Tag Archives: passports for teens

Sending Your Teenager Abroad Part 3

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My Son was now safely and easily in Denmark. The carry-on luggage idea worked well as he didn’t need to fetch his bag and could just breeze through customs. He was all set to have a nice visit.

One of the things that adult travelers don’t have to think about with is whether to bring their credit or debt card. It’s generally agreed upon that you’ll get the latest exchange rate plus most credit and debit cards are accepted abroad.

But for our teen traveler this was more complex as he’s not allowed to have a debit account until he is 18. Gift cards like the refillable kind you can get here in the U.S. don’t work abroad, and sending him traveling alone with great gobs of cash wasn’t an option for obvious reasons.

The solution, after a bit of digging, was to get him a BillMyParents card. It’s a refillable card that works internationally. He could use it as a debit or credit card, and at any ATM. The fees are small and the service allows you and your teen to check spending online or receive text/emails alerts if the card balance gets under a certain amount.

He told me when he got back the card really saved his bacon when they ran out of cash while out and about in Copenhagen.
(Pat on the back for Mom)

We did send him with a bit of cash and he exchanged it at the airport when he got there. His girlfriend knew where the booth was and helped him with translations. Had she not been on hand to help we would have exchanged his Dollars for Krone here before he left.
It’s easy to do. Just ask at your bank or call the main branch and ask for the details. They might need a up to a week to get the foreign currency ordered, so don’t leave it until the last moment.

I think that covers it. My son had a great time in Denmark and made some great memories!

If you have any questions please leave them in the comments below.

Sending Your Teenager Abroad Part 2

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When last we left our intrepid teen adventurer and his anxiety stricken Mother, we had figured out the air travel, passports, talked about getting a temporary international cell plan, and which stalking…er, tracking apps were my favorites.

Which brings us to packing. Those who have read this blog for a while know of my past packing disasters and the effort I’ve made to reform my ways. One of the advantages of having male offspring is they are uncomplicated creatures, regarding fashion anyway. It’s jeans and t-shirts. Boom, done! He allowed one addition, that of a dress shirt for a fancy(ish) dinner he had planned for he and his girl. (AW!)

We decided it would make it easier going through customs, and he could skip the baggage carousel altogether if he just took carry on luggage. So we bought him an inexpensive 20 inch roller suitcase for clothes and he had a back pack for his laptop and books. He had access to laundry facilities so he only took 5 days worth of clothes.
That’s my best packing light tip. Always figure out where the laundromat is or stay in an apartment that has a washer/dryer.
For toiletries he only took his 311 kit and went shopping when he ran out of something.

Buy a plug adapter kit.
All the countries have different plug-in portals because the household voltage is different. If you by a kit like this you’ll be all set for several countries. The guide in the lid will tell you which one you need plus there are online guides you can consult.

All of Kellen’s chargers for his phone, computer and electric razor ran between 100 and 240 volts so he could get away with using just the smaller country specific adapter. Had they been been just 110 volts he would have used the large transformer plus the adapter.

Here’s where you can read on your appliance charger:

Well, I’ve been yammering on about plugs and packing so I think, to keep things tidy; I’ll talk about money conversion apps and other money related solutions in Part 3.
Stay tuned!

Sending Your Teenager Abroad Part 1

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When our 16-year-old son asked if he could visit his girlfriend in Denmark we said, after many questions were answered, yes.

The main question was, is our son mature enough to handle traveling alone?
We have traveled quite a bit as a family, our son had (with us) navigated security queues, airports and luggage carousels before. We were confident he could deal with that part. That said, when we traveled to Boston this summer we made him in charge of checking in and finding our gate as a little practice run for being alone. He did well, so that helped alleviate that concern.

He would be staying with her family during his visit, we e-mailed her parents and got their address and phone number. Full disclosure: Yes, we did look up their address with Google maps and viewed their house with street view (charming! lovely neighborhood!). It was a little embarrassing when I overheard the Skype conversation wherein my son told his girlfriend that we were stalking her parents house on the internet.

Dear readers, I ask you, would you not? I also must to confess that my powers of parental stalking were only just getting warmed up during this whole venture. I am the master in that Dojo!

Travel abroad, as you know, requires a passport. Most teens don’t have one and you’ll have to apply for one well ahead of their scheduled departure.
Here is a link I found helpful in getting the process started. Travel. State.Gov (FAQ)
I think most teens should get their passport whether they intend a trip abroad or not. It’s a great form of identification before they are able to get their driver license. You never know when preparation and opportunity might strike; as did the case with my son’s trip. Had he not already had his passport the “pain in the butt factor” would have been far greater.

Another concern we had about him traveling alone was the connecting flight(s) he may have to make during his plane travel to and fro.
We solved this by getting him a flight with only one connection needed and within the United States. I do know that English is spoken in most European countries and especially in airports by the staff there, but knowing he could ask questions without having any trouble put this Mother’s mind at ease.

The other thing that eased my nerves was this great app, Flight Track Pro


You can get alerts if a flight is delayed and track where your child is while flying. Professional grade parental stalking, I tell you!

They’ll need their phone while away, upgrading your teens cell phone to an international package that you can turn on before they go and turn off when they get back is worth the expense. If there is an emergency or hiccup in their travel plans, you will be able to help.

In Part 2 I’ll talk about money exchanges, credit/debt cards for minors, packing light for teens and, how to talk your son into taking dress clothes.

If I can answer any questions please post them in the comments!