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Teens & Travel
July 2010
My 14 year old will be traveling abroad, mostly with adult
family members, but one lap will be with her 16-year-old
cousin. I arranged for the unaccompanied minors supervision,
but would like to know about how she should carry her
passport, so as to reduce the likelihood of losing it. She
has lost glasses, so I don't have total confidence in her
ability to remember things. What I'm looking for are ideas
about how to help her hold on to the passport and any other
important documents.
a little nervous
My 13 yr old son has just returned from a trip to New Zealand by
himself as an unaccompanied minor on Air New Zealand. On Air NZ the
staff kept hold of his passport, customs form and boarding passes from
the time of check-in until he was met by his pick- up on both trips,
there and back. But as a precaution I also bought him the ''REI Water-
Resistant Document Organizer'' ($12.50) and said he had to wear this
at all times on his plane trip to carry any important document, like
tickets, boarding passes, etc. and stressed that the most important
was the passport if it was given back to him during the trip (which it
wasn't). When he arrived in NZ the staff handed the passport to his
uncle who picked him up and his uncle kept hold of that plus his
holder until his return trip. You should ask the airline if they
follow a similar procedure.
Sui
My daughter, who is almost 12, is quite forgetful as well. Under
ordinary circumstances, she can lose anything that's not stapled to
her. Honestly. (Ok, I haven't actually stapled anything to her.) But
last year she and her sister (then 8) traveled back from France as
unaccompanied minors, and she really rose to the occasion: not only
did she have no trouble keeping track of her passport, but she took
care of her sister and even helped translate for some of the
non-English-speaking UMs on the flight.
So my guess is that your daughter will understand how important this
is and rise to the occasion. But for added peace of mind, I recommend
getting her a neck pouch from REI for important documents -- she can
wear the string around her waist and tuck the pouch into jeans or
shorts; it's like an extra-secure pocket. It's also a good idea to
scan her passport and email the image to yourself (and/or her)... in
case the passport does get lost, you can access a copy of it from
anywhere with an internet connection.
Sounds like a great trip!
There is a simple silk/cloth holder worn around the waist (inside of
your clothes) that is easily accessible to the wearer but not others.
The passport slips easily into it. They are easily available at all
travel stores. It may sound bulky or difficult but I wore one and
found it simple, efficient, and inexpensive.
traveler
I lost my passport multiple times when traveling as a teen. It was
ok, we figured out to get it replaced -- for me, that was part of
learning how to become more responsible. For the trip itself, you can
give your teen a way to ''wear'' the passport and other documents around
her neck or waist, they sell items like that at REI and other outdoor
clothing stores.
once forgetful teen
April 2009
My 22 yr. old son wants to travel to Europe for three weeks this
summer. He is starting in Athens and from there to Paris, Amsterdam,
Munich, Berlin, Venice, Florence, Rome, Sicily. I am looking for
advice from parents of kids who have traveled via hostels/train
through parts of Europe on their own. Did they meet a lot of people
through traveling or were they on their own a lot of the time? He
doesn't know whether to try and find someone to go with him or not. He
has no problems on his own but I am hoping he will meet up with other
kids his age doing the same summer-type travel and make new friends.
Is this what happens? Also, what is your suggestion on how to get
around and how to find places (hostels the best) to stay. Does he make
reservations in advance or figure it out while he is there? Are there
travel agencies that specialize in this type of adventure?
anon
I am not the parent of a kid who has traveled alone to Europe, but I
did the Railpass thing in Europe on my own a couple of times when I
was in my early- to mid-twenties; I was working for a guide book.
First of all, congratulations on having an independent kid with a
curiosity about the world. That's great. He can have a wonderful and
not particularly lonely time on his own, because one is rarely
actually on one's own in these situations -- there are so many young
people from around the world who follow the same routes, so he can
join up or part ways as he wishes, which can be better than being
bound to a friend. I would advise him to buy one of the travel guides
and ''study'' in advance to make up his itinerary and get basic
important info. I wrote for Let's Go, but there are lots of other
options now, like Lonely Planet, so he can browse at the bookstore to
see which fits his personal style and needs best. The guides will
give him info about documents, money, communications, etc as well as
cultural and historical info. I don't know of any travel agency that
helps to plan this kind of travel, though the student travel agency at
Cal offers low-price airfares, railpasses, international student IDs,
etc.
Where a traveler should stay depends very much on the local culture
and the traveler's budget. I carried a tent and sleeping bag and
camped at campsites, and I also stayed in youth hostels. Occasionally
I would splash out for a B&B, but usually I couldn't afford it.
Campsites were often designed more for RVs, though I found some really
nice ones and in some countries (Scandinavia) you can just pitch your
tent in the countryside. In some cities/countries (Germany, for
instance) official youth hostels are largely devoted to kids' groups
and can be oppressive for single travelers. But in places like Berlin
there are also independent hostels that are designed more for
backpackers. So studying up by reading a guidebook and going on line
(www.lonelyplanet.com has a travelers' forum; www.letsgo.com has
stories from their researchers). Though I recommend reading up and
studying, it is really not necessary to reserve rooms in advance
unless there is a big festival going on at the destination. If your
son wants to talk to me (now a middle-aged lady, but still a traveler)
he's welcome.
Linda
These are all important questions you pose but I wonder why your 22
year old son isn't the one asking them to his friends and elsewhere
on-line.
I went to Europe on my own at 16 and then again at 17, and this was in
the stone age, before email, IM, and cell phones, when an
international phone call was a huge deal. He'll be fine. I
encourage you to let him figure all of this out himself---this is part
of what it means to travel on one's own. He'll have a great summer no
matter what.
Former traveller
What a great itenerary!
As someone who has backpacked in Europe myself, it was great. In
Southern Europe, people are much more friendly and warm, and you
won't feel alone, I didn't at least. Youth Hostels I would say are
the BEST because ther you'll meet the young people like you who are
travelling. I don't think I reserved ahead of time, but it may be
different now (or not, with the low economy, maybe less travellers?).
Avid Europe traveller
I went to Europe by myself when I was 24-I still consider it one of
the best things I ever did for myself. I went to every city you listed
except Athens-and several more! I was almost never alone as I met
other fellow traveler's on the train etc. People traveling in twos and
threes inevitably disagree about what to do or need a break from each
other. Here are my top tips: Buy a Eurail pass and make a broad plan
of countries to visit. Check it out here http://www.eurail.com. I
found Rick Steves ''Europe through the back door''
(http://www.ricksteves.com) invaluable for travel/packing/where to
stay info. I also recommend taking ''Frommer's Europe'' (
http://www.frommers.com).
I never booked in advance and with exception of cities that have large
well attended events happening (i.e. The running of the Bulls in
Pamplona, I always had several choices of places to stay. Folks in
Europe are also extremely generous about opening their homes to
travelers. He should definitely get a hikers style back pack
(http://www.rei.com) instead of luggage. I also took a lightweight
sleeping bag. Buy him a phone card so he can call you. He'll have a blast!
roxanne
Camping in Italy is great. The campsites are usually very clean and
well cared for, and often have restaurants, places to buy food,
phones, etc. Here is a nice website which lists campgrounds in Italy:
www.initaly.com/travel/info/camping.htm
I've stayed at a campsite just north of Rome which I like a lot. This
place is quite a scene, especially during the summer months, and is
very popular with Australian tourists, and has a restaurant, swimming
pool, bar, disco, even peacocks wandering around the premises. But
when I was there, it was relatively easy to get away from the noise of
the Australians, since once I had a tent with me and just camped, and
several other times I rented (for not much more money) a little
private tent, which was like a little cabin. It's easy to get into
Rome from this campground. Here is their
website:www.sevenhillscamping.com.
Many of the campgrounds in Italy are near stunningly beautiful natural
settings, i.e. the many campgrounds around the Lago di Bracciano, a
little further north of Rome. A great way to explore Italy is by bike;
this is how I've done it in the past: that way, you are very flexible
as to itinerary, what and when to see things, you don't have to worry
about compatibility with traveling companions, etc. Plus you get an
amazing sense of adventure and being completely on your own. The best
books for traveling in Italy are published by the Touring Club
Italiano, which are kind of like the Michelin guides, and have
detailed maps.
Another option is staying in monasteries, which I've never done, but
have heard really good things about. Besides the amazing experience of
seeing a beautiful monastery from the inside, this option is often
really inexpensive. The one down side of staying in a monastery is
that there is usually a curfew. There are books you can buy about
staying in a monastery, and I think also websites.
I hope your son has a great trip. It should be the adventure of a
lifetime. I still have vivid memories of my travels in Italy thirty
years ago. If your son would like more information about traveling in
Italy, please feel free to have him contact me.
Buon viaggio!
Jim
March 2009
Hi - My 18-year-old son and his best friend are starting to plan
seriously for a trip to Europe in June, shortly after graduation. The
main impetus for the trip is for his friend to attend his half-
brother's wedding in Berlin, but the boys want to travel around
Germany after the wedding, and also try to take in Amsterdam and
Paris. The boys are fairly self-reliant, but boys being boys, they
can also be a bit spacey and let things fall through the cracks,
which is my biggest worry. They've been investigating rail passes,
hostels, tours, etc., but since they'll pretty much be on their own
there, I wondered if any parents who've been through this have any
pointers, specifically regarding safety, whether to bring traveller's
checks or credit/debit cards (do they work in Europe?), cell phones,
resources in an emergency, etc. Thanks for any pointers if you've
let your teen-''adults'' travel alone.
Wanting this to go smoothly...
They'll have a great time. I was impressed that one of my daughter's
friends was highly organized and made bookings at every hostel they
were going to visit. It turned out, however, that that was because
she was very nervous about being in a fluid situation, and she
suffered a lot of homesickness, so some disorganization may not be the
problem you think it is. We bought them rail passes with a certain
number of days of travel, rather than the monthlong ones which oblige
you to race all over Europe to get value for money. We gave them $55
a day each in expense money (including accommodation and food), plus
the passes. You would have to adjust that now - the exchange rate then
was about 1.2 euro to $1 US. Big cities like London and Paris are
MUCH more expensive than everywhere else. We also gave them a cell
phone which worked well (because of one girl being extremely homesick)
but did cost a lot ($600 because of the homesickness). They
definitely used that in preference to a calling card where they had to
find a phone. Also, we could call them. They had six weeks of three
girls together and had two incidents. One where they were using an
atm late at night in Paris and ''magazine sellers'' came up to them,
obscured the screen and managed to withdraw money from their account,
the other where they fell asleep in a park in Barcelona(!) and a bag
was stolen with passport and card inside. Getting them replaced was a
cultural experience in itself and quite hilarious, but, because they
were together, not dangerous or scary. In terms of banking - I had
online access to my daughter's account and she could also look it up
online. Get them to post to a travel website or facebook as they go
-that way you'll be able to follow all the great times they're having,
and how much they grow.
Fiona
My 17-year-old son and a 19-year-old friend will be taking a similar
trip to Europe this summer. He's traveled to Israel on his own
before, so I think he can handle this. For money, the easiest and
least expensive exchange rate, is to use a debit card at any atm
machine. They can even get some euros before they leave from an atm in
the international terminal at SFO. Definitely don't bother with
travelers' checks. And don't use exchange places as their rates are
the highest. Credit cards also charge a high fee, so debit cards are
the best bet. Just make sure there's enough cash in the account to
cover them. And a credit card for emergencies is a good idea. Trains
are expensive, so eurail passes are a good way to go. Most cell
phones now can work in Europe, but the calls are very expensive, so
I'd make sure it's for emergencies only unless you want a horrendous
phone bill. We have lots of friends in Europe so the boys have many
places to stay, but they also plan to sleep on trains and in youth
hostels (very reasonable), which your kids can also do.
I did a trip like this when I was 17, so I know how great it can be
and I hope all the boys have a wonderful experience.
marissa
My son and his buddy travelled from Barcelona to Berlin (where he had
tickets to the World Cup finals he had ''won'' in the ticket lottery)
the summer after high school. I was definitely concerned, but he had
travelled internationally on a student exchange previously, and was/is
a smart, sensible kid--although definitely social and somewhat risk
inclined...
I had them make all the arrangements--figure out schedule, Eurail
passes, hostels, friends of friends to stay with, etc as part of
demonstrating ability to manage. We contributed the airfare (and
World Cup tix) as graduation present, but he used summer earnings and
savings to pay for on-site expenses. He had a US debit card which
worked at ATM machines and carried little cash. We used email at
cyber-cafes as primary way of staying in touch; phone for
back-up/emergency. My husband had the once-more-with-feeling safe sex
discussion with him. I don't want to know everything they got
into--but there were no obvious disasters, it was a fabulous trip, and
I figured this was a wonderful launch into the world of independence....
one launched (almost)
May 2008
Through circumstances that were entirely unavoidable, our
daughter will be taking two separate flights on her own
this summer, each with connections in major US airports.
The first trip involves a two-hour layover in Chicago as
she flies between London and Philadelphia. The second
involves her return from Philly with a lay-over in Denver
later in the summer. She is almost 15, has been flying
forever, has made many flights alone but has never changed
planes or gone through customs alone. I know she is a
capable organized traveler, with a cell phone, who knows
how to navigate airports, and all of her flights will be
on United with ticketless travel. She'll be taken to the
airport and met at her destination by family for both
flights. Nonetheless, I would appreciate any tips on
helping her move through big airports on her own. What I
really do not want is 1) anyone suggesting I don't love my
kid because how could I let her fly alone or 2) any horror
stories, because I just can't handle that. So, any
constructive tips for teens traveling alone would be
welcome and beneficial. This is the start of lifetime of
travel on her own, and I'd like it to go as smoothly as
possible, of course.
Lonely planet family
Congratulations on having an independent, intrepid
daughter! That's great. I loved to travel and started at
about her age in a different era -- no paperless tickets
then! I think the best thing to do is get as much info in
advance as possible. Go up on the internet and look at
the layout of the airports. Where in the airport will she
arrive? There is probably an international terminal and a
domestic terminal, and if she does on-line check-in the
day before (that would be a good move) there might even be
a gate number. She can look at maps of the airports on-
line and see what the lay-out is and how she will move
from one place to the next. It also helps to talk to
travelers who have gone through those airports recently.
What are the pitfalls? Are there any cool shops or
restaurants? You should also talk to the airline and find
out if there are services provided to minor travelers.
She doesn't need someone to accompany her necessarily, but
she does need to know whom she would approach if her
flight is delayed, her bag is lost, etc. Anticipate what
could potentially go wrong and have a strategy for
addressing that. Cancelled flight -- whom to call? In
case her bag is lost -- what to pack in the carry-on? As
a fifteen-year-old traveling alone, she should feel
confident about walking up to airline personnel and
explaining her situation in a pro-active way, so that they
will help look out for her.
bon voyage!
I have two daughters, 15 and 18, both also well-traveled.
They haven't yet traveled alone internationally, but I'd be
comfortable with them doing that. Your question got me
thinking about what I'd tell my 15 year old if she had to go
through customs on her own (which is likely the most
confusing thing she'll have to do...not that there's much
that can go wrong). I think I'd tell her that if she had
questions or felt uncomfortable in any way, to find a family
traveling together that she could ask a question of.
Another family is likely to be sympathetic to her plight and
would probably be both helpful and comforting. I'd probably
also go through all the things that I could think of that
could potentially go wrong (missed flight, lost paperwork,
etc.) and try to come up with contingencies for those
things. On the US side, her cell phone will work and she
can always call you for advice. It sounds like she'll be
taken care of on the foreign country end of things, but I
wonder if you could buy her a phone card in advance so she
can call you if she runs into trouble?
I would think a well-traveled 15 year old would have little
trouble handling this.
Want my kids to travel, too
It sounds like she'll do fine and you're allowing life to
unfold for her at a pace she can manage. Yes, most of us
wouldn't send our kids solo on an international flight with
customs and plane change if we could help it, but it's the
times we can't help it that the kids get to find out what
they're capable of. That's when life is exciting! People
can get a bit loopy from fatigue and dehydration after such
a long flight, so remind her to drink a lot on board and to
keep her purse under her arm and keep alert moving through
the terminal so she doesn't lose track of any of her things.
cheering you both on
Your daughter will be fine. The flight attendants will help,
and so will the airport staff. There are no language
differences and nothing unusual...just a student flying
home...very ordinary and nothing to worry about. Just make
sure she has a cell phone (or borrow one from family for the
flight home), and all the right numbers, and a plan that
will let her call when she's in either country.
Andrew
You could call US customs and ask them how it is for a 14 year old to go
through the lines and see if they have any tips. (Will she need a letter from
you?) Also, because of her age, maybe the airline could be made aware that
she's flying alone and to point her in the right direction when at the changing
airplane location. I would reinforce to her that's it's fine to ask for help
from
the airline folks if she's lost or unclear about something. And I'm sure she's
cautious about who to trust, etc....? Ask her to call you when she arrives and
when she's ready to board the next plane, when she's out of customs, etc.
good luck to all of you!
anon
You are NOT a bad parent for letting your child fly
alone. You are a GOOD parent, recognizing her competence
and independence and trusting her to do what she can do.
Last summer, our 15-year-old son flew alone to Paris,
where he changed to a flight for Marseille. We created a
document with all the flight numbers (a copy in his wallet
and a copy in his carry-on bag), got Euros here so he had
cash, gave him a credit card for emergencies, went over
each airport's layout with him, and had him call us when
he reached each waystation. He did fine. Since then he
has flown alone several times within the US (changing in
Reno and Dallas and Denver), even taking ground transport
to his destination. He (begrudgingly) sends us a text
message when he arrives each place. He is very able to
navigate his way, and confident in just the way we want
him to be. I can't understand the paranoia of our
generation of parents about letting our kids be
independent. Our kids have cell phones, security cameras,
wireless access to email. We had none of that, but had
the freedom to ride our bikes all over town alone at 7,
take the train into the City (in my case NYC) at 13, visit
colleges on our own by bus or train. My husband took the
city bus across Munich to school starting at age 7. Our
kids are by far more threatened by predators lurking on
MySpace and Facebook than by fellow travelers in tightly
monitored airports.
She'll be fine
My son did this for the first time last year at age 16. No
problems. You should get her a credit card and/or ATM debit
card, just in case 2nd flight is delayed a lot (set some
guidelines for use!)
She should have a CA id too.
try not to worry!
Sometimes the most obvious needs to be stated. My
daughter successfully traveled solo last summer, age 16,
with connecting flights. On her way home and sleep
deprived she chose to wait 1 gate over from the crowded
gate of her connecting flight. Busily texting all her new
friends, she didn't notice boarding and came very close to
missing her connection! She now knows the importance of
waiting at her flight gate. As well, change of clothes in
carry on would have helped as luggage was delayed 1 1/2
days. I think traveling and her experience of staying at
a college campus program for h. s. students was a great
experience and one that she was ready for.
Mom
What a great opportunity for your daughter. By thinking
through what pitfalls there could be and giving her useful
information, you can gently prepare her.
It is important to know what type of teenager you have--
observant or lackadaisical? Polite or rebellious? One
you can trust with a credit card? These will guide you as
to what issues to emphasize.
Purpose of Customs: I believe it's useful to let your
child know why people go through customs and what the
customs agents are looking for. It she knows that, then
she will understand the serious stance of the customs
officers, why they are insistent that everyone ''stay
behind the yellow line on the floor'' while waiting in
line, and why they may ask the same questions more than
once. She needs to understand that they have the right to
search her belongings and to confiscate forbidden items
(such as meat, certain cheeses, counterfeit items).
Customs form: I'd tell her about the form she will fill
out on the plane, and how to fill it out. Make sure she
understands she has to convert her purchase prices into
U.S. dollars. And that she should have all her receipts
available.
Customs area: Go over with her the procedures for this
area: Enter large room, find your luggage on carousel,
join long line that says ''U.S. citizens,'' and wait in line
to talk with customs agent. Answer all questions. Follow
all instructions. After you've been given the OK, if
you're continuing on a connecting flight there is usually
a place in the customs area to re-deposit your luggage so
it will be automatically transferred to your connecting
flight. Sometimes this place is over to the side;
hopefully there's a big sign. If she can't find it, ASK.
Once she puts the luggage there, she would rush on to her
gate. Check ahead with your airline to see if this is how
Chicago airport handles it.
Finding new gate: Two hours layover in Chicago coming in
from an international flight is not a long time. She
should know that Chicago is a very large airport and the
walk to the gate could be long. As soon as she gets out
of customs, she should check the airline screen to find
out where the connecting flight gate is. ASK if she can't
figure it out. Will she need to change terminals or
concourses? She should immediately start over to the next
gate. And even though she may have a boarding pass and
is ''checked in,'' it's a good idea to check in again at the
gate, in case the plane configuration has changed.
Layover in U.S. airports. The most useful thing would be
for her to have a cell phone, recharged before she leaves
London. If anything untoward happens, she can call you
for advice. Other than that, the key issues are: 1) be
sure to follow airport signs to terminal, concourse, or
gate, 2) be early to the gate, not late, and 3) have
enough money (or a credit card) to buy a meal and/or to
buy food to take on the plane (no food is served on mid-
range domestic flights). The credit card is good because
it would cover unexpected costs. A minor can get a credit
card if her parent co-signs for it (Capital One and
CitiBank offer such plans). Otherwise, give her enough
U.S. dollars to cover anything unexpected.
Run through these ideas with her initially and then remind
her right before the trip. And make sure she knows to
keep her passport with her in a safe place, where it can't
fall out. Should be wonderful for her!
Anonymous traveler
Is your daughter going to London or coming from London? If
she is going to London, you need to know that British
immigration is very cautious with girls under age 16
travelling alone entering the UK. Make sure that she is
carrying a letter from her parents giving her permission to
travel and informing them the name of the adult she will be
staying with locally and the contact numbers, including cell
phone. The person you designate on the letter needs to be
waiting at the airport outside customs. Our experience (on
several occasions) has been that the immigration agent will
call the adult's cell phone and personally escort the girl
to this adult waiting in the arrivals area. They are
concerned about under age girls either running away or
engaging in prostitution. I am not sure if they follow the
same procedure for boys under age 16.
Pat
Aug 2008
Just a quick note of thanks to those that responded to our
request for tips on supporting our fourteen-year-old
daughter on her air travels this summer. The great news:
she is home safely and without incident! I really
appreciated both the practical tips and the comforting
reassurance that we were doing the right thing to allow
her to travel alone from London to Philadelphia via
Chicago, and then home through Denver. I took all of
advice offered, created a working plan for her, reviewed
it with her several times while away, and off she went,
traveling safely, asking for advice, and knowing what to
expect along the way. It has certainly added to her
confidence as a traveler, and changing planes in Denver on
the way home turned out to be ''no big deal'' as she ''didn't
even have to go through customs.'' And I think that,
because I was more relaxed, she felt more assured as
well. So thanks to everyone who took the time to write -
it was so important to the success of our summer and the
future travels of our adventurous daughter.
Explorer's mom
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