16 year olds wanting to go on holiday alone

[GrumioEstEbrius]

MY DD and three of her friends want to go on a holiday to celebrate the end of GCSEs. Just for 3 or 4 days, but alone with no adults. When I was their age lots of teens used to go inter-railing around Europe during the post-GCSE summer (DH did this and a couple of my mates from school did it too) but this no longer seems to be a thing for kids this age now.

So their options are to camp, static caravan or AirBNB in the UK.

My issue though is that do any campsites / rentals allow unsupervised 16 year olds?

Does anyone have any good suggestions as to what they could do? CentreParcs maybe?

Be aware YHA facilities are gender not sex based.

We cycled round the Isle of Wight using YHA after GCSE's - four girls, none of us hugely fit! We had a blast. Took about 4-5 days.

If they've done their DofE together already, why not just go ahead and book a DofE approved Residential trip? They'd have to do one as part of their DofE Gold anyway wouldn't they?

You can find details of residential on the DofE site. PM me snd I can point you in the right direction - my son has booked his snd is going on it in the summer break.

I'm really torn as I think they should be allowed to go away but I had a camping holiday ruined by a group of teens who kept the whole site awake each night.

My concern is a campsite that will allow a group of young teens may not deal with any issues either.

I think for Airbnb they need to be 18.

Can't they go to a festival as others have suggested? Boardmasters, NASS, Reading?

I went to Spain at 15 and 16 with one my best mates, her aunt and uncle lived there but they came home to the Uk for the 2 weeks we stayed in their apartment. (I'm really surprised my mum agreed to this she didn't even like me going to sleepovers at home without hours of bargaining!) Then at 17-20 went to various Greek Islands and city breaks with my other gay male bff who was much less sensible but again weirdly my mum was fine with but a night out in Belfast was an issue

My eldest Dd isn't 16 yet but I wouldn't be ok with her going away with friends because she's not good at coping with anything unexpected but Dd2 would be grand she's sensible and a natural problem solver

This would have been the age I would start going away with friends on our own. To parents/friends parents holiday homes and campsites.
If you are comfortable with the group of friends I don't see a problem.

I went youth hostelling around Australia for 6 weeks with my best mate after gcses, very civilised and enriching experience.

People really wouldn't let their 16 Yr olds go away without an adult for a few days? Mine went away for a month to the US. The other did one of the festivals.

Depends on the child. I headed off to Germany for about 6 weeks when I was 17 and I'm pretty sure I was around the same age when I went to Spain with friends. We went away for a couple of nights at 16. I think it's fine if your DC are used to being reasonably independent and are generally trustworthy and sensible. Although I think at 16 it would be reasonable to specify somewhere within manageable driving distance in case you needed to get them in an emergency.

I wasn't allowed.

I moved out to live with my first boyfriend as soon as I was 18 when she couldn't physically stop me.

My sister wasn't allowed.

She got married three weeks after her 18th to her first boyfriend when she couldn't physically stop her.

My brothers were allowed.

They stayed.

For me and my sister, the only chance of freedom was through a man when we hit 18. None of us have attempted to control our subsequent 16 year olds to that extent.

In fact I think it's a really good idea, in a couple of years many DC will be off to uni or moving out of home when they start work. I think looking after themselves for a few days without parents around is probably good preparation for being independent.

My parents took us to Rhodes and let us get on with it. Same hotel, diff room with a friend, so not a party one so kept an eye on us, we saw them for dinner each night and by the pool once we surfaced. Was a bit of a taxi to the night life

For me it's a big no no. 16 is still a kid.

In fact I think it's a really good idea, in a couple of years many DC will be off to uni or moving out of home when they start work. I think looking after themselves for a few days without parents around is probably good preparation for being independent

this has to be a joke? You do know that 16yo lack the maturity to deal with any sticky situations that may arrive.

I'm 30, and went abroad alone (without parents) for the first time, to a friend of a friend's villa in Spain at 16, with my 17 year old boyfriend and two of our friends.

We went for 10 days and had a great time. I guess we were obviously quite mature for our ages (which my parents vouched for when booking through the owners of the villa).

It must depend on how mature and responsible they are?

Now I'm pregnant with my first baby, can I imagine them doing the same at 16? Absolutely not 😂😂

I get that - but given that they can do whatever they like, with whomever they like, the minute they turn 18, isn't it better to break them in gradually?

DD toured the UK on her own at 16. She stayed at premier inns though and I think they have changed the minimum age to 18 now.

I went to Spain at 15 and 16 with one my best mates, her aunt and uncle lived there but they came home to the Uk for the 2 weeks we stayed in their apartment

And if something bad had happened and it was on the meda mn would have a field day on what crap parents you and friend had over letting children go on holiday alone. Makes me think of that Irish teen who was 14 or 15 and went missing in Spain.I think Amy O Donoghue was her name. So many people said after her parents were negligent when it's similar behaviour I see normalized on mn.

Also, @SurfBox , how are they going to develop coping skills if they are never put in situations where they need to find solutions? Which obviously doesn't mean that parents should just throw them to the wolves, but a bit of working stuff out for themselves is beneficial such as when you get your tent nicked at Boardmasters

At 16 I went on a caravan holiday with my three friends, two of whom were boys!! It was all very sensible, we were fairly boring teens really 😅

I'm not sure I'd trust my dd though, she's sensible most of the time but is easily led astray...

I get that - but given that they can do whatever they like, with whomever they like, the minute they turn 18, isn't it better to break them in gradually

eh no cos I can't imagine how a teen holiday is 'gradually' giving them independence. Sounds like rapidly. I've seen year 11 girls from working in schools and they are mere kids, much less maturity than 18-19 yos.

Threads like these are so hypocritical, on one hand you have posters acting like they are adults and need independence yet if a poster comes on saying a man in his 20s or older slept with/flirted with a 16/17 yo it's a very different reaction and suddenly these teens are still kids etc.

Also, @SurfBox , how are they going to develop coping skills if they are never put in situations where they need to find solutions

plenty of time to do that at 18/19

I thirty third the YHA route. I'd recommend Aviemore. Good tourist info, excursions easily arranged, limited crazee nightlife, good chip shop, and baby polar bear and snow leopard cubs nearby!
Some of the same people clutching their pearls will be on other threads spouting the 'she's 18 and three days old, chuck her out' spiel.

My 16 year old did this last year with a few friends. One parent took them and the camping gear and another collected. Only about 3 nights and about 1-2 hours away. No trouble at all.