Contiki/People-to-People, etc.

[lajones81]

Hi!
I was wondering if anyone has ever traveled with Contiki or People-to-People. I'm well aware that they are different organziations (Contiki - traveling for fun) and (People-to-People - educators traveling with students), but am trying to get some more information on both programs. Thanks in advance!

 

[4shinystars]

My daughter was a PTP ambassador 3 years ago and went to England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales for 2 weeks. She was 12 at the time, and loved every minute of it. It can be very expensive, so get ready to do much fundraising. We didn't get any $$ that way because 2 others who had gone before went crazy in our town asking for donations etc... before they even officially signed up. Then one didn't go! Wonder what happened to the $$? That's another story...
I fully trusted DD's leaders and had no qualms about security or her travelling abroad.
She still talks about the trip, and said she'd go back in a heartbeat.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to pm/email me.

 

[Ginamarie]

My sister travelled with P2P last summer and will be travelling with them again in a couple of weeks.

It's a really great program set up by President Eisenhower. She got to earn about 12 college credits last year, so while it was pricy as a "vacation" it was a real bargain for earning credits. Last year she went to England/Ireland/Wales and this year she'll be going to France/Italy/Greece.

My family is very protective, but we all felt really safe sending her with P2P. They are viewed as ambassadors for the US government and are given access to things that normal tourists don't get to see. She made some great friends during the program and learned a lot.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the program, because we've learned a lot about it over the last couple of years.

 

[saucymb]

I've not traveled with either, but as a former travel agent for a student travel company, I'm rather familiar with Contiki.

Contiki is a great value for the money, with a lot packed into their tours. Restricted to ages 18-35, the average age of their "value" tours is around 21 and the average age of their "superior" tours is around 26. From what I heard from fellow agents who toured with them and customers who toured, the value tours seemed to have a lot of travelers who wanted to party. But that is avoidable if it's not what you're interested in. I traveled with two companies that are similar to Contiki, and I'm not a partier, and I had a great time and learned a lot about the places we visited. The guides for Contiki are supposed to be very knowledgeable and personable. I met a few guides, and the best word to describe them would be "enthusiastic".

 

[kjs1976]

My good friends did Contiki tours around Europe and loved them. They still keep in touch with some of the people they toured with.

I'm a teacher and a co-worker of mine travels as a chaperone on P2P. He started last year and went to Australia and is leaving for Japan in a week. Teachers go free and the application process is easy. He loved it and has a lot of confidence in the program.

P2P is expensive for the kiddos but gives them a well-rounded experience in the culture in which they are traveling.

 

[lajones81]

Thanks for all your awesome responses! I really appreciate your help!