17 year old wants to go travelling

[Rayason]

I’ll start with - I know I’m going to sound incredibly uncultured and very insular but I just don’t know about these things due to a lack of exposure.

DD is 17, August 31st baby so the absolute youngest in her year (currently Y13). She moved schools for sixth form to get the right subject combo and the school she goes to now is in a much wealthier town. She made new friends and they were quite different to her old friends (very middle class is the only way I could describe it!). They are all lovely kids, smart, hard working and I’m glad DD has them. All in there is 7 of them.
During the Taylor Swift ticket fight last year they managed to get tickets for Vienna in Austria in August. They didn’t want to try for any June dates as they have A-Levels. It’s before DDs 18th but we did let her go, we got the ticket for her “Christmas” and she is covering the Accomodation and such with the money from her part time job.
Now they are all considering going travelling for the month of August, leaving on the 3rd coming back on the 30th, just around Europe, backpacks and Hostel style.
They will all be 18 barring DD for the full trip (the next youngest is August 1st, so they are deliberately waiting until after her party on the 2nd to go).
DD has said she wants to go, there will be 4 girls and 3 boys (2 of whom are the boyfriends of 2 of the girls). She’s only been abroad with school, France and Skiing in Switzerland. She does have a passport but I think it will need renewed.
I’ve never been abroad, couldn’t afford to when I was younger and didn’t want to as an adult, I like our Haven holidays. Initially I thought no way is my 17 year old going travelling but now I’m worried I’m being unfair. I don’t know if she will be allowed in hostels at 17, I’m worried about her being the one not being able to drink and if the rest of the group will view her as dead weight. She has savings from her job so not expecting us to cover it.
Does anyone have any experience or teens travelling especially at 17? AIBU to say no?
They don’t have exact places decided yet but Austria is a must, Czech Republic, Germany, North Italy/Switzerland and maybe Amsterdam are all on the list. Avoiding Paris/France since the olympics will be on. Are these safe for young people?
How much money would she realistically need for spending? Can she stay in a hostel so young? Do I let her go?
Any advice appreciated!

I did it between A levels and uni too, she’ll have the time of her life. I was only just turned 18 as my birthday is in August too. All of those countries are safe, and she’s not going alone.

I’d say she’ll need about £1500-2000 for a full month for budget travel, accommodation (if it’s cheap shared rooms in hostels), sightseeing (museum/gallery/park entries etc) going out, food etc.

Also, she’ll be fine in European hostels. When I was travelling (admittedly in the early 2000s!) it was mostly 16-25 year olds in the hostels. She’ll make friends from all over the world and that will only offer even more opportunities.

I’m quite envious—I’d love to have that freedom and possibility in my life again!

Encourage her to go, she will have a ball. She’s in a mixed group so perfectly safe in Europe. A great little trip to cut her teeth on before going further afield.

My DS did a couple of trips with a similar sized group of friends immediately after their exams last summer. The second one was to Teneriffe but just before he turned 18. I think they'd booked a self-catered apartment, and there was a hasty bit of messaging back and forth when they got there as they required parental details/approval for the two of them who were still 17. Wasn't a problem. I would think that hostel type accommodation would be fine.

Back quite some time ago, DH and his younger brother were 17 and barely turned 16 when they did a European trip after DH had finished his school exams in Australia. They did have UK relatives to spend Christmas with, then went on a coach tour round Europe entirely independently, and had a ball.

Oh do let her go, it will be a great experience. Are they planning to InterRail?

BTW I think the drinking age won't be a problem. I could be wrong but I think it is 16 in Europe

It sounds like the perfect set up to start to see the world in, with a supportive group of well known friends. There are so many opportunities now that weren't around years ago, or else we had other responsibilities. Let her grab them with both hands and come home full of stories and happiness to share!

DD went with friends last summer and one was under 18 and it wasn't an issue. None of them really drink though so that wasn't a problem anyway.

My DS went interrailing last year - also a late birthday but they were able to wait until just after he was 18. I couldn't find any travel insurance for him before he was 18. I had to buy it last minute just before they went after his birthday. Hopefully there is a solution for this but worth researching now.

My year 13 is also a late Aug birthday and is inter railing with friends around Europe in July this year. They will all be 18 except her.

I did worry that she’s under eighteen but to be honest she’s no more or less safe than those in the group who are 18. I know she will have the time of her life.

She does have a fake ID for getting into clubs so her plan is to use that if necessary. Obviously she will travel on her passport with her real age and there is no problem with hostels or inter rail even though she’s under 18.

Maybe avoid Switzerland though, it is £££££££££££. Poor value for money.

Netherlands-Germany-Austria-Italy sounds good.

Although Eastern Europe would be cheaper for accommodation, food, booze and transport.

Let her go. My niece was in the same position and had a ball.

Let her go! I moved abroad on my own at 19 and it was such a huge learning curve but it helped me grow up. The trip could only be a good thing. Especially now communication is so easy so less to worry about for you.

My only concern would be if the couples split up before they travel because that might cause problems.

Dd has backpacked around Europe with friends and on her own as a teen a lot inc Vienna. I still (in my 40s) do mini backpacking trips round Europe staying in youth hostels. the price varies for living costs, hostel costs varies a lot from country to country.

Amsterdam and Switzerland will be expensive. Many parts of Italy such as Florence and Venice are expensive. So last year for instance I paid £100 a night for a youth hostel in Florence (cheapest i could get even though booked well ahead, it was summer), £60 a night in Belgium and £25 a night in Lille. Those were all private rooms (2 people sharing) but not en suite. I’m too old for a dorm.

dd has been to more countries than me and has been to places like Bratislava, (Slovakia is a bus ride from Vienna) and really recommends those cheaper countries. Places like Croatia as well. Dd said she spent more in two days in Venice than 7 days in Croatia.

i would recommend that you write a letter of permission which she carries. Dd went to Paris when 18yo with a 17yo friend and they got stopped and interviewed on the way back as customs deemed the 17yo to be an unaccompanied minor and were asking Dd where her permission letter for the unaccompanied minor was!

I did this when I was 17 (for me it was the summer between year 12 and year 13). It was many years ago now but I had an amazing time!

My DD is 17, 18 April and is doing a similar trip in July/August including some of the cities mentioned. They've ended up spending £1100 each on hostels for a little over a month of travelling, then Inter-rail passes were maybe £350 I can't quite remember.
Amsterdam and Zurich were the most expensive cities I think if I remember correctly maybe Milan too. They considered doing more Eastern Europe but changed their mind last minute. The youngest in their group turns 18 the day before they leave and they did decide to wait out her birthday.
It's all perfectly safe and a great experience for them, should help with independence and budgeting too!

I would check it out first as hotels, borders etc. may have different laws with not being 18

Is there a duty of care on older people with them

It is fine for us to say sure go for it but is it 'legally' ok?

She does have a passport but I think it will need renewed.

@Rayason please, please help her to do this now if she won’t have six months left on her current one by the date of travel. There can be almost nothing more disappointing than being turned back because of an out of date passport. Do not leave it until the last minute - there are horrendous delays every Summer and they’ll only get worse.

Other than that it sounds as if it will be a wonderful trip - I envy her the experience!

1. Renew her passport

1. Check that the hostels will accept under 18s
2. Pre-book accommodation. DD went interrailing 5 years ago and was glad they had booked as the hostels were all full.

Strange My son had his own travel insurance at 16/17. He's 19 now Travelled quite a bit through Europe both alone and with friends and spent last summer teaching English at a summer camp in Austria in uni summer holidays. Encourage the girl to go

We have annual multi trip insurance for the family that covers all of us. At least if
in Europe there is ehic if she did need treatment.

My daughter went last summer. She had just turned 18, but her best friend was 17. Her friend used fake ID for the bars. Just be very careful regarding accommodation. Her mother supplied a letter for various of the hostels and emailed them in advance that she gave permission for her daughter to go. A friend of theirs was kicked out of a hostel at midnight due to being under 18. Luckily she was able to stay with another group who had an Airbnb and a spare bed. Hostels are stricter than Airbnbs about age.

Their best memories were not the clubbing, even though they did go out. It was more about drinking coffee in the squares of Budapest or walking round the lakes of Slovenia.

she will feel very left out if she doesn’t go. I hope you can make it happen though I understand the financial worries. Our girls were really good at budgeting. It meant they probably substituted quite a few meals with biscuits and snacks but that’s okay at that age!

My girls’ group did Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Prague, Slovenia and somewhere else. I can’t remember! There are loads of kid's their age backpacking. They kept bumping into groups from their school and others they knew! She said she never once felt unsafe as they were in a group.

Please let her go and don't condemn her to a life of Haven holidays! She will have the time of her life and the independence will set her up well for uni (or work, if that's her next step after 6th form).