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 went backpacking round Australia in my early twenties and met more than one 17 year old doing the same. If you're confident she's sensible, I'd let her go. She'll be devastated to miss out, and it will be a wonderful experience for her.

I was having a simpler conversation with a friend of mine. Both of our DC turned 16 last year and then now talking about driving cars travelling and visiting various places. I'm quite nervous about it but know I have to let go. At 17. I had already left my parents and moved out.

Your sc will be fine and gave so much fun. It's Europe, not Africa and she sounds about as sensible as any dc are.

Please let her go

It’s post-exams and she’s going in a group - it would be absurd to want to deny her such a memorable opportunity.

Anyway …

https://www.postoffice.co.uk/travel-insurance/teenage-holiday-without-parents

If you think she's too young to go, when exactly would you deem her to be an appopriate age? At 18 many young people are living independently (at university or otherwise) and she's only slightly short of that.

DD is travelling in a group that will contain 17 year olds after A Levels. The only issue they've come acros is that hotels (as opposed to hostels) generally require an 18 year old as lead booker, but that just means one of the older ones does it.

Many countries will allow her to drink, or the group may just buy alcohol and drink it on the beach/their room.

My DD did this after a levels and had an incredible time. It’s irrelevant when she turns 18 really!

My Dc went inter-railing with a group of friends after A levels and had their 18th birthday during the trip. They went for a month, I think.

They did have their route and accommodation booked in advance. They had a fantastic time. I got a text every other day (often after prompting), and all was well.

It's Europe, not Africa

I wonder if you’ve ever considered just how many British teens would feel safer travelling around Africa than travelling around Europe?

I’m many decades older and wouldn’t consider stepping foot in Eastern Europe. Italy wasn’t much fun either …

Maybe think before you express such offensive views in a place where unlimited people can read them?

Just make sure her passport still has 6 months on the day she is due to return, get travel insurance that's suited to a young person travelling alone (it does exist), order a ghic card for her, get a currency card (she carries it with her and you can top up in emergency). My dd went all over the place after her a levels, they opted for Ryan air mostly due to time constraints and booked airbnbs, though she had turned 18.

Please let her go and help her sort the practicalities if necessary. It will be the most amazing experience and she'll never forget it. I did a couple of months backpacking when just a bit older than her and it opened my eyes. We didn't have smartphones then so it was harder to keep in touch, no maps or googling etc, had to rely on occasional internet cafes. She'll be absolutely fine!

Sounds amazing, great she can go with a group.

My daughter went inter-railing for a few weeks around Europe at 18, (only 3 months older than your daughter will be) she went on her own because no one else had funds or wanted to go. She met great, like minded people in the youth hostels and really enjoyed it.

I was sceptical about my daughter going, but she was an adult and I couldn't stop her, your daughter will officially be an adult a few weeks later, i would give her some freedom. She may be going to uni in September, then you really won't know what she's doing!!

Let her go she's almost an adult. It'll be a great adventure for her.

DD1 went to Oz when she was 15.
She then went back travelling when she was 18-19.

It's different these days. FaceTime. AirTags. Bank transfers. You can be in constant contact if that reassures and Europe not so far away.

It sounds amazing.

I did wonder though that they will be away for A level results day. Is she going to Uni? Not a problem if she gets the results she wants but my ds had to go through clearing last year and it would have been a lot more difficult if he had been away.
I'm not saying don't go but they should plan to be somewhere with good WiFi on results day.

You must let her go. She sounds incredibly enterprising earning the money for the trip herself. Other than checking asap about her passport and making sure she has good travel insurance, I'd suggest you stay out of the finer details. It's their trip and they will want to organise it themselves.

Let her go! I hope my DS does something like this. I never had these opportunities.

This ^^

My friends son had issues with hostels he had booked not wanting to accept him because he was 17 (all his friends were 18). Don't assume that because they've taken the booking they won't be difficult when your DD arrives. My friend had a very stressful couple of days trying to reconfirm all her son's bookings after the first hostel refused to let him stay (she had to find a hotel that would take him)

Buy her a nice backpack as a graduation gift (a proper one in a hiking shop, not a cheapo one) and help her research roaming and payment options (ie does she have a bank account with a card that works abroad? Traveller cheques?). Discuss options if she gets separated from the group, make sure she has some spare money to jump on a plane back home if she needs to.
Backpacking through Western Europe is probably the safest way to start travelling. Did it when I was 17 (30 years ago, without mobiles or internet) and it was fantastic!
Drinking age won’t be a problem in Europe.

It depends on the group of friends. My dd did this last year, and while it wasn’t absolutely awful, she didn’t have that good a time and wished that she hadn’t bothered. There was a fairly large group going, including one of her best school friends (though this girls cousin and actual best friend was going), and 2 other good friends (who were better friends with each other than dd), the rest were just school acquaintances. As soon as they got to the airport the dynamics went really weird, my DD’s ‘best’ friend who had assured her they’d stick together kind of teamed up with her cousin and full on blanked dd. The other two girls she knew also stuck together. The seating plan on the plane was arranged so that my dd was meant to be sat with the two girls, but someone else sat in her seat and refused to move. The same happened when they got to the hostel, the girls she knew grouped together and dd ended up in a room with people she didn’t know. The whole holiday was her tagging along and feeling awkward. She put a brave face on it to not worry me, but burst into tears when I asked to see all the lovely photos, as she didn’t have a single one with her in it as she wasn’t included in any of the group ones. If you can trust the group to look after their younger friend then I’d consider it, though I’d be a bit worried that there are already couples paired off, it’s an odd number, and your dds age mean she will possibly be excluded from certain accommodations/activities/nights out etc as she can’t drink. She may be left out on her own if people want to do things that she can’t

Or alternatively be about to offer advice and support (and money) where needed but let her do all this for herself.

Sounds fab. I went travelling for a year at 17. The only problem is cost, will she have saved enough by then?

You can buy beer at 16 in Vienna (it actually varies by region in Austria) and Germany. It's only 18 for spirits.

AO hostels have hostels across Austria and Germany plus a few other cities like Prague and Copenhagen and accept guests from 14 years old as long as a parent has signed the form here
https://www.aohostels.com/en/services/faq/

German 16 year olds seem fairly independent - perhaps more so than the UK. Quite common for them to have part time jobs - if they aren't in academic school, then they may be apprentices already at 16, so in a workplace part time as well as school. It wouldn't be unusual for them to be travelling around on trains and buses etc alone. For outdoorsy teens, going off with friends hiking and camping independently is quite normal as well. And being sent off at 14 to 16 to do language course/exchange abroad for a few weeks also very common.

German schools finish fairly early in the day and don't include sports/arts which tend to be offered instead by specialist clubs so kids will head off themselves between school and sports club/music school from 12 years old. Much less ferrying around by parents - better public transport so more like teens in London.

So in short, yes she can stay at some hostels. She can drink a beer. She will have a nice time.

Good point. One of my daughter’s friends was on a family holiday on results day. And it affected the trip as she was very anxious before the day and they were making plans of how they should fly back early if she did not get the grades. These things are a lot easier to be in the country for if things don’t go as planned.

Europe - with a large group of friends. Of course let her go!!! She’s nearly an adult and will have a great time. Don’t let your anxiety and the fact you’ve not been abroad hold her back.

This is total normal at 17-18. Lots of sixth formers go interrailing and backpacking in Europe. Hostels will be fine. My friend's son went interrailing in Europe with three friends, mix of girls and boys, all 17.

Everywhere she wants to go is perfectly safe - either as safe, or safer, than the UK. Drinking won't be a problem. In most European countries they won't check ID and in some countries, the only alcohol you can't buy at 17 would be spirits - eg in Austria, Germany and Switzerland you can buy beer, wine and cider at 16.

Basically you don't have anything to worry about and, if it's affordable, you'd be rotten not to let her go.

With all due respect, nothing magical is going to happen on her 18th birthday that suddenly makes her ready for grown up independent life. It's the experiences we have, and learning how to manage and work stuff out on our own, that make us grow up. I know your own lack of personal travel experience will make this adventure seem a more intimidating and scary prospect, but it's really nothing to worry about. She's travelling to very safe countries where high proportions of people speak English as a second language. Medical care will likely be better than what we have access to in this country. I travelled to Austria & Spain before I was 18 and the hotels didn't query it. When I was 18 I went with my 16 year old sister to New York and no one queried that either. I doubt she will have trouble getting served alcohol, but even if she did, I can't see how not drinking is a bad thing! In short, she will be fine. Make sure she sorts out her passport (EU law is that she needs a clear 3 months remaining after her planned exit date) and travel insurance.