Village Italy in 14 Days Age Limitations

Teenagers are welcome:
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-help/tours-faq

I don’t think so. My grandchildren were in their late teens when we took this tour. They had a ball.

We've been on three RS tours, including the one you are considering, and I think that 16 is too young. Almost everyone is in their 60s or 70s. On our last tour, one couple was in their early 40s and had a great time, but they were the exception.

Look through the day by day itinerary for that tour. Are those the kinds of things that will keep a 16 year old interested? We loved it, but only you (or his family) would know if it is appropriate for him.

Thank you everyone for responding so quickly and I like your responses.

I’ve been on a number of with teens and they always seemed to enjoy themselves as much as the adults. Often their parents would plan something not on the itinerary such as a Segway or electric bike outing. By all means, take him along! It’ll be something he or you will never forget!

I don’t think that 16 is too young, especially since it sounds like it will be a 3-generation trip.

A potentially bigger issue might be the uneven number of people for accommodations. Rooms for 3 are rare. Discuss that with the RS tour folks and make sure they understand how big he is. I'm guessing that he'll count as an adult for pricing and need a real bed.

Also pay attention to the itinerary and how active it is. That's for all of you. Believe the daily mileage listed and be aware that you'll be going up and down a lot, rarely with any kind of hand rail. If you aren't used to walking that much up and down stairs or steep slopes, pre-trip training is highly recommended. As are comfortable and supportive walking shoes for everyone.

Not at all. When I was little my parents took me everywhere. You learn new cultures and new languages and you grow with that. And 16 ist not young. He is basically an adult in Europe.

Thoroughly agree with those who say bring him. And that particular tour would be especially good, I think, what with the pottery-making, truffle-hunting, etc. Also, for those who say it wouldn’t be good because the tour mates are old, I think it’s good for teenagers to meet people of all different ages and see that people can still be interested in the world and interesting at any age.

I was on this tour earlier this year (June). There was one family with two teens. Another set of grandparents with their grandson who was a recent high school graduate. Another grandmother-grandson duo on a Covid-delayed grandson high school graduation trip. They all had a great time.

The Village tour was our first RS tour, and while there were no teenagers on our tour I do feel the tour would be great for that age group. The hill towns of Montefalco and Orvieto had great walks. I loved Orvieto doing the walk around the wall, the market place and the trip down the well. I did not care so much for the marble quarry in Carrara but it did have a lot of interesting marble works in progress.

We have done several tours which had young people and my nieces 12 daughter went to Portugal last spring with us and had a great time.

Encourage your grandson to do some research before the trip to help him find items of interest. Good luck with what ever you decide.

My sister took each of my four kids on a European tour as a high school graduation gift. (Awesome aunt, right?) Most of the other travelers on these tours were older, but my kids fit in quite nicely and all of them have wonderful memories of their European experience with their aunt - and they've all been back to Europe since. I don't think 16 is too young at all, particularly if the teen has a lot of curiosity to learn about the world. What a great experience! (And don't forget that Rick Steves caught the travel bug on a European trip in his teens.)

He's not too young, but give some thought about whether (as others have pointed out) he will enjoy 2 weeks in the company of people much older than him. We were on a RS tour a few years ago where a grandfather had brought his extended family including a grand-daughter that was a teenager. She did not seem to be having a good time and pretty much avoided any conversation with non-family tour members.

When we took the VI tour several years ago, one of the most delightful members of the group was a 16 year old, traveling with her mother. She was comfortable with people older than she, and took part eagerly in all activities.

Almost everyone is in their 60s or 70s. On our last tour, one couple was in their early 40s and had a great time, but they were the exception.

I don't dispute that this may have been true for the person who posted it, we have not found this to be so. It depends a lot on what time of year, among other things. The demographic does trend toward the retired, who have, on the whole, more time and more money, but I think of the 16 RS tours we have taken, only one had only people who "looked like us."

One of the great things about this tour, as lnbsig mentioned, is the great range of activities. There are so many things to do, not just things to see. And the guide, the driver, and the tour mates keep bus time fun.

My final comment would be, it depends on the kid. Is he comfortable with non-family adults? Does he roll his eyes whenever anyone suggests he join in? Is he a good sport? Can he "disconnect" from media for hours at a time?

I say go for it, unless you think he wouldn't be willing or able to join a group.

One more comment, emphasizing it depends a lot on the teen and family dynamics: when we did the Best of Rome tour a number of years ago, one of the members was a 13 year old boy, traveling with his mother. I never figured out if the boy was just not ready to socialize with non-family adults, or if the mom was particularly protective. He was unfailingly polite, but that's all. He and his mother stuck close to each other, neither socializing much with others. I don't think it was because of the age of the other tour members, because we had a number of young people in the group. Young as in, early 20s. Other ages ranged from 30s to 60s.

I do remember that boy, though, because he may have been the most beautiful child I've ever seen. (Perhaps a reason mom may have been so protective?) He outshone Rafael's angels.