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My wife and I are planning a trip to London and Paris next year. We're both in our mid-late 20s. We looked up Contiki, they look decent but it's for 18-35 yr olds and I'm afraid it'll be leaning towards the 18-21 side. We also looked up Virgin vacations but reviews say they are unreliable sometimes. It'll be our 1st international trip so definitely don't want unreliable agents!
Any recommendations for good tours that are a little more mature and reliable? Has anyone used Contiki or Virgin?
You don't need a tour for either of those cities! Both have great public transit and there are tons of resources on the Internet to suggest itineraries and places to visit.
You don't need a tour for either of those cities! Both have great public transit and there are tons of resources on the Internet to suggest itineraries and places to visit.
Agreed! In addition, both cities are very walkable.
I went on a contiki tour to Greece when I was 26. I chose them mostly because my friend backed out on me and I still wanted to go, but I was afraid to go alone. Contiki worked well for me then. Most of the people were 22-28 with just a couple on either side of that range. I had a great time and I'm really glad I went. The downside is that it was a cheaper tour, with cheaper accommodations. Didn't mind so much when I was 20something, but I wouldn't do it now. Really, I'm too old now and they wouldn't take me anyway.
A friends daughter (22 years old) just did a long trip through Europe with Contiki and she loved it. She ended up hooking up with some others of her tour group and staying in Europe an additional 6 weeks.
If you have never travelled outside the US before, there is a certain level of comfort that comes from starting with an organized tour group. Maybe just do a really short tour with a group, then head off on your own for a week or so. I remember that when I got to Athens, I was scared to even walk around the town by myself until we met up as a group later that night. By the end of the tour I was quite comfortable with being in a foreign country and I have done a lot of traveling since then.
You don't need a tour for either of those cities! Both have great public transit and there are tons of resources on the Internet to suggest itineraries and places to visit.
I completely agree. You will just be herded around the sights and taken to terrible places to eat burgers.....
Do an open top bus tour if you want to get an overview but both cities are easy to do on your own and you can eurostar between them - easier than flying and quicker as you do't have to go out to the airports etc etc
Maybe do a virgin vacation thing to get the flights and hotels.. they usually give good deals but you can also check online and book flights yourself and get good deals...
Thanks for the replies! After taking your replies and other reviews into consideration, we decided we're just going to trek out on our own! The wife is a stickler for hotels, so Contiki was out of the question. Like you all mentioned, after we get used to the transit system, I'm sure we'll feel more comfortable. We're not too much worried about getting around London, its Paris that we're a little anxious about since our French is lacking. But we plan to get a hotel within a few meters of the Metro so hopefully we won't get lost! Thanks again.
Thanks for the replies! After taking your replies and other reviews into consideration, we decided we're just going to trek out on our own! The wife is a stickler for hotels, so Contiki was out of the question. Like you all mentioned, after we get used to the transit system, I'm sure we'll feel more comfortable. We're not too much worried about getting around London, its Paris that we're a little anxious about since our French is lacking. But we plan to get a hotel within a few meters of the Metro so hopefully we won't get lost! Thanks again.
Its not a big deal, but when you are on the Metro, just be street smart about your belongings. Make sure you are staying at a good hotel and leave most valuables, including your passports, in the safe there. This is particularly true if using the metro when it is busy. It is a very good system, modern and clean and it is easy to use.
I´ve been doing some research about hotels near subway stations and different areas of Paris to stay in/explore. I know I want to go to the Louvre, check out Montparnasse and check out the Bastille area at night. I´ve also read some interesting things about the Bercy area and want to check that area out.
As I´m a city guy who moved to the mountains I decided that I wanted to stay near a park and Bois de Boulogne near Porte Maillot looks like a good place to wake up and walk in an open space before headed into the city to explore.
My French is from High School and its a bit mixed up as I have since learned a bit of Spanish in SA. So I wanted to find a hotel where they would be tolerant of my clumsy attempts at speaking a new language. I tried to contact a few of the hotels I found through a site specifically for places near subways and so far the Hotel Concorde La Fayette has been the most accomidating. Does anyone have first hand knowledge about the place so I know its the rule and not the exception?
Hotel Concorde La Fayette [url]http://www.subwayhotels.com/Paris/Concorde-La-Fayette-2169.html[/url]
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