... to ask what age you first went abroad on holidays without parents (trigger warning)

[anyhue]

This question is prompted by the incident on Cyprus with Israeli youths. Google and you'll find it.

I could not afford to go on holidays with friends without parents until I was working in my early 20s. Now it seems people can afford to go at younger and younger ages.

I was sexually assaulted as a teenager at a campsite in France, on vacation with parents. I only told them 9 months later when it looked like we would return to the same place.

I think they need much better policing in these resorts, with CCTV, active policing, etc. Things have changed for the worse, and authorities need to keep up!

17 - I was working whilst doing A'levels (Summer birthday) and had saved up to go with some girlfriends. We were customer facing and went out drinking a lot already, so we knew how to keep safe.

I don't agree 'things are getting worse' just that more people report it now/have means of reporting it immediately such as google for a police number or support on their mobiles. Also with social media news flies fast so authorities are more likely to do something about it if they are in the public eye and their reputation is on the line.

I'm assuming you don't mean PGL - was in France at 8 if that is the case?

18, went to Ibiza with 4 friends and had a ball, went away with the girls every year up until I got married. Thankfully none of us ever experienced anything nasty. I was beside myself when my daughter first went with her friends when she was 18 and I was thankful for mobile phones. Back in the day we buggered off for two weeks and our parents were lucky if they got a phone call.

It depends what you call going abroad in your own.
I travelled on my own (as an unaccompanied minor) when I was just 12yo. In those days, it meant I was left to my own devices in restaurants between flights etc... I was going to see family who were in a different country.
After that, I was 18yo.
But I have travelled wo parents within my country for a sport. So called ‘organised’ but again we were left to our own devices a lot. I was about 12~13yo.

Dc1 went abroad this year for a sporting event. He is 15yo.
Dc2 is going to some training events in Scotland (is that abroad ?) this year and he is 14yo.

Having some unfortunate meetings isn’t what is worrying me now, nor then tbh. I’m more worried about transport, accommodation and the myriad of things that could go wrong when they are there and are much more likely to happen.

I never went abroad with my parents when I was a child but first went on holiday on my own when I was 19. It was an organised coach tour around Europe and it was 1987. I explored a few cities on my own and met up with fellow travellers to go back to the hotels.

30, and it was as a holiday nanny so not exactly like I was spreading my wings! I've never had that drive to travel though.

I was 17 and went on a girls holiday to Turkey. But I was working full time as I didn't go to college so I funded it all.

This was in 2007. We got drunk and went to the clubs. Luckily we didn't experience anything nasty.

1987, 16, to Corfu with my friend who was 19. Was actually quite a civilised holiday.

15 with the school.

16. A friend and I went to London after GCSEs for a week.

15 with my boyfriend to Barcelona for 10 days back in 2000

Foreign exchanges at 12, 14 and 16..ski trips with the school at 13 & 15 (a few of us were groped by drunken ski instructors who were rescuing us from the top of the mountain as it was getting dark. We told our teachers who reported it to the police. We gave statements b7t nothing came of it...)..

Then a post A levels holiday to a trashy European resort with a few friends (all female) at 18...

Nineteen. Russia with university.

Nephew went to China with friends when he was fifteen or sixteen.

I was 17 and went on a big Ibiza blow out with a load of my friends and colleagues from the army.

17, I went to France with a friend then interrailing for a further few weeks.

17/18 completely adults

*without

At almost 18 with my sister (2 years older) in a resort in Turkey.

My daughter (now 14) traveled alone much earlier, but stayed with family. I guess depending on where she wants to go, I'll allow her from around 16 to go and stay somewhere by herself.

Ibiza when 17, it was awesome!

16 to Paphos Cyprus with my then boyfriend who was also 16

16 after my GCSE's.

@IncrediblySadToo Hahaha, yes, he did! Utterly bonkers, though. At the last minute, after much back and forthing about whether or not he was at the right stop, he told me that he was actually with a bunch of guys from the boat and that the bus had just turned up. I then relaxed because they were all in their 20s so I figured that one of them had worked out the right stop. But no, when he got home he said they were all at the stop because he told them that was where his mum told him to be, so they all just followed him! Fortunately, Google maps was right!

18, Tenerife, the summer between sixth form and uni. We had a blast.

I’m sorry that happened to you, how horrific. And terrible what happened to that woman in Cyprus.

I’m not sure that going away young increases the chance of such things happening though, unfortunately they can happen anywhere and to women of all ages. It might be that as you get older things like holding your booze/knowing your limits becomes easier which might reduce your risk, but thousands of young people go away with friends a year without incident. I think it’s something of a rite of passage - it’s also a real eye opener for people that age learning what it’s like to share a small space with non family members and the challenges which come with that.

16 in 1969 to Benidorm.

never

im 38 and as a adult ive only been abroad twice and that was with my family, my sisters family and our parents

same with paris disney three times

uk holidays though we as a family go every 4-6 weeks