Contiki launches first-ever dedicated trip to Albania

Albania, often considered to be a hidden gem of Europe, ranked among the top three trending destinations by MasterCard Economics Institute. With Contiki’s brand new eight-day ‘Albania Beaches & Peaks’ trip, travellers can discover its untouched beauty before it goes mainstream. From enjoying the beautiful scenery of turquoise waters and white sand beaches in the Albanian Riviera, to hiking in Valbona National Park for show-stopping views, the trip covers all of the must-see spots in the destination. It also includes cable car rides and historical architecture tours in Tirana, a cruise over Lake Komani’s turquoise waters, surrounded by beautiful green mountain slopes and jagged cliffs. And even vineyard dinners and plenty of time to relax on the many beautiful beaches. Travellers will also have the chance to experience Albanian culture, with a traditional Iso-Polyphony singing performance, and even enjoy fresh cuisine at an agro-tourism farm that Dua Lipa has dined and stayed at.

The 10-day ‘Ancient Wonders: Rome, Athens, Cairo’ trip will explore three of the most important ancient civilisations in history. For the very first time, travellers will now visit the newest Grand Egyptian Museum, the world’s largest archaeological museum that showcases Tutankhamun’s tomb among other ancient artefacts. Kicking off in Rome, and then taking an included flight to Athens and Cairo, travellers will have the chance to discover each city’s ancient wonders with a local guide, with plenty of free time for DIY exploration. Travellers will also have the chance to take an island-hopping day trip to Hydra, Poros and Aegina, and even participate in an Italian cooking class in Rome.

With the recent launch of the new season of Emily in Paris, France has been trending all over social media. And now, travellers have the chance to live out their French fantasy too, with Contiki’s new trip ‘France in a Week’ with seven days of chateaus, champagne, perfumeries and patisseries on the agenda. The trip also visits Normandy’s D-Day beaches for a dose of history. It is perfect for anyone who wants to see Northern France but is short on time. The ‘Barcelona, Ibiza & Mallorca’ trip will see travellers exploring the mesmerising coastal islands of Spain, with beach relaxation, boat parties, food tours and historical exploration included.

Contiki also added further to its collection of train trips with the new itinerary ‘Paris to Rome by Train’ where travellers will ride the rails through some of Europe’s most romantic cities including Paris, Venice, Milan and Lausanne. It also includes plenty of free time for exploring every city.

The launch also includes ‘Active Alps’, an adventure-packed adventure trip to the best Alpine slopes in Austria and Switzerland, along with ‘England in a Week’ where travellers will explore England’s most famous cities like Bristol, Bath, York, Liverpool and more. New trips such as ‘Culture & Coastlines in Morocco’ and ‘Best of Morocco’ now go further in depth in Morocco, visiting the Agafay Desert and Ait Mansour Valley. After the success of Contiki’s German Christmas markets trip, a brand new ‘French Christmas Markets’ trip will be launched.

“We’ve been running trips in Europe for over 60 years now. It has become our legacy. So, our biggest-ever Europe launch is exciting to say the least. We’re glad to showcase hidden gems like Albania with this launch,” says Adam Armstrong, CEO, Contiki.

“We wanted to give our travellers as much choice as we could when travelling in Europe, whether that’s by coach, train, boat or even internal flights. You’ll see more of that in this launch with the ‘Paris to Rome by Train’ and ‘Ancient Wonders: Rome, Athens, Cairo’ trips,” says Kelly Jackson, managing director of TTC Tour Brands – EMEA.

“Albania is an up-and-coming destination for young travellers. But it can be quite difficult to navigate on your own. With this new Albania trip, we’ll take care of it all. All our travellers need to do is show up! We’re really proud of the Ancient Wonders itinerary too. It’s a treat for history lovers. We can’t wait for everyone to come experience it all in person,” says Emma McMahon, product development director.

Visit contiki.com for more info on all of Contiki’s latest adventures.
Visit www.contiki.com/travel-styles/new-trips for all of Contiki’s new trips.