ydoc

Hello

Can anyone recommend a reputable company who could "shadow" two college students wanting to visit Prague over Spring Break. I have a friend who's daughter wants to travel there with another college friend but the parents are concerned about their children being only by theirselves at the bars.

Thank you

crazychick

how old are these 2 college students?

AAFrequentFlyer

You're not looking for a guide, you're looking for private security. Do a google search for prague private security. I'm sure you will find few agencies.

nytraveler

This sounds like a babysitter - not a guide. And I don;t see how it would work. If it's a local young person they'll just join in the party. If an older adult - then no one will have any fun.

Either the students are ready to travel or not. If they live away at school - does someone follow them around there when they go out at night? If not - why in europe?

ydoc

I believe my intention in posting here was asking for reputable companies who specialize in guide/companion services for teenagers. I don't think I asked if these parents are correct in their thinking.

But, since opinions came into play here, all I will say is if I had a twenty year old going to a foreign country over spring break with one friend, I would rather regret making arrangements for them to be shadowed than to possibly experience what parents we all have read about who unfortunately lost a child or can't find out what happened to them.

Are the odds high bad things will not happen to these girls, yes, but why take the chance.

But thank you for the suggestions.

And yes, they live away at college and have traveled in France quite a bit but with extensive family and friends being in France.

nytraveler

Well - I went to europe for the first time at 19 - with my boyfriend. And if we saw anyone "shadowing " us, we would have called the police - assuming they they were thieves or worse.

What you're describing is definitely not a "guide" as in telling you where to go and what you're looking at. It is a security guard. I can;t imagine anyone here would know someone like that. Perhaps you should contact the Prague police department and ask them about how to find such a person (perhaps an off-duty officer).

If the parents are paying for the trip then why not require that they go with a group? If the parent's aren't paying - don;t see how it's any of their business. (If my parents had done such a thing I would have assumed that they had gone around the bend. Not that they would have presumed to interfere in my life that way.)

Christina

I think you have to have money to do that, obviously, but I can see some parents worrying about two college students alone who are going to bars and are alone. No 20 year old is going to be that sophisticated, no matter what, and there are stories about various criminal activity and sordidness in some parts of Europe. Heck, I sat right next to a couple in a Prague restaurant where the bored Russian woman was clearly being bought by the male -- longterm purchase, actually, as he was explaining what it would be liked when she left for another country, although she seemed to be more interested in her steak than in him.

I do have a friend who was a professional musician who had bodyguards and suggested them for Prague, actually. He had them in Prague, and said there was a lot of crime there. There actually was several decades ago, enough that some people did have bodyguards, which is when he went. I told him I thought that was a little excessive for me and that he was a little out of touch with current European situations in some of these cities where he used to travel (I think he was there about 20 years ago).

These are not necessarily bodyguards, actually, a private detective may do that. I knew a guy who would have done it, but we have lost touch (and he didn't work outside the US). But I think these kind of services are more individual than something a company would offer.

Cowboy1968

I think that phrase "to shadow s.o." got somewhat lost in translation to me. You probably don't mean that you want some P.I. or bodyguard following the two women, without telling them.

IMO, a guide - maybe even a female guide - who is offering "Prague by night" tours or pub/bar tours would be more than sufficient. A local guide can steer them away from tourist traps or unfavorable areas to places that are nice to go to for some drinks.

What use would a "shadow" be, if he has to stay in the background, and the two ladies waltzed unknowingly into a seedy neighborhood or bar? I would much prefer to have someone to show them the good places for nightlife which also the ladies can enjoy.

Unfortunately, I never needed that kind of service, since I'm a male, who grew up in Europe, and
goes to bars since age 18.

But I guess you will find many reputable agencies that other Fodorites can recommend - or via the Prague tourist information.

Barbara_in_CT

I think that some of the parents' concern comes from the Natalie Halloway case in Aruba.

I know that American college kids attend college in Prague through CIEE. Perhaps they have a program for Spring Break?

Cowboy1968

These "children" won't be alone at the bars since especially in Prague there will be even more "children" from all over Europe and the world at the bars.
What level of sophistication is needed to order a beer? Most kids in Europe order beer and wine since they were 16, and go to bars and clubs since they were 18.

But if the parents feel that much uncomfortable with them going to Prague, they should not let them go to Prague.

crazychick

If you really feel that two 20 year olds are not able to handle themselves in Prague on thier own then they should not be going on their own. If you as a parent do not feel confortable about it they will pickup on this and spend most of the time reporting back to you they are safe and that would spoil the trip.Have you some relavtive that could go with them but still allow them some freedom and not shadow them completly but just at nght perhaps. Unless you pay someone to watch over them 24/7 you will not be able to stop them going to bars, if they wnat to do that they will do it. Some are open until early hours of the morning. If they are not the type to go out late in to bars in college then what makes you think they will in Prague. At what age would you feel comfortable about them going on their own. There are also many internet cafes and lots of accomdation has internet so if it made you feel at easy they could keep in touch with you on the internet.

ydoc

Thank you cowboy 1968 for pointing out to me "shadowing" is not what I'm actually meaning. They were looking for someone older but fun to excort the girls at night to the clubs/bars. I didn't mean lurching in the background. "Prague by Night" is exactly what they need.

Their main concern is to have someone watching over them for red flags like secretly adding things to drinks, etc. I think if there was a group going, they wouldn't be so concerned.

I will pass the idea on to them.

And Christina, you hit the nail on the head with your comments.. Thanks!

ydoc

And great idea Barbara in CT on the CIEE suggestion. I will have my friend contact them.

Thanks again to all!

Brutforce

If they are old enough to go, they are old enough to go....please let them be adults. Sounds like they are pretty well traveled for kids their age as well...

nytraveler

Chrsitine -

Sorry - yes many 20 year olds ARE that sophisticated. If you grow up in a big city and have been living at college on your own since you were 17 you're an adult at that point. (They have probably dealing with everything you're afraid of at college hangouts - using fake IDs - for years.)

At 19 I was plenty sophisticated enough to deal with europe - as were my step daughters - who went with friends when they were 18 to 20 - and never ran into any problems.

Now if you know the girls you're dealing with are very naive and gullible - I would suggest that they need some help/more experience in growing up - not to be followed by guards so they don;t get into trouble.

Or, alternatively, if they're risk takers (and some kids are, by nature) you just have to hope they have the smarts to get out of the trouble they (deliberately) get into.

(One of my suitemates in college was a risk taker - and did a lot of really stupid things - some of which we had to rescue her from. But she went into the situations with her eyes open - the risk was part of the charm for her - and some of those women IMHO live the rest of their lives that way. Or get one good scare and come to their senses.

My suitemate got her good scare when some gangster (literally) she was dating flew her to Paris for dinner and then dumped her there with just the clothes on her back when she walked out of the sex club he took her to. She called us and we had to track down her parents (also out of the country) to send her the money to get home, since her one credit card wouldn't cover airfare.)

copper675

You might want to suggest that the parents concerned respect their adult children. I'm 23, and if my parents decided I needed an 'escort' to go traveling abroad (which they didn't, since I spent a semester abroad on my own and didn't disappear, die or have anything else bad happen to me), I would have explained my opinions in very clear and positively offensive terms. At anything over 18, the parents need to respect that their kids are adults.

Tell the parents to talk it over with the students before even thinking about doing something that most college students will find an offensive invasion of privacy/adulthood.

But what would I know, I'm just one of those 'kids'.

SicilianSailor

I agree with copper675...more than an escort, the parents just need to talk to their daughter about common sense while traveling. If they are in college and have already traveled extensively in France, why wouldn't they be competent enough to travel alone in Prague? So many students study abroad there, go to bars there, and live to tell great stories of their time there.

Personally, if I had to be alone with a friend at a bar, I'd feel safer in Europe than the US. Europeans tend to have a much more mature view of drinking than the average American college student. It could be a great lesson for the girls to see Europeans their age that aren't getting ridiculously drunk and doing kegstands. The parents need to stop meddling in the lives of the children, if they have this much reason to be concerned, I would bet their daughters are probaly engaged in more unsafe behavior at their colleges than they would be in Prague.

Cowboy1968

As I said, I have no experience with guided tours, but they do exist:
http://www.pragueexperience.com/places.asp?PlaceID=1136

I would assume that they will get some understanding of what parts of town are most favorable to explore safely at night.

crazychick

"Their main concern is to have someone watching over them for red flags like secretly adding things to drinks, etc. I think if there was a group going, they wouldn't be so concerned."

This can happen anywhere in the world, I myself would be more concerned if they were in a group. Experience tells me ( my own offspringand some of his freinds)) when in a group they are more likley to show off, drink more take extra risks etc. " like minded friends are more likley to look out for each other. I would have no problems if my Daughter at that aged wanted to go, she went to a few places at a younger age and Amterdam at 19. But lets get to some good points here the idea of Barbara in CT on the CIEE suggestion. seems it would suit you have you aslo asked your 20 what they want to do.

Mucky

20 years old !! they are adults !!

They could be married with a couple of kids by now !!

Sorry, but I think the cotton wool is wrapped just a little too much here.

If they are not capable of a trip at 20 I would suggest they shouldn't be allowed out of the house.


Muck