"The two of you have never met before this trip?" I asked, incredulously.
This question came up repeatedly, and I was always met with a shrug and laughter. Just four days into a weeklong trip with Contiki, once-strangers had already become what seemed like lifelong friends.
The truth soon dawned on me: Achieving such a high level of camaraderie among its travelers is an essential ingredient of Contiki’s secret sauce — and it happens bar none.
On a winter fam trip featuring a condensed version of the tour operator’s 13-day European Discovery trip, I was the lone journalist among 34 travel agents and Contiki sales managers from the U.S., Canada, Latin America and South Africa. Travel industry ties aside, however, almost all of us fit the bill of Contiki’s target clientele: hungry to see the world, partial to having fun and between the ages of 18 to 35.
One of the company’s most popular itineraries, European Discovery showcases the operator’s whirlwind Discover travel style. For clients who prefer to slow things down, seven more travel styles are available. But, regardless of the selected pace, daily free time is built into each itinerary and can be filled with at-cost “me time optional” activities, such as a canal cruise in Amsterdam or a bike tour in Munich.
Depending on the season, Contiki’s European Discovery itinerary may take travelers to destinations including Mount Pilatus in Lucerne.
Credit: 2018 Valerie ChenSimilar to what clients would experience, we started each day’s journey with an upbeat wake-up song (Ben Rector’s “Brand New”) booming from our modern, well-equipped coach’s speakers. As we flitted from place to place, our trip manager, Grant Feddo, delivered an impressive lineup of facts and history with ease again and again — no matter the destination or question at hand. (All Contiki trip managers are heavily vetted; Feddo had undergone a 67-day training trip before being hired.)
In Lucerne, Switzerland, for example, he elucidated the origin of Mount Pilatus, including the purportedly true tales of dragons that once commanded the magnificent summits. Two gondola rides later, we reached Pilatus’ pinnacle, where a clear day reveals a spectacle of 73 Alpine peaks. That December day was foggy, so no such luck — but a smattering of snowy crests rising over the clouds, along with the some 6,800-foot altitude, still took everyone’s breath away.
Feddo had the help of informed locals, too: In Edam, the Netherlands, a clog maker demonstrated how to carve shoes out of poplar wood, after a cheese maker waxed poetic about transforming whey and curds into the town’s eponymous cheese. We also sipped wines in Germany’s Rhine Valley, learning from a vintner that grapes picked while frozen are the foundation for deliciously saccharine ice wine.
Accommodations varied in quality, but all were comfortable. In Europe, Contiki contracts with three-star hotels, and rooms can be specifically booked as a single, double or triple. Most hotels will be located outside city centers, depending on demand and pricing.
En route to our final dinner in Munich together, Feddo played our wake-up song for, he regretfully informed us, the last time. A chorus of boos and heavy sighs met his announcement, but many of the attendees had already exchanged promises to keep in touch — and two new friends had plans to see more of Europe together the next day.
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