fille26

First time I was 21. Went backpacking while I was engaged.
Second time with my husband, I was 23..for our honeymoon!
Now we are going back again, I just turned 27 today. We're going in May..

I would love to be able to go back every year, for the rest of my life!

beachbum

I was 19 when I and a friend flew from the west coast to London on one-way ticktets. A couple weeks later, we bought bicycles in Paris, and pedaled off in search of adventure. My friend's adventure lasted about three weeks, mine 10 months; a life-transforming experience.

SeaUrchin

I was in my late 20's and had been dating a fellow for just a while when he was invited to judge a beauty contest in Greece. Well, he went and extended his trip...hmmmm....

In a few months he was invited to Austria and Italy and invited me to join him. I went for my first trip to Europe with him and it was a grande whirlwind tour. We stayed in the best of places and dined in the best of restaurants.

I loved Italy, especially Venice, and vowed to return as soon as possible. I still travel with him once in a while, but I soon discovered that you don't have to have the "best" hotel or restaurant to have a wonderful time.

ilovetulips

Thank you for all of your replies. I feel like I am reading everyone's piece of personal history. I think the one common thread is that you all have wonderful memories of your first trip. Like many others have mentioned, my family didn't have alot of money to send me on a trip to Europe when I was in college. I became interested in visiting France in particular during high school French class. After I graduated from college I visited Cancun, New Orleans, San Francisco and the wine country, and my husband and I returned to Playa del Carmen for our honeymoon. There are so many more places in the US that I want to visit, but I wanted to see Paris before we begin a family and it will be more difficult. I must say that I treasure the memories of every single trip and I know that our European trip will make my life even more rich.

dkw

I was 20 and went on an overseas study through the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Michigan State Univeristy. We spent 10 days touring various wine regions in France and another month studying culinary arts at Ecole Hotelier in Lasaunne, Switzerland. Can you believe I got school credits for that??

letour

Hey Tedgale! You got there a few months ahead of me in age. I first went to Europe at the age of three in 1957, owing to my grandparents' working there for several years. I too had a chance to go by sea a few times...one lasting memory is looking out the port hole one bright sunny morning and seeing all the party hats from the kiddie party the night before, all floating and bobbing on the waves after someone had tossed out the night's refuse, I suppose. The hats made a lovely sight, lots of shapes and colors bobbing about in almost animated fashion...kind of a Fellini/Disney moment that has endured.

SeaUrchin

letour, that would have made a great photograph!

annesherrod

I was 21 - went to Scotland to study, and spent the following summer touring Europe. Oh, those were the days!

letour

SeaUrchin,
In that era, it would have been with a Brownie camera! Pre-instamatic!

abbynicole27

I was 11 and some very well-off family friends invited our family to spend a month with them in Rhodes, Greece. They were living in Saudi Arabia at the time and making very good money, so they went on vacation as often as possible. They really wanted us to come with them, but we couldn't afford it, so they paid for our airfare and accomodation!!

MareW

I went to eastern Europe with a group from my high school when I was 16. I didn't get to travel again until I was 30.

SuzieC

14- the summer of '65. Aced an adult art history course. So about 15 "kids" who had passed tagged along an adult tour of art in Italy and Greece (and Switzerland, in and out of Europe, SwissAir was very inexpensive).
In '65 the Greeks were not very fond of Americans...but as we were young, they were almost pleasant to us. Rude to the adults tho...
Oh my... do I have some memories of that trip!
Didn't get back until I got divorced (GRIN) and was 49!

lscott

When I was 20, had not traveled at all, a farm girl who had been to the nearest cities only a few times. New husband drafted (remember the draft?) and at barely 21 I took train to New York City, ship to Bremerhaven and train to little town of Wertheim Germany where he was stationed. We lived there 1 1/2 years, traveled to several European countries on a very very low budget. Have had the travel bug ever since. Back to Europe several times. Now retired and spend most of time planning and daydreaming of next trips.!

Fly_Widget

I was 11. My Mother worked for an Airline, and my sister and I were finally both old enough to stand-by and sit in Business class.

First international trip, business class to London...I've been spolied ever since.

Poshspice

24, went to London. Completely seduced ever since.

smalti

I was 18.

saraallison11

I was 20. Went to Greece to visit my then-boyfriend, now-husband (who was studying abroad for a semester). I fell in love with Athens. Also got to see Amsterdam. Now, after two additional trips there and almost five years, I can't seem to get rid of the Europe bug!

Weadles

I was 6, when I went on a month-long trip with my parents to London, Paris, Vienna, and Rome. I still remember my first taste of croissants and sachertorte, both of which earned me the nickname "Weadles" since I was constantly "wheedling" for dessert!

lschu

I was 16. My older sister's best friend had moved to Spain to go to university there and my sister decided I needed to go to Europe. (She started going over @17 years old) So since my Dad worked for Eastern I got really cheap airfare and went for springbreak. My sister's friend had by that time married a Spainard and I spent a week touring around Grenada and the Costa del Sol with them. A great experience.
A couple of years after that I went with my other older sister and two of her friends to Greece for three weeks in the summer and had a great time too.
In hind sight both trips were super experiences for a teenager and I can't wait to take my husband and two sons to Italy soon.

sunny16

I was 3. (This was about 30 years ago.) My dad was consulting for a company in Florence, so my mom and I spent about 5 weeks with him there. My mom used to take me to Fiezole (sp?) on the B Bus. I remember a lot of that trip, including when my mom took me to see the David. We also went to Venice and Pisa. I wanted to go into the Leaning Tower with my father but for some reason my parents wouldn't let me. We stopped in London on the way back and we went to see the Changing of the Guard. I kept asking my mom where Christopher Robin was.

My dad started working for the airlines again, and we went to Europe and India quite a few times when I was a teenager. Then I did a semester in London, during which I spent my spring break backpacking around Ireland, which was an absolute blast. I spent 3 weeks in the UK after college graduation. I've only been abroad once since then, unfortuntely, but I'm planning on traveling a lot more now. It's in my blood.