Going abroad when you are between 14 and 18: what is it, why would you do it, and where are the best places to go?

What is going abroad when you are between 14 and 18 like?

• Going abroad when you are between 14 and 18 is often your first real adventure outside your familiar surroundings.
• It can involve being away for a few weeks, but also for a longer period such as an exchange or school year.
• You often end up in an international group with peers, live with a host family or on campus, and combine learning with activities and new experiences.

For example, you can:

• Go on a language trip and take classes in English, Spanish, or French.
• Participate in a summer camp.
• Do a high school exchange.
• Join a group trip or youth program.
• Do volunteer work (usually from age 16/17, depending on the project).

For many, it is:

• The first time traveling without parents.
• A mix of adventure, uncertainty, and growth.
• A way to discover the world while still in school.
• And honestly: it is often just really fun, a little exciting, and sometimes life-changing.

What are the reasons for going abroad when you are between 14 and 18?

• To develop self-confidence: for the first time, you are (partially) dependent on yourself in a new environment. You learn to make choices, stand up for yourself, and realize that you are often capable of more than you thought.
• To learn to communicate: you speak a different language or have to make yourself understood in a different way. As a result, you become more creative in how you communicate and learn to connect with others more quickly.
• To adapt to new situations: you find yourself in a different culture, with different rules, customs, and expectations. You learn to deal with differences and develop flexibility in how you think and act.
• To meet new people: you meet peers from different countries and backgrounds. Friendships often develop here that you otherwise would never have had.
• To broaden your worldview: by experiencing firsthand how people live elsewhere, you think differently about your own environment, customs, and future. What skills and motivations do you need to go abroad if you are between 14 and 18?

What skills and motivations do you need to go abroad when you are between 14 and 18?

• Self-confidence: you dare to try new things, even if you find it daunting. You step out of your comfort zone and grow into it step by step.
• Flexible: things don't always go as planned, from meals to daily routines, and you learn to adapt to this without it completely throwing you off balance.
• Communicating: you try to make yourself clear, even if you do not yet fully master the language. You learn to listen, ask questions, and make contact.
• Empathy: you are open to other customs and ways of life and try to understand them instead of judging them immediately.
• Stress-resistant: you learn to cope with tension, homesickness, or unexpected situations, and notice that you are becoming increasingly better at handling them.

What are the best countries and locations for going abroad when you are between 14 and 18?

• Language trips and exchanges: England, Ireland, and Malta for learning English; Spain, France, Germany for European languages; United States, Canada for a real high school experience.
• Summer camps and youth programs: United States, Canada, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium.
• Adventure or cultural programs: Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa, Costa Rica.

What are the risks of going abroad when you are between 14 and 18, and are you insured against those risks? 

What are the risks of going abroad when you are between 14 and 18, and what happens with some regularity:

• that you get homesick and struggle with missing family, friends, and your familiar surroundings, which can affect your mood and energy.
• that you end up in a new environment where you feel insecure or overwhelmed at first, for example due to language barriers, different customs, or a different way of interacting with each other.
• that misunderstandings arise due to cultural or language differences, which can lead to awkward situations with host families, teachers, or other participants.
• that you are dependent on supervision, host families, or organizations, and that these sometimes operate differently or are less aligned with what you are used to. that you may face health risks, such as different hygiene standards, unfamiliar food, or (mild) illnesses, and that you do not always know how the local healthcare system works or how to arrange for help.
• that medical care in some countries is expensive or less accessible, making it important that you are well insured and know what to do in emergencies.
• that you may encounter situations with which you have little experience, such as peer pressure, alcohol use, or social tensions, and that this can be difficult to deal with.

Are you insured when going abroad when you are between 14-18?

• There may be several reasons why you need separate insurance when going abroad.
• During activities and trips abroad, the coverage of your own health insurance in the Netherlands may be insufficient, or even lapse. See the pages on insuring activities abroad.