Remembering Europe

My Europe trip with Contiki is something I will always remember... It was always my dream to travel around Europe and Contiki offered me a fun and interesting tour with young people around my age. Contiki has tours for people aged 18-35yrs. Everyone seemed to be there on the same basis - to enjoy themselves while touring around Europe and seeing the sights.

It was fantastic having our own tour guide and knowing that we didn't have to worry about anything as it was all taken care of. Just as long as you paid attention to what he said, like getting back to the bus on time before we left!

One of my many highlights would have to be the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It's a cliché but when you are there it is still hard to believe that you are actually there realising your dream of doing so. I remember thinking at the time "Wow, it is possible to go and see what you've dreamt of". We were fortunate to also be taken on a night tour of Paris and we saw the Eiffel Tower again, but this time up in lights - sparkling. Just amazing!

I have so many memories from such a short time, such as in Italy being swamped by thousands of pigeons in the square, then a gondola ride along the beautiful canals in Venice, looking at the ruins in the Roman forum, the amazing sights of the Colosseum and the Vatican City in Rome. Not to forget the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

In France, eating snails and wandering through the gorgeous French countryside. In the Netherlands we watched a local craftsman make clogs then crossed the border and absorbed the majestic Swiss Alps from the door of our accommodation.

We saw every major attraction you could think of in the 11 countries we visited in 25 days. Staying a few days or even hours in each place means that you get to see so much in a short time and this helps you decide where you like best so you can visit again.

It was an experience of a lifetime and I have so many photos, which I cherish as a visual memory of my trip, and I can't wait to go back.

Feel free to pop in to take a look at some of them!