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Reading: Fascinating Photos Reveal What A Contiki Tour Was Like In The 1970s & 80s
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18-35 Travel > Blog > Interesting > Fascinating Photos Reveal What A Contiki Tour Was Like In The 1970s & 80s
Interesting

Fascinating Photos Reveal What A Contiki Tour Was Like In The 1970s & 80s

Imagine being asked to pack a travel clock and 2 coat hangers 😂
Russell
By Russell 24th July 2023 1.2k Views Add a Comment
3 Min Read
Old photo of Contiki passengers in 1980 in front of old Contiki bus with original Contiki branding
In the 1970s & 80s, Contiki tours were a more laid-back, spontaneous affair, whereas today's tours offer increased structure and a heightened focus on sustainability and inclusivity.
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Travel back in time to the groovy 70s and tubular 80s, and experience the iconic Contiki Tours. Before the days of iPhones, Instagram, and Google Maps, the young’uns of yesteryear embarked on these epic adventures, armed with nothing but a sense of wanderlust and a paper map. So grab your bell-bottoms and leg warmers, and let’s dive headfirst into the wonderful world of Contiki Tours in the 1970s and 80s.

Ask your parents what travel was like in the 1970s and 80s. Actually, don’t do that. You might find out you were conceived in the back of a Contiki Kombi van.

Yes, Contiki actually used Kombi Vans back then!

Four young men in front of an original Contiki Kombi Van used in the first Contiki tours
Before the introduction of Contiki buses, the iconic Volkswagen Kombi
was the vehicle of choice for Contiki tours.

As you’d expect, the fashion of the 1970s and 80s was a sight to behold on a Contiki tour. Ladies donned their platform shoes, flared trousers, and bohemian dresses, while the gents rocked their denim jackets, mullets and moustaches. Everyone had their Polaroid cameras in tow, capturing the hilarity of their outfits and the questionable hairstyles of their fellow travellers.

If you think today’s coach buses are a squeeze, you should have seen the Contiki buses of the 70s and 80s. Often more akin to a tin can on wheels, these colourful contraptions would transport groups of fun-loving, freedom-seeking youths across the continent. Air conditioning? Pah! Who needs it when you have the breeze from an open window to cool you down? And let’s not forget the cassette player belting out classics from ABBA, Queen and David Bowie, providing the perfect soundtrack for the journey.

A young woman on a Contiki bus tour in 1980s drinking from a large bottle of wine with a young man looking on with a moustache
Back in the 70s and 80s, travel was considerably more relaxed, with fewer regulations.

Oh, the stories we could tell! Contiki in the 70s and 80s were renowned for their wild parties, impromptu singalongs and legendary pub crawls. With a group of young travellers thrown together from all corners of the globe, it was inevitable that sparks would fly and lifelong friendships (and occasionally romances) would be formed.

retro contiki packing list
contiki tour 1980 post letter
contiki 1980 saint marks venice
contiki bus
old contiki venice

Feast your eyes & ears on this 1980s Contiki advert [sound on 🔈]

Video Thumbnail
This retro Contiki advertisement from the 1980s exudes a sense of adventure and freedom, capturing the spirit of travel in a more relaxed era.
TAGGED: Contiki, Flashback
SOURCES: Daily Mail, YouTube
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