Hi everyone,

Has anyone ever been on the Spain and Portugal tour that Contiki tours offers? I am thinking of going on it, but I am concerned with the little time they spend in Madrid(one or two days, I think). Also, I heard it is mostly a party and I would rather sightsee than party 24/7. Can anyone help me?

Hey there!

I went on a Contiki Tour a few years ago... 1998 or 1999 I think. Anyway, it is totally a party bus. It is a good way to see a lot of things in a short period of time, but not to learn or enjoy the country. You definitely need more than two days in Madrid. There is so much to see and believe me, you won´t even see a quarter of it in two days. The way the Contiki tour works is that you arrive in one major city. You are on your own for the first night. The next day you meet with the group and you head out, so most likely the only sites you will see of Madrid is what you have time to see on your arrival day. Then you drive to each location. Usually you arrive late morning or early afternoon. You don´t even have time to put your luggage away. You jump right off the bus and start sightseeing. Everything is rushed and at night (each night) they go to a local bar and get totally drunk. The next morning when you are up at 7am, you don´t even feel like sightseeing. All you want to do is hit the hotel to go to sleep, but you can´t, because you have to go sightseeing first... They also have contracts with certain stores, so most of your sightseeing is at tourist shops... where you can buy things. One good thing about Contiki is that if you are travelling by yourself and you are between the ages of 18-30, you will meet great people and have a wonderful time enjoying this unique experience. If you take the superior tour, all your accommodations and breakfast/dinner are covered. And the hotels are truly nice. Think of this tour like a party through time and culture, and not as a culture sightseeing opportunity...roses.