... 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!

Never with my parents but 11 when I went on a week long school trip to Italy. 18 when I first went on a summer holiday with boyfriend 22 (now DH).

DS1 went to Denmark with his GF when she was 19 and he was 20 a couple of years ago and I worried about them the whole time, that something might happen to either them. DD1 is 17 and I couldn't imagine her going on holiday with friends any time soon.

My daughter went on her first girly holiday to Ayia Nappa when she was late 17. 4 of them, she was super excited but we got a phone call from her on the 2nd night as she didn't feel safe and just wanted to come home.
We didn't question her, just booked a flight for the next morning and picked her up from Gatwick.
The other 3 stayed out there but our daughter didn't feel safe in the resort , isn't a binge drinker ( but loved clubbing ) however she hated every minute of it ( which really surprised her as she was so looking forward to it) .
We never really quizzed her on why ( just understood that she wanted to get out ASAP) but a few bits of info cane up like that there were a group of boys staying near them and she felt that they weren't just indulging in drunk banter but we're on 'the edge ' of doing something . The other bit she says was about grown men in the bars clubs plying drinks and she felt really unsafe

17, to San Francisco with just my brother but 15 with School to Switzerland

19, with my 18 year old DP

I was 14, but to a place where I had an adult meet me and was kind of supervised staying with semi-familiar people.

I was 16 when I went away for three weeks with just my bf.

12 with friends and their parents, 15 with a 17yo friend. We travelled to Denmark by coach - it took about 36 hours. We stayed with the family of a friend of a friend though. Completely without adults the entire time, maybe 17?

School exchange in Northern Europe when I was in sixth form. Met my DH of many years within 12 hours of getting off the train. It changed my life immeasurably for the better.

Very disturbing to read stories like this though, women are very vulnerable in these resorts when lots of alcohol is involved. It shouldn't be the case, but it is. 😡

And in answer to the question ( sorry!) I was 18 and with a friend, got the train to Italy ( Liguria) and took a tent.
Had no issues at all but we were t in a resort / complex. That was in 1981

17. Tenerife. Was sexually assaulted after asking someone for help as I couldn't find my hotel.

At 18 I went to Majorca with 2 friends, booked by friends mum who booked us into a family friendly resort.

DD has been away at 14 to Germany with school and at 14 and 15 to France with Cadets, I know with cadets there was very little supervision after the parades and formal dinners.

Never been abroad with my parents. First trip abroad was interrailing with friends from Uni age 19 - we used our new fangled student loans to pay for it. It was a 'cram as much culture into a day as possible' kind of trip rather than go and get very drunk and sunburnt kind of holiday.

18 to a Greek island with a friend. I was initially worried about not feeling safe, but I was absolutely fine when I got there.

I was 19 and it was through Work America. Worked the Summer at a theme park then boyfriend flew out to travel for a weeks at the end. Found New York really scary but nothing bad happened. Got myself in far riskier situations at home (Cornwall) and uni.

Never did a girls drinking holiday somewhere hot as didn’t have the money when younger then was with DH and we did other things.

Never went abroad with my parents at all...first went away with my boyfriend at 21.

15 with the school, but supervision was fairly minimal (we got in all sorts of bother..) Never did a girlie holiday, but went to Tenerife with a dp at 18.
Ds(17) just got back from holiday with a mixed group of friends; there were the usual ‘dramas’ and too much to drink, but they were all in one piece. I do have to confess I worried less about him going than I would have a same aged dd (sad but true).

17 (just before I turned 18 I think) to the Algarve with a friend. It was an apartment owned by some family friends of his. It was very tame, I think we only went out for cocktails a couple of times and mostly stayed in watching movies of an evening.

First (and only) time on a proper mad drinking type holiday was Zante the following summer. I’d just turned 19. We went in a big group from work. Everyone looked out for each other and we never felt unsafe.

It doesn't matter does it, the blame here is solely on the perpetrators. Your question insinuates victim blaming.

This is very true but the men who sexually assault or rape women know the rape myths and so go for the girls who are drunk and alone. Most important thing we can teach our daughters is to look after their friends.

I was 17 and my friend worked in a travel agent long before the days of internet at home. She'd seen a cheap holiday plus she got discount on top so persuaded us all to go for 14 days to Corfu Greece for about £175 each haha
4 of us went and had a blast

I was 17 when I went to Europe with a female friend.

16 after GCSE's. Kavos in Corfu. No mobile phones. No idea what my parents were thinking. I was far too young

16. Then at 17 hitch hiked down to see my sister in the alps, with fairly patchy French. No mobiles - possibly easier in some ways.

18 with 4 friends. Stayed in one of friends parents villa in Spain. A close family friend of theirs lived next door and kept an eye on us. We still got up to plenty of mischief though!

17 coach trip to Spain.
I was sexually assaulted on holiday at 11, my parents weed stood a few metres away. I felt I was to blame for years, especially as I worked up the courage to tell my mother, and she told me ‘to stay away from him’
I still feel sick when I think about it.

18, Spain, 1980s with one girlfriend.
On the second night we went out clubbing, she met a boy and disappeared with him. I was scared for her, it was pre mobile phones. Thought she had been kidnapped!
Eventually I started to walk back to our hotel alone, wasnt drunk, didnt drink at all then. Got followed by a gang of Spanish lads on scooters who were hassling me.
I was relieved when a lovely Dutch lad who spoke excellent English told them to back off and walked me home.
Except he raped me.
He had a knife.
I never reported it.
Am still glad I didnt.
I think the treatment from the Spanish police back then wouldn't have been that supportive.
"Friend" didnt resurface for several days.
The only people I have ever told are DH and DD.
To this day I would fight anyone who tried to hold my wrists.

USA.
Twas great.