Going Beyond Europe

I think a lot depends on where you go. Turkey is more than OK but Iran, Irag? Probably could not get a visa anyway. Some areas would be better if you were very experienced at foreign travel and could recognize problem situations. What are you language skills? Sometimes very useful when well off the track.

Israel is quite safe. Jordan too. Southeast Asia is great. Lots and lots of young travelers everywhere, mostly because it's cheaper. I highly recommend Thailand and Vietnam. Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Burma are on my list. As long as you stay clear of drugs, it's safe.

I'd only add: it depends on the 19 year old. Are you fairly worldly wise? Not fazed by the possibility that people MIGHT try to scam you or otherwise separate you from your money? Can you walk the fine line that separates being watchful from being paranoid? Do you know when someone's leading you along? Can you control your alcohol intake so as not to compromise your judgement? Can you stay calm when the transportation falls through or the room or the food is well below what you expected? Can you set a budget and stick to it? Are you aware that often things are more expensive than you thought? Are you willing to learn how to bargain? Do you have a plan B if something happens? Can you think on your feet? Can you take care of daily housekeeping such as laundry, hygiene and nutrition? Do you know what is safe to eat in non-western countries and what should be avoided? How are you in situations where perhaps no one speaks English? Are you together enough to handle all the immunizations and visas that MAY be required? Have you ever dealt with petty corruption? Do you follow the news and know what topics are sensitive and what places are best avoided for the time being? I'm not asking these questions to scare you away from the plan or to imply that you are not up to it. I know some 17 year olds who can do it. Also know some 30 year olds who could not do it. I also don't mean to imply that the world is a bad place. Most people are truly wonderful and travel is the greatest thing to expand your horizons and learn the art of living. Best of luck to you!

Thomas, that's a great post. Kyle, we don't know anything about your travel skill set.
Maybe just hit Europe? Refine and define your travel goals?

Kyle, Thomas makes some good points,, I do think that if you are inexperienced at international travel you should perhaps consider getting your feet wet in an "easy" spot first,, Europe is pretty easy, but for someone who has never been overseas there still is a learning curve involved. We don't really have scammers and pickpockets in Canada , and how are your language skills, sure English is widely spoken in many places, but more so in Europe then middle east or Asia, plus, in some middle eastern countries the alphabet they use is different and so its like impossible to decipher the words and just use a dictionary like you would in places with "our" alphabet . Of course nothing is insurmountable, as Thomas says though, a lot will depend on your confidence and basic skill level .
Perhaps try eastern Europe and Greece, a bit more unusual then the typical London / Paris / Rome route but not too far out

The list of questions above is amazing! One related thing that comes to mind is to be aware that if something did happen - if you lost your passport or it was stolen, or anything else that might require you to need assistance from an Embassy - it might not be good to be in certain regions. It's possible that because of tensions in those regions, or even no diplomatic relations with those governments, the amount of support you could receive would be limited or non-existent. And that could spell serious trouble for you. Here is the Canadian Travel Advisories site: http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories This is not meant to warn you off; it's meant for you to learn what's out there so you can take the needed precautions, to the best of your ability, so you can have an enjoyable trip.

My husband and I were in Turkey and Greece two years ago. We were on part cruise tour (seven days) and part land. We also went to Cappodocia, on our own. We thought Cappodocia was beyond awful. We had protests in Greece which really didn't affect us. Now though there are all kinds of violent protests going on in Istanbul. I certainly wouldn't recommend going to Turkey. Even Ankara (the capital) has protests going on. We didn't enjoy Turkey. We wished we had gone to Ireland instead. We went there last year and adored Ireland.

Elaine is literally the first person I've ever heard say they didn't like Turkey. Everyone I know who has visited has loved it. The protests going on are major, but they're directed at the Turkish government, not North American travelers. If you avoided the areas where people are protesting it wouldn't be an issue. There are protests in German cities ALL THE TIME (particularly here in Stuttgart over the Stuttgart 21 Rail Project) yet I don't hear people listing those protests as a reason not to visit. I think Turkey would be a good place to visit. Or the former Yugoslavian countries.

pat said "We don't really have scammers and pickpockets in Canada ," This is a joke right? :-(

Actually we do have scammers and pickpockets in Canada .... they're called politicians. Some are Senators.

DJ if you are still reading this thread...
How long do you have for your trip? If it's less than three months my advice is spend your time in Europe. There's so much to see and do that you'll easily find things to interest and entertain you there. I know it's tempting to go just a bit further. If the urge is too strong to resist, pick someplace within a couple of hours flying time, say Athens-Cairo or Tel Aviv, for a short round trip. But this isn't the only trip abroad that you will take, so my advice is to save those other places for their time. If this is a solo trip, know that the ne'er do wells of the world will target you. They prey on lonely people. And no matter how great the trip, there will be some times when you feel lonely. "You are student, I am student, too!" "You are Canadian (American, English, whatever)...I love Canadians!" "Come have a drink with me!" Keep your guard up.