Traveling with 15 year old

Old Apr 13th, 2013, 09:28 AM
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Traveling with 15 year old

I am thinking of taking my 15 year old son to Europe this summer. Any suggestions on the best places to visit? I have been before but his first trip. I am wondering if he should wait a few years to go or is this a good age.
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Old Apr 13th, 2013, 10:02 AM
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>>Any suggestions on the best places to visit?totally impossible question. Where have you been? What did you enjoy? What does your son enjoy?

Give us something to work with here!

>>I am wondering if he should wait a few years to go or is this a good age.could understand waiting if he was 2 or 3 years old - but w/ a 15 yo, why would you need to wait?
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Old Apr 13th, 2013, 10:14 AM
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Agree, no one can answer this. Europe is huge. We don't know a thing about you or the 15-year-old.

A "good age" to visit Europe could be anything. I took mine every year from the time they were born until they were young adults. Others never take kids. Others wait until they are X years of age. It's entirely up to you.
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Old Apr 13th, 2013, 11:01 AM
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A primary reason for taking a child is to broaden their world and educate. You have an excellent opportunity to discuss and plan this trip with him. A 15 year old is quite capable of doing research, consulting friends and adults to determine what interests him and you. Why not work with him and then get advice about how to maximize your experience?

We have no way of suggesting things or places that interest him or you without more information from you. Music? Food? Art? Adventure? Ruins? The list is endless but you have to start with your son and then educate yourself and him. Its not all about the actual visit--it includes the collection of information and planning which should be shared.
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Old Apr 13th, 2013, 12:08 PM
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I think he will enjoy it more if he is involved in the planning. He is certainly old enough to be able to look things up on the Internet.

If you have a budget, make certain he is aware of it before he starts dreaming of things you can't afford. Explain to him about how moving around a lot will cost more.

If he is the sort of teenager who can't live without daily contact with friends over the Internet or phone you have to make sure there will be free WiFi in your hotels, otherwise it could get VERY expensive.

How responsible and reliable is he? Some 15-year-olds can be allowed out on their own for a whole day. Others need to be constantly watched. If you let him go off on his own make sure he knows how to get back to the hotel.

At that age he needs some spending money of his own. If you are the one providing it you shouldn't let him have it all at the start of the trip. If he has earned the money himself, let him make his own mistakes, then wait a few days before you give him more money if he's wasted it all.

What are his interests? If all he wants is to lie on a beach and look at pretty girls it may be a waste of money to go all the way to Europe. But if he wants to look at museums and old castles there will be a lot to see in Europe.

Small villages may feel safer, but can get boring for a teenager if he doesn't understand the language. Large cities will have more variety and usually more english-speaking people, but can feel more dangerous. If you want big cities, I'd recommend London, Paris and Rome.
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Old Apr 13th, 2013, 12:55 PM
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Thanks for the responses.I should have explained more. He likes big cities and I was thinking of Paris, Marseiiles, Venice. I have about two weeks.
I have been to London,Paris, Rome, Greece, Spain, Switzerland. He is an only child so nobody else around his age to hang out with. But he is independent and very interested in learning about new places. Just hanging out on the beach is definitely not his thing. He is a foodie for sure and enjoys different cuisines. In terms of the age, I was just wondering if anyone thought that waiting a few years would make it more worth while. We don't have any friends who have taken their kids to Europe yet. Just trying to get some opinions.
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Old Apr 13th, 2013, 01:13 PM
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Your son sounds mature and interested enough to go to Europe at 15. He also sounds mature and interested enough to help plan the trip. Where would he like to go? If he doesn't have any interest in the planning part, perhaps you should wait a couple of years.

I think Paris and Venice are great suggestions. I guess I would be interested to know what is the draw of Marsailles. What about Nice or Rome?
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Old Apr 13th, 2013, 02:22 PM
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Thanks. Just a few days ago, I read Marseilles as one of the best places to go in 2013, so it was just a thought .
I have been to Nice and Rome and loved it but thinking of that one for another time.
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Old Apr 13th, 2013, 02:26 PM
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We started taking our kids to Europe at the age of 10; I would have taken them earlier, but DH did not agree. Interestingly, our DD mentioned to me after her first trip that she was glad she was old enough to remember the trip afterward, though of course she could have gone before 10yo and still remembered things. (We've traveled a lot in the U.S., too, and she's kind of sad about the places she's been to but doesn't remember because she was quite young at the time.)

Our kids (now 14yo and almost 18yo) are both city people, though they've also enjoyed time in smaller towns and rural areas. DS's favorites are London and, well, probably London, and Edinburgh, and Barcelona (he loves modern art). DD's favorites are Paris, Venice and Florence.

Does your DS like any period of history in particular? That could guide which cities you choose. Or if he likes a certain type of art - i.e., Renaissance Italian art, then you should definitely include Florence. Our DS went through a big Anglophile phase (I think he's still in it - about to go to university in the UK as a result), so his first trip included London.

Our kids are big foodies, too, especially DD. We have really enjoyed introducing her to regional and national cuisines of the places we've visited, including very high-end places (which she enjoyed, even when she was 10yo). This is your chance to explore all sorts of foods with your DS.
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Old Apr 13th, 2013, 04:35 PM
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Our kids came first time at ages 11 and 14 - and loved it. We did London and Paris for the first trip - and they loved the chance to practice their French. Also staying in each city for a week gave them the chance to get used to the transit and do things together during the day while we went gallery-hopping - and they did teen/tween girl stuff. (They especially loved Covent Garden and the Cluny Museum in Paris - and also the ballet).

So - no you son is NOT at all too young (he'll be going off to college in 2 years after all.). But you must get him involved right away to make sure the trip is one he will enjoy. He;s certainly old enough to do research in sights - and you may want to consider a country using whatever langauge he's studying (it really makes the language and culture come to life). (IMHO kids can benefit from europe from way younger than this - even as young as 5 or 6.) Have him look at a Let's Go guide and/or the Thorn tree section of the Lonely planet web site.

But you must give us more info to help you:

What are your interests? And his?
How long do you have?
What type of budget do you have?
What places have you been - and liked or disliked?
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