Travel age

A couple of decades ago (ahem!), when I was 17 I spent 2 months back-packing around Europe by myself. Went from Oslo to Athens and Berlin to Algeciras. I had a family in Germany that I could go to in case of trouble. And this was in the day before e-mail, skype and twitter. I had a great time staying at hostels and met similar kids from all over europe. In fact, it was such a great experience that it completely turned me on to travel and I often site it as one of the reasons that I took a job in Europe and live here now. So, no, being 17 in itself is not a problem. Rather I would ask, how mature are the 2 of you? I know 17 year olds who could do it "no sweat". In fact, my 17 year old will be taking off with friends on rail for a week or two when she graduates next June. On the other hand, I also know 30 year olds who (IMHO) are not yet up to independent travel. So, look deep and hard at what all is involved: money management & budgeting, security, time tables, passports, navigation, health maintenance, taking care of laundry & other housekeeping, interacting with people from different backgrounds. Can you handle all that solo? Are you fairly unflappable if (when) something doesn't work out as planned? Are you and your friend "in a relationship"? Is it a strong one? Many well established couples find that they can't stand each other after 2 weeks of close travel w/ each other. :-) Take this seriously. Ask some adults whom you trust if they think you are ready for it. I'm sure you'll get a lot of good comments from this message board. It can be a fantastic adventure for someone your age, but do your homework and go into it with your eyes wide open. Good luck & all the best.

Hi Brittany! Thomas just gave you some excellent advice - really take what he said to heart! I commend you for even asking the question, because some 17-year olds would be so caught up in the concept of a European adventure or being away from parental supervision, that whether or not they are even ready to take such a trip does not even occur to them. May I ask if you have done any major traveling without adults? Also, what do you mean when you ask if "your age will give you any trouble"? Do you feel you may be targeted because you are so young? In that case, put your mind at ease: every tourist is a target haha! But seriously, I think a major issue you should consider is if you are ready to be the "decision maker/problem solver". I consider myself mature enough to handle problems. However, even at my age, I still find myself deferring to my dad when I am not in the mood to think. Car not working? Can't figure out how to program the remote? How do I pay this parking ticket? Etc... And he is the type of dad that is always there. While in Europe, I just can't do that. Plus, I always travel with my sister who is 8 years younger than me, so not only do I have to make decisions for myself, but ultimately, any "executive decision" that affects me and her together I need to make also. I'm telling you, 1-2 months of that can be mentally exhausting. I know as a teenager, you live for the moment when you can make your own decisions! - but sometimes when you are tired or sick or just confused, you really need that figure in your life who will take on those decisions for you. So ask yourself if you are ready to take on that role. There may be times when everything falls on you - it may be simple or it may be very serious. You may not be in a position to call home and ask or get advice or suggestions. If you are ready for that, you are taking a HUGE step in the right direction.

Pragmatic questions: Can you use credit and bank cards for financial matters? Are teens allowed to make hotel reservations? Can you get Australian student i.d. (I'm guessing which Perth you live in) for the frequent European discounts? Since I have a half-century head start I can't answer those questions but no doubt you can Google for more info. Also, with due respect to our hosts on this site, you can find backpacking advice on Lonely Planet, once upon a time an Australian outfit.
PS: I went to Europe at 17, but with a group. However, I agree that Europeans tend to see 17-year-olds as an early stage of being adult, especially students.

If you're thinking about it, you can sure as heck do it, regardless of age. The only thing I'm stumbling on is the age for getting a place to sleep. Plenty of hostels have 'nobody under eighteen without an adult' signs. I've never seen one in a hotel, but I've got my suspicions. I was the old kid in the class and was already eighteen when I got out of high school and took off, so I never ran up against the problem (if there was one). On the other hand, one of my kids moved herself to France for her junior year of high school and never mentioned any age limit problems. She traveled around during breaks, but I've no idea what was involved.

For the UK you would count as an unaccompanied child visitor, being under 18. Your parent or guardian would need to provide for the UK Border Agency on your entry: their written consent for you to travel to the UK; their full contact details; evidence that suitable living arrangements have been made for your stay in the UK; the name and date of birth of your intended care;
address where you will be living; relationship of foster carer to you; authority from your parent(s) or legal guardian allowing your carer to care for you during your stay in the UK.

I suggest a practice trip before you book your European adventure. You can find out if you like handling all the decisions, as well as if your travel styles are compatible. If you wait until you are 18 some of the legal-age issues will evaporate. Will you finance the trip yourself? A year to save and plan is worth thinking about.
Do your parents support this plan and have passports and funds so that in case of emergency they could come to your side? Enjoy the planning and remember there is no rush to become an adult, you will be grown-up for a long time! Live your dreams!

There's plenty of time in life left to take such an odyssey. My first trip was at age 20, and we were in Summer School at the University of Innsbruck. I would say if you go, you'd do best if you were with an organized tour. Or, check with your local university to see if they have any for credit trips planned.
It's just a little much for two young people without a structured group. You'd have a better time traveling with a group, as they'd be less pressure on you to find accommodations, food, etc.

My suggestion as a person on his early 30s: wait until you get 18 (so all legal hassles like prohibition to use hostels alone disappear), then go for it. There are plenty of people on the 18-22 age cohort travelling around. That extra year makes a huge difference.

My initial reaction would have been no problem, but it seems that as per Marco's comment, the most of Western Europe has similar rules for under 18s travelling alone...

I'd think going on a tour first would cripple yourself with training wheels for the rest of your life. You'd learn one way of doing something and think it was the only way. You'll be with Timid Travelers (god bless them all) who, if they ever venture out on their own, will ask endless questions about weather, quaint b&b, best gelato, and how to get where. They'll get all their scoop from forums and guidebooks; fear traveling without apps, translators, and audio guides; and won't deviate a millimeter from the lemming path. Go. If you find and obstacle work around it or kick it down. You'll meet people of your own ilk instead of a bunch of fuddie duddies. Travel with them for a while or go where they just came from. Kick boxes and see what falls out. Take detours to nowhere. I've got ninety-eight country notches in my belt. I've never been on a tour. I've royally screwed up anything that can be screwed up and enjoyed every second of it. I can be at the airport ready to go anywhere in the world in an hour - - and I've done it. A couple of months ago I was dorking around in Botswana and decided to what was going on in Ghana. The night I got home my Minder said we needed to go to Burma/Myanmar since it'd cleaned up its act and she'd never been - - we left three days later. I've got a three-week hole starting Monday - - I'm going somewhere. Buy your tickets and haul tail. Ignore the naysayers.

I'm going to go in a little bit of a different direction. I agree with waiting till your 18 then I would advise you to begin your Europe Adventure with one of the Rick Steves trips in order to get a handle on how to get around, eat and generally survive in a different culture while getting the most out of it. I would tell the trip leader on the first day that your going to being staying in Europe for 2 months and that for the next 14-21 days of your trip you would like to be mentored in the art & science of trekking through Europe! I learned mostly by trial and error (a harsh but accurate instructor), then stumbled onto the traveler's helpline that has been extremely helpful with people that aren't afraid to share their views even if they disagree. To get off on the right foot at the start would be a huge advantage and would build your confidence.

Does the fact that brittany, the OP, has not returned to comment on any of the above responses give anyone pause?

Well, I have taken a personal interest in this question because, as I noted earlier, my daughter will be 17 when she graduates in June. She and some of her classmates are planning to get rail passes and lark about the continent for a few weeks. So, noting some of the above concerns about the need to be 18, I asked some grown-up colleagues in my office. These colleagues are Austrian, French, and Croatian. They were unanimous and quite firm in their conviction that, in continental Europe, 17 is quite old enough to travel alone, rent a hotel room, etc. It was noted that at 17 you can quit school, drink, and stay out all night legally. In Austria you can also vote. This of course does not constitute a legal opinion. It and €3 might get you a cup of coffee. However, based on what I've seen, I tend to suspect that my co-workers are correct. I'd be interested to hear some of our other Expats chime in. Jo? Tom? Sarah? Diane? Martin? Ian? (Apologies, I know I've forgotten a few!)

Norma, if you're suggesting immaturity, that was my first thought when I saw her message--spelling and grammar--just too much trouble to think about?

Assuming you are a relatively mature person, I might suggest waiting until age 18 as previously suggested for the same reasons already mentioned. I personally know kids who have traveled independently to much more exotic locations than Europe at 18, so I know it's certainly more than doable. Someone recommended a RS tour...I don't think hanging out with middle-aged people for two weeks would be much fun for a couple of 18 year-olds. As for one's poor grammar indicating immaturity, good god! Most Muricans are utterly immature if that's the measure we are to employ, Joan.

Michael, thanks for the heads up. I was trying to suggest that someone who is careless and doesn't pay close attention to what she posts is likely not going to have much skill at handling the challenges of traveling in Europe on her own (or with the 17-year-old boy).
BTW, I lived in Iowa for six years and was always impressed by the wonderful Muricans that I knew there. Their spelling and grammar skills were superior.

Brittany are you still there?