorca

· Interlaken, Swizterland,

· The Youth Hostel, Salzburg, Austria

· Ayia Napa, Cyprus

· Oscars Bar, Prague, Czech. Republic

· The Yellow Submarine Youth Hostel, Budapest

The NoName Bar, Tallinn, Estonia

Things To Pack When Going On A Tour

2011-12-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

These are the items I brought with me on my tours and some things I wish I brought last time. It's an ever growing list.

· backpack

· day pack

· hip bag

· change purse (I'd get one with at least two pockets for multiple currencies)

· money belt

· health card

· hostel card

· driver's license (even though you're not driving,

· Is used for security deposit on keys, etc.)

· ATM, credit cards with cash advance PINs

· currency for first three countries

· traveler's checks in foreign currency for countries you'll be most

· calculator

· 2 small locks

· bungee cord (for wrapping around door and rack on trains)

· compass

· binoculars (small pair for seeing frescos)

· large envelopes for important documents in your pack (I mailed these

· home from different cities)

· small light

· pocket knife,

· eating utensil

· cup

· 1st aid kit with Band-Aids, tape, and antibiotic ointment

· antacid

· cold medicine

· vitamin C

· film

· camera

· batteries (camera, recorder)

· small bag of detergent

· Recorder, tapes (I made audio tapes that were great to send home.)

· pen

· paper

· journal

· plastic bags (sandwich size, ziplock, 5) -

· separate currencies, leaking

· Items, etc.

· guidebook

· book to read

· Language ref.

· Plenty of contact solution, holder, etc.

· toothpaste, brush, floss

· nail clippers

· ear plugs

· Q-tips

· lotion

· Kleenex

· razor

· hand wipes

· shampoo/conditioner

· hair ties

· fem stuff

· sleeping sheet (thin and light)

· windbreaker/raincoat

· two pairs of pants (jeans/a pair of kaki pants)

· six pairs of socks

· 6 pairs of underwear

· three bras

· two pairs of shoes (hiking boots/tennis shoes)

· a pairs of light cheap thongs (need to dry quick

· on the pack)

· turtleneck

· two T-shirts (you will buy more as needed)

· one sweater

· gloves

· ear/headband or hat

· one pair boxers/shorts

· leggings

· 1 Pair Of Jeans

· 1 Pair Of Khakis 3/4 Length

· 1 Pair Of Shorts

· 1 Pair Of Sandals

· 1 Pair Of Thongs

· 1 Snow/waterproof Jacket

· Thermal Underwear

· Thermal Socks

· 3 Pair Of Underwear

· 1 Pair Of Gloves

· 1 Beanie

· 1 Pair of sunglasses

· 1 Sweater

· 2 Dress Shirts

· 1 Quick Dry Towel

· 1 Large Backpack

· 1 Day Bag

· 1 Hip Bag

· 2 Small Locks

· Bungee Cord

· large envelopes for important documents in your

· pack

· small light

· Anti-Diarrhea and anti-Nausea tablets

· Needle and thread

· Panadol

· toothpaste, brush, floss

· Anti Inflammatory Tablets

· Tissues

· Hand wipes

· Razor

· Tweezers

· Rubber Bands

· Water Bottle

Useful Travel Resources

2011-12-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

Useful Travel Resources

Here are a list of the most useful web links on singles travel and travel in general.

Xe.Net/UCC

This is a great free tool to convert currencies from all over the world. Check out how much your currency is able to be exchanged for the in the country you are touring.

Contiki.com

Want to know more about Contiki? Their website is full of useful information and pictures. You can find out about every one of the trips they offer at this site. You can even chat to other past Contiki tourists.

http://p205.ezboard.com/bcontikieuropemessageboard

This is a great site. This site is a forum which all Contiki goer's get together on and chat about their trips or their up coming trips. Lots of websites you can visit to see photos of other people’s trips as well.

Well worth a visit.

LonelyPlanet.com

I think everyone has heard of the book series done by Lonely Planet. They offer travel guides to every country on Earth and are an invaluable source of useful info.

Travconnect.com

This is a book I brought a few months ago and it offers really great ways to save on airfares. The guy who wrote the book is a travel agent and knows what he's talking about.

Travelsecretsguide.com

This is another book I really recommend. It shows you how to save on airfares, hotels, car rental, food, you name it...Worth a look.

Singlestravel.com.au/

This is a website for another smaller singles (solo traveler) travel agent. They offer all sorts of singles travel deals.

Singlestravelintl.com/

This is a larger singles travel agency and their website offers lots of great tips for solo travelers.

Theworldoutdoors.com/documents/solotravelers.html

This is an adventure travel website for solo travelers. So if you are after something a little more exciting then sight seeing, visit this website.

Cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/

The CIA “world fact book” gives you a fairly comprehensive guide to every country in the world, for free. Tells you what languages they speak in that country, population, political situations, and all sorts of other useful info.

Travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_

1764.html

This is a travel warning site from the American government. It tells you about all the countries that currently have travel warnings posted on them and these are definitely countries you want to avoid traveling to.

Smartraveller.gov.au

This is another travel warning website run by the Australian government. It's much, much more concise then the American version. You should really read both websites before you leave on your trip.

Hostels and Backpacking in Europe

2011-12-05T10:58:00.000-08:00

A Few Words About Hostelling

Hostels are generally fantastic places to be. The people who are there are passionate about travelling, there is lots of camaraderie and a strong sense of community between travellers. It is in the hostel, not a guidebook that you will found out the best places to go, great places to get discounts at and loads of other tips about what is worth the money and what isn’t. It is also common for groups of people to travel together for a few days after meeting at a hostel.

This relaxed, communal atmosphere does not mean, however, that you can be completely naive about leaving your stuff in plain sight. If you are going to be out for long periods of the day, it is probably best to buy a Pac Safe. This is essentially a slash-proof wire net that you can lock around your pack so pesky fingers cannot explore while you’re out on the town.

Older hostels generally offer dorm style rooms separated by sex but the trend is for most modern hostels to offer single, double and four-bedded accommodation as well. Private accommodation is more expensive but having a room to yourself can be a luxurious treat, especially when the thought of having another nights sleep interrupted by selection from the Snoring Chorus is enough to bring on a nervous breakdown.

It is traditional for hostels to ask their guests to help with the some chores during their stay. Most city hostels just ask you to put your linen in the laundry but some rural hostels will expect more of a commitment. If you have completely blown your budget, it is possible to negotiate a free night’s accommodation in exchange for doing some extra housekeeping chores. Don’t count on this every night however, or you’ll end up spending your entire vacation doing dishes.

If you are planning to do a lot of hostelling, it is wise to investigate the situation from home first. The Youth Hostelling Association, for example offers a membership card that entitles you to a reduced rate whilst staying at recognised sites. Hostelling International (HI) is the largest chain of hostels in the world. All HI sites require a YHA membership card to be presented when you turn up. These cards should be purchased in your home country before you leave.

There are plenty of private hostels available as well, but tales of infantile curfews, bedbug infestations and slightly deranged owners abound so if at all possible; it is best to stick with recognised brand. If you are thinking of booking a private hostel, do Google search first so see if there is anything untoward written about it.

You may have realised that you and your friends are not the only people that are going to be backpacking through Europe in the summer. If you are travelling in July and August, it is best to try and book your hostel ahead:

http://www.canuckabroad.com/hotelshostels/hotelshostels.shtml

For some places, especially popular cities like Rome, Paris, London and Venice. Although it is tempting to be completely spontaneous, you may find yourself without a place to stay, especially at the weekend.

Hostelling is where you'll make some of the best memories of your travels!

Matt Reider is the owner of CanuckAbroad.com which provides budget travel and backpacking advice for travellers and expatriates alike.

Here’s and idea: Studying overseas!

Ever wanted to learn another language in the country of origin? This is something I've really wanted to do for a long time but haven’t had the chance yet.

Want to study German in Berlin or Vienna? Want to study French in Quebec or Paris?

You can do so with STA.

You can choose from any of these following languages.

· Spanish

· French,

· Portuguese

· Italian

· German

· Russian

· Japanese

· Arabic

· Chinese

· English

Go to

http://www.statravel.ch/globallanguages/index.html

And have a look around.

Club Med

2011-12-05T10:56:00.000-08:00

Club Med

Everyone knows of Club Med!

The idea of flying off to some South Pacific island for fun, sun and scuba diving calls to the desperate need to escape work, So how about a really distant scuba trip to Moorea, Tahiti in the heart of the South Pacific?

Getting there is only the beginning of the adventure... there are only two airlines that service Tahiti, and one is called AOM. This airline will truly test the limits of your flying durability. The in-flight service is minimal at best, the plane is typically filled to capacity, and movies leave a great deal to be desired, however, kudos where they belong.. on the flight deck. The pilots kept the ride fairly calm and both their takeoffs and landings were "comfortable."

To get to Moorea requires a 40-minute second leg flight on a STOL (short takeoff and landing) turbo-prop aircraft. The aircraft is small enough that it only seats 20 people, and even from the back of the plane you can easily read the cockpit gauges and hear the flight crew calling for clearances.

Once on Moorea you are met by a loudly decorated Club Med bus, hustled aboard and driven for several miles along a scenic winding shoreline road to the main entrance of the Club Med Moorea resort. As the bus pulls through the long drive, past bungalows and palm trees, it stops in front of an open air foyer where employees gather, playing a eukalele and singing a welcoming song (which you will later come to dislike as it is played everyday for each new bus load of vacationers).

The facilities are nice, Spartan, and the food, well, that's another review all by itself. Suffice it to say, some folks will think it was terrific and ask for seconds, and still others will be asking where the "real" food is?

Now to the diving, Club Med Moorea is not the place to go if you are an experienced diver and want to be able to get several dives in during the day, night dives, and shore dives, forget it! One of the mantras of Club Med is to "leave your watch behind..." If you do that, you will not get aboard any dive boat while at Club Med Moorea. You cannot just go to their dive shop, sign up for a same day or next day dive and expect to go... no its more involved than that... you have to standing in line at the dive shop at 6:50PM so that you can put your name on a first come, first serve list and when the number of divers meets the number carried on the boat... well, that's it until the following evening when you get to do that ritual all over again. If you miss this narrow timeslot to sign up for diving, there are NO other diving accommodations available, so you will be relegated to snorkelling along the shore. They do not permit shore diving, or night diving inside the inlets.

When you manage to get out to go diving and if the dive master is feeling fresh and excited, you will get to dive some very spectacular areas around the island many of which were just incredible. The reef near the Club Med resort are badly damaged from many previous hurricanes, so don’t expect to see beautiful reefs on that side of the island, the other side is another matter entirely.

Ibiza!

2011-12-05T10:55:00.001-08:00

Ibiza!

I think everyone has heard of Ibiza. Most people probably know it as this sleazy haven of euro trash and dance music, and sometimes you are right.

If you have not heard of Ibiza, let me fill you in. Ibiza is a little island off the coast of Spain that has been turned into a tourist Mecca by nightclub promoters and singles tour promoters.

Ibiza is like one big party 24/7, with more nightclubs crammed into one little space then I've ever seen before.

It's especially popular with young English lads and lassies that go there to listen to dance music, drink lots and hook up.

Ibiza also has an abundance of very cheap accommodation, food and alcohol. Ibiza also has a lot of really great beaches, especially if you're a fan of nudist beaches.

Some of the very best DJ's in the world play regularly at Ibiza nightclubs. Just type Ibiza into Google.com and you will find plenty of search results.

Now onto my "version" of Ibiza.

I had a great time. Amazing, wonderful, crazy, CRAZY time in Ibiza.

I've been to Ibiza twice, once on a Contiki tour and once as I said before with Club 18-30.

I had a blast on both times, but more so with Contiki. If you want to go to Ibiza for the first time and you are traveling by yourself, go with Contiki as it can be quite a daunting place.

I spent 9 days with my Contiki buddies in Spain and Ibiza. We went to nightclubs, watched the best DJ's in the world work their magic, ate great food, met lots of really interesting people and got really great tans.

The best time to go is during the English winter!

The accommodation is cheap like I said, but it's not great by any means. When I say not great, I really mean it.

If you choose to go to Ibiza by yourself for the first time, I'd say you were crazy. Find someone to go with, or make sure you no someone while you are down there.

Club Getaway

2011-12-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

Club Getaway

Club Getaway is a little different from anything else I've talked about yet. Club Getaway is a massive 300 acre property in the middle of no where Connecticut, USA.

The best way to understand what Club Getaway is, is to go to their website at....

http://www.clubgetaway.com

It's not really a singles tour as such, but you go there for a weekend or a week and the premise is you choose what activities you want to do.

I went on a sports activity weekend, where every hour there is a new activity you can join in on with other people. I went with a friend and thank god for that.

Hardly anyone went by themselves, even tho it was touted as being a "great way to meet singles, with the same interests".

But while saying that, while I was there, I noticed they had another group on the grounds as well and it was for Jewish professionals. I think this would be a great way for Jewish people to meet other like minded Jewish people.

They also offer a weekend for anyone born before 1964. They call it the boomers weekend and I'm sure that would be a lot of fun as well.

Singles Cruises

2011-12-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

Singles Cruises

I'll be honest, singles cruises are not for me at all. It really is like a meat market with people pairing off left right and centre, pretty much because there is nothing else to do.

I've been on 2 singles cruises. One was with a large liner, P&O, and the other was on a small sailing boat, called Wind Jammer cruises.

I had an absolute blast sailing around the Caribbean with other singles. It's not like a normal cruise, it's more intimate, fewer people, and a lot more fun.

You don't feel like you are there to "hook up" with other singles.

This is what they say on their website.

"Singles cruises are the singular most popular theme cruise to date, and it’s pretty clear why-they’re fun, laid-back and guaranteed to put a spring in your step. Windjammer’s casual and intimate atmosphere is ideal for meeting others, so if you’re looking for someone special, cupid couldn’t think of a better place to try his luck. We do our best to ensure that there are equal numbers of rogues and wenches aboard. These cruises book very quickly, so be sure to book your berth well in advance."

You can see their website at

http://www.windjammer.com/theme_cruises.html

Like I said before, I had a blast on this trip. If beautiful beaches, amazingly clear water, great food and sun appeal to you, this is the trip for you.

Then there was the trip with the cruise liner, which I will never do again.

The problem with this cruise was half of the boat load of people were not single, the other half were and it was kind of awkward at the best of times.

If the whole boat had been only singles, maybe this would have worked. This is also not a good trip for younger singles as it was mainly older males on the boat even though they said it was going to be an even number of women to men.

If this however is something you would like to know more about, visit the two websites below.

http://www.singlescruise.com/

http://www.cruisingforlove.com/

Club 18-30

2011-12-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

Club 18-30

I think a lot of the people who read this book will probably know or have heard of Club 18-30. As the name suggests, it is for 18 to 30 year olds.

Unlike Contiki and Top Deck, 18-30 isn't a tour, it’s a resort, or I should say resorts. They have close to 10 resorts all over the world.

The most famous or infamous of the resorts would be the one in Ibiza. Sex, drinking, drugs are all apparently rampant at these resorts.

NOT TRUE.

I had a blast and I was completely sober through out the whole week. Yes, people drink, yes people have sex and yes people do drugs, but that's everywhere you go and not exclusive to Club 18-30.

Here is a quote from their website http://www.Club18-30.co.uk

"We are not moral guardians - what you do on your holiday is 100% down to you. If you want to drink on holiday, you drink, if you don’t, you don’t - simple as that! Young people drinking abroad is not exclusive to Club 18-30.

Just because you go on holiday with us, it doesn’t mean you are going to have sex! We operate in young, lively resorts and do our utmost to make sure you have a fantastic holiday experience, however, we urge guests to be responsible and be aware of the importance of safe sex. Our reps’ contact details are displayed at your accommodation if you do need our assistance. "

I won't be doing another 18-30 trip again unless a couple of friends go with me. I've been twice and each time I went by my own and it was fun, but I'm sure it would be more fun with friends you already know.

Also, since you're really not seeing the sights of the places you are going and really are just there to party with friends, once or twice is enough.

The accommodation is also very lacking and isn't top notch at all, but you don't go there to sleep, you go to have fun.

So what can you expect from a Club 18-30 trip? Lots of Brittish women and men looking to have a lot of fun.

Club 18-30 organize group activities and they have "reps" who run the place who are in that 18 to 30 age bracket.

Reps jobs are to set up games and introduce people and basically make sure people are having fun.

It is a drinking resort, lots of people drink and like usual the odd few have one too many and make fools of themselves, but things are supervised pretty damn well.

Top Deck Tours

2011-12-05T10:49:00.001-08:00

Top Deck Tours

Top Deck is much like Contiki and you can see their website at:

http://www.Topdecktravel.co.uk

They also offer 3 different types of travel options, Hotels, Cabins, Camping, but with Top Deck it's not as organized and rigid as Contiki.

You have more freedom to choose what you want to do but I also found you didn't get as close to the people as you did on Contiki.

Top Deck offers many fewer travel destinations but I found the trips I went on were to more exotic destinations, like Russia.

Also the thing I liked about Top Deck is they throw in lunches in the price of your trip which Contiki do not. Top Deck is also A LOT cheaper then Contiki in most instances.

If you were taking your first trip, I'd say go with Contiki no doubt, because your money will be well spent, but if you want more freedom of choice and your on a tighter budget, go with Top Deck.

Contiki tours

2011-12-05T10:48:00.000-08:00

Contiki tours - http://www.contiki.com would have to be my favorite tour group out of them all.

They do just about everything for you, all you need to do is pick what trip you want to go on, and that's a hard task since they offer so many great options.

Contiki has 3 distinct types of tours. Camping, Concept and Time out.

Camping is just that, camping. You pitch tents, you help with the cooking and cleaning up and you sleep in the great outdoors.

Everything about the trip is the same as the others, except for this one difference. It of course is the cheapest option available.

Concept tours are my favorite, you always get a good age range, from 18 to 35 and 80% are singles traveling by themselves. You sleep in cabins and you help with some chores.

Time out tours are the upper class tours that Contiki offers. You stay in hotels, (nothing 5 star) and the people on the tour seem to be a bit older and probably 30 to 50% go with partners.

Contiki also has resorts in Bali, Australia and Greece. I stayed at a Contiki resort in Greece for 5 days and had a blast. It's usually full of people who are taking a break from a tour and just want to sit back and relax for a few days before they get back on a tour.

On Contiki tours you spend a lot of time on a bus with your fellow tour mates so if you get bored easily, bring a good book, Mp3 player or something to keep you amused.

Most people sleep on the bus during the day and party at night.

I've done 6 Contiki tours in the past 5 years. 4 concept tours and 2 time out tours and I had a blast every time.

The most popular tours seem to be....

· European Experience

· European Adventurer

· European Vista

· Simply Italy

· European Whirl

Those are just the trips to Europe. Contiki also goes to America, New Zealand, Australia, UK, and even the Middle East.

Go Contiki is all I can say, you will make friends for life, see the world in an organized fashion with genuinely nice people.

It's funny how so many nice people can be on one tour, and on every tour I go on. Contiki attracts a good crowd and very fun crowd.