Traveling with kids of any age can be fun, exciting, challenging,

frustrating, irritating, rewarding and eye opening. Teenagers are

the best. They carry their own suitcases, they are generally more

adventurous with the foods they try (not once did we get asked

for chicken nuggets!), and they are independent enough that they

don't have to be with mom and dad 24/7.

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Here are a few thoughts from Ethan for other teens taking a

Rick Steves' tour to Europe.

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Hello. I'm Ethan. I took my first Rick Steves' Europe Tour when I was 12 and my second one when I was 14. Last summer I went on a Best of Italy in 17 Days tour.  I am here to give you a summary of what I thought about a Europe tour. I have to warn you readers, if you take a Rick Steves' tour you will most likely catch the travel bug. The travel bug is a term my Grandmother told me on my first trip to Europe. If you take a tour in Europe, you will always want to go back.   

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Rose, thorn, bud is a term one of our group members told us on the last night we were together in Rome. A rose is something wonderful that happened, a thorn is something that was ok, and a bud is something you would tell your future self to bring/do on your next trip. My rose, of course, was gazing at the beautiful Italian cities and living like a real Italian. My thorn was sleep. No matter how much I wanted to explore all the places we visited, sleep always caught up to me. Whenever I had to skip an activity because I was tired,  I always felt as if I was taking away another precious memory. My bud was to make sure to come back again some day!

 

One of the most surprising things on the trip was how amazing European cities are. Every one of the cities we visited had its own rich taste, style, history, look, and food. My favorite place was the Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre has a rich history, great hotels and amazing food. My favorite part about Cinque Terre were the military bunkers from World War Two.

 

The people in Italy always show pride for their beautiful country and always welcome new travelers. My expectations for this trip were open minded. I learned from my first trip that every city is never as you think it will be. All of the cities I've been to have changed the way I think about its country, the art style, architecture, and parks. It opened my mind to traveling more, new cultures and food. If you are debating on going on a European trip, I would recommend it! It is a fun learning experience for you and the family.

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Ciao!

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