Does the idea of setting off on a wild adventure give you butterflies? Would you be interested in travelling with like-minded people you’ve never met before? Melissa Sharwood gives HCX readers the low-down on a trip she made with Topdeck!
London to Rome 2013
14 Days, 5 countries, 34 people and over 1000 photos will not even begin to express this unforgettable trip through Europe! Accompanied by a vibrant Topdeck team (including an onboard chef!) and passengers ranging from 18 to late 20s, my best friend and I had the time of our lives on the Topdeck Western Crossing tour this summer!
Led by an all-Aussi team (Kate, driver Damo and trained chefs Matt and Crispy) we were in excellent hands and thoroughly looked after during our time with Topdeck. The rest of the group comprised a range of nationalities including South African, Australian and Canadian – everyone with the same attitude of wanting to make the most out of their trip!
Accommodation on Topdeck trips vary from camping and hostels to hotel stays. Western Crossing is a camping and hostel tour and (although I am a huge hygiene fan) I couldn’t have chosen better! Most of the sites were in ideal locations close to main attractions and clean! The accommodation in Italy was especially good with pools, jacuzzis, clubs and restaurants on site.
The aim of the two-week trip is to see the highlights of the countries, giving you a snapshot of popular attractions, so many people from my trip then went back to the places they liked best. Most days you are free to do what you like and you choose which of the attractions you would like to do (although Aimee and I were adamant on seeing The Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, climb the Eiffel Tower and take a cruise down the Seine river in Paris in just one day which was a struggle)!
A couple of the days are primarily spent on the bus travelling to the next destination. You may think this boring but we wouldn’t have survived the trip without these chilled days to rejuvenate. Bonding on the bus is also a bonus and it gives you time to get to know everyone else on the trip. Luckily for us we had Dylan who is a musician so most of our bus-time was spent singing to classics like Jason Mraz’s ‘I’m Yours’ and ‘Slide’ by the Goo Goo Dolls.
Trips with Topdeck are highly reputable and early booking is usually essential. The trips are aimed at young, fun people with lots of energy and are very reasonably priced (Western Crossing was £640 including most meals). Trips are also not exclusive to Europe – they also run tours in Asia, Africa, the Americas and Austrialia. I couldn’t recommend Topdeck more and, if you are looking to make loads of friends and travel hassle-free, this is the trip for you!
Visit the Topdeck website at: https://www.topdeck.travel
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