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If you’re looking for an epic adventure on a budget, then you’ve come to the right place.
Contiki specialises in unforgettable journeys in Europe, Asia, Latin America, the United States and more for 18–35 year olds. There’s almost always something on sale, or a way to save. Whether it’s an early booking bonus or a last-minute discount, we’ve got the goods to help make your Contiki travel itinerary more affordable.
Featured Image Source: Contiki Instagram
Contiki
25% off Europe
Valid for travel on Discoverer & Iconic essentials trips 7+ days. Destinations include England, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France and more. T&Cs apply.
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Contiki
Up to 15% off Europe ski and snowboard trips
Valid for travel on select 2020 dates for bookings made by 27 February 2020. T&Cs apply.
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Contiki
Up to 20% off Asia trips
Valid for travel on select 2020 dates for bookings made by 29 November 2019. Destinations include Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore and more. T&Cs apply.
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Contiki
Up to 10% Africa & Middle East trips
Valid for travel until 30 January 2020. Destinations include Egypt, Kenya, Africa Safari, Israel, Jordan and more. T&Cs apply.
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Contiki
Up to 25% off Europe 2020 trips
Valid for travel on select 2020 dates for bookings made by 31 October 2019. Destinations include England, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium, The Vatican and more. T&Cs apply.
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Contiki
Up to 10% New Zealand tours
Valid for travel until 30 January 2020. Destinations include Christchurch, Queenstown, Auckland, Wellington and more. T&Cs apply.
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Contiki
Save 20% off on summer Europe tour 2019
Conditions Apply.
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| Last checked | Code description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Aug 2018 | See the serengeti, kick back with penguins and go on an african adventure with contiki - book your tour today | **** |
| 30 Sep 2019 | 25% off Europe | ******** |
| 20 Sep 2019 | Up to 15% off Europe ski and snowboard trips | ******** |
| 13 Sep 2019 | Up to 20% off Asia trips | ******** |
| 13 Sep 2019 | Up to 10% Africa & Middle East trips | ******** |
Pros
Cons
Once final payment is received in no less than 45 days before your departure, you will receive your travellers’ documents, including your vouchers, airline tickets (if purchased through Contiki), a day to day itinerary, an optional activities list, a traveller’s information booklet and a document wallet. All this will be delivered to you three weeks prior to departure. This gives you plenty of time to get everything together and get organised.
The Contiki website also offers a check-in section for those who booked the trip through Contiki. Here, you can input all your information, such as your passport details, travel insurance and emergency contact information. This also grants you access to plenty of extra features in the Contiki community and enables you to manage your bookings online.
Airfares from your home city to the start of your tour is not included in the tour price. Some Contiki tours do include flights during the tour to cover longer distances in a shorter period of time. You’ll know whether your tour includes any flights by checking the tour itinerary map, which is available on the company’s website. If the line drawn between destinations has an image of a plane next to it, that leg of your journey will be covered by plane at no additional charge.
Another place you can find this information is on the right side of the screen on your tour’s page. In the What’s Included section, it will list how many (if any) internal flights are included in your tour.
Contiki offers a wide range of tour types, from relaxing sailing journeys where you’re in one room the entire time to whirlwind cross-continent adventures where you’re moving to a new destination every night or two.
Keep in mind what sort of tour you’ve booked and what the weather will be like. Remember winter in New Zealand is summer in Europe!
Mountainous places like Switzerland and Austria will likely require warmer gear, especially if you’re planning to explore the Alps. Island-hopping tours in Greece and Croatia will be sunny and warm so you’ll want to bring lighter clothing options and extra swim gear.
A few items that are good to bring on all trips are comfortable walking shoes for when you’re exploring the sites and scenery on offer, an outfit for a night on the town (Contiki’s well-known for experiencing the local nightlife), a swimsuit and a few pairs of clothes and underwear. There’ll be plenty of places to do laundry along the way, so don’t worry about bringing an entire month’s worth of clothes if you’re going on a longer tour.
Not everything is included in your Contiki tour. You’ll need to bring extra money for souvenirs, meals and entrance fees not included in the tour price.
Each Contiki tour includes different things, and the inclusions are all explained on the information page for your tour in the What’s Included section. This should be the first place you look when trying to organise a sensible budget for your tour. For example, you can find out how many meals are included in the price.
The itinerary will also list what tours and entrance fees are included. If you’d like to do extras that aren’t included, they’ll be listed in the Me Time section of the itinerary.
Group tours often do work out to be slightly more expensive than if you were to plan out the journey and travel it on your own. However, consider the added costs to include everything from the knowledge of a guide who will be travelling with you, the travelling companions you’ll make while on tour, and the convenience of having all the hard work done for you – everything from booking your hotel to deciding which restaurant to have dinner at.
Contiki tours depart from the Royal National Hotel at 6am for camping, budget and concept tours and at 6.45 for time out, superior and hotel tours. There is usually a pre-departure meeting the night prior to your Contiki tour, so it’s a good idea to arrive the day before with enough time to get to your accommodation and then to the group meeting spot.
Wi-Fi is available on most of Contiki’s coaches, as well as the majority of the accommodation sites where you’ll stay during the tour.
If you have to cancel your Contiki tour, the best way to do it is through the agent you made your booking with. The following cancellation fees apply: over 45 days (deposit forfeited), 45–22 days (27.5% of tour cost forfeited), 21–8 days (33% of tour cost forfeited), 7–1 days (55% of tour cost forfeited) and day of departure (100% of tour cost forfeited). Contiki offers a pre-paid cancellation option for $99. By paying $99 per person with your deposit, the full amount of your deposit and/or payment to Contiki will be refunded if you cancel your tour for any reason prior to leaving New Zealand.
If you need to make changes to your air itinerary, fees may apply depending on the airline you are flying with. If you purchased your flights through Contiki, you should call your nearest office and speak to a reservations officer for more information.
