<p>This does NOT sound like a trip to see colleges. This trip is for a group of high school graduates who want to go on a Road Trip before they all go their separate ways for college…or at least that is how I read the OP.</p>
<p>Even if it was a college visit trip…four 17-18 year olds in a car on a 4000 mile round trip? The answer would be no in my house. </p>
<p>I would, however, buy a plane ticket to one destination where we had relatives. Oh wait…I DID do that with both of my kids.</p>
<p>No way. After college…sure.</p>
<p>^^^ A lot of times, after college is unrealistic. Many people start work right away after college. Also, after college, the trip wouldn’t be up to the parent any more anyways.</p>
<p>I wish I did more travel before I started working full time. Once you work, it’s hard to find enough time or money.</p>
<p>My D and a friend backpacked through Europe (using trains) as summer before college trip so I think I am pretty travel friendly and definitely all about getting experiences, but the driving would also be my main issue.</p>
<p>It might be something I could get on board with IF the car was very reliable and AAA was in place. I also think four late teens is not as good an idea as two. Too many distractions for the driver. Also, well planned out (yes, I would realize deviations can happen) and also think max of ~ six hours a day driving.</p>
<p>I would make sure you had a credit card and that you can check into a hotel at 18 (think so). I would also be annoyingly texting (or requiring texts) daily, if not twice a day!!!</p>
<p>None of this speaks to who is paying so not sure if that’s another barrier for you, but running out of funds is not an option for me.</p>
<p>I always tell my kids that an “adult” is someone who can actually get you out of trouble… not just someone who is 18. There are still a lot of hotels that won’t let you check in until you are 21 or even 25 in some cases. If your car broke down, you’d not be able old enough to rent another. If you got pulled over, out-of-state with a minor in tow… could be problematic. Mom would likely have to fly out and get you if any legal issues arose and perhaps that is not in the budget. </p>
<p>Personally, I think travel is great but it comes in stages. It’s realistic to fly to another country or across the nation and meet another family. It’s realistic for an 18-year-old to drive to another city within the state. It’s not really realistic for an 18-year-old to go across country with a 17-year-old when they truly don’t have all the rights of an adult yet. You don’t talk about your friend but are you so sure THEIR parents are going to OK their minor out on a road with a legal adult who, like I said earlier… still isn’t old enough to actually get them out of trouble.</p>
<p>Your parents might feel more secure if you show them you have planned your trip and are prepared…routes, money, hotel reservations, packing lists, etc. </p>
<p>Consider an amtrack rail pass for the travel and priceline for cheap hotels. Priceline does require you to be 18 so have the rooms in the 18 year olds name. </p>
<p>I started traveling cross country, alone, when I was 13 (divorced parents). Got into a few situations but always managed to figure it out. Youll be fine.</p>
<p>My child wouldn’t be going, and no PowerPoint in the world would change my mind on that. Safety would be my #1 concern. A couple of teenagers, even responsible ones, don’t always see the danger in a situation. This would have less to do with trusting my teen, and a lot to do with not trusting whoever he/she might encounter.</p>
<p>A second big issue for me would be money. Both the cost of the trip itself, and the loss of income by not working. You don’t mention your financial resources, but if you aren’t coming from money, your parents are probably expecting you to contribute existing savings and summer earnings towards your college expenses. Heck, even if your parents are loaded, they might expect this–a lot of parents expect the student to have “skin in the game” for college.</p>
<p>I would also be concerned with a couple of teens really having all the contingencies covered–extra money generally, ability to handle car repairs, experience with camping, and so forth. </p>
<p>If you’re really gung-ho on some kind of summer trip, I would aim a lot lower. Perhaps you could do a weekend trip to some destination closer to home–maybe 200 miles away. Show that you can handle unexpected emergencies on the smaller trip.</p>
<p>I am an one of those go and expand your horizons parents, but you have a pretty ambitious trip planned for the first time alone. That’s a long time to spend in a car with someone. You will get on each other’s nerves at times. The expense right before going to college may rub your parents the wrong way. I suggest you cut the trip back to a week to 10 days, with a defined destination. Go to California or to Texas, not both. </p>
<p>On how to convince your parents: Just start talking about how you and the friend plan to have a summer adventure before going to college. Don’t go into the details. See what the reaction is. If it’s not too negative, talk about it to your friend in front of your parents. If it’s negative, don’t whine. Don’t argue. Ask what the reservations are. See if you can overcome them over time. You have 6 months to let them really think about and to show that you can be mature and responsible.
And whatever you do, do NOT say “I’ll be 18 and I can do what I want.” Remember: your parents are over 18, and you may not like the results if they say you’re right. You are 18; pay for your own car, college, cell phone, insurance, apartment, etc. I’ve seen a few kids pull that card only to have it bite them hard.</p>
<p>If you are looking for an adventure that your parents may approve of consider looking at the amtraktoparks website. It can be used to plan a rail trip to the national parks. If you used a rail pass your trasporation costs would be fixed (no worrying about flucuating gas prices, car maintenance, or break downs), you wouldn’t be driving so the safety factor goes up, and you would be able to reserve camping spots in national parks ahead of time at a relatively low price. You would still get to see a large portion of the country if you plan it properly. However, if you have never really done much camping before, proper equipment, and basic know how might be an issue.</p>
<p>I allowed my daughter at 16 to fly to Europe alone, live with a family we didn’t know, travel wherever those parents thought was acceptable (often alone), and stay there for 10 months. All went well. However, I wouldn’t even consider letting her do what you are planning. I think my biggest concern is probably the driving part and all of the predicaments you could find yourself. What I maybe would consider is a shorter trip - perhaps just go to MO or TX and then back. I also would not allow a trip with 3 other teenagers in the car, one would be the most but I agree with the others who mentioned the possible issues with taking a 17 yo along. I might consider a longer distance trip if you were flying or taking a train, probably not a bus though. And I would not pay for any of it and would insist that it wasn’t so long of a trip that you wouldn’t be able to find a job/work for the summer.</p>
<p>I do not know the details of the trip overseas. But as far as a pre-college road trip goes, there would only be one way to convince me if you were my child.</p>
<p>Grow up, turn 18, start paying all your own bills-which includes the car, expenses for the trip, insurance, etc, and your own home, or you won’t be going. Legally, no child under 18 can make this decision for themselves, so my answer would be no. Over 18, any adult can legally do this, but the person who pays your bills can legally stop paying if you chose to blow money on a trip like this with your friends.</p>
<p>I am not trying to be harsh. I am just saying that if you were my child, you would never ever be able to convince me. In fact…my son did ask to take a summer road trip. I thought of arguing with him. Then I realized…he is 18 yrs old. So I just now always say “sounds wonderful.” Then he realizes we are not paying for the trip. He has his own money, but when faced with spending his own money, it is less fun. I actually went whereever I pleased and did whatever I wanted when I was 18 yrs old. But I paid for every single thing myself. If you are on someone else’s dime, it does not matter how old you are, you do answer to someone else. </p>
<p>Good luck!!!</p>
<p>Adding that I would NOT allow my 18 year old to use a car registered and insured by ME for this “adventure”.</p>
<p>I will elaborate on why I say no. I actually DID do a trip even before I graduated from high school with 4 friends from Minnesota to Ontario, Canada. This was before you needed passports. I am lucky we made it. I was an inexperienced driver (but more experienced than the others) so drove a lot of the way exhausted. Chicago and Detroit traffic were far more than I was ever exposed to and frightening. We became friendly with a boys hockey team staying at the same hotel and got kicked out of the hotel. While on the trip, a bunch of us got in a car with a drunk guy and he spun out and hit a tree which ruptured the gas tank in his car. So lucky to survive that. My friend’s sister (who was one of our group) got mad at me just before we were heading home and actually hit me and then I had to spend 20 hours in a car with her. And bear in mind I was a straight A student who eventually got a full tuition scholarship to college. I thought I was responsible. I wasn’t, and my friends weren’t either. I made dumb choices. My parents were stupid to let me go on that trip and I would never, ever let a child go as far as coast to coast at that age. (I hope they are reading!)</p>
<p>Even if you are not going to befriend a hockey team or hang out with a drunk guy, do you really know how to handle highway rush hour traffic in unfamiliar cities? Did you know that some freeways in LA are thoroughfares mostly for tractor-trailers at certain times of day? Can you handle that?</p>
<p>Kids are so incredibly sheltered these days.</p>
<p>I received a provisional license at age 14 in Kansas. Full license at 16, but was driving throughout the state earlier for school activities. Drove to Texas (~10 hours) by age 16. Planned my own college visits throughout the country and visited them myself by age 17 (planes, trains and automobiles).</p>
<p>Funny thing is that I can’t imagine even letting my kids do what i did.</p>
<p>I’d say no.</p>
<p>I also said no to my son’s friend’s plan for them to RIDE THEIR BIKES from the Midwest to Seattle.</p>
<p>I would say yes to an adventure that did not involve 4000 miles of driving–say, a rail trip up the East Coast (or in Europe if you could afford it) or a somewhat adventuresome hiking/backpacking trip.</p>
<p>I drove across the country from Oregon to NY via the transcanadian highway in a 1965 VW at 19. We had TWO major car problems, a close encounter with a moose carcass at night, and nearly froze to death in Montana in August. It was very educational. </p>
<p>I’d say (1) the less kids the better, (2) start SMALL–do a weekend trip within a hundred miles first and work your way up…better to start close enough that your family can come and get you AND build their confidence.</p>
<p>As a parent, I would want to know WHY you want this trip. What itch are you trying to scratch? (Do tell.) Then, I’d work with you on figuring out a way to meet that interest without the long-haul driving trip with young friends. </p>
<p>As a parent, I’d want my kid to wait until she was 20 or so before a long-haul trip. And, prior to that, I’d want her to have a lot of skill-building with driving, camping, car repair/maintenance, logistical problem-solving, safety precautions, etc. Like, years of it. </p>
<p>I hope she’ll do a lot of traveling on public transportation and driving day-trips (city, country & Interstate driving) during her high school and early college years. Organized group trips, like Youth Hostels, would be fine too. </p>
<p>But a trip like the one you describe, well, I’d just require her to wait. I get it that you feel ready. I remember that feeling myself. But really, wait and prepare more. </p>
<p>Once you’re ready, a good approach is to have AAA and a decent, safe car; start driving really early in the morning after a diner breakfast; stop at the campsite (or motel/friend’s) by early afternoon to set up/cook/play; then repeat for a week or so. There will likely be dangers (and I speak from experience), but you’ll be much more ready to cope. And, you’ll have a great time, I bet.</p>
<p>This is a really cool thread! Being the same age I can completely relate. In response to the above poster, us kids just want to go on these crazy adventures with the new found freedom we think we have just obtained. There’s so much out there to see and to be fascinating by…I dreamily thought of driving by the grand canyon myself when the OP mentioned it. The amount of places to visit is limitless. On top of that, you truly feel like you’re on your own when you just drove 35 hours away from home, to a completely new atmosphere. Anyways, that’s enough of my wistful thoughts. </p>
<p>I, as a high school student myself, think it is a little bit too much. And I’m not the type who stays at home learning all day, I enjoy having a life like most high school students. I also enjoy utilizing logic, which in this case it tells us something bad is bound to happen. Just my advice, I would probably scale down a bit. But, definitely, do have fun and do explore the world if that is what your heart desires. (but be aware of limits young grasshopper)</p>
<p>Cheers!</p>
<p>I agree with boomer do it n a year. You will both be 18 then. It’s not you that causes me to pause, it is all the weirdos who you may cross paths with. Your friend is female so I’m assuming you are two girls. Plus the distance is great. After one year of college you will be so much better at reading people. It sounds fun. You will enjoy yourselves I am sure. Your plan shows maturity.</p>
<p>[Minimum</a> Age Requirement for Renting Hotel Rooms | USA Today](<a href=“http://traveltips.usatoday.com/minimum-age-requirement-renting-hotel-rooms-61923.html]Minimum”>Minimum Age Requirement for Renting Hotel Rooms | All Getaways)</p>