Im thinking of travelling to Vancouver for the october half term by myself because didnt get to go on the date i wanted to last time because my plans were changed.
So what im asking is....is it safe for a 17 year old to travel around in Vancouver? My parents say im too young to travel by myself and i should wait till im 18, they say im not allowed to check into hotels because im underaged?
-Are the people in vancouver generally nice?
-Is it easy to get around the place? (i dont wanna get lost lol )
-What cards do they accpet over there? im with hsbc and i have a solo account but im not sure if it'll work over there. (i dont really want to carry alot of cash around)
-how expensive are the food there?
i personally wouldn't.
there is of course going to be plenty of cheap food, nice people, tourist offices.
i just wouldn't go to vancouver. i'd go to quebec but not toronto or vancouver. too... inner city ish.
from what i've heard, at least!
Generally, age is no barrier to travel. Get out there and do it. It'll be a trip of a lifetime. Chances are a Solo card won't be taken but it's easy enough to take cash around with you. Canada is on the whole a pretty safe place to be.
hey
it'll be fine to travel alone at 17. dont worry!
solo cards probably wont be accepted, you'll have to take cash i guess.
only problem is a few hostels dont accept under 18s, i never had any problems when i was 17 but i know there are some, so make sure you book your hostels before hand and check that its ok.
food - well as is with any place you can eat cheaply if you shop in super markets and then cook for yourself in the hostel. i dont know about canada specific prices though....
I don't know about Vancouver but I am 17 and I always go to London by myself, I have stayed in hostels and hotels alone and I would have no problems going to Vancouver on my todd at all.
It just depends about how "street-wise" (hate that phrase) you are. I find travelling alone to be the best way to travel, no negotiations to be had, no arguments about which way it is or where to go next. You also meet awesome people along the way who are in the same boat.
Do it! It will be fun and with no one around to bitch/moan about things you get to do everything on your own schedule.. it will be great given you are street smart!
Do it! It will be fun and with no one around to bitch/moan about things you get to do everything on your own schedule.. it will be great given you are street smart!
Originally Posted by Bubbles*de*Milo
Fair enough, it just seems really lonely? But meh, different strokes for different folks right?
Have fun, I think you'll love Vancouver. My parents lived there and they loved it.
I love getting away from it all on a Holiday. I can see the group holiday attraction but it's tricky for me to really get into it as I can a holiday by myself.
I'm 18 and in January am travelling for 8 months through India, Nepal, thailand, cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, East Timor and Australia. And tbh what is the difference between 17 and 18? I feel no more mature, grown up or responsible now that I am officially an adult, so why wait? Go for it I say
Canada is a pretty safe country. Vancouver has its areas you wouldn't necessarily want to go to (there is a bit of a gang culture I hear), but there is no reason you would be there. The main downtown and tourist areas are pretty safe.
They wouldn't accept a Solo card, but you could get travellers cheques and cash them in at banks as you go, little better than taking loads of cash with you.
You can get a meal for like $5 at fast food restaurants, or anywheres upwards of that. If you mix eating out a bit and cooking at the hostel it could be pretty cheap.
I think you'd have fun, go for it!
safety isn't an issue, but you'll want to wait, even till 19...since that's the legal drinking age in canada and you will probably want to go out with people you meet while traveling. also, your parents are right about things like hotels and such, you may have trouble. possibly not if you are reserved in advanve and let the hotels know that you are underage, but for a lot of reasons its better to travel when you are old enough to be legal.
safety isn't an issue, but you'll want to wait, even till 19...since that's the legal drinking age in canada and you will probably want to go out with people you meet while traveling. also, your parents are right about things like hotels and such, you may have trouble. possibly not if you are reserved in advanve and let the hotels know that you are underage, but for a lot of reasons its better to travel when you are old enough to be legal.
The legal drinking age actually varies by province in Canada, but it is 19 in BC.
I'm sure the OP can still have fun travelling without going out drinking though!
The legal drinking age actually varies by province in Canada, but it is 19 in BC.
I'm sure the OP can still have fun travelling without going out drinking though!
i know. i lived 3 hours south of vancouver for years. of course...one doesn't have to drink. but say you meet a bunch of cool people at your hostel or while traveling and they are going out at night to a bar or club. you don't have to drink to have fun...but vancouver has a great nightlife and it would be a shame to visit and not go out and enjoy it. and a lot of places don't just card to drink, they card to get in.
tbh, i dont want to go with other people due to past experiences where they drag me everywhere to places i dont like, and i seem to drag them to places they dont like. Theres always a barrier in which i can do something because ill have to care about another person. I think travelling alone is more better because im free to do anything although i know ill get a bit lonely.
atm, its still floating around in the air. I havent even booked tickets or planned anything yet. should get started straight away!
That you have some experience of how to act in a city. Making sure you aren't a target for pickpockets or muggers, knowing how to read a map and how to approach people for help. Knowing how to buy tickets and how to book a hotel and where to go if you are lost.
As opposed to some of my friends who are naive and couldn't read a bus timetable let alone travel to Vancouver alone.
Going on holiday, interrailing, broadening one's horizons and weekends in Skegness
Useful Resources:
17 year old travelling alone
