Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Advice for teens backpacking in Europe

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Advice for teens backpacking in Europe

After high school graduation, my daugher and three of her girl friends want to travel around Europe for three to four weeks, visit different cities (they are planning to make a set, very specific itinerary) and stay at youth hostels where they can. Although they will be 17 and 18, they are mature and responsible beyond their years. My number one concern is safety, so advice on that would be helpful, as well as the best ways to get around. Of couse, general advice is welcome too. Thanks, CM

I backpacked through Europe when I was around 20 years old. I was going to meet a young man in Paris and travel for several weeks together. Well, long story short, between train and ferry strikes we never met up. This was over 10 years ago. My first bit of advice is to be very prepared. Buy a Youth Hostel book, a YH pass, train schedules and routes. Then invest in a good back pack. They need to practice carrying it with their gear. common sense goes a long way. Never split up especially in the big cities, carry a money belt. As long as they are aware there are gypsies in many of the big cities that will try to take your camera around your neck,reach in your purse.... They just simply need to be aware at all times, just like they were going to New York,etc for the first time. It is rewarding experience . I cherish those memories. By the way I happened to meet up with some guys from my University back in the states after being away for a year, on the ferry and I ended up traveling with them for several weeks. I felt safe withthem and we became great friends. Hope they have a fabulous time!!!

If you are talking about summer 2001, there is a LOT to do to "make a set, very specific itinerary". If you are talking about summer 2002, this is a very ambitious plan for girls who are CURRENTLY only SIXTEEN years old to be planning! Still, I think that good advice can be provided here - - realizing full well that some visitors here (regulars, newcomers and passers-by) - - will disagree on the wisdom of doing it at all. To give better advice, it might be best to tell a little more about the set(s) of experience(s) each one of them will be bringing to this plan - - specifically - - languages or cultures any of them will have studied in high school? ancestral links to any particular country or culture? previous travel abroad experiences? And last of all - - what countries are they likely to want to include - - it's a waste of time and effort to give advice on Portugal, if their interests are all east of the Rhine river - - just as one example. You might not find that much expertise here on youth hostles - - but for many other kinds of LOGISTICAL expertise, you should be able to get a fair amount of help here to make this as fun, SAFE and affordable as possible. Best wishes, Rex

Fodors There's much to inbterest them on web sites. Privately written US site: http://www.backpackeurope.com/ UK site: http://go.to/bakpak http://www.izon.com Needs a few minutes to load a shockwave flash plug-in: http://www.BackpackingEurope.com/ Short notes by backpackers, and a forum: http://www.eurotrip.com/ For women, not yet found: http://www.sfu.ca/~rlreiner/ Newsgroup Backpack travel discussion group: rec.travel.budget.backpack Hostelling International - International Youth Hostel Federation http://www.iyhf.org/iyhf/ehome.html About 270 hostels that are not part of IYHF: http://www.hostelseurope.com/ Ben Haines, London

Hello, in addition to the tips you already got I would recommend to give the girls cellphones. If they really split up or are separated they can call each other to confirm a meeting point. Miriam

Don't keep valuables in pockets of backpacks.Backpacks are targets because the wearer can't see what's happening.I've watched young backpackers being robbed that way.

IMHO I think the girls should wait until they have at least one year of college experience of being on their own under their belts. Most backpackers I see around here (Luzern and Interlaken) are in college. Even though I am still in my 20's I'd feel very uncomfortable having my 17 year old niece travel around by herself with some of the things I have seen. And as another poster has already said it is really too late if you meant they want to travel this summer.

My son did that at about that age. Europe will be filled with kids doing that and they'll meet plenty of kids to be with. I would give them the same advice I'd give them going to any large city - stay away from strangers, stay together, watch the valuables, don't keep stuff hanging out where they can be grabbed. For hostels, first, join American Youth Hostels - call 1-800-444-6111- they have hostels all over the world. Here are some hostel sites on the internet - go to: http://www.fuaj.fr/oldindex.htm http://www.fuaj.fr/a~frame.htm http://www.paris.org/Accueil/Foyers/ http://www.eurotrip.com http://www.hostels.com Here are some hostels in Paris. To call or fax from the states, dial 011-33-1 then the 8 digit number. First one got very good reviews. Le Village Hostel 20 rue d'Orsel 75018 Paris rooms for 2, 3, 4 and dorms up to 8 people. Each room has a shower and a WC Prices per person - with breakfast - 147FF in a double, 137 FF in a triple, 127FF in a quad and 117FF in a dorm . www.levillage-hostel.fr. Email [email protected] The Young and Happy Youth Hostel 80 Rue Mouffetard 75005 Paris tel: 45.35.09.53, Metro Place Monge. BVJ 20 Rue J.J. Rousseau 75001 Paris (near the Louvre) tel: 53.00.90.90 Metro Palais Royale received some poor reviews BVJ 44 Rue des Bernardins 75005 Paris(Latin Quarter) tel: 43.29.34.80 Metro Maubert Mutualite. Very Clean, and if you get a street facing room, very charming, with french doors with white lace and blue velvet curtains. Your own shower, toilet in hall, breakfast of baguettes and chocolat chaud or cafe. 120 francs. and well worth it! can get 1, 2, 4, or 10 person rooms. Very convenient, nice staff. Le Fourcy - recommended 6 Rue de Fourcy 75004 Paris Metro St. Paul or Pont Marie. Le Fauconnier - recommended 11 Rue du Fauconnier 75004 Paris Metro St. Paul or Pont Marie. Le Maubuisson 2 Rue des Barres 75004 Paris Metro Hotel de Ville or Pont Marie. Auberge de Jeunesse "d'Artagnan" 80 rue Vitruve 75020 Paris Tel: .40.32.34.55 Metro Porte de Bagnolet or Porte de Montreuil. Auberge de Jeunesse "Jules Ferry" 8 bd. Jules Ferry 75011 Paris Tel: 43.57.55.60 Metro Republique. Residence Bastille 151 Av. Ledru-Rollin 75011 Paris Tel: 43.79.53.86 Metro Voltaire. Jules Ferry 8 bd Jules Ferry 75011 Paris Tel: 43-57-55-60 Fax: 40-21-79-92 D'Artagnan 80 rue Vitrule 75020 Paris Tel: 40-32-34-56 Fax: 40-32-34-55 For more Paris informatiomn e-mail me - [email protected]

If they have some common sense, they will be fine. My advice: Don't get upset about having to prepare everything in advance. The only things they really need, are a passport, money and a flight ticket. Everything else can be bought in Europe if they find out that they have forgotten something. Most of the problems, you and the girls expect, will turn out to be no problem at all. They will encounter some problems but they will probably be able to solve them somehow. Don't try to think about all complication that somehow could arise and solve them in advance. It's impossible and unnecessary. Money solves problems. Give them some mean to buy their way out of unexpected situations. As an example: They find out that every affordable hostel is full. Now they can chose between spending a night at the train station or taking a hotel room which is more expensive than their budget allows. If you give them a credit card they can use in such a situation, they can avoid a potentially dangerous situation. When I was 18 and graduated from German high school, a friend and I decided to make a trip by car with the only fixed plan of visiting a friend in Nice. We had a rough idea that the Loire area might be great and so decided to go there. At the morning of out departure, we met another friend who decided that he also wanted to go and so we were three. If I had asked on this forum whether this planing was sufficient, I guess that many people would have predicted trouble. But in fact, we had a great time.

Hi, I did this in 1993 when I was 19 and after my first year of college. I flew to the Middle East and made my way through Europe for 3 months. It was my 2nd time overseas. I had a great time and learned a lot, but I must admit that I had a few bad experiences with men trying to rob me, touch me on dark trains, etc. along the way. Nothing that I couldn't handle, but I was/am a pretty tough girl with some "street smarts". I also carried protection in the form of a knife (legal size)that probably wasn't capable of doing anything more than giving me some peace of mind. As long as your daughter knows how to handle herself, she shouldn't have too much trouble. Plus, she'll be with other girls which helps. I met up with people along the way, but traveled alone most of the time.