Europe Young Adult Tour Advice Needed

[trice01]

My daughter wants to spend a couple weeks in Europe before starting college in Fall 2008. She will be 18 and wants some freedom to explore. I want somebody to oversee things a bit and provide a little safety margin. Obviously she doesn't want to go with a group of high school kids. Any suggestions for European tour groups for young adults that are fun and offer plenty of free time, but are not a "Wild On Europe" experience?

[sage]

Unless you want your daughter to backpack, a tour would be the best & safest choice.

However, at her age she may really want a wild tour of europe.

Try Contiki - everyone from Australia seems to go on them & they come back raving about what a great time they had. They attract people from all over the globe. The camping tours tend to be wilder and a lot more drunker than the hotel stay tours. As your drinking age over in the US is 21, this may disturb you a bit. Ours is 18 so we think nothing of it. If your daughter is sensible and you trust her judgement (at 18 she is an adult after all) you will feel comfortable with her going and she will have a fantastic trip.

At least your daughter will have others of her own age (very important). She would be miserable if she went on a tour to find out half the bus was full of married or elderly people.

[BarCol]

yup Contiki - a young friend of ours went on a European junket with them and had a great time!

[MULTIZ321]

Trice,

See http://us.contiki.com/

Richard

[trice01]

I appreciate the Contiki advice and have given the link to my daughter to look over.

I'm really not terribly worried about it. Her initial idea was to traipse about on her own over there, which did worry me a lot, as she's never travelled far from home alone before.

I don't care if she parties a bit. If she only misbehaves half as badly as Old Dad did, she'll likely live. I just don't want to see her photo on some late night Girls Gone Wild video offer!

[Eric in McLean]

I had to finish law school before my parents would send me on an expense paid backpacking trip of Europe. If you send an 18 y.o. to Europe, you just might do her more damage than benefit.

[Keitht]

Originally Posted by Eric in McLean

If you send an 18 y.o. to Europe, you just might do her more damage than benefit.

You make Europe sound like Sodom & Gomorrah on steroids!! If she's a reasonably sensible person she should benefit greatly by seeing the world from the perspective of other nations.
I appreciate there are cultural differences. Throughout Europe 18 year olds are definitely considered to be adults and are expected to be able to look after themselves, and be reasonably mature. From what I have seen of the US, in many cases 18 year olds are still considered to be, and are treated like, children.

[Eric in McLean]

Originally Posted by Keitht

You make Europe sound like Sodom & Gomorrah on steroids!! If she's a reasonably sensible person she should benefit greatly by seeing the world from the perspective of other nations.

I appreciate there are cultural differences. Throughout Europe 18 year olds are definitely considered to be adults and are expected to be able to look after themselves, and be reasonably mature. From what I have seen of the US, in many cases 18 year olds are still considered to be, and are treated like, children.

It's not Europe, it's the nature of American youths. American youths are so incapable of looking after themselves (in general), they average weight gain of 15 pounds. They drink themselves into stupors in foreign countries for spring break and end up in Girls Gone Wild. Hey, it makes for great entertain and fodder for cocktail parties but if I had a 18 year old daughter, no way would I send her to Europe on an all expense paid trip. We can see Europe (or anywhere else) as a family or she can pay for it herself.

[BSQ]

well there you go. You can't really debate with logic and experience like that.

[Keitht]

Originally Posted by Eric in McLean

They drink themselves into stupors in foreign countries for spring break ....

In which case they will fit right in with the young Brits on holiday in Europe. If they can remember more than the first hour of the holiday then it's considered a failure.

[hibbeln]

At 19, my brother (21) and I backpacked through Europe together for a month. We were on our way back to the USA after living in North Africa with our family. We were certainly no great shakes on the maturity level, but I think what saved us what that we had very little money to spend! My parents didn't have much money, but bought us Eurorail passes and gave us something like $250 and said "have fun!" (this was in 1986). I know they worried much less about me (the potential troublemaker) knowing that my brother was along.

Again, I think the general lack of $$$ kept us out of a lot of trouble. Our first priority was paying for a place to lay our heads (cheap cheap cheap), our second was food to fill our bellies, and then there was not much left over for getting into trouble or drinking too much with. We emerged from the month with only 1 hangover (cheap Chianti in Italy), no scrapes with the law, and a great love of travel and a fantastic bond between us. It's funny now to go to Europe. I'll point out places to me kids and say "Uncle David and I were here.....of course we didn't go IN the castle because that cost money....!"