I am 29, single, and looking forward to takemy first trip to Europe this summer. Does anyone recommend a particular tour company? I noticed Contiki prices are a bit cheaper than others (but do you compromise quality?). . Also, what are the approximate ages of travelers - I'd like to go on a tour with people close to my age.

The main difference between Contiki and Trafalgar is the age of the passengers. Trafalgar has a little better hotels. Trafalgar has a subsidiary called "Break Away", which is for 21-38. So, that might be a good option for you to look at. If you want to travel with people your own age, don't go with the normal Trafalgar, use either Breakaway or Contiki.

Glad to hear there are other singles looking to take a Trafalger trip. I am also 29 and plan to go this summer. I thought I might be too old for Contiki and it looks like Trafalgar's Breakaway tours will suit me better.

tour, or being too young. Our tour had a few singles, and the age range would have been from the very early twenties to almost eighty! I'm in my early thirties, and had some wonderful meals with the lady who was almost eighty, age ( a bit surprisingly) really doesn't seem to be too big a problem on tour, probably personality types matter far more. Our tour was excellent, but another tour we spend one night with was already squabbling and really being very nasty to each other, on the third night of their 21 day tour!
IMHO, Contiki tours are a little bit designed for the young kids who want to drink and party their way around the tour. That's fine, if that's what you want to do, BUT, who wants to travel on a bus with 30 other hungover grumpy people?

My experience on Contiki was great. All the Tourists were perfect. There were those that drank and those that didn't. There were all sorts of characters. I got to know everyone very well. The one problem was getting up early and going far to see something. Your time was limited and the schedule was tight. There is alot of bus time.