It can be intimidating thinking about teenagers traveling the world solo, whether you’re a teen yourself and haven’t left home before, or you’re a parent who’s nervous to let your child leave the nest for the first time. But travel is the ultimate growth experience, no matter your age, and traveling as a teenager offers invaluable life lessons that extend far beyond the classroom.
The thrill of exploring the world is also an opportunity to develop independence, gain cultural awareness, and build confidence—and this is just a glimpse into how travel changes you into a more well-rounded, adaptable human.
Whether you’re navigating unfamiliar cities, tasting different cuisines, or making friends from around the world, travel challenges teens to step out of their comfort zones and grow in unexpected ways. If you’re a teenager ready to embrace adventure or a parent looking for reassurance, keep reading for insight into how travel changes teens for the better.
13 Ways Travel Changes Teens for the Better
The connections you make and places you experience will change your life.
It’s never too early to spread your wings and experience what the world has to offer. At any age, traveling invites you to stretch your comfort zone, open your eyes to new perspectives, and adopt a mindset of personal growth.
When you start young, travel has the power to create even more positive change during your early formative years when you are discovering who you are, creating a lasting impact you’ll carry with you throughout your life. Here are some of the top travel benefits for teens that will inspire you to book that flight ASAP!
1. You’ll become more adaptable and confident.
As you meet new people, learn new things, and achieve your travel goals, you build confidence.
Traveling as a teen exposes you to unfamiliar situations, helping you develop adaptability and problem-solving skills. Whether navigating public transportation or managing unexpected changes to your itinerary, you learn to go with the flow and embrace new circumstances. These skills are valuable throughout life, benefiting your academic, professional, and personal experiences.
Each accomplishment, from figuring out a train route in a foreign country to using a new language to order a meal, strengthens your belief in yourself. Through travel, you become more capable of pursuing your goals and stepping out of your comfort zone. This newfound confidence doesn’t stop when the trip ends—it positively impacts your schoolwork, social interactions, and career path.
2. You’ll learn about money.
Budgeting, saving up, and spending wisely as you go—it’s all part of the travel experience.
As a teen, traveling on your own may be the first time you’ll have the opportunity to understand the value of money and the importance of financial planning. You’ll learn self-discipline when it comes to saving up for your travel experience, as well as how to budget for daily expenses while abroad.
Your experience can look any way you desire, but you’ll have to prioritize your spending habits and make decisions about money that leave room for that occasional splurge on souvenirs or an afternoon gelato. Dealing with foreign currency and exchange rates will also broaden your perspective of finances on a global level and prepare you to handle your money at home.
3. You’ll develop problem-solving skills.
As you adapt to an ever-changing environment while traveling as a teen, you’ll also be forced to solve problems on the spot. No longer are you relying on mom or dad to deal with travel delays, communicate across language barriers, or navigate through an unfamiliar city for you—you are in control of all of it.
Learning to think on your feet is one of the many travel benefits for teens, helping you build resilience and become more resourceful. By developing problem-solving skills through travel, you’ll become more capable of tackling obstacles and turning challenges into opportunities when you return home, both in academics and in your future career.
4. You’ll become more independent.
Often, traveling as a teen is the first time you don’t have someone else telling you what to do or how to do it. It can be scary at moments, but it's liberating to know that you’re responsible for everything—the plane tickets, transportation, meals, itineraries, cleaning, shopping, and organizing your finances.
When you’re away from constant parental supervision, you learn how to make your own decisions, take responsibility for your actions, and become self-reliant. The independence you gain is just another one of the many benefits of travel for teenagers, and it will prepare you to navigate through life post-travel, whether that’s through living away from home for the first time, studying during college, or starting a career.
5. You’ll gain cultural awareness.
Let traveling make you more culturally aware and open-minded.
When you travel overseas, you get to see how other people live, work, speak, and connect with one another. At the same time, you’ll also gain insight into how other people around the world view your own culture. All of this contributes to more self-awareness and cultural awareness.
You’ll come to better understand how to relate to people from different backgrounds, while being humbled that your way is not the only way. The open-mindedness and global consciousness highlight how travel changes you for the better.
6. You’ll develop better social skills.
Traveling encourages teens to connect with lots of different people from different backgrounds, whether it’s through making new friends with other travelers or communicating with locals. You’ll learn how to initiate conversations, navigate social norms, and build relationships with people outside of the bubble of your hometown. Not only will this allow you to create stronger relationships as you move through life, but you’ll also learn how to connect with people who are different from you, creating lasting, more meaningful connections.
7. You’ll become a better communicator.
Traveling to new places around the world often requires you to communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds who speak different languages. Improving your communication skills is one of the key travel benefits for teens.
Not only will you be able to practice your verbal communication skills, both in English and in second languages, but you’ll also learn how to use nonverbal communication to connect with people when the language barrier is a struggle. Combined, this will leave you knowing how to more effectively convey your thoughts to other people, while also simplifying your language and practicing patience and active listening—all skills that will take you far in life.
8. You’ll gain valuable work experience.
If you work while you travel, you’ll build your resume even more.
While not every teen chooses to work while traveling overseas, there are plenty of programs out there that offer work experience, such as internships, volunteer projects, or even part-time jobs. These experiences allow you to gain practical experience and professional skills, boosting your resume and helping you explore potential career interests.
Taking advantage of work experience while traveling gives you a competitive edge in the job market while connecting you with an international network of professional contacts. Even if you decide not to combine work with your travels, traveling alone will equip you with plenty of life skills that will “wow” future employers when you start job hunting down the road.
9. You’ll gain academic experience.
High school education teaches you about history, art, nature, science, and geography from the comfort of a classroom. But imagine being able to visit those historical sites, museums, and cultural landmarks to deepen your understanding and bring your textbooks to life.
Educational exchange programs have endless benefits for teens, allowing you to engage deeper with your studies, put language skills to practical use, and fall in love with learning. By gaining academic experience through travel, you'll enrich your education and gain a broader perspective of the world, making your studies more relevant and inspiring.
10. You’ll broaden your perspective.
There’s nothing like the perspective shift you’ll get when you meet new people and experience new cultures.
When you spend time abroad, in addition to the cultural awareness you gain, you’ll also get a firsthand view of how different countries live: their traditions, their values, how they think and interact with one another.
As your mind opens, you begin to appreciate diversity and gain a deeper respect for other cultures, and your perspective broadens. This is another one of many travel benefits for teens—your broadened perspective can influence your values, beliefs, and decision-making, making you more informed and empathetic while you also become more inclusive in your outlook on life.
11. You’ll develop lifelong friendships.
One of the best parts of traveling is the opportunity to meet people all over the world, forming friendships that can last a lifetime. The shared travel experiences you’ll have with new friends creates strong bonds that are incomparable to anything you’ll experience at home.
Whether you connect with other teens while traveling or form relationships with locals or host families, your social circle will start to fill with diverse, meaningful connections that can support and inspire you. You’ll also create a global network that opens endless opportunities, no matter where you go next.
12. You’ll better appreciate home.
Returning home after traveling as a teen will truly open your eyes as to how travel changes you. While you’ll certainly come to appreciate different ways of life, spending time away from home can also change your perspective and give you a greater appreciation of the comforts of home and the traditions you can’t find anywhere else in the world.
Travel has the ability to strengthen your roots, giving you a greater sense of identity and pride in where you come from. Sure, you might miss home occasionally, but travel can reaffirm your understanding of yourself and your place in the world.
13. You’ll learn how to make life an adventure.
It’s time to see for yourself how travel changes you!
Life is the grandest adventure; sometimes, it takes embracing new experiences to show you how colorful life can be! Travel makes you curious, inviting you to tune into your inner explorer and adopt an adventurous mindset that can translate into daily life.
You’ll return home more open to trying new things, inspired to take calculated risks that make life more exciting and interesting. By learning how to make life an adventure through travel, you’ll cultivate a zest for life and a willingness to pursue your passions and dreams, leading to a more fulfilling and exciting life.
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3 teen travel programs to consider
There are endless benefits of travel for teenagers, so what are you waiting for? No matter what kind of travel you embark on, you’ll come out the other end as a more independent, open-minded, well-rounded human.
The next step is to choose a program that suits you. Teen travel programs range from educational exchanges to adventures abroad, and there are programs out there that suit every type of teen, in every age group. Here are some of GoAbroad’s favorites:
1. High School Summer Camp in the Cayman Islands
- Highlights: If you’ve always dreamed of spending your summers on a tropical beach, immersing yourself in marine life and island time, why not plan a trip with Marine Impact? This program partners with the Central Caribbean Marine Institute to bring students aged 13 to 17 on a week-long camp that will have you ogling over gorgeous coral reefs. Your week will consist of education on tropical marine ecology and conservation, ocean expeditions, kayaking, snorkeling, beach cleanups, bonfires, bike rides, and making lifelong friends on the Cayman Islands.
- Location: Cayman Islands
- Read Marine Impact reviews
2. CIEE High School Summer Abroad: K-Pop Immersion in Seoul
- Highlights: Music and pop culture fans will love this CIEE High School Abroad program. Imagine venturing outside the classroom to experience music, fashion, technology, and extreme fan culture in South Korea in K-pop paradise. This program immerses you in Korean culture—you’ll learn about K-pop artists and what inspires them, attend classes with guest lecturers who work in production, songwriting, and choreography, attend cultural workshops, and fall in love with Korean culture over the course of two to four weeks.
- Location: South Korea
- Read CIEE High School Abroad reviews
3. TFT Older Teens: Florence, Cinque Terre, Switzerland & Paris
- Highlights: Who said you have to wait for college to go on your first Euro trip? Travel For Teens takes teens on a real backpacking experience through Italy, Switzerland, and France, where you’ll get to explore some of the most beautiful European cities that are on every traveler’s bucket list. You’ll learn handy travel skills as you navigate your way across Europe, visiting the Renaissance-inspired city of Florence, hiking through the tiny fishing villages of Cinque Terre, wandering through pristine Swiss Alps, and soaking in the beauty and history of Paris. This program is perfect for those who want to experience a tasting platter of European cultures and experience the highlights of a classic Euro trip.
- Location: Italy, Switzerland, France
- Read Travel For Teens reviews
Start your life of travel early!
Get a head start on all the amazing benefits of traveling and start your journey now.
Why wait to spread your wings and see the world when it’s so easy to travel abroad as a teen! Rather than waiting, traveling when you’re young will open your mind and help you develop key life skills that can have a much larger impact on you when you’re younger. It can definitely be scary to leave home for the first time, but when you allow yourself to see the world from a different perspective and return home with more confidence, independence, and excitement for the future—well, you won’t regret it.
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