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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Unaccompanied teen holidays

26 replies

Verbena37 · 31/12/2018 17:12

Hi,
Has anybody had a teen (under 18) go on a holiday abroad unaccompanied?

DD is keen to find something volunteering with animals etc or anything really that allows her to go away this coming summer (without us) but abroad.

I can’t see anything that doesn’t £1k+ which is totally out of the question but wondering if anyone knows of any universities perhaps that do student summer programmes? Somewhere like Italy/Spain/ Finland etc?

Dd will be 17.5yrs.

OP posts:
Original poster
Verbena37 · 31/12/2018 17:24

Just found Camp Suisse but one week is approx £1350!

OP posts:
Firefliess · 01/01/2019 10:45

DS did a privately organised language exchange at 14. They took him sailing in the Med! I think the website was called something like Lingoo. Cost next to nothing and stacks of kids want to learn English. Though you do have to host the return trip of course. He also went with a school friend at 16 to visit another school friend who'd moved abroad. I think youth hostels will allow unaccompanied teens from age 16 in most countries

Original poster
Verbena37 · 01/01/2019 12:07

Thanks firefliess. The more I think about it, the fewer options I think there are. At her age, she is more likely to find a job working at the places I’ve found , than going as a guest to them.

Think I might check out family holiday destinations instead....as long as travelling is ok post-brexit!

OP posts:
jjemimapuddleduck · 01/01/2019 12:46

When I was 16, I had a German penpal I think through school. Our parents (I presume) organised a week at each other's houses staying with each other's families to practices our languages. It was amazing. We kept in touch for a long time afterwards. I, sadly, didn't keep up with my German (very annoyingly as I was thinking in German by the end of my week there!) but my penpal kept up with her English and became fluent.

Would this be an option if you have any European or further afield contacts?

Original poster
Verbena37 · 01/01/2019 15:09

She did spend a week with my friend’s family in south of France 2 years ago, which was brill for her gcse French Practice. She went to school with their son for 2 days and spent time with my friend chatting in French.

OP posts:
HotInWinter · 01/01/2019 16:30

Have a look at National trust working holidays. Not sure if I was doing A levles or at Uni when I went on them, so not sure what the min age is, but worth a look. They also have overseas opportunities.

Original poster
Verbena37 · 01/01/2019 19:13

Thanks I will take a look.

OP posts:
CottonSock · 01/01/2019 19:16

Does Concordia still exist?

Babelange · 01/01/2019 21:18

DS went to Romania with World Challenge last summer; a visit to a bear sanctuary was an option but the rest of the group voted for something else. There are a number of providers of this type of holiday which are usually organised via a school - the idea is that the young person fundraises for themselves. The Romania trip was for independent young people who didn't know each other and was £2500; they are supervised and had a wild trek and helped renovate a rural school - 14 days.
The other option might be NCS which is very affordable and requires a 4 week commitment; but not abroad or working with animals!

Original poster
Verbena37 · 01/01/2019 23:08

Thanks. She would never be able to raise that by the summer.
Never mind. Just looking at different options.

OP posts:
Ginger1982 · 01/01/2019 23:12

I'm impressed she wants to go on that type of holiday and not a Spanish piss up with her mates!

soundingklaxon · 01/01/2019 23:15

I picked up a brochure from STA travel recently all about volunteering jobs abroad. May be worth a look at their website or getting hold of a copy? They had all kinds in there...

soundingklaxon · 01/01/2019 23:19

Also- have a look on Facebook at WorkingAbroad projects. That may be useful?

Original poster
Verbena37 · 02/01/2019 00:12

Thanks everybody me. I’ll take a look at STA too.
She wants culture and adventure. She loves Hollywood icons like Audrey Hepburn and is more excited about seeing art in Italy than banana boating and Tequila in Majorca (grin)...at the moment, touch wood!

OP posts:
CottonSock · 02/01/2019 09:57

www.concordiavolunteers.org.uk

celtiethree · 02/01/2019 17:31

Is she going by herself or with a few friends? My under 18 went inter-railing last summer and had a v good time. A few of the hostels wanted signed parental consent but not all and the consent forms simply needed to be signed and taken with them. There were four of them that traveled together.

Original poster
Verbena37 · 07/02/2019 10:51

It would be with friends. Originally 6 friends but now perhaps 3.
I’m not sure about hostels but I know there are some nice ones.
Another one of the girls has her dad checking out places now....let’s me off a bit of the teen stress!

OP posts:
celtiethree · 07/02/2019 13:46

The hostels were very upmarket compared to my day!! They always selected a private room - they were always able to get a shared room for four. A bit more expensive but worked very well.

Mary19 · 07/02/2019 17:36

Not working with animals but in Spain www.diverbo.com

Sadik · 07/02/2019 19:30

Again in Spain - environmental / sustainability rather than animals, but 16-18 welcome unaccompanied with a consent form from parents. (I'd say it's a good place for a teenager to go to get some interesting experiences but in a fairly safe environment!)

Etino · 07/02/2019 20:15

Definitely encourage her to do NCS as well.

141mum · 24/02/2019 10:15

How about NCS, my daughter is doing this £35 for 3 weeks, volunteering and group activities plus looks great on cv

lljkk · 24/02/2019 17:52

I sent DS to Berlin for 6 days at age 16, with a 17yo friend, so yes, BTDT.
I have a feeling OP wouldn't like that, though. Grin

weegiemum · 24/02/2019 20:16

Does she have any friends with family abroad? My dd is going to Poland to visit a friend's grandmother for 2 weeks - friend is Polish and bilingual and dd is trying to learn. She's 15.

CherryPavlova · 24/02/2019 20:24

Ours did Camp Suisse. They loved it and learned much. The first trip was my son and his friend who won two places in a competition when he was about thirteen. He kept going and his sisters went too.
Then he went as a 17 year old mentor whilst his sister went as a group leader. They would still love to go back but real jobs took over. They did about six weeks in Switzerland each summer.

Our youngest went as a Redshirt to Lourdes for a couple of years and then as a helper. She was taught to drink Tequil Shots by an 80 year old.