Teen DS to go on holiday alone?

[4andnotcounting]

I’m looking for some advice. My ds1 and ds2 will be 18 and 16 in July 2024 (both will have finished their yr 13 and yr 11 exams. )I have promised them a holiday abroad for years. None of us have ever been abroad. Despite planning, I’ve found I Cant afford for us to all go as a family. I didn’t want to let them down again and so suggested would they want to go on their own instead? (eldest child very mature - ds2 respects and listens to ds1. )
(I have previously asked family if someone would take them but always let down - to I think mainly because It’s chool hols it’s dearer. )
ds’s want to go but they don’t know where? They’ve suggest Australia and canada.😮 I said what do you want to do there and they said they don’t know and for me to plan something . I haven’t a clue I’ve never been abroad on holiday. I think it’s very far and very expensive.

Does anyone have any suggestions where they could go for a week and what kind of things they could do for that week? (Any country suggestions) It would be end of June July time )straight after exams finish) I want them to be safe and have a fun experience. I am really rubbish at this sort of thing. I never went on holiday as a child either . It feels a bit daunting but I really don’t want to let them down again.

any suggestions / advice appreciated . Thanks

The Alps - lots of walking, mountain based activities, watersports. There are youth hostels throughout Europe.

www.yha.org.uk/places-to-stay/hostelling-international Under 18s need to be a accompanied by an adult. No reason you could not go too though.

Give us an idea of budget and the dates that you can travel (remember not to go until after the contingency exam dates). What airports are accessible to you too.

I love holiday hunting!

OP you sound as though you have Mum guilt, to me it doesn't sound as though their hearts are in it. Otherwise they would be excited to plan trip themselves. I never went abroad when younger, it didn't affect me in anyway.

If budget allows you could have a look at group tours which are targeted more towards younger travellers. An old Uni friend used to drive coaches all over Europe, Oz and NZ for Contiki. I took a minibus tour through the Canadian Rockies after Uni and it’s a great way of travelling if you don’t have much experience as there’s always a guide on hand to organize everything. Chances are the other people in the group will be from all over the world too. However, it might be that these sort of trips are for over 18s only.

Interrailing is brilliant.

slovenia is a great place for a holiday. Lots of young people, hostels, action sports, easy to get around on public transport. Friendly, clean, safe, Everyone speaks English.

Also think about places nearby: Ireland, France, Netherlands. They have great tourist infrastructure and are easy and safe to explore. Again, many young people and cheap hostels. Bikes are easy to rent.
what about a music festival in the near abroad?

Berlin could be great if they want a city break.

Had so much fun and learnt a lot about life in my 16-19 year old 'times abroad' - they weren't so much holidays as I was working, living and learning.

Flights to Australia will be £1200+ each. Hotels would be upwards of £100 a night. Hostels are more for savvy travellers, especially in Aus, where theft in hostels is very common.

Even Canada is going to be £700 upwards for flights.

If they don’t already have passports, you’ll need to factor in another £300. Then there are electronic visa waivers too.

It would really help to know your budget. Also, where do you live? Are the from a big, busy city, or a nice market town where everyone is friendly? If the latter, they’d be better going to a Mediterranean resort-based destination.

The issue with the 16 year old is, that in many European countries he's a minor.
So if his brother wants to go drinking, clubbing ect. then the problems start.

@Cadenza12 are you serious? These kids have never been abroad but you think they should be able to budget for and plan a foreign holiday ?!!!!!

For the price of one flight to Australia you could all go to Spain!

I wouldn’t have an issue with an 18yo and a16yo to go away abroad on their own.

HOWEVER, what’s missing here is their lack of experience of travelling/going on hols.
Id insist that

• they are staying in Europe.
• they plan the hols themselves - incl budget
• go for a ‘let’s stay in this town and investigate around’.

Inter-rail is great but not fir first time travellers imo.

No, I said that if they are not able then perhaps they are not ready to go it alone.

Btw when I say they should plan the travel, I mean they should do it with your support.
Even better they should do it with the support of a trusted family member who has travelled abroad before.

At 18yo, both my dcs would have been able to organise a trip like this BUT they’ve also been extremely privileged and have had the experience if travelling within the U.K. and abroad.
They would still have asked me fir guidance. And I would have wanted to keep an eye on what’s going on to avoid big mistakes.
But organising it themselves would mean them getting the hols they want rather than the hols you want oyswim.

im assuming I Cant afford it- and if I’m brutally honest - I don’t think I want to go (I don’t think I will enjoy it as I have younger two children who I find exhausting) I just want the older two to be happy. We have spoke about leaving the younger two with their dad - and me going along but I’m just trying to keep costs down so to free more money for them. It’s a one off - I can’t and won’t be able to do this anytime soon again. They’ve had a tough few years and I’ve promised them a happy holiday to mark end of their exams.

I think other posters have made a very valid point- if they can’t organise it themselves , then how capable are they of going alone?

Yes I am put off by my lack of experience.

My budget is about £2,000 max (I don’t know if this is realistic for that time of year - it’s a lot of money to me ) less the better, to be honest .

they have both done bronze and silver Duke of Edinburgh. They have been on buses and trains alone .

i think something basic is probably the best way to go as posters have suggested. It will be better than nothing at all.

they suggested Canada and Australia and inside I was (omg..) as I did do a quick Google on skyscraper and it was a lot for tickets alone! I didn’t think about the travel and that they might need longer than a week so that rules those out. Deep down I don’t want them going too far.

like someone said it Will be an education so I will give them the budget and let’s see what they come up with. Saves me a job.

feel a bit stupid - hadn’t thought of consulting a travel agent - which I will do.

thank you all

There are loads of options on the Jet2 website for all 3 of you to go as soon as their exams are over for a week costing less than £2,000.

I would go with them for their first time abroad, it’ll be great fun for all of you

£2000!!

You can all do a lovely break together. Please don't go spending your hard earned money on a holiday for your DC alone.

Definitely not Amsterdam!

I think Barcelona for a long weekend would be really enjoyable at their age

Op, just putting it out there that you could travel out with your young men and stay for two or three nights. Then you could come back by yourself and leave them to it.
If they get a little help - and lots posters here have offered to guide them - with choosing their destination it would be no hardship for them to accompany you back to the airport on your day of departure, making it less scary for you.
You then could feel you had a little 1-2 time with your older children and share in their adventure. Nice bonding exercise. They grow up so fast. Good for your own personal bucket list when you look back.

I wouldn’t let them go alone. They don’t seem to have enough awareness. I don’t mean it in a nasty way. But they want you to organise it all and also seem to think australia is doable in a week on a budget. I think I’d want to go with them which is definitely possible for £2k especially if you can do it in term time. I’d go for somewhere where they could go off exploring together and you could relax on a beach. Maybe a 4 day long weekend somewhere in Europe. Dubrovnik is lovely, I’ve been there and think it has something for everyone

I went away with my two boys at that age last summer.
They would not have managed without me. Ds1 kept forgetting he had a pen knife in his bag. He also got quite overwhelmed and slept for half a day when we arrived so without me, ds2 wouldn't have gone out to get food.
Ds2 was quite shy of asking for things without me there.
They were a great help in terms of carrying bags. But the experience of travelling is something you pick up over time, I think.

We went to disneyland and had a great time. They also like holidays where they can walk or kayak.

I think honestly going with them at this point is better than sending them off without you, and at their ages they might not want you with them on holidays for much longer so it gives them a memory of a trip with you.

Ryanair flights are cheap, although it is worth paying for the slightly bigger bag.
Airbnb has some bargains. Or things like campanile.

Good shout re: croatia.
I just went to Pula and it has an amphitheatre and you can go kayaking in sea caves.

What do they enjoy? Go to Salou in Spain and you could go to the great theme park and water park in that town (lots of package holidays to there) and it's a train ride from Barcelona for a day trip.