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Contiki vs Topdeck
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of Contiki and Topdeck.The Low Down
Over 35? Then Contiki is not for you. With tours and adventures designed for the 18-35's through Asia, Africa, North and South America and Europe, you'll need lots of energy for the good times ahead. Traditionally Contiki trips have been known for their late nights, lots of sleeping on the coach, and some sightseeing on the side. Contiki's philosophy of #NOREGRETS is about changing your perspective on the world, walking in others shoes, witnessing different cultures, religions, and ways of living. But most of all, it’s about living life out loud, unashamedly and completely, loving every single second of being young! 
Topdeck has undergone a complete brand refresh and their big bus tours are out. An all-new portfolio of small group tours for travellers aged 18 to 32 have been released. There's a maximum of 18 travellers on each trip along with a more targeted age range that has narrowed from 18-39 to 18-32. With a renewed focus on connection, Topdeck's small group trips prioritise authentic, genuine interactions with fellow travellers. Smaller groups allow for a more connected and personal exploration of each destination and a more inclusive and communal atmosphere. While Europe makes up the backbone of Topdeck's range, they also run a series of tours through Asia, Egypt, Morocco and New Zealand. Topdeck's new trips take advantage of public transport where they can - like the use trains over coaches to allow more time in key cities and less time spent travelling.
Stats
No. of Trips
442
No. of Departures
6,932
Avg. Trip Length
13 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$194
Accommodation
Mixed
Budget
Affordable
Trip Styles
Coach Tours18-to-30'sSailing TripsFestivals & EventsShort Breaks
No. of Trips
41
No. of Departures
694
Avg. Trip Length
14 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$212
Accommodation
Mixed
Budget
Affordable
In Their Own Words
We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
Contiki are the world leaders in travel experiences for 18-35’s. We exist to connect young travellers to the time of their lives. We believe in real experiences and we care about making sure these experiences contribute positively to the people and places we visit. We are focused on discovery, once-in-a-lifetime moments, human connections, and making every second of being young count.
For over 55 years we’ve been perfecting the secret formula to the perfect trip - we know you’re after unique experiences, local insight and accommodation that’s more than a place to sleep. We run over 350 trips across 6 continents, each one designed to get to the beating heart of a destination, understanding the local way of life, unearthing unforgettable experiences and creating lifelong memories. Real experiences, unique accommodation, local food, the best team and awesome people all deliver Contiki’s no regrets experience.
Topdeck's origin story was small group touring. It was 14 absolute adventurers who were fun and spirited and ready to go out there and see everything. At the end of the 90's and into the 2000's, Topdeck moved to large coaches and now we're returning to or roots. Our travellers don’t see bigger groups as ‘more social’ -they want to connect quickly, with like-minded people, in a way that feels less overwhelming and less intrusive.
Small group touring unlocks up so many opportunities. We can now get into local tavernas or hole-in-the-wall restaurants, sit family-style, and build that cultural connection. We can run small optional expereinces and secure entry to highlights like the Alhambra much more easily than with a large coach. It makes each experience more immersive and flexible.
What’s changed is the trip itself: better choice of centrally located accommodation, richer in-destination experiences, and more inclusivity.
Recent Reviews
4.6
Managed to see everything. Was a thrilling experience that managed to avoid early exhaustion by stopping in each location for a bit longer. Definitely good if you want to see different tourist cities in Italy quickly though certainly doesn't encapsulate everything. My main difficulty was with the group dynamic and as a solo traveller I found it challenging read more to fit in especially as I wasn't so much as the party instagram type and was more focused on the historical background of the sites.
Great tour starting in Barcelona and ending in London. It was also good how you get to spend two nights in certain cities. The local dinner in Italy was a highlight and recommended!
I you love swimming, blue water and heat, you will love this tour. Greece was gorgeous and the places visited amazing.
Breathtaking tour along the Mediterranean Coast 3
Barcelona to Rome Quest
Ed, QLD, Australia, May 2024
This was my second trip with Contiki. I joined the London to Vienna Trail two weeks earlier and then joined this trip in June with a gap in between. It was an unforgettable experience, from our very first stop in Nice I knew I was in for a great time. All the included and optional experiences were loads of fun and really brought the group closer together, read more I made great friends and amazing memories all while traveling along the Mediterranean in Summer! All the accommodation was comfortable and clean and my Contiki tour guide and coach driver were always friendly and made traveling from place to place stress free.
Our tour guide was super helpful by doing some of our thinking for us by letting us know of the best places to eat or to get a drink wherever we were. Booking with Global Journeys made traveling to Europe a whole lot easier. My advisor Sam was always really friendly and informative, always letting me know what I needed to do in preparation of my trip and making sure I didn't miss any deadlines for anything which made my life a lot easier.
Our tour guide was super helpful by doing some of our thinking for us by letting us know of the best places to eat or to get a drink wherever we were. Booking with Global Journeys made traveling to Europe a whole lot easier. My advisor Sam was always really friendly and informative, always letting me know what I needed to do in preparation of my trip and making sure I didn't miss any deadlines for anything which made my life a lot easier.
Every part of this tour was so much fun! From the canal cruise in Amsterdam to the classical music night in Vienna - I enjoyed every moment of it. My Contiki tour guide and coach driver made traveling stress free, it was so nice not having to worry about how I was going to get from place to place so i could just enjoy each location we went to. The group read more I was traveling with was great, people from all walks of life, all like minded, and all really easy to get along with, I would definitely recommend this trip to any future travellers.
Booking through Global Journeys made my life so much easier. My agent Sam was incredibly helpful, he pretty much sorted everything out for me and made sure I didn't miss any of my deadlines which made the entire process a lot less stressful.
Booking through Global Journeys made my life so much easier. My agent Sam was incredibly helpful, he pretty much sorted everything out for me and made sure I didn't miss any of my deadlines which made the entire process a lot less stressful.
Global journeys are great to deal with and this Contiki tour was awesome! The trip manager and driver were both great.
4.6
Fast paced trip through many locations in Italy 4
Italy: Pasta & Piazzas
Barbara, VIC, Australia, Aug 2017
Bravo Italia was a fantastic tour that included 16 stops around Italy. This is not for someone looking for a leisurely holiday - every bus day had stops at towns with walking tours and then time for lunch along with a group dinner once you arrived in your location, and most free days had included walking tours or activities that took up most of the read more morning. If you are looking to see as much as you can in as little time as possible I would recommend this. Our trip leader was highly knowledgeable and always happy to help if you had a question about where to go, what to do, etc. The other people on the trip were mostly from Aus/NZ and were mostly age 25+, with a lot of couples. Booking through Global Journeys was easy and I would use them again.
I really enjoyed the laid back pace of this tour. Unlike the usual Europe coach tours, this felt more relaxed, mostly as it was one county and main transport by ferry. The accommodation could be better, hotels usually not in central locations (apart from the really small islands we visited) and fairly dated/old. Also, a large chunk of the tour are very read more young, be prepared for lots of alcohol/late nights. I found the pairing of roommates quite odd (e.g I'm in my mid twenties and shared with an 18 year old, another was a 30 year old with a 20 year old). Otherwise the tour was very enjoyable and I really enjoyed the amount of free time. The optional tours were worth it as well.
I thoroughly enjoyed this 2 week trip around Turkey. Excellent included and optional activities, acceptable accommodation and overall fantastic value for money. The tour guide was a disappointment however for me this did not detract from the trip as I used the tour more as a means of getting around Turkey as opposed to a guided tour. I would recommend read more this to anyone who wants to see all the main sites of this incredible country.
The company Topdeck is extremely well organised, the tour was flawless, the tour guide great and the driver very skilled. Accomodation and supplied food was of very high standards. I had a great time. Hannah my Global Journeys Tour Consultant that booked my trip was also great, easy to book with no hassels. Thanks Hannah.
The Bravo Italia tour was amazing. Top Deck is a great tour company and this tour was well organised and lots of fun. Global Journeys was great. Yvonne was so lovely and really helpful. She promptly answered any questions I had and was very knowledgable. Thanks Yvonne for helping organise this amazing holiday. I would recommend Global Journeys and Top read more Deck to anyone wanting an amazing, well organised holiday!
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