Check out some similar questions!

magnusnm · Oct 12, 2012, 06:53 AM

Hi!

I was wondering if it's possible/safe for a independent 16-year old to travel around for some time by train?

I was thinking of going through great Britain for my first trip, since I've lived a year in Texas and am used to communicating in English..

Any budget overviews/possibilities for a 2 week train travel through great Britain?

Any suggestions on where to stay(hotels, couchsurfing etc.)?

I hope I could have some help here, I love traveling!

smoothy · Oct 12, 2012, 07:07 AM

No its not smart nor recommended... I live in an exceptionally good part of the USA and I wouldn't recommend it in just my town... I HAVE done enough travelling throughout europe as an adult to make that statement... and most of it wasn't alone... I HAVE lived in Europe over a period of years... I do spend a significant part of the year there every year and have for over 20 years since moving back to the USA and during those 20 years... things have gotten significantly more dangerous... not less.

Just too much opportunity for bad things to happen... way too much. I would not feel the same if it was as part of a group that was properly chaperoned by experienced adults...

Fr_Chuck · Oct 12, 2012, 08:42 AM

Agree, at "over 50" I would not feel safe traveling alone though out Europe, esp if I was a foreigner, You are a target for con people and crooks.

Perhaps a group of teens on a group trip, there are many teen tours

magnusnm · Oct 12, 2012, 09:08 AM

Just FYI - I live in Denmark, and am used to traveling. Also, I am not stupid ;-) haha

smoothy · Oct 12, 2012, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by magnusnm

Just FYI - I live in Denmark, and am used to traveling. Also, I am not stupid ;-) haha

Being smart or stupid has nothing to do with it... NO teenager is halfway as smart or street smart as they think they are... and as a teen alone you WILL be the target by every con or crook out there... and you WILL stand out in the other countries as not being from there.

You can't help it... looks, dress manerisms... you can't simply blend in as well as you might think you can.

Even an experienced Adult traveler can't do it... I can spot the non-natives in a crowd in a matter of seconds.. and can even usually guess their home country before they even get close enough to hear them speak when I'm in Europe... and I can do it with over 90% accuracy.. and I'm not a crook or con-man. They will be far better at it than me.

Google Human trafficking... it DOES happen... I actually know someone who's spouse was almost taken... and by luck they happened to come back in time to meet them, the people in the store claimed she was never there... when he saw her go in there alone and was to meet her back there in 15 minutes, and he was able to call the police before they were able to get her out of the store... yes she was bound and gaged when the police were called in and found her in the back. This was in a real shop, during the middle of the day, they weren't foreign tourists, they lived in that town... in northern Italy... and it happens all over Europe.

magnusnm · Oct 12, 2012, 09:24 AM

Really?

Well, it seems like people agree that it's a bad idea... I haven't really had those kinds of experiences, I seemed to fit in pretty well in Texas, people thought I was American until I started talking...

Anyway, thanks for your advice, I'll delay a couple of years :-)

smoothy · Oct 12, 2012, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by magnusnm

Really?

Well, it seems like people agree that it's a bad idea... I haven't really had those kinds of experiences, I seemed to fit in pretty well in Texas, people thought I was American until I started talking...

Anyways, thanks for your advice, I'll delay a couple of years :-)

I was completely serious.. this happened just this past year... I was shocked when I found out. This was in a town I used to walk through at 3am, alone, drunk walking about a mile to my Apartment from thje nightclub and never worried... 24 years ago... today its far less safe, and I've NEVER do it at night alone... sober... but I never expected THAT to happen... its easy to consider it as something rare until you know the person that it happens to... then that changes everything.

Even if someone picks your pocket... takes you ID, and your money... which DOES happen very frequently... what would you do, who would you go to? Or you get in an accident... or get very sick... those are plenty of reasons to always have a traveling companion, hopefully at least one adult.