See title: Would you allow a 17 year old and 18 year old, both female, to backpack on their own through Europe?

A lot would depend on the parts of Europe, of course. I mean cities for the most part: Prague, Paris, London, Frankfurt, Berlin, Milan, Madrid... Some time would be spent in the countryside but none in any notoriously seedy town or district.

A lot also depends on these two particular travelers. The first (U) is a native European who speaks English, Bosnian, and a smattering of German. The second (K) speaks English and four-years' worth of high school French (enough to get by on, I'd think). Both are (in my opinion) responsible and capable of managing on their own in Europe. They plan to go in the summer of 2007, after they graduate, and have had enough time to save up money for the trip.

Both have done a considerable amount of research on traveling in Europe... but is that enough?

If they were your responsibility, would you allow them to go to Europe (4 to 8 weeks) - alone?

I can't imagine there's any trouble they could get into in Europe that they couldn't get into at home. I'd let them go (not that you have a choice in the matter, necessarily, especially for the 18-year-old).

No, I wouldn't. I have a 20 year old daughter. She's a model child. Never been in trouble, excellent student, very repsponsible, etc. She's planning to study abroad next year. And I think it'll be a wonderful experience for her. But no way would I let her backpack through Europe. For the same reason that I wouldn't let her go out driving on New Year's Eve. It's not her I don't trust, it's the other guy.

I think the responses you get will depend on where the poster lives.

In England children leave school at 16 and enter higher education - ie College or get a job.

In the US children leave school at 18 - I think in the mind of a parent there is a big difference between a child who left school 2 years ago wanting to visit another country and a child just out of school.

My Daughter flew to Barcelona when she was 17 to meet a friend and still talks about the fun they had. I think she very responsible and she has never let me down.

The fact that they can speak the language(s) is good - alert them to the problems/scams they might encounter without scaring them.

If they think you are trying to scare them they will discount your information as a 'paraniod parent', roll their eyes and not listen to you.

signed: Alya, a British mom living in the US

Yes, I would, given the parameters you set out. Lots of kids between school and university inter-rail every year without the slightest difficulty.

I think the big issue is their maturity and ability to cope

It's a rite of passage to backpack through Europe-kids have been doing it forever!

I find it interesting that it always seems to be the "other" person who is responsible for leading those "model" children astray...sure it is, Mom.

Yes, I would allow them to do so and I would pride myself in knowing that my child had enough judgement not to do anything during the backpacking that they weren't going to find some way to do no matter where they went or who they went with.

I'm not a parent, but I did do some long-distance train travel and sleeping on people's floors at their age. You sound as though you're pretty confident in their personal qualities already, but you could spend some time talking over worst-case scenarios, coping strategies and the like, and above all using the internet (emails, setting up a blog as a travel diary) to keep in touch in a way I couldn't at that age.

As Sheila and massagediva have said, this is a perfectly normal rite of passage for youngsters their age in Europe. The magic phrase in the UK is "gap year", and if you Google on "gap year"+backpacking you/they should find plenty of resources on how to plan it to best effect.

Mine went to pop festivals at the age of 16 and went inter-railing at 18.
This was before internet cafes had been invented.
As people have said, this seems to be a cultural difference between Europe and the US.
What tends to happen is that they meet others of their own age on trains or in hostels. It's likely that the twosome will become a foursome or an even larger group.

Here's another link: some advice and planning guidance on gap years from the travel section of my newspaper:
http://travel.guardian.co.uk/gapyears

I can't see what harm could come to them. They seem "streetwise" and sensible. They want to go and I assume that it was their initiative so they must have conducted some research into what is involved in such a trip.

Many people backpack around Thailand/Asia and I think that that is far more dangerous as things aren't so developed there, and one reads horrific stories in the papers about backpacking trips that end in tragedy. So I don't think I'd advise anyone to backpack there regardless of age.

However, Europe is developed, there are no risks here that are any greater than in American...in fact it's probably safer in many places over here. I'd try to get some sort of itinerary out of them so you can assess their plans and put your own mind at some more ease.

Because so many students take time to travel all over the world in their 'gap' year between leaving school and going to university/college, there are many guides published.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...150555-9635037

(I'm not sure if that address wwill take you to the page with the guidebook listings - if not just type "gap year guide" into the search box on amazon.)

I hope they have a great time.

My daughter and her friend spent a month inter-railing round Europe but she was in her 20s and both were reasonably street-wise. The worse that happened to them (that she told me about anyway) was that their rucksacks were broken into (slashed with a knife) when they left them at a youth hostel to go out for the day. Fortunately neither had left valuables in them.

Other than that and a short bout of food poisoning, she joked about being asked to a "private" club by some guys that tried to chat them up in a bar in Prague - they politely and firmly refused, thank goodness. They did have a great time and will always remember their trip.

If they are street-wise enough to cope with these sort of situations and not panic over minor problems, they should be OK.

To the OP- you mention that the girls will travel after they have saved up "enough money" for the trip.

I wonder what that target amount is, and whether the girls realize how expensive things can be- I would have them research the cost of youth hostels, cafes,(BARS) etc. before they leave, so that they can be sure to have enough $$ to make it home.

I think that the average British parent shares the attitude of the father
in "Swallows and Amazons"

"Better drowned than duffers if not duffers will not drown"

As the twig is bent, so grows the tree. By the time the two are 17 and 18, you have done as much influencing as you can -- the rest of growing up is their responsibility. Kids are like water; keep an open palm and they will stay with you -- grasp and they will be gone forever.

"I can't imagine there's any trouble they could get into in Europe that they couldn't get into at home."

Then you imagination needs work. If you think that teenagers can't get into more trouble where they don't know the rules and the laws the good neighborhoods and the bad and don't speak the language they have a lifetime experience then you are plain foolish.

Hi K,

Impossible for us to tell you what to do, because we don't know these young people.

However, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of young people from 17 - 25 go wandering through Europe every year. (Usually forming large groups in doorways.)

Relatively few come to any harm. Of those that do come to harm, it's not necessarily because they were in Europe.

>Prague, Paris, London, Frankfurt, Berlin, Milan, Madrid... <

Not in that order, I hope.

Not in a million years. Not for a month or two. I'm a mom whose kids have traveled all over the world but not at 17. Just my opinion and I have to say, I don't know anyone of my friends who would allow their kids to do this at that age....

But being seriously old-fashioned, I would say "no" if you are paying for it.

I'm sure they would be fine but I do wonder how much they will appreciate it at that age. It's OK for Europeans - they can go at 16, or 18 or whatever, and can go again in their 20s or 30s or 70s. But for 2 young Americans?

If they've saved up, and show some nous in thinking about where they are going - and if it's not just a party trip (or we want to go cos everyone else we know is) then sure - why not?