What to do with our Trip to Europe!? Contiki...Topdeck....Solo?

I wouldn't do the tours. Simply because you're going to a rather safe part of the world and freedom is always better than some prepackaged tour. You will easily meet many other travellers! Just stay in hostels, they are always full of friendly travellers who are more than keen to go out for drinks or whatever. Not to mention if you take a tour you will waste most of your time on a bus... and everyone knows that if you're going to travel around Europe the amazingly fast trains and ridiculously cheap budget airlines are the way to go! The notion of a two week tour of Europe is pretty crazy as well... you can barely even scratch the surface of some of the cities in two weeks let alone the entire continent! Besides if you end up not liking the people on your tour... you're stuck with them and don't have the option of just leaving like you would if you hate your hostel dorm-mates. If the notion of sleeping in a dorm freaks you out you and your friend can get a private room at the hostel and still easily meet lots of other travellers in the common areas (also any decent hostel has a kitchen so you can save money by buying food at the grocery store as opposed to restaurants all the time). I wouldn't be that worried about safety either, you have a friend watching your back and as long as you stay out of sketchy neighbourhoods there really isn't much to worry about. The biggest danger you'll encounter is pickpockets.