Page 37 - Explore Magazine Summer 2018

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Topdeck's on-tour Her knowledge of each city that
we visited was very impressive
optional activities and she provided us with lots of
offer value for money context, insight and history on
each city or attraction before
and insights into we visited it, which made for a
each city and I highly greater experience.
recommend that Topdeck’s tour app
travellers consider includes a group
doing them. chat function so you

Topdeck tours cater to 18- to can get in touch with
39-year-old travellers from all your fellow travellers
over the world. Our group size
was approximately 45, was before, during and
primarily female and varied in after the tour.
age from 18-35 years with the
average age being around 24. The Our Topdeck driver was Catalin
Topdeck buses were very clean, Ionescu, who was always pleasant
comfortable and spacious with and polite, helping us with our
air-conditioning, a toilet, reclining bags every morning and when
seats, seatback tables, USB we arrived into each city, as well
charging ports for each seat and a as transporting us safely to and
TV and DVD player on board. from each destination. Both Judes
The accommodation was based and Catalin made sure to include
on multi-share hostel/hotel-style themselves when we had group
accommodation so in most cities dinners and nights out, so it was a
we were in rooms with bunks and lovely way to get to know both of
around six to eight people of the them on a personal level and not
same sex in each room. In some of just as our driver and guide.
the cities though we had twin-share Two other positives about Topdeck
accommodation and proper beds. were the fact that they don’t ask
The accommodation was always for or expect tips so it was nice
clean and comfortable with some not to have that added expense to
being more budget than others, worry about on a long tour. They
but I was never unhappy with any of do ask however, that you complete
our stays. Each hostel or hotel was a survey at the end of the tour
either centrally located or easily rating each aspect, including the
accessible by local transportation driver and guide, from one to five
and was close to food outlets stars. Topdeck also has an app you
and shopping. can download prior to departure
The tour included all breakfasts, that includes your itinerary, a
which varied between simple weather function, a budget tool
continental breakfasts of toast, to keep track of your spending,
cereal and cold meats to full a currency converter, maps of
buffet-style affairs with scrambled each city that are downloadable
eggs, hash browns and fresh fruit. for use offline and a group chat
Our inclusive dinners were always function so you can get in touch
generous and while some were with your fellow travellers
more basic than others we were before, during and after the tour.
never left feeling hungry.
Given the opportunity I would
Our Topdeck tour guide was Judes happily do another Topdeck tour
Douglass who was always bubbly and would recommend them
and positive, even when she as a great coach tour option
came down with a very bad cold for young couples, singles and
while on tour, and she made sure friends who want to travel with
everything ran smoothly for us. like-minded people.

HELLOWORLD : EXPLORE : SUMMER EDITION