You can vote at 18 and serve in the Army at 18, but can you travel on your own–especially internationally–at 18? A large number of parents say “No.” Either because of doubts about the maturity of their particular children or from concerns that all 18-year-olds suffer from occasional lapses of attention or judgment, they seek out group programs for their teenagers when those budding adults insist on traveling. A number of commercial tour operators specialize in the operation of escorted group tours for people as young as 18.
– Contiki Tours (800-CONTIKI; www.contiki.com) is a huge operator of escorted motor coach tours for young people (“world’s largest operator of tours for 18- to 35-year-olds,” they claim), with about 80 itineraries throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North America and Africa. The tours operate exactly as any escorted motor coach tour would, except that all the participants are between the ages of 18 and 35. That policy obviously creates an atmosphere congenial to young persons, who in the past would otherwise not have been heavy users of the escorted motor coach mode, which is used primarily by middle-aged and older persons.
Contiki’s tours are quite inexpensive. In Europe, for example, budget tour prices start at just $55 per person per day for long tours, $75 per day for shorter tours, including motor coach transportation, lodgings and some meals.
Discounts are given for group bookings (5 percent off for four people reserving together, 10 percent off for 10 reserving at the same time) and for last-minute bookings on tours that have not sold out.
– Trek America (Box 189, Rockaway, NJ 07866; 800-221-0596; www.trekamerica.com) is the largest U.S. operator of youth-oriented (meaning 18 years and up, but mainly people in their early 20s) cooperative camping tours (they supply the transportation, passengers come with their sleeping bags and alternate the jobs of cooking and pitching tents cooperatively). Offering about 40 itineraries throughout North America, from one week to two months in length, with up to two dozen departures per itinerary yearly, its daily costs can range from $45 to $100, plus a food kitty of $35 to $45 a week. Passengers are limited as to age group, in this instance, 18 to 38. A colorful catalog is yours for the asking.
– AmeriCan Adventures & Roadrunner, Inc. (Box 1155, Gardena, CA 90249; 800-TREK-USA; www.americanadventures.com) claims to be a competitor to Trek America, but it is actually owned by the same company–England’s Heritage Limited. Still, AmeriCan offers slight differences. For one, though the majority of AmeriCan’s customers are in their 20s and early 30s, and some as young as 18, it imposes no upper age limit (so you could get stuck with a granny on your tour). It also offers a greater number of shorter programs. Tours cost between $50 and $90 per day, plus a $6 daily charge for food ($7 per day in Alaska and Canada). If hotels are included in your itinerary (in some urban areas camping is not an option), you usually have to pay an additional charge of about $35 per night. If tours are scheduled to start within two months and have not sold out, they are usually discounted by 20 percent to 30 percent.
– Suntrek (77 W. 3rd St., Santa Rosa, CA 95401; 800-SUNTREK; www.suntrek.com). Traveling in vans throughout North America, participants camp out along the way, with Suntrek providing all the necessary equipment (minus sleeping bags). Offered are more than 70 different itineraries from 1 to 13 weeks in length, most of which are camping programs. Per-day costs range from about $50 to $100, plus a weekly food kitty of about $35 to $40. Like AmeriCan Adventures, Suntrek imposes no upper age limit, but the majority of its customers are between 18 and 35. To attract its most youthful clientele, Suntrek offers a 10 percent discount to U.S. students and foreign students studying in the United States (if they purchase their tour package while in the States). Tours that have not sold out and are set to depart within six weeks are usually discounted by 20 percent to 30 percent.
– Finally, Roam Asia, a branch of Intrepid Travel (www.intrepidtravel.com; booked through American partner Adventure Center, 1311 63rd St., Suite 200, Emeryville, CA 94608; 800-228-8747; fax 510-654-4200), is another travel outfit aimed at the 18- to 35-year-old market. Small groups travel like locals (using public trains, buses, bicycles and even walking) through Thailand, Nepal, China, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Many days are at the traveler’s leisure, the groups are small (12 max), city tours are conducted on foot rather than via tour bus, and the meals covered are few, all of which helps to keep the cost down (usually under $60 per day, land only).
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