17 year old cousin, me, Europe and legalities

Morgan, The previous replies provided some good information. I wanted to mention that one of my previous RS tours included a Grandmother and Granddaughter. I didn't ask them about the "legalities" of the travel arrangement, but there didn't seem to be any particular issues. The Granddaughter was about the same age range as your Cousin (the trip was a Grad present for her). Which Rick Steves tour are you considering? Cheers!

Information on this is on the State Dept's web site. http://travel.state.gov/

Notarized letter from both parents giving her permission to travel to the specific countries. I would also suggest a letter authorizing you to obtain medical care on her behalf. (That is not strictly necessary to leave the country, but you would be damn fool not to bother with it) Just use the same form I am sure both your schools use and edit it appropriately.

Thank you...I will do both and check out the website!

Morgan, I've copied this from the RS Family Tours FAQs: "If I am a single parent or grandparent, will I need to bring special documents?
Yes! Any child under age 18 who is not accompanied by both parents must bring a notarized letter, signed by both parents, allowing the child to be taken out of the USA and also allowing the adult traveling with the child to seek any necessary medical care. The letter should include the child's legal name and date of birth as shown on his or her passport, plus dates and countries of travel. For details, call the US State Department at 888-407-4747. More questions? Please call our Tour Department at 425/608-4217." Now, this is the part of the program where I harangue you (LOL!) into coming to our Sacto Area Helpline Meetings! We're meeting this Sat, the 25th, at Panera Bread in Natomas at 10:00am. For the address, please go to the "General Europe" section of the Helpline and look for my thread. You're more than welcome to send me a Private Message, too :-)

While I can't argue that these documents would maybe be handy, I've never heard of anybody having to produce one. Here's what I think I know: The U. S. State department: 1. has rules for getting a passport for a minor 2. controls (along with others) who comes into the U. S. and will let any citizen back in since the the citizen owns part of the place 3. has no rules about what citizens (absent those on some kind of alert) can leave 4. publishes travel advisories, but not bans (don't argue Cuba, please) 5. participates in the child anti-abduction business, but only if an alert has been posted with a specific name 6. provides information on what visas, etc, may be required for entry into a foreign nation, but the enforcement of the visa requirement is the business of the foreign nation Other Nations: 1. seem to be only interested in the traveler having a valid passport, visa, etc Corporations (tour companies, airlines, etc): 1. may have other, more stringent requirements, but seventeen is above the current cut-line for young people flying Doctors: 1. Treat what's in front of them rather than let some one get worse or die Here's what I've personally observed: 1. My kids have scampered through more immigration lines, in front of me or using a different booth, than I can count. They had their own passports, if they pointed at me, I have no idea, but sometimes neither I nor their mother was in sight 2. My youngest daughter moved herself to France for her junior year of high school. She was, I think, fifteen, and had nothing but a passport, and traveled alone. One of her letters casually mentioned that she'd had her appendix taken out. 3. This same brat took herself back to France for college. I think she was seventeen then. She did not have to have her appendix taken out again.

I don't think there are any legalities, just stuff that gets passed down as faux-gospel.