What age would you allow a teenager a London weekend with friends?

[Pepperama]

At what age would you let your DS travel to London with some good mates to spend a long weekend? They’d be staying with a family member just outside London, and then spend the days exploring. We’re in the north so it’s not around the corner if something isn’t going to plan, and he’s not been to London or done any travelling with friends yet.

15/16

16

Your family member or someone else’s? If I knew them, probably 14, otherwise 15 I think would be fine. Only you know your own son and what he’s like.

Depends on the kid but ( as a Londoner ) 12+

I went to London after my GCSEs to stay with a family friend. I had a blast. But I didn't drink if that makes a difference.

My own daughter started going to the west end at 14 in the day, then 16 at night for shows.

16 or maybe 15 in the case of a late summer birthday. Year 11, basically.

if they’re with another friend who is a Londoner year 9.

Mine have all been allowed to wander an agreed route, essentially soho, Carnaby Street, selfridges or Covent Garden from year 9. From mid year 8 they’ve been allowed a couple of hours on their own with me sitting in a cafe waiting for them to check in.

if they’re all Northerners and haven’t got anyone who knows their way around then year 11 or possibly the end of year 10.

16. I had to imagine it being Manchester though, cause I'm not too far from London 😄

14

I'd say 14-15 depending on how many in the group, and if you're satisfied that you know the other boys well enough and their usual behaviour

Also, I'd be checking out with the mother of the boy who has the London relative just what level of supervision there will be

My DD is 15 in year 11, I’d let her go this summer so she’d be 16.

Only because she’s not used to big cities and has only been to London twice, if she had been there a lot I’d say more like 14

Surely this depends on the child and their experience in big cities and navigating public transport?

Does anyone in their group have any familiarity with London? That changes it if yes/no.

V child dependent- probably Year 9/10 and would honestly depend on what the friends are like/ what they plan to do etc. and also on what the family friend is like.

Thinking about DS I’d be more worried about inflicting a bunch of random teenagers on the family friend tbh 😂. They’re nice enough boys but en masse, I’m not sure I can deal with the banality 😂

Yes this. My DS could find his way on public transport anywhere, he went to college in the local city at 14 so was happy to get out and about. My DD is 14 and won’t get the bus to the local shopping centre and had zero sense of direction.

Admittedly I grew up in London and got the tube to school by myself from 11 but my uni mates were far less capable of navigating a big city than me at the same age as they were driven everywhere!

My kids have never been to London. We live in edinburgh so they really aren’t used to a lot of chaos. So would depend on the friend and if they were responsible and knew everything themselves as my kids would be no help at all. But given the right setup I think I’d let my daughter go now if she wanted to, she’s about to turn 14.

I wouldn’t have been happy with this unless my dd was 18yo tbh, she is young for her age though and we’re from a small town.

London is just a city. There’s just a lot of it.

Once they are set up with their Young Visitor Oyster to get discounted transport, and get a quick induction on how to tap in and out they’ll be fine. The tube map is easy to follow. If you accidentally get on one going the wrong way you just get off and go back.

Central London and anywhere they will want to go is very safe.

They just need to take care not to wander about phone in hand. Same as in any city.

The tourist-friendly sites are like being in the Royal Mile, Oxford St is like Princes St 🤷🏻‍♀️

In that scenario, 18!

Is the family member accompanying them on the trips into London?

How far is "just outside London"? Within Zone 6 travel area or completely outside London?

Depends on the child really. I've known some mature 14yr olds and some absolute idiot 16yr olds!

As a mum to boys (who tend to fall into the risk-taking, impulsive, not as street savy category) I would've said 16+
Or I'd go to London myself for the weekend and let the kids go off during the daytime perhaps.

Also as PP said.. is it their family they'd stay with?

Assuming nice supportive friendship group, responsible relative to stay with who will notice if they don't come home, 15yo probably.

DD is now 25yo... she had friends in (little town or rural) Norfolk who wouldn't let their daughterss walk alone 100m in Norwich at 9am unless they sent a text (within 5 minutes of arrival) to say they had arrived safely to some venue they were dropped off at... no one can tell you how risk adverse to be.

Thanks all. He’s just at that younger edge where I’d be a lot happier if he was a year older. He’s young in the school year and still 14, his friends are 15, some almost 16. So probably explains why it’s a case of ‘but everyone else is allowed to go’. The friends seem a sensible bunch as far as teenage boys go. I don’t know the parents, or London family member at all. One of the friends is in London a lot and knows their way around. I’m very torn - don’t want him to miss out on a great time and he’s used to travelling/big cities/transport but also… he’s only 14, and not massively mature for his age.