Surie

momjno-- If the girls would be more comfortable traveling with a group at first, that's fine. The important thing is that they are interested and excited about going to Europe!

My neighbors run a tour company that sounds great and they are wonderful people, so I feel safe recommending it. The website is AESU.com-- I hope this isn't considered advertising! I know they work with a lot of different schools, so her college may know them.

momjno

Thanks so much for all the really helpful suggestions. We have lots to follow up on, and feel like we have a better idea of what is out there. Since my daughter is not a partier (and can't drink for medical reasons), and is just 18, probably the contiki tours would not be a great fit. We're looking into some of the other suggestions, and she will definitely get a Let's Go Europe too. Thanks again, everyone.

laustic

One tour group that has always sort of interested me is GAP Adventures. They do small group tours and their itineraries seem unique and interesting. I've never gone on one, but I've always kept it in the back of my mind. Just another thought.

PalenQ

You could, or they could also check out their campus Study Abroad Programs as these, though the get credit, can be laidback nice travel programs and often are not that academic rigorous - they do not sit in one place in classroom but travel to famous sites and learn on site - can be fun and some are very cheap. Many schools accept credit from other college programs

There is a ton of such programs that can easily be found at your local college International Study office - most major campuses have one.

KL467

I went on an EF Tour at age 38 and did not like it. However, I probably would have liked it when I was in high school or college. It is a fairly inexpensive way to see Europe.

I like Rick Steves tours. www.ricksteves.com

Lawchick

They could go somewhere to learn a language for a few weeks and use that place as a base for trips. The language course would also help them meet other people.

suze

Why not look at the normal tours operators, even if they might be among the youngest people on them.

I have never been on one but you will want to read up on Contiki... it has a reputation for party-hardy. Why not check Globus, Gate1, and the like. Pick up a copy of Budget Travel magazine and check the advertisements there to get ideas.

LJ

Well, no offence to Globus, but it is very hard to imagine normal university age folks going happily on one of their tours as their sole introduction to Europe.

I met a friend (50'ish) and her daughter when they were 'released' in Rome for a day from their Globus tour: the daughter (19) was begging to get off the bus.

Her MOM was the youngest person on the trip and the teen spent all her time assisting her fellow travelers with wobbly walks on cobblestones, fetching moleskins from the pharmacy and 'translating' Euro's into what her fellow bustour inmates refered to as "real money" so they could buy souveneir bottles of limoncello.

This is no way for youth to experience Europe!

Mambo_

PalenQ's suggestion of a bona fide study abroad program could be a good idea for your daughter. There are many, many options and she could get school credit for the money you spend. Google it and check on her campus for ideas. There are lots of summer programs available, just need one her school will honor.
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cheryllj

I took a short Globus tour as a young 20-something and everybody on the tour was trying to set me up with their grandsons.

I agree that it's now way for 2 18-year-olds to see Europe for the first time. Contiki would be much better. There were certainly a number of "partiers" on my tour, but there is no forced march to bars or anything. Several people on the tour were non-drinkers who went to bed at a decent hour and didn't step foot in a bar, and thus had no problem with the early morning bus departures.

cheryllj

Oops, I meant that it's "no way" for 2 18-year-olds to see Europe for the first time. Unless they really enjoy spending their free time with seniors.

ebfitch16

I'm also a college student that is going to be traveling around this summer before going to my study abroad program. Have your daughter go to the STA office on her campus (almost all major campuses have at least one). They are extremely helpful and she can get a better sense of what she wants to do just by talking to them.

My boyfriend and I were originally going to book a tour through STA with Intrepid Travel (website: intrepidtravel.com). Intrepid appealed to me because I'm fairly independent (21 - so a bit older than your daughter), and I do not like the idea of being bussed from one place in Europe to the next. What's nice about Intrepid is that you travel by local methods (i.e. train, bus, boat, etc.), so basically how you would travel anyway, and you can pick a program with different levels of involvement, for example the one I was planning on doing didn't include meals or any scheduled activities, but if I wanted I could join things or not as the trip progressed. This amount of flexibility really appealed to me, and I'm guessing most college students. They also have some pretty interesting itineraries. There is a tour guide present throughout the entire trip for questions/problems, so it is like an independent trip, but with a safety net.

I would definitely recommend that your daughter just check out the website and see what she thinks. The only reason that I am traveling independently is because I couldn't work out the dates with when my study abroad session started.

Hope that helps and gives you/your daughter a good jumping off point!

PalenQ

STA is a great place i agree

now IF only they were not owned by Swiss Banking interests - i believe anyway.