swandav2000

Hi All,

1. Five weeks old.

2. From Arabia, we spent three months going around the world with one month spent in Europe. We used to get those airline tickets that expanded like a bellows! I still have the around-the-world certificate issued by Pan Am for 1955. We did this every other year from 1955 until 1968.

3. It was regularly scheduled long leave.

s

thursdaysd

Although I've lived in the US for over 30 years I was born in England, but that was in 1947, when Europe started across the Channel. So on that basis:

1. 21
2. Malta
3. Christmas vacation with boyfriend and his family

SuzieC

15 years old.

Switzerland, Italy & Greece

Had to pass an art history class to join the adult's tour. About 18 of us "kids" qualified with about 30 chaperones. <GRIN>

The next time I had the chance to go was when I was 50; Barge trip through Burgundy. Exciting. 1 year later, by myself to Paris. Wonderful!

nytraveler

Age 19, between my sophomore and junior years of college. My parents had little money so I had to put myself through school with scholarships, loans and part-time jobs during the year and 2 in the summer. In my sophomore year my great aunt died and left me a small inheritance. So - I decided that summer to work only half the summer and travel the other 6 weeks.

My boyfriend's brother was buying a WV from europe (don't ask) so we got super cheap airfare to Frankfort and did a 6 week road trip from there in the car - then returned it for shipping to the US.

We headed west to Paris, south to San Sebastian, over to Barcelona, stopped in Nice, then drove up to Innsbruck to Garmisch and finally back to Frankfort.

We stayed mostly in gasthauses and pensions (except for the Hilton in Paris, after a first night there at a place I do NOT care to remember). We also found a great luxury resort on the coast north of Barcelona that was then I think about $25 a night for an ocean view room with balcony - including breakfast and dinner.

It was a truly fascinating learning experience in several ways:

I was studying history - primarily european - and seeing so many places I had only read about was incredible

I was amazed at how fast my high school Spanish and 2 semesters of college French came back when needed (desperation can really jog the memory)

I was surprised at how competent I could be in dealing with a lot of unexpected situations

I realized that I loved travel - esp in europe - and would do it a much as possible (have been back 70+ times since between vacation and work)

I learned that spending 24/7 with someone - ANYONE - for 6 weeks can be way too much time together. Young love can easily be dissolved by realizing that the beloved, however charming, attentive and devoted, can be totally impractical and childish when things go a little bit wrong. I didn't mind being the practical one - but I drew the line at being the mommy - esp since he was 5 years older.

seafox

I was just 16, several of my friends in my German class convinced our teacher that if he would take us for the summer we would fund his trip. He at the age of 22 escorted four boys and one girl all throughout the then West Germany. Brave man. I moved to Boeblingen outside of Stuttgart at the age of 21 (thank you IBM!!). left at 24 and have gone to Europe at least once a year for the last 24 years. Paris remains my great love and Venice is truly my soul mate. This year, for the first time we are off to Prague....a new adventure.

katzen

1. 1977 (I was 4 years old)

2. From what I've been told and some of the pictures we have, we visted what was then Yugoslavia, Austria and Germany. I've been told that we were there for a Month and drove to different countries.

3. My mom, dad and I went with my grandparents. My grandpa had an aunt that lived in Yugoslavia.

Sheepie87

1. 15
2. Paris
3. Since I was studying French and had been for ages, I felt it was sort of my duty to go. As a note, this was summer 2003, which should ring bells in the deadly-heat-wave dept.

I loved it. Now I live here (only for a year!).

lvillinois

1. 17
2. Eng., France, Neth., Switz.,Germany, Austria, Italy, Ireland
3. High school cultural "If it's Tuesday this must be Belgium" type tour. Had a great time! First time away from home, had lots of drinks, went to many museums, concerts, operas, and amazingly, came away with an appreciation for the countries visited!

Did not go back until my son did a study abroad in 2001. Went with a friend for our 50th, going again this Sept, and would like to seek out ancestral homes in France, Germany, and Ireland.

Vttraveler

1. Age 21
2 &3 . Traveled with some high school and college friends the summer after my junior year. Typical backpacking/hosteling Eurail pass experience. Visited Italy, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway (going north of the arctic circle to Bodo), England, Scotland. We did a lot of moving around and sleeping on overnight trains. Definitely not the way I like to travel now, but we saw a lot and had a great time.

dgassa

I was 8. Our family, mom, dad, and 5 kids went to Europe in 1957. My father was on a sabatical for 1 year and attened the University of London. We lived in Surry, England, renting a house and us kids attending public school. Each school holiday we would travel around England and the mainland.

We left San Diego and traveled by train to New Orleans where we boarded a freighter for a two week trip to Bremerhaven, Germany. There we picked up and VW Bus, which we drove all over Europe. We camped across, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy and Belgium. I recall staying in a hotel just one time, in Avignon on Christmas Eve. It was pouring rain and all the campground was flooded.

For our return home, the VW Bus was placed in the hold of an Italian ocean liner, leaving Southhampton for the trip to New York. We then drove across the US, again camping along the way.

ndo6532

I was 19 the first time I went. I went to London, England with a college class I was taking over spring break. I am happily getting to return there and to Rome in less than a month!

shaytravels

Although I don't quite meet your criteria, just thought I would share.I am 26, and although I haven't yet visited I will be leaving SFO for London Heathrow on April 30! I will visit London, Cornwall, Ireland,and Scotland. The circumstances taking me abroad are simply that I haven't yet visited europe.Can't wait!

klondike

1. 16

2. Switzerland (Les Diablerets and area, Vevey, Chateau de Chillon, Bern, Lucerne) France (Paris and drive through Normandy to MSM, D-Day Beaches and St. Malo, home stay in Caen w/French Family)

3. "Forced" to take French from 5th grade on-- thanks to President Kennedy's . Was horrible at it but stuck with it due to some intrinsic, impossible-to-identify, fascination with France. 15 yrs 9 months... I was finally old enough to get a job and earn $$$ to go with Voyagers International on their "Language and Culture" Tour the next Summer. Great experience that didn't advance my French but did foster my infatuation. Trip pretty much cured me of doing tours (ok, maybe when I'm REALLY old and REALLY feeble), but it was a good introduction.

1974 Won full scholarship from People-to-People to attend l'UBO in Brest, France--which was renewed--Merci infinment, P to P. Totally feeling more at home in French culture than mine by that time, I obtained a year's reprieve from returning home by getting an "Assistant" position at l'UBO. Finally couldn't avoid returning any longer, though.

Married and had family-which included a herd of 60 dairy goats-not exactly a life-style that you can leave for any length of time with obligatory milking twice a day! But great side benefits-like fromage. So we travelled, but much closer to home!

Making up for this 25 year hiatus in traveling has been one of the greatest, life-fullfilling events for me. My husband, who had lived/worked in France and Brussels in his younger, single days, is as enamored as I, and we now make France an annual romantic tryst.

Fra_Diavolo

18. College semester abroad in London. Afterwards, I travelled alone by train to Rome, Naples and Calabria for a month before returning to the States.

scatcat

I was 35. I took my son to Europe for his high school graduation. We had planned to stay a month with a month Eurailpass, but after a couple of very bad experiences, we came home after only two weeks. I swore I would never go again, but the next year I tried again and have been going 2-3 times per year ever since.

tmodav

I was 37 and went to Spain last December to visit my exchange student that I had hosted the previous year. 4 of my friends went with me and we had an amazing time. We stayed in Madrid and took 2 day trips to Segovia and Toledo. My husband and 11 and 8 year old daughters are going back in July for 3 weeks. We are going to Switzerland for 4 days, Rome for 3 days, Paris for 3 days, Madrid for 4 days, and the last 6 days will be spent at my exchange students family's house on the Mediterranean. Hopefully this will be one of many trips for our family.

Tina

abram

17 in 1967
London, Paris, and drove through France, Madrid, Lisbon

My grandfather had died the year before, and he left my mother $10,ooo. My parents never believed in saving what they could spend, so they ordered a French car (their third) and took my 14 year old brother and me on a three week trip to Europe.

Their friends thought they were crazy to sacrifice a nicer trip for the two of them for "Europe on $5 a Day" for the four of us. We had a fabulous time, and my parents always told us that they never regretted their decision.

annettetx

The first time I went to Europe, I had just turned 21 and just gotten married -- my husband and I spent 10 days in London on our honeymoon. I had always wanted to go to London, and the trip whet my appetite for more travel!

If my kids were to answer this, they would say they first went to London at the ages of 7 and 6 because of their dad's/my husband's work. Lucky kids! Like me, I think that first trip gave them a good case of wanderlust.

LoveItaly

I was in my thirties. My husband and I and our teenage daughter spent two fantastic and beautiful months driving around Italy without any hotel reservations except for the first couple of nights in Milan. Back than it was not crowded as it is now. And I only got upset once during the entire two months. My daughter was in the front passenger seat and was suppose to be the navigator for her father but she couldn't stop staring out the window (a country road between Pisa and Lucca). The "deal" was if she sat in the front seat she would pay attention to the map. LOL, I finally bopped her on the head with a magazine to remind her. Good times and beautiful memories!

copper675

1. I was 20

2. Started in Ireland, then went to Spain, Italy, France and England.

3. I studied abroad for a semester in Ireland, and took advantage of the lovely budget airlines to get around to other interesting places. My family has always been interested in traveling, but our budget kept us in the US, so when I had the chance to go though school, I went!

Now I'm planning a trip for 2.5 weeks after I graduate (in May), and I'm thrilled to be going back! Hopefully I'll be able to do a trip once a year from now on (of course, they won't all be to Europe... not only does the dollar suck, but there is just so much else to see!).