I decided to do a Winter Contiki because it coincided with the end of my visa and I wanted to do some travel before going home but didn't want to go by myself.  I would definitely recommend doing a Contiki tour for anyone travelling by themselves, it's a great way to make new friends and to see all kinds of places without having to worry about the logistics of accommodation and transport.

We started in London and travelled to Calais where we caught the ferry to Calais and travelled across France and Belgium into Amsterdam.  From there we visited Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Lichtenstein, Italy, Monaco, and France before returning to London.  Winter in Europe is very different to summer and I really enjoyed seeing the different faces of cities I'd been to before.  Also there were fewer tourists everywhere and there were the most gorgeous Christmas markets in almost every country we visited.  It was amazing to wander around with a cup of Glu wein (mulled wine) and look at all the Christmas lights.  I also picked up some great presents.  

Highlights of the tour included wine tasting in a Cave in the Rhine Valley in Germany, visiting the Grand Casino in Monaco and drinking the nutty martinis in the bar next door, and going to the Moulin Rouge in Paris.  Favourite cities of mine were Venice and Florence, neither of which I'd been to before but both of which exceeded my expectations.  We also had some mad nights out on the town, pretty much every night actually although many others on the tour took it easier than I did!!  I met incedible people from all over the place on the tour, friends I still keep in touch with now.  

For anyone considering a Contiki tour in winter I would definitely recommend it and would suggest taking lots of warm clothes as it is FREEZING in most countries although we were walking around in T-shirts in Nice.  I would also suggest packing some nice going-out clothes for the fancier excursions such as the Moulin Rouge and the Grand Casino as they are pretty dressy there.  The optional excursions do cost extra but were well worth doing.  The only one apparently that wasn't that great was the Fondue lunch in Lucerne although I didn't do that.

All in all Contiki really was the greatest trip ever, and while you don't have the time in some cities to see everything, it's a great way to get a taster of some of the best cities in Europe and to be able to enjoy every minute with a group of fab people.

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