Your first time overseas

Options
245

Replies

  • minisumo
    minisumo Posts: 301 Member
    Options
    I was 9 or 10 when I went on my first school trip to France. My first time abroad without 'adult supervision' was to Sri Lanka when I was 24. That's quite sad actually! I grew up in the UK so could have travelled fairly easily to other countries in Europe but didn't. Now I live in the Middle East, it's not so easy (i.e. cheap!) to do :frown:
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Options
    Had a school trip to France when I was 13. After that I had to wait until I had graduated, had a job and could afford to take myself overseas so I was 23.
  • ummlovelovesyou
    ummlovelovesyou Posts: 1,024 Member
    Options
    I was 15 and went to Europe.

    Italy and France to be specific.

    :glasses:
  • majasmi
    majasmi Posts: 133 Member
    Options
    i was born outside of my home country and have been living in a different country ever 4 years. i dont think you need to worry about it ;)
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
    Options
    I went to Paris as part of the foreign exchange program at 16. It was a fantastic experience, and since then I had in the back of my mind that I would live in Europe someday, and now I do.
  • runner2runner
    runner2runner Posts: 1,937 Member
    Options
    I was 14! I went to live in the UK for three years.
  • KxCoyote
    KxCoyote Posts: 122 Member
    Options
    :( I've never been overseas. Too poor. Though I would absolutely LOVE to go to So many places overseas, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Japan, So many places.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Options
    Born in France, moved to Mexico at 11 months old and traveled a lot since.

    My first trip out of Mexico, that I remember, I was 5 or 6 with family. Very vague memory of hotel room and damage done (we where left alone, lol).

    Travelled by myself for the first time at 10-11 years of age from CA to Mexico.

    My daughters travel regularly between France and Germany at 9,10 and older and have flown from France to the US and Mexico alone (at various ages).

    Just plan the details, make sure enough time for connections, contact lists, local currency, food for trip, etc. It isn't easy but the maturity of most kids at 10-11 makes it possible without issue and the airlines have good services for this type of travel.
  • bernied262
    bernied262 Posts: 882 Member
    Options
    I was 14, I went on a skiing trip with the school, to Italy.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
    Options
    My family toured around Europe when I was 10, but the first time I went overseas alone was when I was 19. My son was flying internationally by himself at age 13, on a regular basis. He did great! He's grown into a very independent and confident young man. All the airlines took great care of him when he was young, by the way.
  • k8eekins
    k8eekins Posts: 2,264 Member
    Options
    How old were you the first time you travelled abroad without your family? I was 16, my husband had graduated so 21yo+, my daughter went on a school trip at 17.

    We are just about to send our 11yo off to Japan for 2 weeks and the jitters are starting. Ours, not his!

    Can very well understand your jitters for your child :flowerforyou: . International flights have much improved from my days traveling about at around that age, and they weren't at all bad back then, with how minors are assigned carers, etc.

    24y36n8.jpg

    First time I'd travelled abroad without family was at the age of 12; One international flight and an average of 2 domestic flights each way (plus a seaplane depending on where the family was during the Breaks), always in my regulation school uniform. I'd despised planes long enough to have refused flying for years, until I'd gotten over how much I loathed every bit about it.
  • emergencytennis
    emergencytennis Posts: 864 Member
    Options
    Crikey, sisters, that is, is, that defies words!

    Lots of answers on here. I reckon US to Mexico/Hawaii absolutely qualifies for unaccompanied international travel. Canada not so much (and vice versa).

    Around eleven seems to be a lower limit.
  • Monkey_Business
    Monkey_Business Posts: 1,800 Member
    Options
    First time I travelled overseas was immediately after training in the Army.

    Was 18 at the time and was one of the first to enlist in the new 'VOLAR" (Volunteer Army) and the Army's overseas location of choice was "South East Asia" (Vietnam).

    The Army's official slogan back then was FTA (Fun, Travel and Adventure).

    Unofficially it was "Learn a skill, travel to strange and exotic countries, meet interesting people and learn to kill them.

    I did travel, and it was adventurious, the Army was a little weak about the 'Fun" part.

    But thats the way it was back in '72.

    Strange part was, thats is exactly what I enlisted for sooo..... careful what you wish for , you might get it.


    Sure was pretty igorant about the world back then.
  • teresamwhite
    teresamwhite Posts: 947 Member
    Options
    I'm an Army brat, so i've been travelling overseas since I was an infant. But on my own? i went to Mexico when I was 16 with a group of kids from my high school, and then I enlisted in the Army after high school and did all of my time overseas.

    Where is your son going in Japan? i'm fascinated by the country and would like to go with my kids one day.
  • emergencytennis
    emergencytennis Posts: 864 Member
    Options
    Late September. He will turn 12 there.
  • angiewf
    angiewf Posts: 175 Member
    Options
    School trip to Provence (with overnight stopover in Paris) when I was 16.
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
    Options
    First time I travelled abroad without my parents was when I was 11 or 12, class trip took the ferry across to Bar Harbor, Maine.

    First time I travelled aboard and in charge of my own travel, and a friends' as she had never travelled at all, was when I was 14 or 15. Travelled to Bermuda with an overnight in Boston.
  • SergeantG
    SergeantG Posts: 92
    Options
    I went to Europe (France, Spain, Italy and Monacco) with my boyfriend and his parents (we were chaperoning thier school trip they sponsored). My boyfriend proposed to me at the Trevi Fountain in Rome :o) (my first husband)

    I went to Kuwait on my first deployment overseas. That was with my unit of course. Then to Iraq about two years later.
  • BrotherBill913
    BrotherBill913 Posts: 661 Member
    Options
    When I was 19 I went to Korea in the ARMY
  • michellechawner
    michellechawner Posts: 892
    Options
    Went to France for 3 weeks when I was 16. School trip. There were about 40 of us that went - it was my sweet 16 present, I didn't have a big party - my parents paid for the trip, and I saved up for my spending money.

Categories