Trip Manager: Europe 2026
Contiki
🇪🇺 Locations Across Europe
Competitive Salary
Seasonal
The role of Trip Manager for Contiki is a demanding yet fulfilling one. Our Trip Managers are responsible for the day-to-day running of our trips we operate in Europe; from Ireland across to Turkey and from Iceland down to Egypt (it’s a big region).
The TM role requires a lot - like getting our travellers from city to city, pointing out the best sights and sounds of the unique places we visit, making and confirming bookings/keeping the schedule on track and making sure everyone has a great time along the way. So having said all of that, it’s only natural we look for people with personality and passion, who are fun, friendly, organised and approachable and most of all who enjoy looking after other people.
Applications for 2025 are now closed but you can register your interest for 2026!
Why work for Contiki
We’ve been delivering social travel for 18-35s since 1962 and still have the same passion, spirit of adventure, love of people, along with a drive to connect local cultures, traditions, and nature with our travellers.
When working for us you are undertaking not only a job but a lifestyle. A lifestyle that involves travelling to some of the most incredible destinations in the world with some of the most diverse and amazing people you'll ever meet.
As a member of our Team, you will be the face of Contiki, leading our travellers each day and ensuring that they have the vacation of a lifetime! Our travellers have high expectations of us so naturally we have the same high expectations of our Team - only the best will do. We've been at the top of our game for over 60 years and that's where we intend to stay!
To be a part of our team you'll need to:
Be passionate about travel and Europe - you must be willing to learn and have the desire to keep on learning.
Be enthusiastic and motivated - we expect you to work hard for our travellers and the brand.
Have great time management skills.
Be responsible and professional all whilst having fun.
Have the ability to deal with all types of people - our travellers come from all around the globe; they speak many languages and have many different expectations.
Enjoy a challenge - our training trip and the job itself will constantly present you with many different and difficult situations.
Be positive and have the ability to deal with all situations in a calm and mature manner.
Be a problem solver - you will have to assist travellers with lost items, when they have injuries or need to visit a hospital, conflict of personalities, and the list goes on.
Work well as part of a team - when you are on your trip you will be working with your Trip Driver, local suppliers, hotels, restaurants and local guides - you will be a part of a very big picture.
To find out more about what its like to work as a Trip Manager with Contiki, visit our “meet your trip team” page.
What are the requirements?
You must be able to work across the European Region. This means being the holder of one of either a European Passport or a working/residency visa in a European country before commencing training in March 2026. Please note we cannot sponsor any applicant for this position. You must have a valid work visa (or residency) for the EU before commencing training.
Although not required, the following will be of benefit to you in your application for this position:
Experience working with and leading groups.
Confidence when speaking in front of a group.
Previous travel in Europe.
Having previously travelled with Contiki or participated in a group tour of some description.
What happens next?
You can register your interest for 2026 positions now and applications will open later in the year. By registering we can give you the heads up as soon as they open. Once we have reviewed your application you will hear from us via email. We will be using a video interviewing platform as a part of our recruitment process. If we think that you may be suitable for a position, we will invite you to partake in a virtual video interview. This technology will allow us to connect with you quickly and conduct our initial assessment. Video interviewing also gives us the opportunity to learn more about your personality and your work experience.
The next stage will be an invitation to participate in one of our group interviews. For this interview you will be asked to prepare a short talk on a subject - we will choose a topic for you to prepare ahead of time with specific guidelines. On the same day as your group interview with your introduction and topic talk, we will invite you to an individual interview; this individual interview will typically take 20-30mins.
Following a successful individual interview, you will be offered a position on on our 2026 European Training Trip. To secure your place on this training trip you will be required to pay a bond of €300.00. This amount is fully refundable upon the successful completion of your first Contiki trip. Refunds will not be given to those who change their mind about attending, who do not successfully complete the training trip or do not subsequently work as a Trip Manager post training.
On receipt of your bond we will send you your pre-training trip assignment to be completed and submitted by a specified date. This assignment will help you begin learning about Europe's history, geography, politics and current events as well as the Contiki product. All of these aspects of knowledge are vital for becoming a successful Trip Manager.
Training begins in March 2026 and involves 8 weeks travelling in Europe. You will visit most of our major destinations throughout Europe and along the way learn the skills of Trip Managing – the Contiki way. Our training trips are renowned for being intense and very challenging so the more advance preparation you undertake the better off you will be. An offer of contract work will not be made until you have successfully completed the full training trip.
When you work for Contiki you are joining a global brand; your opportunities to further your expertise stretch from the United Kingdom and Scandinavia to Australia, Asia, Africa, America, Canada and New Zealand – if you have the right to work there and the interest in tackling a new region, we want you! Given the reputation of our training program, you will always go far in the fields of travel, tourism and beyond.
