I'm planning a trip to Erupe for summer 2007 for about a month and I'm wondering the pros and cons of both a tour (such as Contiki or Topdeck) and using Eurail. I would just like to know what everyone thinks about these ways of travelling.
Thanks

I took a Contiki this summer and I loved it! I went on my own but I met a lot of people on the trip. There's great comraderie on the bus and the Tour Manager and Driver are awesome!

The trip took us from London to Paris, through Switzerland, Austria, and Italy.

What I really liked about Contiki was that it was a stress free trip. I didn't have to worry about transportation, hotel reservations, or waiting in long lines. So more time to play!

It is a pretty fast paced trip, but we accomplished so much!

Eurorail is overrated. I studied abroad in Florence and Madrid last year and it's pointless to by a Eurorail pass because the point-to-point tickets are generally inexpensive, not to mention that now it's often cheaper to fly than to take the train because of the discount airlines (Ryanair, Easyjet, etc.)

Contiki ends up being a pretty good bargain because the cost is pretty inclusive. The trips average out to less than $100 a day including accommodation and transportation, which is pretty good. I thought it was a nicer option than relying on inconsistent train schedules (ie in Italy trains stop at 8pm and it's never fun to sleep in a train station). . I did a Contiki last summer that went to London, Paris, Lucerne, Rome, Venice, Hopfgarten, and Florence. It's a great way to maximize your time and get to know a lot of European cities. You can also add on to your tour or stay individually longer at places you liked after you trip ends.

Hope this helps!

Liz

I would definitely reccomend Contiki. This past summer I went to Paris, Lucerne, Florence, Venice, Tyrol Austria, Munich and Prague. It was honestly the time of my life, I went as a solo traveler which was cool becuase I got to meet so many young and interesting people interested in traveling.
Like castingeurope says, it is the best bang for your buck too because everything is included. $100/day for food, transportation, lodging, and an included extremely knowledgable tour guide. I absolutely loved everything about it.