Teen Solo Travel

Are you looking for thoughts on locations, transportation, lodging? Or are you looking for people's opinions on the general idea?

Hi Kristen - I'm thinking about her safety. She knows where she wants to go. But . . . its a long time by herself. Looking forward to your thoughts. So yes, the "general idea".

I don't know....18 years old isn't that young. I started doing solo international travels on my own at 13, mainly to go from my boarding school in N America to my home in Africa (I'm keeping it vague, intentionally :) ). Now, it wasn't touring around, but to get to and from airport I often had to take ground transportation on my own.

At 18, I was already able to travel/tour on my own comfortably. I guess it's about past experiences though. Main advice is about how to keep important documents by her side, and developing good habits so she doesn't lose track of her things. Losing one's way isn't a big deal as you can always ask for help. Losing important documents is another thing.

Then I would say that no one knows your daughter like you. Mine was not independent enough for a long solo trip like that at age 18 (or even now at age 23). The summer before her freshman year in college, at age 18, she did take a small group tour as a solo aimed at that general age group (Galapagos). For that, I didn't worry about a thing.

For me, I can only do about one week completely solo (without a tour group). After that, I get a bit mopey. Other people travel for months on their own and love it.

For safety, each location will have different issues. Each needs to be researched separately.

Two thoughts: August in the south, yikes! I would go North/or to the mountains. And have her wear a whistle on a chain around her neck. You can get them cheaply on Amazon or REI. Best Regards and give her a hug from me! J

She should absolutely do it! Way back in 1993 when I was 18 I travelled to several countries in Europe alone for 2 1/2 months armed with my Eurail pass, hostelling international membership card, passport and about $600 in foreign currency (this was pre-euro) It was truly one of the most amazing experiences in my life. Your daughter will come back more confident and self-reliant than she has ever been! And it’s really easy to check in with her as she is traveling or if she is feeling lonely. (All my parents got were a few postcards and one, maybe two, collect phone calls - ha) My daughter will be 18 in a few years and I would not hesitate at all if she expresses interest in a solo travel adventure in the future.

I was all set to join the nay chorus, but i remembered that when we were in Avignon in 2015, we met an 18 year old woman from Australia who was traveling on her own. I didn't feel a bit worried about her. The 18 year old head on her shoulders was infinitely more mature than my 18 year old head was.

You know your daughter - go with your gut.

It is pretty difficult for any of us to give you advice when none of us know your daughter. You will have to determine this based on your knowledge of your daughter.

There are ways to increase safety if that is a concern. Daily texts home and an app like Polar steps where you could turn on tracking can help anxious family members at home feel better about solo trips, I use it to help my kids feel better about me traveling alone.

Daughter did an internship in Germany at 20 over the summer many years ago. She did research in Berlin, went to Nice and ran into a fellow Honors College student that she knew from her classes at the university she was attending.

As a mom I worried all the time, but back then we scheduled Skype visits once a week.

Not sure how I would feel about it now.

How is she traveling alone? My daughter had great communication skills, was pretty resilient. And most of her time she stayed in one place but joined a soccer team and had people to hang out
with.

The real key to her having a great experience is research and planning. But the most important thing to consider is this: is she mature and responsible enough to travel on her own for a month in the U.S.? If so, she'll only be dealing with different languages, cultures, and a different currency. All other things are the same except for safety --and in my opinion she'll be a lot safer there than in the U.S. At some point she'll leave the nest one way or another, and this might be a chance for her to test her wings. But you know your daughter better than anyone, so just trust your maternal instinct.

My daughter was 18 when she first traveled throughout Europe. She was a young 18 year old college student spending a semester abroad. The college only scheduled classes Mon-Thurs. so she used every 4-day weekend to travel to various countries. i admit I was a little nervous at times but she was (and is) a smart, sensible and resourceful person, so she wound up being just fine and having a great trip!

Not Europe, but my dad was nervous about my 2 week trip to Colorado alone when I was 18. He was smart. He found some really fun group experiences a d showed them to me with the ...this looks like fun....you would be with people this week and alo e the next. It worked.
I think you should do some research and suggest some group excursions for part of her trip.

I suggest it depends on her street sense. Another factor might be her languages.