Kids

1. Why isn't your son posting this himself? Seems like a bad start if mommy or daddy has to find friends for him.

2. I suggest a short trip to break him into traveling and to decide if he really wants a longer experience. To some young travelerish place like Thailand where he can end up in hostels and find his own kind.

3. Trying to find a companion over the internet for an inexperienced traveler is frought with problems and is an unreasonable way to start all this.

My son did the RTW bit, solo, at age 20. He met people along the way, sometimes other travellers, sometimes local, and was at the receiving end of some wonderful local hospitality. He never missed having someone to travel with.

No. 1's suggestion of his taking a shorter trip first to see how he likes being on his own, and for how long he wants to stay away, is a good ideal.

Sorry Smiff....but you should not be doing this for a 21 year old son. Time for him to go out on his own power. You could suggest Thorntree as a good place to check out for info though.

1. hostels.

2. get mommy out of the way.

Solo is better. Stick with older guests there. They have life mileage to draw on.
When the student is ready, the teacher will araive.

araive? huh?

appear.

Most people eventually prefer traveling solo. However, they have to have a few unpleasant incidents with bad companions to determine this.

Hostels are places to meet travel companions. However, your son should learn to never leave his bags unlocked, even in a hostel at night, (there are always problems with thefts in hostels) and never to lend anyone money.

.

The way we learn about life, is by having to.

Otherwise its just,"Oohhh Mommmm!"

Old timers in age friendly hostels, can tell him things that would just get you screaming fits. You know. the too close thing. He wouldn't believe you.

Um, folks? We don't stop being parents when our kids turn 21. There's nothing wrong with trying to help with something like this, and I didn't see anything to suggest that it was the mother, rather than the father, posting here. Not that it should matter.

In any case, it was travel advice, not parenting advice that is being sought here. And I was under the impression that this forum exists for travelers to help each other. I'm new here, so maybe it was naive to expect everyone to be helpful. But it comes as an unpleasant shock to find 4 out 6 posts gratuitously mean.

In answer to the original question: I think there is a section for questions about Gap years in the forum. Maybe there will be a lot of helpful information there. Hopefully, the people will be nicer, too.

msnomadica - I'm another of these 'mean' people. The hard truth is that if you have to depend on your parents to find out things for you then you're not yet ready to travel alone.

And maybe 'son' is ready, but mum or dad are being over-protective? If so, then they need reminding and we're exactly the people to do it.

Personally, when I travel I have to keep my 40 y.o. son informed that I'm ok - even after 11+ years of travelling (though admittedly to places he'd never dream of going). But it doesn't stop me getting out there and doing my own thing.