Help for new graduate trip to UK
 

My son is graduating from college in December and would like to go to Scotland and Ireland for a few weeks as a graduation trip. He's never been out of the country before and we're a little hesitant to just give him money and say "Go!". Does anybody know of any student organization or tours that specialize in young people?

First of all, it'd be wet and very cold in Scotland that time of the year. DOoes he really want to go then?

..agree Scotland is cold! Ireland is much warmer (note, I am talking about the republic of Ireland). Your son is graduating from college (not high school) so I think he is more than old enough to plan his trip. I would suggest he start at the Youth Hostel sights for the UK, the lonely planet web sight, and a travel agency that specializes in youth/college travel- these are often found near a large college/university campus.

I LOVE Scotland - and one can have a fun trip there in the winter. But does he realize how far north it is -- that it will be dark by 3:30-4:00 p.m. every day? That there may be snow/heavy winter storms? That outside of the cities, many of the tourist attractions are closed in Dec/Jan?

But I have one question - he is graduating from college so he is at least in his early 20's. He is certainly old enough to go on his own w/o mommy planning things for him. If the trip money is a graduation gift - I'd personally just give it to him w/ no strings attached. He isn't 16 afterall.

Is his heart really set on Scotland and Ireland?
I too love Scotland but mainly for its scenery.
Your son won't see much of that in December.
Why not go to London? It's an exciting city and there will be lots going on in December.
I echo the last poster.
It always surprises me that in some ways American children are made to grow up too fast but in other ways they seem to be kept firmly tied to the apron strings.

Ouch! I should have realized that more than travel advice is dispensed on this board. He's a musician and will probably need a keeper for most of his life. The music is why he wants to go, so time of year isn't a big concern. We're just looking for some place to start with ideas on how to get there and get the most for the money and time available.

Carla -

Haggis would be an option. They have several affordable packages that would cover both Scotland and Ireland and would give your son the flexibility of selecting not only the cities/towns he can visit, but also the length of the stay.

If he is a musician he could also entertain the masses at the hostels!

http://www.haggisadventures.com

Check out Haggis.

www.haggisadventures.com

My husband used Haggis in Scotland during his freshman year in college...he loved it.

We've also used Contiki which specializes in travel for 18-35s (though I would say most are in the young 20ish range). We actually met on a Contiki tour in Spain/Portugal, but that's beside the point.

One point of caution: tours are really a lot of fun (when you're young and travelling alone) but do keep in mind that some days require a very early start. I think that is more true for Contiki than Haggis. There were a few painful early mornings on the bus after late nights at the disco...

Thanks! We'll check out Haggis. Early mornings will definitely not work.

I loved being tied to my mama's apron strings as she was a darn good cook!

Besides the world could use a little more parental oversight IMO. Good luck Carla!

Thanks for the good wishes. And yes, I am a very good cook. Also, I don't plan on going along. I didn't realize it was a bad thing to give a kid a gift.

Carla...I think Degas is just teasing. He (she?) is on a bit of a roll today.

Degas...methinks it was YOU and not the 8 year-old who had a brandy after the Moulin Rouge. And quite possibly before and during it as well.

:)

Also...don't know if you looked at the Haggis website yet, but their days start roughly around 8:30 a.m. For a tour, that's pretty generous timing. There were mornings when we had to depart at 7:15 on Contiki (and that was *after breakfast*).

Carla, Ignore the judgmental cranks. (I don't think degas is one of them.)

Here's another vote for Haggis. A neighbor's daughter, college aged, did one of their Ireland tours last summer and raved about it.

Sounds like a great adventure.