The news that TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp has been reported to social services after allowing her 15-year-old son to travel abroad has taken the British media cycle by storm. Thousands of people have weighed in on social media sites, discussing whether or not they would allow their underaged children to travel unaccompanied by an adult. So we put the question to our travel editors – how young is too young to travel unchaperoned? Should children be allowed to explore without an adult present, or is it best to wait until they turn 16? Keep reading to find out which editors are pro and which are against.
“I don’t necessarily believe that you can put an age on when people are responsible enough to travel without a parent. There are some very switched-on teenagers out there, and other people in their late teens and early 20s who will find themselves in scrapes when they travel without a guardian. I think that travel teaches you many important lessons, from time management to how to solve problems that might arise, and it’s never too early to start taking responsibility for yourself.
As a teenager, I wasn’t allowed to travel internationally without my parents, which was almost certainly for the best. Still, I did get some experience – I travelled with friends to a gig in London, staying overnight in a hostel, and it was a wonderful weekend. As a teenager, I also went camping with friends in Wales , which taught me loads about being responsible for trains, grocery shopp.