contiki hotel: vacation

The world is an amazing place, yours for the taking. Open it, explore it, make your mark. At Contiki we live by one travel rule: make every moment count. So how do we make this happen? Eclectic experiences, delicious local food, incredible accommodation and unbeatable value are all part of the Contiki mantra. Coupled with our exclusive Backstage Pass to the best attractions and our awesome team, your trip of a lifetime – guaranteed.

Some people call Europe a rite of passage. At Contiki, we call it an adventure. Imagine waking up to the green rolling pastures of the Alps and falling asleep to the lapping of the waves in Croatia. Or one minute checking out Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower, the next freewheeling along the canals of Amsterdam. There's no other continent on Earth that combines such a heady mix of culture, history, creativity and sheer awesomeness. Europe is what life is all about: discovery. It's time to start your own adventure.

Insider access included as standard in every Contiki trip. When you travel Europe, you want to do it right. You want special treatment and exclusive access that turns a regular trip into the trip of a lifetime. That's why Contiki gives you a Backstage Pass to Europe with every trip. It's a combination of all the things below, many exclusive to us, that come together to make up your trip like no other. Best of all, it's free and comes included as part of every Contiki trip

ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCES YOU CAN'T GET ANYWHERE ELSE A trip with Contiki is all about those once in a lifetime experiences, and our exclusive accommodation offers just that. We either own or have exclusive agreements in place with stunning properties throughout Europe, like the 16th century Château de Cruix in the south of France, a beautiful beachside resort on the Greek Islands and a magnificent Gasthof in the Austrian Alps. (A Gasthof is a German-style tavern by the way!) All included as part of your Backstage Pass.

BLOCKBUSTERS AND BACK STREETS, ALL INCLUDED After 50 years travelling the continent, no other company can give you better access to Europe. The blockbusters are all included as part of your trip (& we help you skip the queues too!). Better than that we'll also get you to the parts of Europe that only a local friend in the know can show you. There are exclusives like our "Paris by Night" and "Special Access Rome" tours, and we'll get you around in style too, keeping you in touch, with WiFi available on our coaches, and for free at most of the places we stay. Our exclusive inclusions ensure your experience of Europe goes from ordinary to extraordinary, at no additional cost to you.

LOCAL KNOW-HOW THAT YOU JUST CAN'T GET FROM A GUIDE BOOK We've got over 400 team members across Europe. They're all passionate travellers whose sole focus is making your trip the time of your life. They live and breathe "local Europe", so if you want to get off the beaten track they can give you the inside word on what to do and where to go. If you want to find the best shopping in Florence or the best pint of ale in London, just ask!

FREEDOM TO EXPLORE Having the freedom to explore is an essential ingredient in the travelling mix, so we make sure you have plenty of free time to discover Europe and make your own adventures. ME Time is all about you, your time to decide the what, where and how of your trip. Go your own way or take advantage of one of our many ME Time Optionals. These range from bungy jumping in the Swiss Alps to having a guided tour of ancient Pompeii, so whether adrenalin junky or culture vulture, you'll be sure to find an option that suits. AUTHENTIC, LOCAL CUISINE Most of our included dinners feature the very best in regional cuisine from authentic local restaurants. Think traditional goulash in Budapest and terrific local Catalan cuisine in Barcelona. Or if you feel like sampling the buzz of a local market, tag along with our On-road Cooks and barter for the freshest foods around.