I'll be 17 years old. Will I have problems flying to and staying in England?

Question

Next year I will be flying to London, England from the states. I've been a bit paranoid about it because I'll be 17 and I'll be alone. I'm not scared because I'll be alone, but rather because I think people may give me problems.

If my father uses his credit card to purchase a hotel room for me, would that be alright even though I'll be staying there alone?

Would there be any problems with the flight?

Has anyone else done this? I'm nervous. I tried calling some places and they all said "Well I don't know." Jeez, that's not really helpful, is it?

I'll be 2 months short of being 18 if that changes anything.

I have a cousin I'll be visiting and some distant relatives/friends.

Answer 1

You should be absolutely fine so long as you have the same last name as your dad. Do you know which airport you are coming into and which town/city your hotel is in? People should not give you problems - quite the opposite. Just keep an eye on your purse like you would any other big city.

I would suggest you have your dad buy a voucher from the hotel you can take along, make sure the sales tax (VAT) on the room is paid, then all you will have to pay for is your incidentals (room service, laundry, telephone calls, pay per view, etc). If you're coming for a family event, make sure you have the telephone numbers of your family members. Give them a call from the airport when you land, and give them another call when you get to your hotel. Don't be shy to ask for advice from information desks and staff at the airport and at train terminals. They will give you free visitors maps. It might be worth buying a guidebook you can read in advance and on the plane, and also get some travellers checks at Amex before you fly plus some sterling cash. Ideally, you would have your own credit card which you could use to withdraw cash as needed from ATM's. Can your parents not get you a credit card on their account (putting a limit on the amount you spend)? Also, with some US cellphones you can replace the US SIM card with a UK SIM card which you can buy at the airport on arrival. It's called "pay as you go" so you only pay for the calls you make and don't have to sign up to any plan.

DON'T WORRY! You will have fun. I was just a year older than you when I came to England for the first time on my own, and I didn't know whether I was coming or going but I had a blast!!

Answer 2

Nervous???? You should be excited!!!!

Do some research on where you will be staying in England. All you have to do is type in the name of the province in "Google" and there is so much information it is unbelieveable.

England is awesome. Do not go to pubs, do not get involved with any group that has issues with the government, groups that retaliate. Basically "Stay out of Trouble" and you will be just fine. The History there is unbelievable and there is so much to see, so much to learn, there just does not seem to be enough time.

Look up the etiquitte of how to act, England prefers gentlemen and ladies and you will be more respected for your manners. Etiquitte is extremely important in England, very different from the thug like United States.

You should not have problems with the flight. Make sure you have your passport and identification card and your Birth Certificate (no joke), [get a copy from City Hall].

Call the airline and find out what you are able to bring with you on the flight and what you are able to put in your luggage as there are new rules due to airline security. I was not able to bring a nail file, lighter, and I did not know. I felt really stupid. They make you take your shoes off and you have to walk through a metal detector. Keep your tickets with you at all times because when you go through the line there will be people who are going to check your ticket and your identification card. Make sure you get to the airport an hour early because the boards are a bit confusing, however once you get the hang of reading the flight boards it is not a big deal, it is walking to the area where you are supposed to be, which is sometimes hectic.

Download a Map from "Yahoo Maps" or "Google Earth", Google Earth is cool because it has 3 Dimensional topigraphical maps and you are able to see homes, streets, rivers, hotels, hospitals, etc....

For the Hotel Room make sure you have a confirmation number, when you get to the Hotel you walk up to the desk and ask the clerk for assistance regarding your room. Hand her the confirmation number for your room. They do not use keys anymore, they use Cards with a metallic strip and whatever you do you keep a card with you at all times and the other card should go in a secure place such as a safe. Most hotel rooms have a small safe where you are able to place valuables, watches, rings, nothing extravagant. When you reserve a hotel room you should be able to download a print out of the reservation from the Internet. You need to keep this with you and you should place it in your room at the hotel you are staying.

Use Travelers Checks or a Travelers Card, never ever ever ever Cash. When you get to the Hotel the Consierge' [an individual hired by the Hotel to help and assist customers] will be able to tell you where to exchange the Travelers Check to Cash.

You will also need to learn the exchange rates so you do not get cheated. This will take some time, you can download the exchange rates and learn how to calculate from American Currency to British Currency, I think they now use the Euro Dollar.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare, do not wait.

Make a list of all these things plus some and check them off once you have done them. Keep a folder,which to put all of your important documentation to stay "Organized".

However, long you are in England it will be a wonderful learning experience.

Answer 3

Try and make a plan for yourself and what you would like to do in terms of sightseeing. A good place to start is by getting a London guide book. Try a low budget hotel to keep your costs down. You should be Ok by yourself in a hotel.

In terms of safety, don't walk around talking on your mobile and keep your wallet out of sight, not in your back pocket. Pickpockets are rife in London, especially on crowded Tube stations.

You seem anxious about flying. Sometimes air travel can be delayed by weather conditions or late take offs. Watch the information board which will tell you what gate to board at when your plane is in. Once you are on the plane, relax and use the in flight entertainment, the cabin staff will also help with any queries you may have.

I hope you enjoy your visit to London, there are so many things to do and see, you will wonder what you were worried about because you won't have time to worry.

Answer 4

You will have a great time.

London is a brilliant city to visit, I would have loved to come here alone at your age.

At 17 years old you may not be old enough to legally drink in bars, but legally you are an adult and need to take responsibility for yourself.

Just use your common sense and you will not only be fine, but will enjoy yourself a lot. Also do some research on things you are interested in. There may be bands playing or theatre shows that you like and need to pre-book for.

(dd's posting has a lot of good advice - the only thing I disagree with is the travellers cheques, I never use them - You can just withdraw cash at ATMs as you need).

Answer 5

I would check with the airlines and see if you are allowed to fly on your own at 17. The last thing you want to do is turn up at the airport and not be allowed to fly. Also if your dad is paying for the hotel room might be worth ringing the hotel and talking to them to make sure it would all be ok.

England is a nice place. London is ok, not one of my fav places. The tube is nice and easy to use and to get around on. Just watch out for the traffic in London it can be mad.

Answer 6

Hi, Just two things.Do not come to the U.K until you are 18. Better than the U.S. 21 years of age. But life is different. And because you are young and asking, you ARE NOT ready or wise enough. Do not do it,Especially if you are female. But male youths get attacked twice as much. You dont know enough people or have the street smarts to travel alone. Your fear will be seen and smelt.To be fair it is only the same as going to New York City. So work it out on that basis.

Answer 7

hey dont worry about a thing, a friend of mine travelled from nigeria to london when she was 13.. she had a flight attendant to take care of her though, but since youll be 17, you should be alright - and the credit card thing shouldnt be a problem altho i suggest you go and phone the hotel first ^_^

Answer 8

London is big and rather busy but, i think you are imagining London to be the same as say New York or Washington DC or LA.
Well it's not, not even close. Crime levels in the UK are way below those in the states.

Answer 9

1. Be careful that somebody doesn't take advantage of you.
2. Calm down. What's the rush?
3. Don't go alone until you've been there several times and know where you're going and meet some good people who live there.
4. Take me with you! Just kidding.

Answer 10

You would probably need that credit card to check in to the hotel, but flying should be no probs as you are legally an adult (well in the UK you are), however you cannot buy fags or alcohol