By Bridget Hagerty
Bridget Hagerty offers tips and advice for travelers.Teens Traveling Alone in Europe; Proud of Our Troops
May 2010
Dear Clever Traveler,
My 19 year-old son is traveling to Europe this summer with friends from college. They will be in three countries for 6 weeks. He’s a responsible kid, but I’m worried about some of the situations he might find himself in.
—First, a Mom.
Dear First Mom:
You say he’s a good kid, and, if he has good instincts and people-smarts, he’ll probably be fine. Learning how to deal with new cultures and situations is why independent travel is such a great learning experience for your child. But since you’re still left at home alone with too many opportunities to freak out about potential problems, let’s talk about some ideas to give you more peace of mind.Give him every means to contact you—then he can choose not to use them, thereby driving you nuts. Determine the communication level that will make you comfortable, and talk to him about it. Try to get him to understand that you’re not being a helicopter parent; you just want a quick email when he logs on.
Before he leaves, get him an unlocked GSM cell phone, and pre-fit the phone with pre-paid SIM cards for each country he’s visiting. Of course he’s going to use the minutes you purchased for calling his friends, but hopefully he’ll save a few of them to call home. Vodafone is one of many good options for Europe. Google “buy unlocked GSM phone,” and you’ll get a lot of links to check out.
If he’s traveling with a laptop, load Skype on both of your computers. That way, any time he has free Internet access he can call you at no cost. There are a number of higher-tech options available; for example, check out Skype-In, which enables him to forward his account to any number he’s using. (www.skype.com/allfeatures/onlinenumber/)
Make sure you have copies of his itineraries for flights and hostels, with the relevant phone numbers. Get the name of the person who made the reservation so that you can identify the room if it’s not under your son’s name. Have contact information for the parents of the other kids he’s traveling with (ignore it when he says, “Moooom, I’m not a baby”).
Get online access to his bank accounts if he’s using an ATM card, which is the least expensive way to obtain cash overseas. If his card is compromised, you can fix it from home.
Check out the medical coverage in the countries he’ll be visiting. Some countries will cover foreigners under their national insurance, but others don’t. Find out what coverage your policy gives for travel abroad and how he can access it if he needs to do so.
Order an additional credit card on one of your credit card accounts that is only to be used in case of emergency. As the account holder, you can monitor spending , if necessary.
The single most important safety memo for teens on the road—whether they’re spending a weekend in Cancun or a semester abroad—is to never leave their friends alone at a club late at night. The
buddy system is critical when kids are out at night and everyone is having fun and meeting new people.
Urge him to have a drinking policy. Some Spring Breakers I talked to in South Padre last week said, “We agreed that only one of us could drink each night. We always have three sober people to decide when to go home!”
Once you’ve done everything you can, relax and let him enjoy his trip. If a few days go by without hearing from him, look back and remember how much you wanted to talk to your parents when you were 19.
Dear Clever Traveler:
My heart aches when I see young people in uniform at the airport. I want to do something to acknowledge them, but I’m not sure what to say, so the moment passes me by. Do you have some ideas on what I can say or do without being intrusive?
—Proud of our Troops
Dear Proud,
When we see our men and women in uniform, we know that they are coming from or going into harm’s way. But, just like us, they’re in a hurry to get to their flight, and we don’t want to presume. I went to a couple of friends of mine in our Armed Forces, and here’s what they said. First, they were delighted that you cared enough to ask the question. They can’t be quoted by name, but they both said that they really appreciate the fact that you notice them.
The easiest and fastest thing to say is a simple “thank you.” Catch their eye as you pass, give them a smile, and just say “thanks.” If you’re feeling bold (and I’m going to try this one), say with a grin, “thanks, we love you guys.” “I love it when people come up and talk to me,” one friend said. “One guy came up and told me that his brother was killed in VietNam. He told me how much it means to him that I’m out there protecting our country. I will always remember that.”
Another friend emailed me this thought. “It’s always nice to know you are appreciated, especially when the nation is divided on whether or not we should be involved in Afghan or Iraq. A simple ‘Thanks for serving’ is sufficient.” He cautioned, “If you find someone who says nothing or is upset about your comment, they may be suffering from PTSD. The person saying thanks should not feel offended.”
A lot of frequent fliers will quietly pick up the check in a restaurant when they see our service people dining or anonymously give them their upgrade to first class. If you’re shy and have the ability, why not?
Whatever level of contact you choose, any mention makes a difference to our men and women in uniform—so speak up!