Just got back from the 10-day European Whirl with Contiki and want to share since I couldn’t find honest reviews from someone not in their early 20s before I booked.
Short version: yes there was drinking. Pretty much every night had an optional bar/club thing. BUT the days were legit packed with sightseeing and I’d say maybe a third of our group of 40 was late 20s / early 30s, a few were even mid 30s. It wasn’t a spring break bus.
The hotels were fine. Nothing fancy. The guide was great and actually gave good context at each stop. Italy portion felt rushed (1 night Venice, 2 Rome, 1 Florence) but that’s on me for picking a sampler tour.
Would I do Contiki again? Probably not at 30+, but at 28 it was honestly fine and I made 3 friends I still text. Anyone else done one recently, curious if my experience matches.