<p>My 18 year old DD and a girl friend want to go to Paris and London for two weeks by themselves after they graduate. They would pay for everything themselves. My husband and I have tentatively agreed although we are nervous as hell! What advice would you give them to stay safe? Also, does anyone have good resources for traveling in these places inexpensively that I can recommend to the girls? Thanks for any help!</p>
<p>Sorry Yorkfan–Plain & simple…I wouldn’t let them go. You’re instinct to be nervous is a clue that this is not right. Two girls alone, Paris, nightlife…tips to stay safe? Dont go!</p>
<p>I’m 18 and I’ve been on holiday, aged 17, with just my friend (also a girl). I’m British and both times we went to Spain. </p>
<p>I would recommend that they stay in hostels; you can find good ones on this website :
[Lonely</a> Planet Travel Guides and Travel Information](<a href=“http://www.lonelyplanet.com%5DLonely”>http://www.lonelyplanet.com) - make sure they read all of the user reviews extremely carefully! And make sure the hostel they stay in has very security ratings. </p>
<p>When they’re in London, I’d recommend that they didn’t stay in central London (areas such as Oxford st, Piccadilly circus etc) because there are LOADS of petty thieves! </p>
<p>A good area to stay in Paris is Le Marais. Inexpensive, fairly central, non-touristy, charming. </p>
<p>Remind your daughter to bring a padlock for locking her suitcase and locking the locker in the hostel room. Make sure that she has the address of embassies in both countries just in case their passports are stolen. Also - very important! - when they go at night, they should not tell dodgy older men that they are on holiday by themselves. They should either say that they’re with their parents, or with a group of guy friends.</p>
<p>My daughter went to India for 4 months ( last year) when she was 18- by herself essentially, but she did have a plan to be met by a volunteer organization when she landed in Chennai ( after her layover in Adu Dhabi).</p>
<p>A friends daughter is currently in Paris, she is also 18, she was supposed to go with her boyfriend who would stay in a hostel while she stayed with a family, but they broke up before she left.
She is staying with a family arranged through a study abroad organization, I would suggest that they hook up with something like that- a family who takes in visitors and could give them a better sense of the people who live there.</p>
<p>Actually I know girls who have gone at that age alone and were fine. It all depends on the maturity of the individual 18-year old, which could be greater than that of a 20-year old.</p>
<p>That being said, I’m sure you will get plenty of responses from parents here whose kids have done it and their suggestions.</p>
<p>The best one I have, and this goes for travel in any European country, is always, always, always, keep your belongings zipped/closed/shut, etc. and on your person while in public. I’d say the biggest threat is pick-pocketing, etc. and this mostly happens in touristy areas that they’d be in.</p>
<p>Read through the travel blogs by Rick Steves’s daughter and son. His D traveled in Europe with a friend I believe the summer after she graduated. There is some info about hostels and general safety info.</p>
<p>(If this link isn’t allowed, just google rick steves site and look for the blogs section.)</p>
<p>[Rick</a> Steves’ Europe: More Blogs and Journals](<a href=“Rick Steves' Travel Blog”>Rick Steves' Travel Blog)</p>
<p>I am sorry I missed Rick Steves talk at my school last week-he has so much advice.</p>
<p>There are several apps on iphone/ipod that are helpful for travel- you don’t have to have a plan, as phone service there would be expensive to use the same carrier that you do here, but the apps are accessible even off the internet.</p>
<p>Getting around from Heathrow and the tube can be confusing, so planning out where you want to go before hand can save lots of time and frustration.</p>
<p>Since they are going a relatively short time, if they pare down their luggage they will be much happier & if they ship their purchases/souvenirs home it will be much cheaper than paying extra lugging them around.</p>
<p>Button down the dates of travel, the dates the girls will be in either city. Nothing can go forward until they decide on those two things.
The problem of choosing travel dates is planning around their college orientations.
Especially if they are still waiting for acceptances.
However, research on hostels, EuroRail, BritRail, EuroStar, blah,blah,blah can be done now.
Agree with less luggage- much easier to travel on trains with a backpack than a rolling suitcase.</p>
<p>If you were to say they were on the plane going over there, then I would give you few suggestions. But as they are still in the planning stage, I would say I wouldn’t let them do it. Both of those cities are very expensive now, places they could afford to stay or eat at I probably would let my kids stay by themselves. It’s different if they were going with an organization or staying with someone locally, at least there’ll be someone responsible for them overseas. Have they traveled much? How savvy are they? A good friend of D1 from UK traveled around the world when she was 19, but she was traveling with a guy friend who was older (by few years) and also a family friend. I would feel more comfortable if it’s a college student who has been on her own for a little while. Just my opinion.</p>
<p>I agree with oldfort. It’s not a good idea to visit EU by themselves.
I recall one incident in Rome during our family visit. When we were having lunch at a local Pizzeria, I recall seeing this young American gal (17/18) with a friend waiting in line for food. A much much older Italian guy in mid 50s was ogling at the girls throughout the time they were in the Pizzeria and tagging and leaving right behind them. I recall wondering then just how and why American parents let their young daughters come to EU at such a tender age. There is no telling what situations they could get into.</p>
<p>Although the above anecdote is a solitary incident in my experience, I would never send my young daughter to EU with just with a friend at a such a young age.</p>
<p>Why not wait till they are in College? College offers many Programs with semesters in France or Italy through well known organizations. Some schools in my neck of the woods (TCNJ for example) offers scholarships for a semester abroad.</p>
<p>Have either of them traveled alone anywhere before? Anywhere of significance and for that length of time???</p>
<p>My daughter has been to Europe several times with us. She went to Paris with a school group as a junior. She traveled to Iceland by herself in ninth grade but stayed with a family while she was there. So she has a little experience. I am not sure about her friend’s experiences. Both girls are cautious kids; that is they are not likely to make knowingly risky decisions.</p>
<p>But there is definitely food for thought here. I must mull things over. And they are at the beginning stages of planning and could change their minds about the trip.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for input! ( And I welcome more!) I will let you know how things go.</p>
<p>You know, yorkyfan. my now 20 yr old daughter had it in her mind that she was ready to take a trip to Europe when she was 18 and not yet in college…she too has been there a couple of times with us, and we have fam there…never felt right about it so it never happened. there are a lot of things that happen over there that we don’t always hear about her and I wasn’t willing to chance it…also , wouldn’t let her go to Mexico or the Caribbean. She will take her first spring break trip to visit her sister in LA and we are happy ’ bout that :)</p>
<p>How will the girls resist going to bars and nightclubs where all the European kids are drinking and dancing? What kind of decisions might they make when they are drunk? Will they have the capability to cope with older, insistent, very insistent men, even young men who will invite them to private houses and apartments?</p>
<p>How fluent are they in French?</p>
<p>Even if the girls are not partiers here, the teen culture overseas is very alcohol-centered. You might want to consider having them postpone the trip for a year or two, to gain some maturity.</p>
<p>After college graduation I backpacked in Europe with a friend. It was 25 years ago and we were two girls traveling alone at 22 years old. We had an amazing time, but there were some crazy moments. Would I let my well traveled, responsible 18 year old daughter take this trip? Not in a million years. 'Nuff said.</p>
<p>I admit I am not a big traveler- don’t care for air travel especially.
However, I think it really depends on the young women.
Drugs, sex and rock and roll they can find in the States if they are so inclined, undoubtably at their high school.</p>
<p>They are already planning to go, they have the money and they are legal adults- forbidding them to go isn’t an option, however there are precautions available to reduce risk, and to prepare for the adventures that will come.</p>
<p>Part of learning to grow up is rising to meet the challenge of being on your own, and while you naturally don’t want any harm to befall them, experiencing difficulty builds resources they can draw from later.</p>
<p>My daughter for instance, lost/had stolen, her cell phone and wallet soon after arriving in Chennai. However, she had taken precautions and had money and her passport stashed elsewhere. She easily bought a replacement cell phone on the street and was able to contact us to have her debit card canceled. ( we were on her account already, anticipating possible need)</p>
<p>While she was stationary on her work site during the week, on the weekends she traveled with other volunteers, and at the end she traveled by herself through Goa for a month, having grown weary of their company. This girl who had been nervous to go into our basement or around the block went from Mumbai to Chennai to Abu Dhabi by herself & not speaking the language. She landed at Heathrow and took the train out to see friends in Leeds all the while trying to wrangle her luggage.</p>
<p>She was exhausted when she returned home in June, after her departure almost five months earlier , but she had a fabulous time and only wished she could have stayed longer.</p>
<p>I am glad I didn’t try and deprive her of the experience, because my faith in her, gave her faith in herself.</p>
<p>There are a lot more resources for travelers now and perhaps some of them will help the young women prepare for their trip.</p>
<p>[Best</a> Women Travel Web Sites](<a href=“http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/travel/women/bestwomenwebsites.shtml]Best”>Best Women Travel Websites and Blogs)
[Journeywoman</a>, travel magazine for women](<a href=“http://www.journeywoman.com/]Journeywoman”>http://www.journeywoman.com/)
<a href=“http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/[/url]”>http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/</a></p>
<p>S traveled through London and Paris alone at 19 on his way to his study abroad program in Spain. It was a wonderful experience. We made his first stop London, so he could get the his feet wet and get over jet lag in a country where he was fluent in the language. He took the Eurostar between the 2 cities.</p>
<p>In Paris, he stayed at one of the MIJE hostels in the Marais. We first heard about it here on CC, and it was clean, safe and quiet. He would highly recommend it. His London hostel had more of a party atmosphere and might not be the best choice for your girls. Good luck.</p>
<p>Does anyone think there aren’t creepy guys who ogle young women, here in the US? The EU does not have a corner on the market for ogling creeps!</p>
<p>I think of London and Paris as two of the safer cities to send young women. There are a lot of places I wouldn’t feel comfortable sending two young women, but I am actually surprised that there is so much opposition to these two cities! If it is the age that people are worried about, that is one thing, but what would make two 20 year olds safer?</p>
<p>I am far more concerned about these high school “adventure” or “service” summer trips to places like the countryside of Thailand or Cambodia or Kenya, where 15 year olds are led by “adults”, who are often no more than 22 years old themselves (and sometimes only about 19).</p>
<p>In Europe it is very normal for 17/18 year olds to go traveling aboard. Anywhere in Europe is safer than the US. As long as your daughter is reasonably sensible she will be absolutely fine.</p>
<p>There is a HUGE difference between 20 year old vs a 18 year old, especially a 20 year old who has live on her own for a while. If I were a parent in Europe, I would feel the same way about sending my 18 year old high school graduate to US.</p>
<p>There is a difference between traveling from one place to another and staying with an institution or a family, vs just traveling by themselves randomly.</p>