Here's the post(s) about spamming.

<b>Author: innak
Date: 12/19/2007, 04:41 pm
It was so much fun going mountain biking in Austria. We also went white water rafting. Contiki arranged it for us. Check them out at www.contiki.com
I had the time of my lifetime.



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Author: blackduff
Date: 12/19/2007, 05:14 pm
innak
Your posting has become a negative impression about WWW.Contiki.com and their method of abusing posters on this forum.

Personally, I will never use Contiki, since this isn't being a truthful approach for publishing. I sure hope that Contiki is wasting their money on stupidity.

Trolls are not worth reading.

Blackduff



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Author: suze
Date: 12/19/2007, 07:59 pm
No advertising



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</b> Hopefully this will work.
Blackduff

I've been on several tours when I was older and agree that tours are not so terrible as a lot of people say. A good tour can be a lot of fun for someone who gets to meet others and have people to do things with.

I don't agree exactly with the idea that because it is safe to travel alone, and because I do it a lot now (and I do), that I would say therefore that for someone the age of 21 who has never traveled abroad, it would be equally enjoyable and safe. First, people do learn a lot with maturity and experience, and my niece who traveled in Europe some when she was that age (not even alone, but with her boyfriend) had a lot more problems than I do when I travel alone. Why? Exactly because she was young and inexperienced and hadn't traveled much. Her boyfriend was of zero help as somehow she managed to find a British boyfriend during her semester stay in London who had hardly ever traveled himself, hated trains, hated anything &quot;different&quot;, etc.

Young people can and do stupid and foolish things, also, even when they are not &quot;stupid&quot; kids in terms of IQ, etc.

Finally, what may be missing is simply the idea that someone kids that age do not WANT to travel around alone. At that age, you are not used to being alone that much, and it is very different if you aren't used to it. I live alone now and I am used to doing things alone and not being around someone all the time (and like it), but it can be uncomfortable for someone who has never lived alone or been alone much.

Of course if the daughter was dying to do it alone, that would be another thing. I don't think we have any idea what she really wanted to do. I just think a good tour group with people of similar age could be fun, that's all. I enjoyed the ones I took, and met some nice people and had a lot of fun on them.

A young female traveling alone in Europe, especially Western Europe, is very safe. I started traveling in Europe solo by myself (i'm female) when I was 19, and I only speak English.

Having said that, I think traveling solo in <b>Ireland</b> can be a bit tricky, especially if she wants to cover several cities. Based on my research, Ireland is best visited with a car, and I would not recommend your daugher renting and driving a car by herself in Ireland.

So, if her heart is set on Ireland, perhaps joining a tour is easiest, so that she won't have to worry about how to get from town A to town B to town C.

But if she's open to visiting other parts of Europe, specifically the big cities like London, Paris, Amsterdam etc, I don't see why she can't go on her own. Plenty of people she'll meet at hostels.

If a 21-year-old college grad is not yet mature enough to figure out on her own whether or not to travel to Ireland alone, at what age is that going to happen? 22? 23? 24?

Even if she isn't mature, I really have no idea what could happen to her in Ireland that couldn't happen to her in the U.S. Unless she is living at home and grounded, what is different about her spending her time in Ireland?

If she said she wanted to go to California by herself for a week or two, would people be discussing having her go on a group tour?

How about Canada?

How about Norway?

What is going to happen to her?

Why shouldn't she drive in Ireland if she knows how to drive?

zeppole asked: &quot;Why shouldn't she drive in Ireland if she knows how to drive?&quot;

Cost, particularly if it is not divided between two or more people. Insurance is expensive for younger drivers, and fuel is expensive for everybody.

<i>Why shouldn't she drive in Ireland if she knows how to drive?</i>

I can think of many reasons, apart from the ones Padraig mentioned above.

1) A college graduate is around 21 years old. Whether this person is driving in US or Ireland, she is an inexperienced driver based on her age.

2) She is not used to driving on the LEFT

3) She probably doesn't know how to drive a manual car

4) She is not used to the signage on Irish roads

5) She probably has never come across a roundabout in her driving life in US

6) She will have to pay a premium to rent a car in Ireland for being just 21

7) It's hard to navigate if she's the only person in the car - she'll have to drive and look at the map all by herself

I agree with the concept generally speaking that the major cities are easiest to travel solo plus you don't need (or want) to rent a car.

I've been alone in Amsterdam, Venice, Geneva, Paris, and all were easy as pie.