12yr old DS solo on Eurostar?

[TooManyPlatesInMotion]

My son is desperate to go to a language summer camp in France. Staff from the camp can pick him up from Gare du Nord and travel onwards with him.

I have checked Eurostar's website and he is old enough to travel solo with written parental consent.

Has anyone's DC done this at a similar age?

I can accompany him as far as security I think. My concern is not the journey itself but the other end.... It is years since I took the train to Paris.

Can someone remind me how simple or otherwise the arrival in Paris is? From memory it goes straight onto the concourse and you just follow everyonr else to the ticket gates. Staff can meet him the other side.

Thanks v much!

I would if he is confident travelling by train and is happy to travel on his own. It's just a train ride even if it does land you in a different country.

Thanks everyone for your comments and tips! I have booked his tickets.

How are you going to get him home? Presumably you can pick him up else you fall foul of the parent putting you on the train rule again surely?

Yes he’ll be fine - very exciting for him

The language camp people will put him on the train. This is their bread and butter. They'll have children arriving from the UK on pretty much every camp starting date. They'll have well thought out, well practised and documented procedures for all this stuff.

He’ll be fine. My dd has done this trip regularly from secondary school age, in order to visit her father. You’ll need to complete an unaccompanied minor form and take your son to the check in desk. Make sure you have your own photo ID and the details of who is meeting him at the other end (although they never, ever check).
I used to love going to London with her, checking her in and having a nice breakfast at St Pancras together before waving her on her merry way!
I did make sure she had a decent phone with good battery life though.
https://help.eurostar.com/faq/us-en/question/Can-my-child-travel-alone-If-so-what-travel-documents-are-required

Not in a million years! I'd go with him.

I think it's absolutely fantastic that you are letting your DS experience this. An excellent opportunity for him to gain confidence in his own abilities, learn some new skills, and feel able to take risks and problem solve without mum or dad around. The increasing trend for helicopter parenting because of our overinflated sense of risk does our young people no favours at all. Well done you did bucking the trend! Sure it will be the making of your DS.

No way would I let my 13 year old travel to another country on their own.

What if the person meeting him at the other end got held up? I wouldn't feel too comfortable myself being stuck on my own in a country where I don't know anyone a d can't speak the language. Imagine how daunting and dangerous that could be for a 12 year old!

I would travel with mine at that age tbh

Me too. Especially going to another country.

Train stations on the continent are confusing getting from one international platform to another. I've done it and I'm an adult. (Brussels/Eurostar).

It totally depends on the 12 year old but I wouldn’t have an issue with it. My sister worked in an international camp and many kids travelled unaccompanied and they had tight protocols to meet them all.
Well done to your son OP for wanting to do this and push out of him comfort zone!

Make sure you have a backup plan in place if there is no-one waiting for him. What would he do if the train were late or there were protests in Paris making access to the station difficult (a fairly regular occurrence)

Other than that it seems like a great adventure for him.

OP could you give details of the summer school. This sounds like a fantastic idea for my DD.
Thanks

"Anything could happen on that train"
Yep. Anything. Meteor, wild animal attack,outbreak of bubonic plague, the tunnel splitting open and the Channel flooding in. Anything at all.

Glad you’ve bought tickets he’ll be fine. I flew internationally making 4 international connections by myself at that age. Other than being annoyed at the rule I had to travel in full school uniform I was absolutely fine!

Sounds fab.

What is this course? Could you pm me if you don't want to put it in here? I also have a 12yo son.

Language teacher here.
Tell your son I'm very impressed that he wants to do this.
Gare Du Nord is very busy though so I'd want him met at the door of the train

Sounds perfectly fine for a confident child.

@Otherland - I will pm you later!

@imayhavelostmymarbles sure, I will also message you later with details.

absolutely not. has no one learnt their lesson leaving children unattended in foreign countries?

@TooManyPlatesInMotion - would you PM me the name of the language school please.
This sounds like a brilliant adventure for your DC

Hope your DC has a lovely time.

Another one asking for a pm for the language school please! Also since you're in London have you thought about sending him to Institut Francais for an intensive holiday course to bump his skills before going?

Hardly unattended if being met. he would be unaccompanied for the journey only.