To think dd aged 16 is too young to go away on holiday independently

My DD and her friends went on NCS after their gcses and had a brilliant time. Would they consider something like that? Such a positive experience for them and super cheap.

Technically they couid get on better than you did 43 years ago, with access to the internet to locate public transport, shops etc. Plus you will only ever be one phone call or text message away if advice is needed. And you can easily book a train / coach ticket if an early journey home is required.

I have no idea whether 15 and 16 year olds can access paid accommodation without an adult in the party though. Or does one of the group have a holiday home?

At 16 they can legally leave home, I'd teach them who to contact should they need help and give helpful advice. In Scotland, 16-year-olds have more rights so there might be more places that let them book in.

I must be naive, I wouldn’t have thought anywhere would provide accommodation to 16 year olds?! I have just turned 16 DS and 17.5 DD, it’d be a no from me for DS 😬

We went to Cornwall after GCSEs. One of the group got alcohol poisoning, though. I think a good compromise would be for at least one parent to be on standby not too far away.

We all went to Newquay the summer after GCSEs in 2004. We got in to clubs with doctored photocopies of our passports - didn't even need fake ID!

Great memories, but it was every parents nightmare.

The poor kids these days can't even buy cigarettes 😝

I’d speak to the other friends’ parents and see what their views are. If all three of them let their children go then I’d let your daughter as she’s be missing out but it might be that all other parents share your concerns. I think 16 is old enough to be going away especially as it’s the U.K.

You have to be 16 to stay in a yha now unless with an adult...to be honest youth hostels are usually full of over 60s the last few times I've been

It depends on the people involved maybe.. I went cycle touring abroad with friends aged 16 and had done youth hostelling and camping in the UK before that. Quite sensible and wouldn't have been drinking though.

You do realise that youth hostels exist right?

I paid on line before they went and DD will just have lied and said she was 18 if challenged I am sure. She travelled a lot before she was 18 and is always planning the next trip

I’m letting dd16 go away for a few nights at YHA with friends. I think 16 is old enough, they’re sensible enough to call me if anything happens. I have said a hard no to Reading Festival, having been myself I don’t think there’s too many drunk teen boys, although I did survive unscathed I suppose.

yeah like that stops them getting into each others beds ..

I think the fact you don't know the other young people doesn't help.

I wouldn't have let mine go in those circumstances either.

If she's sensible I'd let her go. My daughter and her friends are going to Spain together this summer, they're 16/17. You have to let them start spreading their wings at some point.

What sort of accommodation?

I was off on 3 night youth Hostelling trips with a friend at 14, did a week’s walking from hostel to hostel with couple of friends when we were 16 (I might have been 15?)

Also we hired a caravan when I was 16, it was allowed in the name of the 17 yo friend ( would be now) , there were boys, we didn’t have sex, we didn’t dangerously drunk, or injured, or arrested .

My Dc went to Reading festival after GCSEs, Ds was only a couple of weeks past 16th b’day.

I would much rather have watched them go off to a wholesome holiday than Reading, but they survived nevertheless.

Depends on the teen as a general principle, but lots of places won't take bookings from under 18's.
I'd be fine with my 17 Yr old going away with friends for a couple of days as long as I knew who was going, where they were staying and was confident they could get home and had sufficient common sense to deal with unexpected things happening.

All my 4 went away in the uk post GCSE's (Reading festival) .. the 5th wanted to go abroad so we compromised and joined with 2 other mums and booked an Airbnb..

Kids downstairs and us upstairs..with a pool.

We let them go to Rome together for an overnight without us as long as their whereabouts was visible on 'find my friends' ... all went well.

They wouldn’t let me then 17yr old check in when he went ahead of his brother and weren’t even going to let him stay with his brother until I sent it photos of my ID and a letter saying I took responsibility. If you check premier inn conditions I’m sure it will be 18 plus and they do refuse to let kids check in

Possibly not.

Many years ago, when still in VI form, some friends and I tried to arrange a self catering holiday at a Butlins. There would have been four of us, all girls, two 17 year old and two 15 year olds. My parents agreed I could go. We sent off our booking request and deposit. And had it returned, booking refused.

Neither do I, I had a baby at 16. I was pregnant at the exact age my DD is now with her eldest brother. Exactly why I’ve parented her differently and just because a parent did something 30 odd years ago doesn’t make them a hypocrite because they don’t want their DD to do it.

Yep that was ds's first trip away unsupervised. He did the whole week 😱🤣

100% would let her. Honestly find MN so over protective of teenagers (and I have a dd aged 18, so I’m not coming at it from a hypothetical pov). You can’t at say age 25 just suddenly hope they’ve developed the grit and life experience to cope with curve balls, you actually have to let them build that by having some adventures along the way.

This is not true, they rarely check and do not ask for ID if you are a British. DD went to London a LOT at 16/17 and stayed in Premier Inns.

My DD and a friend went backpacking round Ireland for three weeks when they were 16.

She initially asked me "theoretically" how I'd feel about it. I said that I thought, "theoretically", I'd be ok with it but would have to discuss it with her and her dad in great detail. Knowing DD as I do I then had a sneaking suspicion that we weren't talking theoretically at all and she confirmed that she had indeed already booked the ferry and planned an itinerary!

Neither her dad or I were overly enthusiastic but couldn't help but admire her planning and organisational skills. She's always had a good deal of common sense and learnt lots of useful life and "survival" skills during many camping and sailing holidays with her dad so we agreed that, as long as she checked in with at least one of us at least once a day, it would probably be a great experience for her.

Of course I worried for the entire three weeks but I couldn't let "what ifs" stop her going. She had a fantastic time, saw some beautiful places and met some lovely people (and had one or two minor and quite amusing mishaps!) and I'm so glad we allowed her to go. You can't keep them wrapped in cotton wool forever and have to allow them to spread their wings. I'd encourage you to let her go with some conditions, like making contact once a day and letting you know her location and/or planned location(s).