European Backpacking and Adventure Travel for Teens
As the Christmas holidays come to an end and the remnants of family visits are swept under the rug, the children tire of their new toys in an ever hurrying pace and work begins anew, it seems as though the hectic pace of the holidays is put behind us yet again.
If only that were so.
For a teenager, or a family that houses one, the end of Christmas can only mean one thing: next stop summer vacation. As the New Year dawns, all eyes turn to those three long months where parents toil away at work while their teens run amok, gaining valuable life experiences in the arts of ‘hanging out’ and learning to disobey. Well, perhaps summer isn’t all bad, but it can certainly take its toll on a parent worried about the advancement of their child outside of the boundaries of school.
In the past, parents have worked hard towards finding places that their kids can go during the summer where they can learn, experience, and stay out of mom and dad’s hair. From summer camp, sports clubs, camping trips and a week with Grandma, parents have stretched themselves fairly thin for ideas about what to do with a boisterous teen that both takes up months worth of time and provides teens with something they can actually take away from the experience. However, more often than not, teens end up apathetic (or start out that way), and turn the experience from something they could learn from to something they disdain.
Perhaps this year, parents should try a new system. It is time to stop trying to impose learning experiences on your teens and start giving them something they won’t recognize as a life lesson. I mean, of course, travel.
Since as far back as I can remember, the idea of backpacking Europe has been a rite of passage for affluent families in North America. In the past, however, a lack of safety, cheap flights and tour companies forced parents to wait until their teens were already emancipated before they could give them the experience of their lives. Nowadays, however, this has all changed. Companies such as Big Brother Backpacking (www.bigbrotherbackpacking.com) offer tours specifically for youths looking to do something life changing with their summer (or parents who are looking to get a little quiet time). Considered leaders in the art of teen adventure travel, Big Brother Backpacking offers small, five person group tours aimed at teaching teens the art of travel leadership while providing them with the opportunity to see something more than just their home town. As a tour company specifically aimed towards students, Big Brother Backpacking provides a coming of age European travel adventure without the worry that your child will end up spending the entire time (and allowance) in a bar in Amsterdam. Since the company allows the travelers themselves to determine where the trip will go in real-time, students are taught how to plan and execute a trip in a small group, make close friends from a variety of backgrounds, and experience Europe in a hands on way. Instead of being forced into a learning environment they will attempt to ignore, teens are given a firsthand opportunity to see what personal success through determination really means (not to mention getting a bit of much needed exercise away from the computer and a solid geography lesson).
For parents willing to wait until graduation and splurge on a cross country drinking tour, there are also companies aimed towards allowing the youth to run wild for the first time. Bus tours for post grads such as Contiki tours (www.contiki.com) or European Bus Tours (www.europe-bus-tours.com) offer the chance to see a variety of bars and clubs across the continent (and maybe a site or two along the way). (Unlike a backpacking tour, however, these bus tours leave much to be desired in the way of experience, as without photos a lot of the trip’s events are mysteriously forgotten the morning after.) For parents looking to send their kids on a budgeted sightseeing trip (careful of the hidden fees), bus tours are a good way of knowing where your child is and what they are up to on any given day.
Whichever you choose, remember that this summer can be different. Your child can be satisfied with learning and gaining life experience, can be kept safe, and can truly enjoy themselves doing something productive. Now it is just a matter of letting them go.
