Just being really honest here because I wish someone had told me this before I booked.

I did the European Trail in 2024 and I'm Australian so the currency conversion alone was brutal. The trip itself is paid for obviously but the add-ons and day-to-day spending adds up fast.

What I actually spent (AUD):

Add-ons were just under $2,000. That's all the optional activities they offer along the way. You don't have to do every single one but realistically you're there and everyone else is doing it so you end up saying yes to most of them.

Food and drink varies heaps depending on which countries you're in. Eastern Europe is cheap. Switzerland will destroy your budget in about two days. I can't give you an exact number because I wasn't tracking every coffee but it was significant.

I took $11k total for the whole trip and came home with about $2k left over. That includes other things I did outside the tour but still.

My honest recommendation: Budget $2,500 to $3,500 AUD minimum just for the Contiki portion. That's on top of flights and the tour cost itself.

Better to have money left over than run out halfway through and have to skip things everyone else is doing.

Did the full Month Down Under trip from Auckland to Cairns in August and it lived up to the hype. 38 days is long but it doesn't drag. The itinerary moves at a good pace and you get proper time in the places that matter.

New Zealand was the standout for me. Milford Sound cruise was unreal, the Queenstown free days let you pick your own adventure level, and Abel Tasman walks were stunning without being hardcore. Franz Josef glacier area is beautiful even if you don't do the heli hike.

Australia portion starts strong in Sydney then gets very beach-focused. Three surf lessons across the trip which is either great or repetitive depending on how much you like surfing. Spot X surf camp near Coffs Harbour was a highlight for the group vibe. Fraser Island 4x4 camping experience was rough but memorable. Whitsundays boat day was gorgeous.

Group peaked at 18 people, average age probably 26-27. Mix of solo travelers and a few couples. Everyone got along which made long bus days bearable. Our CEO Josh was fantastic, very organized and knew when to give space versus when to rally everyone.

The pace is busy. You're moving accommodation every 1-2 nights for most of the trip. If you need downtime you have to claim it deliberately. Queenstown and Sydney have multiple free days which helped.

Honestly the biggest surprise was how much I loved the Kiwi portion. Came for Australia, left wanting to move to New Zealand.

Happy to answer specific questions if anyone's considering this one.

This trip is not for everyone. You are on the move constantly, overnight trains, new city every couple of days. But that pace is exactly what lets you actually see Vietnam properly rather than just one corner of it.

Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Phong Nha, Hanoi, Halong Bay. Each city feels completely different. The south is chaotic and energetic, the centre is quieter, more historic, the north has a completely different feel again. You wouldn't understand that contrast staying in one place.

Our CEO Channy was excellent. Good at giving you space when you needed it, good at pulling the group together when it mattered. Local guides in each city added a lot, people who actually live there and know the back streets.

Highlights:

Halong Bay is as good as the photos suggest. Limestone karsts coming out of green water, seafood lunch on the boat, caves to explore. Give it proper time.

Hoi An was my favourite city. Old town at night with the lanterns is something else. The Oodles of Noodles cooking class was genuinely good, hands on, proper lunch after.

Phong Nha caves are underrated. Most people skip them or rush through. Don't.

Nha Trang street food crawl at night covered more food in two hours than I managed in a full day on my own. Do it on day one.

Budget around 115 to 150 USD for meals across the trip outside what is included. Very manageable.

This tour covers everything Turkey has to offer. Every day felt like travelling to a different planet, the landscapes change that dramatically between Istanbul, Cappadocia, the Aegean coast, Pamukkale and Ephesus.

Fast paced and full of activities but the free time built into the itinerary helps a lot. You get proper moments to just slow down, sit somewhere beautiful and actually take it in rather than rushing to the next thing.

For the price this is exceptional value. You cover an enormous amount of ground, the history is everywhere and the CEO brought it all to life. Learned more about Turkey in two weeks than I had in my entire life before that.

Hot air balloon in Cappadocia is a must. Budget for it before you go, don't leave it as a maybe. Sunrise over the fairy chimneys from the air is not something you forget.

The Kekova boat day was the highlight for me. Mediterranean, swimming off the side, dinner on board. Nobody warns you how good the Turkish coastline is.

Met some amazing people. Made proper friends. That is the thing about group travel that you can't plan for but always ends up being the best part.