Teens trip alone

[Teenstripalone]

DD is planning a trip with her friends when they finish GCSES. We live in London and they are thinking somewhere in the UK; they were also thinking Spain. They are all well traveled and sensible. Is this a good idea? If they do decide to go to Spain one of us will have to go with them and stay near by just in case, I also have family in Spain and DD speaks Spanish. If they decide to go somewhere in the UK will they be able to book accommodation alone? Maybe one of us can go and do the check in and another adult go and do the checkout?. DD has done lots of trips in Europe with us and get around London alone and with her friends.

Will hotels or airbnbs in Spain allow them alone?

I don’t think places will allow 16 year olds without an adult. I recall some of my dd’s peers doing it at 16 but the accommodation was owned by someone they knew.

Pretty sure one of them needs to be 18.

Thank you. Maybe another option is they go to Spain and stay near my family as they can be around if needed. Will see what they decide, at the moment they are just busy with exams but It would be nice for them to do something together as they may ended in different schools for 6th form.

I think youth hostels in the UK allow teens to stay unaccompanied from 16.

I'd be guiding them towards staying in the UK and saving an overseas trip for another year or two.

I think one of them needs to be 18+ to fly, not necessarily to travel.

UK youth hostels are fine with 16 year olds. DD did this after GCSEs. They went to the one at Beer, and stayed in the camping field. Easier than a camp site, as they were allowed to use the kitchen so didn't have to take gas stoves for cooking on, just their tents and bedding.

I went to spain with my friends when i was 17 , it must be possible

Hostels allow 16 year olds to stay there. Premier Inn (don’t believe it exists in Spain) allows 16 year olds to stay there also.

The above information re Premier inn is incorrect.

You must be at least 18 years old to make a reservation. Those under 18 years old are not permitted to stay in a Premier Inn hotel unless a parent or guardian is also staying in the hotel.

They are going to run into problems regarding booking hotels and flights abroad because of their age. I would instead look at the UK instead, perhaps University accommodation halls or youth hostals.

Dd tried to do the same last year and they couldn’t get accommodation. They could fly alone catch the Eurostar etc but not stay overnight anywhere.
they ended up with a day trip to Paris on Eurostar and then stayed at someone’s grandparents caravan in selsey which involved parents having to take them and pick them up. About 2hours away from home.

Ask your Spanish family about booking regs for 16 yo in Spain.

16 yo can fly unaccompanied.

And book YHA accommodation in this country.

Can’t they go to Reading or Leeds festival like every other post GCSE teen? 😂. Tbh I worried more about that trip than I would have done about flying with sensible friends to a sedate accommodation in Spain.

This international Hostelling association, to which I think YHA is affiliated, accepts 16-18 yo members, with parental authorisation
https://hihostels.com/membership-terms-conditions/

At that age we went to festivals and camping trips.

Abroad from after a levels.

We did once have a weekend in a cottage she's a mix 17-18 but it was one owned by my friends family.