Travel cheap, but with speed.
Youth Travel (under 26’s) is an expanding market that is growing at a rate 3-4 times that of our elder counterparts. But what’s the best way to see the Eiffel Tower, Red Light District and Roman Coliseum?
If you ask Hillary Owen, Manager of Ryerson’s Travel Cuts, package tours are the simplest and leading option.
“You don’t have to worry about anything once you’re there.”
Having been on a tour myself a year and a half ago I am inclined to agree. Though there were moments when my traveling companions and I were frustrated by the maze like streets of Venice and the two hour line at the Vatican museum, the overall experience was virtually stress-free.
When my sister and I first decided we were going to Europe for our respective graduations (she from University, I from High School), we planned to organize the trip ourselves. However, being students and distracted by more (and less) appealing tasks we soon decided that option was unrealistic.
Looking through the pamphlets we discovered the options of where to go, for how long and how fancy we could get were endless. There are hundreds of companies with thousands of tours to choose from in destinations all over the world.
We chose to take a Contiki tour. Contiki is a tour company for 18-35 year-olds. Packages include some meals, hotels, transport on a coach bus and a tour guide & bus driver (who are also within the age limit). There are also add on activities for a fee. Owen said it is the most popular tour company for students.
With Contiki we found out there are three types of tours; Superior, budget and camping. Camping was a bit cheaper but none of us were exactly outdoorsy people. We chose the budget 9 countries in 20 days tour, but only saw the trees of Belgium “in transit." We booked on the phone but you can also book online or at Travel Cuts in person.
Our tour group was made up mostly of Australians and South Africans with a few other Canadians and Americans thrown in. Almost the entire bus was below age 25, the economy tours are more likely to have the relatively poor students.
Lisa Mclean, Contiki’s Canadian Marketing Manager, said Contiki’s considered to be a right of passage for Australians. On most tours 45% will be Australian.
However, she said Canadians are becoming a common presence. “We’re breaking down the typical view of what a Contiki tour is. It’s totally up to you what you want to do in each city.”
This was true but the tour was disappointing as it rushed through quite a few cities – we did Munich in 40 minutes. And literally ran across Paris to make sure we saw everything. We saw The Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame in 6 hours.
Mclean told me the tour I went on was designed to give a, “flavour of Europe. They try and get you to see as much as possible,” in the longer tours you, “Get to relax in each city”.
Despite the lack of relaxation the tour was worthwhile. I know where I want to go back to.
Apparently my trip choice and the thought of going back is “typical.” Go figure.
Michael Palmer, the executive director of the Student & Youth Travel Association, said “Typically the first trip overseas (for youth) is to Europe. 7 cities in 10 days, multiple countries in multiple days.”
In their second trip they stay in a few places for a longer time.
The morning after we arrived back in London we were off on a 4-day bus tour through England. This trip was through a company called Haggis. It was a little more relaxing than Contiki – but also gave more of a feel for the country. We went to the tourist sites, Stonehenge and Bath, but also stopped at random spots along the way.
Unlike Contiki, whose guides are from all over the world, the guides on Haggis are locals. Kat Storris, who does sales & reservations for Haggis said clients get what they can’t traveling alone. “You get to learn about history of the culture – if you’re just going on your own you get to see scenery but don’t necessarily get to hear about it.”
During our tour we stopped at a rock creation that even our tour guides didn’t know the purpose of. It wasn’t marked and was hidden from the road. They told us people assumed it had been created by the Pagans. It was this sort of random information, and hidden sites that made the trip more interesting than I believe driving through England with a travel book could have been.
Owen told me, “There are some people who just don’t want to do tours.” In which case she says she sets them up with Airfare, a rail pass and a hostelling card (which gives discounts at hostels across Europe). She says in the dead of summer it is probably cheaper to take a tour. Normally it’s around the same price there’s just a lot more work before you leave and when you get there.
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