Contiki Offered Excursions
Trip Start
May 04, 2008
1
3
18
Trip End
May 28, 2008
Dayton,
Ohio,
United States
Sunday, May 4, 2008
European Whirl with a brief description of each from the Contiki
website. The items bolded are the ones I did on my trip.
Amsterdam:
Live Sex Show (26 Euro): This excursion is not in the brochure, and it
really is just that, a live show. I did not attend this one for the
price was way too high. There was audience participation (removing
clothes off the 'performers') or doing funny things with a banana. I
wont give it away if you are interested.
Sea Palace Restaurant (30 Euro): This unique floating restaurant is built in the typical
agoda style of Chinese palaces. Located in the heart of Amsterdam it's
the perfect place for you to join us for a typical Dutch 'rice table'
which consists of a variety of main dishes accompanied with rice.
I did not do this one as only 10 or so people on our tour signed up for
it. Comments of this excursion were mixed. The food comes at you in
masses and you cannot possibly finish it all. The downside is, this is
a Chinese restaurant with quality food comparable to what you can get
at home, so why get it when youre in Europe? If you really like Chinese
food and don't mind eating it in Europe, you'll probably enjoy this, I
just couldn't justify it when only 10 people signed up.
Canal Cruise (28 Euro): A cruise on Amsterdam's world-famous canals is the
perfect way to see this wonderful city. You'll pass many famous sights
including Dutch gabled houses, the Anne Frank house, churches and the
Red Light District. The included beer, wine, soft-drinks and snacks
will make your evening complete
I did this one since almost everyone on our tour signed up. It was about an hour to an hour and a half canal ride through Amsterdam, around all the beautiful canals.
Everyone got two tickets for drinks either soda, white wine, red wine,
or beer. It was a good way to get to know everyone on a wonderfully
sunny day. Really good photo opportunities of the city as well. The
other benefit is that ours occured in the evening so we did not have to
miss anything Amsterdam had to offer at night or during the day. If you
chose to do the Sea Palace, you would immediately go there after the
canal cruise ended (at least it was this way on our tour). I recommend
this if a lot of people on tour sign up for it, which they almost
certainly do.
Berlin:
Berlin Historical Walking Tour (9 Euro): An opportunity to explore the fascinating history of this city. Our walking tour with a local guide includes infamous Third Reich
sites such as the site of Hitler's bunker and the former Propaganda
Ministry of Goebbels. You'll also learn about the dark days of East
German communism and visit the newly opened Holocaust Memorial
This was a great walking tour, with tons of information. It lasted for 3 1/2
hours with a tour guide that was from the US that looked like Matt
Damon (the ladies loved him, obviously). I was concerned this tour
would be just random facts that everyone knows, but he did a good job
to give a lot of details that no one wouldve known and took us to
monuments that we would not have otherwise seen. I really recommend
this one.
Berlin Eye-Spy (16 euro)
This is a new tour that takes you to some of the darker sites in Berlin, at night. It
was only a few spots, which are now almost all construction sites. The
tour guide we had barely knew any facts and was not a good public speaker. After the 45 minute tour they take you to two bars (one with communist memorabilia all over) and a club if you choose to go. I went to the two bars and had a free drink at each (white wine or beer at the first and a jager bomb or b52 at the second). I would not
recommend this tour, even if you had a good tour guide, because you are
essentially paying 16 euro for 2 bars, a club, and 2 drinks.
Prague:
Lunchtime Cruise (24 Euro): See Prague from a different angle by joining us on a
cruise along the River Vltava. You'll enjoy the scenery and a delicious
buffet lunch with drinks.
I did not do this excursion but for the most part I heard positive things about the food, which was all local czech cuisine. I did not sign up for this one since the cruise
occured around noon and I would have to leave whatever sight I was at
to get to the meeting point, and would lose a lot of time in Prague.
Plus, having already done the canal cruise, I thought it would be a
waste. Everyone that did it seemed to enjoy it though.
Munich:
Bavarian Beerhall (21 Euro): Join us in one of the oldest and most
famous beerhalls in Munich, which was established in 1406, for a
traditional evening of fun. Taste German specialties including roasted
pork knuckle and beer, while watching dancers, yodellers and musicians
in full costume. Prost!
This is a great excursion. You get your choice of pork, chicken, or a veggie option. I chose the pork, which wasnt too bad. The veggie option looked like a fried ravioli of
sorts, and looked really good. Of course, with the meal you get 1L of
amazing German beer, and can buy more liters for about 8 euro. The
whole time you can sing 'eins prost' every 5 minutes. The music got
really loud and annoying for me so I went and hung outside, however, I
still really enjoyed the excursion and recommend it if you hit up
Munich. Most everyone on the tour signed up for this, so hitting up the
hofbrauhaus instead isn't very feasible.
Austrian Tyrol:
Mountain Bike Tour and BBQ Lunch (29 Euro): The beautiful Windau Valley is the
setting for our adventure today. Hop on a bicycle and take a fully
guided tour through picturesque Alpine scenery. Frequent photo stops
are made to let you catch your breath, so the ride is suitable for
everyone. You're sure to work up an appetite for the included lunch at
a cosy Gasthof. It's a great way to really appreciate the Tyrolean
outdoors.
White Water Rafting (38 Euro): Experience the thrills of white water rafting in the most picturesque setting imaginable! You'll travel through rapids in the company of your tour mates and a highly professional rafting team. Full equipment (including safety
helmets and wet suits) is included in the cost (white water rafting is
normally available May to September)
In addition to the above 2 excursions, an unpublished excursion offered is Paragliding in the Alps for roughly 105 Euro.
All 3 of these are awesome, and I recommend you do them all. Even with
doing them all, and having one day in Austria, you still have the
evening free to see the very tiny town of Hopfgarten. Bike riding was
26k in total. The first 20 or so was going up hill to a tiny restaurant
where we had an amazing bratwurst, potato, and side dish. You could
also purchase amazing deserts for about 3 euro. The other 6k or so is
down a steep hill. I recommend you do not take the short cut to the
restaurant, sure it might be 20 minutes instead of an hour getting
there, but you just go UP that steep hill you come down at the end.
Even if you are out of shape, trust me, its worth it. Do the long way.
This excursion took about 2 hours and was done as soon as we got there.
They let you keep the bikes for the rest of the day to ride around town
too if you like.
Immediately after you finish the bike ride, you can go paragliding (non-bike riders went earlier in the morning). It is about an 8 minute flight (if you do spins, which are amazingly fun) over Hopfgarten with incredible views. For 15 euro extra you can have
the guy you are strapped to take pictures of you with the scenery. I
asked mine to do it but I guess he forgot. Oh well. I took my camera up
and got pictures. Dont worry about your camera, you can loop it through
your jacket so it wont fall at all. Very cool, very worth it, and the
heights arent that scary when you get up there and are floating around.
The next morning before we left we got to go white water rafting in the 40
degree F water. Its very cold however you get wetsuits and waterproof
jackets which makes it a lot better. The entire ride is about 45
minutes with a few level 3 grade rapids. I would have liked more
rapids, however, for a first time it was really cool. If you have done
a lot of rafting before you may not enjoy this as much, however the
alternative is going up to a small area in the countryside and waiting
for everyone else to finish. At the end they gave everyone a shot of
schnapps and a chance to buy pictures of the boats for ridiculous
prices. Take a water proof camera to get some awesome pictures too.
Venice:
T-Shirt (from Euro 18-28.50): Be inspired by the Italian Masters, or better
still let your imagination run wild and create your own group design! A
terrific souvenir of your tour.
This one was actually not offered on our tour
Gondola Ride (21 Euro): No trip to Venice is complete without a ride on the
canals in a world-famous gondola. Take in the sights, savour every
minute and treasure this truly memorable Venetian experience.
I had originally signed up for this one (49 out of 51 people did) however
it got rained out and we received our money back. It is supposed to be
about 45 minutes with 6 people in each Gondola. Find one of the stores
that sells liters of wine for 3 euro then drink it on the gondola.
Rome:
Guided Imperial Tour (12 Euro, 10-19 people, 11 Euro, 20+ people): Join a
local guide for an excursion back in time. You'll wander across the
cobbled stones of the Roman Forum, marvel at the Colosseum and learn
why the glory of Imperial Rome still stands out in the history of
Western culture.
I heard mixed things about this one. On our tour it occured first thing in the morning, and I decided to hit up the Vatican instead to get in without a wait. A lot of people said the guide was boring, however, at the end they got everyone into the
colosseum as well, which is always a plus and worth the money. Luckily
for everyone else on the tour, the line for Vatican City was only 20
minutes at 12:30 and they got in quickly too.
Florence:
Tuscan Meal (27 Euro): Our restaurant this evening is located in the heart of
Florence and provides the venue for our Tuscan feast. In true Italian
style you'll dine on antipasta, pasta and a wonderfully aromatic main
course - all washed down with some local Chianti wine
Great food and a great time. We started off with antipasta and bruschetta,
with 1.5L of chiatni for about 7 people. After that we had pasta
marinara, penne with pesto sauce, and ravioli. Following the pasta
course was a salad course, then a meat course with chicken, pork, and
beef. Following that we had a dessert and a shot of lemoncello. Very
worth it and a lot of fun.
Souvenir Group Photo (11.50 Euro): A photo of you and all your new friends is the perfect souvenir from your tour. The photo will be taken with a panorama of Florence in the
background or in one of the city's famous piazzas.
Our group photo was taken infront of the church Sante Croce, and turned out very
awesome. I just didnt want to spend that much money on a picture when I
can steal it on Facebook.
Swiss Alps:
Jungfau Mountain (SF 127): A fabulous trip on the highest cog railway in the
world up the Jungfrau Mountain, which rises to 4,158m (13,600 ft).
Travel through 7kms (4.2 miles) of tunnel and stop for grand views from
the plate glass windows - literally in the North Face of the Eiger
Mountain. The journey ends at Jungfraujoch - 3,454m (11,300ft) above
sea level with impressive views from the highest railway station and
post office in the world! Whatever the time of year, the scenery is
fabulous and there's even the opportunity to ski (at a small charge and
weather permitting).
This is a great excursion. It takes an hour each way to the top and if you are lucky you have wonderful views. I would not do this if it was on a bad day. We got lucky and had the
first clear day in 7 weeks and could see 20+ k in each direction. At
the top you can take a 45 minute hike to a restaurant for great food
and amazing views. I recommend either the pork sausage or the cheese
dish with a fried egg on top. Don't over exert yourself though, or you
will get altitude sickness, and DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL. If you do not do
this excursion there is hiking to awesome waterfalls and skidiving
available. Note: skydiving is not encouraged through contiki and you
have to sign a waiver if you do it, and it is also about 400 sf.
Paris:
An Evening at Auberge de la Bonne Franquette (34 Euro): Tonight's
traditional Restaurant, located in Montmartre's artist's quarter, is
the perfect place to tempt your taste buds with French cuisine. A three
course meal with local wine and a great atmosphere means this will be
an evening to remember
Again, the food was amazing and worth every penny. You start with a welcome drink of white wine with black currant liquer. Each table of 6 has a bottle of white wine and 2
bottles of red. Each course you have a choice between a few items,
however I had escargot for the appetizer and orange duck for the
entree. After this you get a rasberry cake for dessert and a coffee at
the end. After the meal you immediately go to the cabaret.
Nouvelle Eve (70 Euro): Enjoy an evening at Nouvelle Eve, one of the top cabaret
shows in Paris. Situated near Montmartre, the show is an extravaganza
of dancing girls, exquisite costumes and comedy acts. Your visit
includes half a bottle of champagne and one of the most dazzling
'French Can Can' dances around. A truly French evening that is
unforgettable!
I was hesitant on doing this, mostly cause of
the price, but it turned out to be awesome. The best way to describe it
is a toned down cirque du soleil. If you have ever seen one, after you
see this show you can see where the inspiration came from. A lot of the
acts are very similar. If you sit in the very front row you may get
pulled on stage like some guys from our tour did. Every table has 2
bottles of champagne and 4 glasses. Luckily for me, 2 people at our
table didnt drink more than 1 glass. A great night indeed.
