Momof5

Hi

Having traveled to Europe quite a few times I am asking a odd question. Where would you take 2 drama queen 18 year old teenagers without dad along. I know Europe is safe but I still worry about pick pockets etc. I have never traveled to Europe without my hubby. My daughter cannot deceide where to go. Any suggestions where to go and not to go. Maybe you have experience with a teenager ....and can share it. I love Europe!! Thanks so much!

WillTravel

Momof5, what interests do your daughters have? Do they like haute couture or thrift-store chic? Theatre or nature (or both)? You can read my trip report about my recent trip with my 14-year-old daughter. She liked shopping at flea markets, modern art, and theatre particularly - and London and Amsterdam were great for these. If your daughters like high fashion, Paris is absolutely the place to go. I think teenagers who have any interest in alternative culture would really like Berlin also.

kleeblatt

Is this in summer?

Go to a Greek island like Crete, Naxos or Santorini. They've got beaches, nightlife but not much crime. Fly to Athens to check out some history and then fly/take a boat to an island.

Cicerone

Yes it is an odd question; you will have no problem getting along without a man, and may actually enjoy yourself!! If your daughter truly has no opinion on this I would pick (i) places you want to go, (ii) places you have been and loved and would like to share with your daughter, and (iii) places your husband would NOT want to go and therefore you may not have another opportunity.

IMO your safety concerns are overrated; European cities are statistically safer than most US cities in terms of street crime (and certainly gun crime). I assume you know this for yourself, don't know why no man being along would make you feel differently; IMO a man is not going to protect you from a pickpocket. You just need to take normal precautions that you would in any place with regard to your purse and wallet.

nona1

Perhaps you mean Dad is best at cutting off the drama queen moments! You need more advice than we can give you on that...
Anyway, if you feel insecure travelling without a man (why?)perhaps you should avoid big city centres - not because they are particularly risky but just because you won't enjoy a holiday if you are stressed out worrying. Head for a beach holiday.

Nutella

if it makes you feel any better, men are probably statistically equal to or greater targets for pickpockets than woman. probably because they are more likely to keep valuables in their pockets! so your group might actually be safer without a man around

furthermore, without the hubby around, when all the european men flirt with you, you can actually flirt back!

but seriously, relax and enjoy your trip. you are woman, hear you roar!!!

ira

Hi Mom,

At least one week in Paris.

SusanEva

Traveled with my teenage daughter who had her drama queen moments. She especially liked places associated with romance in some way. Paris, Loire Valley (because of the chateaux) and Venice come to mind. SusanEva

nytraveler

Make your life much easier. Send the two drama queens by themselves. When they have to cope with everything themselves I'm sure the drama queen factor will be rapidly reduced.

A nice holiday for you and some good maturing experiences for them - it sounds like they need it.

paula1470

I was going to suggest the same thing as nytraveler. At 18, they could go on their own but it depends on their maturity level. I know there has been a big thread about this issue in the past. If you are worried about traveling to Europe without your DH, then I could see how the girls might be ready to go by themselves.

My friend's son is going next summer after his HS graduation-he is traveling with 3 other friends. They are planning the whole trip (with tips from parents) and will be staying in hostels and budget priced hotels.

Obviously you know Europe so you can make suggestions but I think you should have the girls do research and plan the trip. Have them get either Lonely Planet or Let's Go and start reading. My daughter liked Let's Go better when she went to Europe. They will enjoy the trip more if they take ownership of it.

WillTravel

I have to admit the drama queen designation is a bit off-putting. It wouldn't be very fun to travel with people who throw fits, if that is what it means. If they go together and do that, they're sure to get on each others' nerves something fierce.

TobieT

I agree with sending them on their own. If you want to ensure a degree a control over safety book 3* places and send them to London so there is no language issue.

We sent our two....daughter 20 and son 17...and it was a great experience for the two of them. I did book a day trip for them (Stonehenge was on their list of must sees) and they spent a few days in Paris as well so the Eurostar was also booked.

The girls will have a great time and with email and phone cards, you can still keep in touch. It will be unbelievably mind and soul expanding, but moreso without mom as you know.

I found helping them plan just got me ready for my next trip!

julia_t

I took my teenage daughters to Barcelona - they loved it: it's a hip, cool, interesting place with lots to do and see, great beaches, fantastic shopping, terrific tapas...

They have also enjoyed Paris and Venice, also London as we live in the UK, but Barcelona definitely comes out tops for my teens!!

WillTravel

Julia, that's interesting about Barcelona. My teenage daughter isn't particularly interested in going back to Spain, after being to Madrid, but I've heard that Barcelona is quite different. What sorts of places did you go?

paula1470

In my message above I meant to say "if you are worried about traveling to Europe without your DH, the girls might NOT be ready to go on their own". Sorry forgot the word NOT.

I think if they have ownership of the trip, there will be a lot less of the drama queen scenario. They will be responsible for their itinerary and if it's not exactly what they want, it will be up to them to either go with the flow or make changes to where they travel.

When my DD was in Europe, she loved Italy-all of Italy although Rome was her favorite. Switzerland was a favorite because she stayed in a hostel in the Alps. She enjoyed hiking and it was a change from all the cities she had just visited in Italy. Ireland was another spot she liked but the exchange rate made it tough to stay their long. She was luck in Ireland because she had friends to stay with and that helped with the cost.

My daughter got an cell phone in Italy so she could call home and there are Internet Cafes everywhere. She also purchased a Eurarail Pass, you can get various lengths of stay. She had no problem getting around on the train and several times traveled by herself on the way to meet up with others.

escargot

So many places to go.....have your daughters ever been? If not, without you saying their specific interests (theater, architecture, shopping, etc) I would think they'd want to go to a "famous city" - and the list is endless of those that offer a lot for 18 yr old girls: Paris, Rome, Barcelona, London, Ireland, - and how long would you be in one city or are you trying to to two cities or a city and some side trips? My daughter was between the ages of 15 and 20 when we visited - separate trips - France, England, Italy - we mixed it up - time in the city and time driving in the countryside and staying in chateaux's, b& b's, villa, etc - so she'd see the museums, shops, historical places, architecture, but also get a feel for the villages and neighborhood atmosphere. Also, I am assuming you want to go with them (and they want you to go with them) as a mother/daughter remembrance trip - so you have some say in destination and that also depends on how much freedom do you plan to give them - if you are going to let them go off for a day of say, shopping the local boutiques and you want a day at a museum they are not interested in or just a day to yourself - are you going to let them go out at night without you? - will they want to visit a club type scene for dancing/drinking/pub visits/ seek out areas where they might meet other kids their ages and would you allow that or not? All these answers might help me share some of the places we went and let my daughter (along with her brother, only a few years apart) and did let them venture out on their own also - they would rent bikes for a day and go wandering, or go out at night, to a club or movie or whatever - so if you want to give us an idea of the freedom you would/wouldn't allow and what their interests are then perhaps some people could be more specific in destinations and places to go while there. For example, define drama queen - if it means they are going to have a hissy fit (as my mom would have called it ) if the tiniest thing goes awry, or if things don't go their way, or they are "out of their element" and that will annoy them, then I would tell you to avoid certain destinations. If drama queen means they just love being a bit dramatic from time to time and doing "girly" things, then that would help determine also.

If you don't want to go, you could consider letting it be their vacation time to explore together. Europe is safe if the kid has a head on their shoulders, is respectful of other cultures and languages, and savvy enough to be in a city unaccompanied and use the precautions one would use anywhere - I am always amazed at those people who let their kids wander in NYC on a first time visit with no parameters or guidelines about areas to maybe avoid, etc but are appalled that I let mine explore unaccompanied in Europe - the rules are the same, there are safer areas than others everywhere and just because you are in the U.S. doesn't mean you can't get pickpocketed or robbed at an ATM or shouldn't be roaming certain streets in America coming out of a club at 2am...... if your girls know how to navigate a city , they know how to navigate a city. If they are not savvy travelers and haven't traveled anywhere alone and you dn't feel they are ready to do that in Europe then don't do it. Only you can make this determination. I think it is important to let them roam a bit on their own while you are lurking close enough by at a hotel so they get used to making decisions and going it on their own. I still worry, but my son spent a week in Barcelone with 5 friends at 18 but I was comfortable with that having seen him negotiate his way around many cities in US and Europe.

If you want to provide more ideas of what they like, if you want a city where you can let them explore a bit, or not, then there are suggstions I would make.

I also wonder the fact that you mention going with out hubby, if that makes you nervous then that also might determine where you should go - a city easier to negotiate, easier to figure out, etc for several reasons - so you wil be comfortable during the trip , but more importantly to me, so your daughters will see you are comfortable traveling as a woman and not fearful of traveling without a man so they will be too ! Good luck and let us know if you want some more specifics.

julia_t

WillTravel...

I took my girls to Barcelona in August 2004 when they were 15 and 13. We rented an apartment in the Born district close to the edge of the Barri Gotic for 4 nights.

We wandered las Ramblas, went to the fabulous market there, we wandered a lot (as one does), made good use of the metro and local buses, took the bus tour, hopped off at Parc Guell, Sagrada Familia, the Spanish village (because it was lunchtime!). The girls loved the Gaudi architecture, but we didn't go to see the houses because of the queues - another time maybe... Spent one afternoon shopping (oh, the bliss of airconditioning!), another afternoon at the beach with friends after visiting the Picasso Museum - while not museum types generally they were both interested in this one - the younger was fascinated by the seemingly endless paintings based on Las Meninas. There was an internet cafe near the Picasso museum the girls found, about 5 minutes from the apartment so they would go off there in the early evenings while I relaxed on the balcony with olives and wine before going out to eat. We didn't actually have a complete meal I don't think - we just ordered lots of tapas and filled ourselves up with them! And we ended every meal with crema catalana!

There were several charity/thrift shops nearby and my elder daughter came back with several handbags, scarves, jewellery, a hat, and other stuff she got for a handful of euros! She now goes to college with one of her Barcelona Bags each day!

Both girls would like to go back to Barcelona, particularly when it is cooler, to see some of the things we didn't get to see due to heat/crowds. They both felt it had a 'buzz' - it felt 'new and fresh'. Lots of young people everywhere too expecially down at Barceloneta and the beach area.

We felt safe there, and would go back and stay in that area again without hesitation. I was quite happy to let the girls wander near to the apartment as well.

This is just a precis of what we did - but we did have a really good time.

BTW, BOTH girls are have drama queen tendencies, although the younger one was still quite sweet when we were in Barcelona - but now.....!