Why You Should Travel While You're Young

When it comes to traveling the world, it’s easy to tell yourself you’ll have time to do it…later. And yes, waiting until you’re older to travel can mean you have time to save money for broader experiences, but it also means finding time amongst more responsibility, making it more difficult to get away and explore the world on your own terms.

Why wait to see the world when you can start traveling today?

There are plenty of reasons why you should travel while you’re young instead of waiting for the “perfect” time. The reality is there will always be an excuse not to travel. When you travel while you’re young, you can throw yourself in head first and learn more about yourself and what you want out of life—while you still have your whole life ahead of you.

Plus, life is short and unpredictable, and sometimes you really do just have to say “YOLO” and go for it.

Why you should travel while you’re young

Travel is truly one of the best ways to learn about yourself and the world. No matter how old you are and what parts of the world you decide to explore, there are always lessons to be learned and opportunities to shift your perspective and grow more deeply into who you are. Why not travel young and get a head start?

Traveling is life-changing at any age, but when young people travel, they discover more about who they want to be and how they want to show up in the world. What could be better than that? Here are the top reasons why traveling is important for youth.

1. You’ll be fearless.

While it can be intimidating to travel while you’re young, especially if you’ve never been overseas before, you’ll be much more fearless once you get over the initial overwhelming feeling of planning your first trip.

Age comes with inevitable aches, pains, and responsibilities, which means you won’t be as likely to climb the tallest mountains, say “yes” to every adrenaline-pumping adventure thrown your way, or push yourself out of the comfort zone you’ve been settled into for so long. Travel experiences for young adults are often filled with more adventure and youth brings the fearlessness to say “yes” to it all.

2. You’ll make lifelong friends you can keep for longer.

The truth is, when you travel young, you’ll find many other travelers are young, too. While you can still make friends as an older traveler, it’s easier to bond with people your own age.

The friends you make while traveling are friends you’ll keep for life.

Youth travel programs mean you’ll get to explore the world with other teenagers or young adult travelers. You’ll bond over shared once-in-a-lifetime experiences—whether that’s with other travelers, trip leaders, or even locals—and leave with friends you’ll have for life.

3. You can expand your language repertoire.

Imagine how amazing it would feel to have a new language slip easily and effortlessly off your tongue, to be able to read road signs, order off of a foreign menu, or have a casual conversation with someone who lives on the other side of the world. Learning a new language is always easier when you’re young.

Not only does it make you look cool and exotic to your friends back home, but it also opens up endless opportunities for later in life, whether you want to study abroad, work in an international company, or travel more extensively. You may even decide to explore youth travel groups that guide you around the world while teaching you the local languages at the same time.

4. Your resume will shine.

One of the most practical reasons why you should travel young is to add a unique experience to your resume. Whether you return home to apply for college or to land your first job, showing that you were able to travel young can enhance your college and job applications so you stand out from the crowd.

You’ll be able to demonstrate that you’re willing to push yourself out of your comfort zone, be adaptable, and have an awareness of other cultures. It makes you well-rounded, which is so important anywhere you go in the professional world.

5. You’ll gain real-world experience.

There’s only so much you can learn from a textbook. Instead of sitting in a classroom or behind a desk reading about different places and cultures, travel experiences for young adults allow you to physically explore a new place, to see its beauty with your own eyes, to soak in the history in a way that allows you to feel it in your bones, and to feel like you’re part of the culture.

Sure, you can do that when you’re older, but there’s something magical about going through life knowing that feeling of immersing yourself in a foreign land.

6. You’ll learn independence.

When you learn to rely on yourself, you can take on anything that comes your way.

Traveling is fun, but it can also be challenging. Travel for young people is an opportunity to learn the skill of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and rising to any challenge you’re faced with later in life. It means getting lost, experiencing culture shock, or mixing up the words “embarrassed” and “pregnant” while practicing Spanish.

Each experience you have will challenge you while teaching you how to grow and how to become more independent. You’ll come to understand how to stand on your own two feet, and that’s always best learned when you’re young.

7. You’ll discover hidden passions.

One of the biggest reasons why you should travel young instead of waiting until you’re older is because it’s the perfect opportunity to learn about yourself. There are many people who go through life never knowing who they are or what they truly want to experience in life, but travel teaches you.

It gives you the chance to discover new skills you wouldn’t acquire at home, to gain real-life experience that opens your mind, and to uncover passions that you may not have ever discovered otherwise. Why wait until you’re older for that?

8. You’ll build your confidence.

Building confidence when you’re young will take you anywhere you want to go in life. Travel experiences for young adults are the best confidence boosters. As you learn how to be independent, navigate a new country, and communicate across cultures, your confidence will grow.

You’ll discover how to think on your feet, budget, and stay organized. Going home to a place you know well where you speak the language and things feel easier will make you feel like you can do anything!

9. You’ll become more culturally sensitive.

In a world that is expanding and constantly breaking down borders, it’s important to understand cultures that are different from your own. When young people travel, they learn what other cultures find normal and what they value, and they gain the ability to open their minds to new ways of living.

It’s a lot easier to do this when you’re young, and it gives you skills you can carry with you everywhere. You’ll be able to relate to people more easily and understand international conflicts and issues. It will help you to be a better communicator—whether you choose to use that in your personal life or in your studies and career.

10. You’ll get closer to your purpose.

Can’t quite figure out your purpose? Traveling can give you insight you can’t get from books or classrooms.

What is your purpose? It’s the question each person asks themselves as they venture through this weird and wonderful life. The more you allow yourself to experience at a young age, the clearer your vision for life becomes.

You’ll come to understand more clearly what you like, what you don’t like, what you want more of and less of out of life. As you discover more of the world, your travel experiences will give you insight into your true values and desires, each experience getting you close to your purpose in the world.

11. You’ll have the most freedom.

The older you get, the more responsibility you’ll have. It can be tempting to tell yourself to wait to travel so you can save more money, but ultimately, waiting until you’re older means less freedom.

One of the biggest reasons why traveling is important for youth is because your youth is the easiest time to travel—before you have student debt, serious relationships, children, a car, or a mortgage to pay off. It means you can travel more often and for longer periods of time. It means you will have no limits.

12. No regrets!

Don’t fall into the trap of waiting and waiting, and then realizing it’s too late. You will never regret traveling—now or later in life.

So why wait? You never know how life will shift around you, and tomorrow is never guaranteed. Travel young and you won’t have regrets when you’re older.

3 fun youth travel programs

Traveling while you’re young might be out of your comfort zone, especially if you’ve never traveled abroad. One of the best parts about traveling while you’re young is that there are endless youth travel programs out there so you don’t have to deal with the nitty gritty of travel on your own.

Youth travel groups give you structure, support, immediate friends, and guidance every step away. And while it’s possible to find group travel programs for adults, there are a lot more limitations…and many of the most epic youth travel programs are only available to you while you’re young. Here are GoAbroad’s top picks for youth travel programs.

1. High School Program in Spain with Seville Abroad

• Highlights: If you want to get an early start on traveling the world, why not make your first experience in high school? Seville Abroad takes you on exchange during high school to sunny Seville.
• High School Exchange with Seville Abroad is true Spanish immersion—you’ll be enrolled in weekly Spanish classes with personal tutors, live with a local host family who will teach you about local culture, and join group excursions around Spain and other parts of Europe. You’ll be able to spend a trimester, semester, or even a full year abroad, giving you flexibility to make the experience exactly what works for you.
• Age range: High school students ages 14 to 19 years old
• Read Seville Abroad reviews

2. Australia Adventure with Gapforce

• Highlights: There’s nothing that screams independence like jetting off to the opposite side of the world. Gapforce’s Australia Adventure is the perfect opportunity to travel for young people. You can join a 4- or 7-week tour along the Australia East Coast, making your way up from iconic Sydney to the Great Barrier Reef and beyond.
• Gapforce combines adventure travel with volunteering, so you’ll be able to add valuable experience to your resume while also getting an adrenaline rush from four-wheel driving across Fraser Island, snorkeling in the Whitsunday islands, and exploring one of the oldest rainforests in the world. The best part about traveling to Australia while you’re young is the possibility of landing a working holiday visa that offers the chance to stay in the country after your youth travel program to explore and work for up to one year.
• Age range: Minimum of 18 years old
• Read Gapforce reviews

3. Seamester Study Abroad and Gap Year Voyages

• Highlights: Young adult travel is one of the only ways to earn college credit while studying abroad. With Seamester Study Abroad at Sea, not only can you earn credits for your degree, but you can do it while visiting multiple countries and checking off your travel bucket list in bulk.
• Seamester Study Abroad takes you on a truly unique adventure where you’ll go island hopping, visit multiple continents, earn sailing and scuba diving certifications, and make amazing friends, all while studying. Seamester is open to high school graduates who want to spend anywhere from one month to three months at sea, offering you flexibility and the chance to dip your toes into youth travel groups.
• Age range: Minimum age of 18 years old
• Read Seamester Study Abroad at Sea reviews

Our Online Advisor can match you with 5 programs for youth abroad—it’s free!

Travel isn’t only for young people, but why NOT travel while you’re young?

Go ahead, travel while you're young—the world is waiting for you!

If you’re a true wanderluster, travel is the right choice at any age, but traveling while you’re young offers a whole new experience and opens doors for travel throughout your entire life. Why wait when the world is at your fingertips NOW? Choose to travel while you’re young and you’ll live your entire life with more purpose, more confidence, more independence, and zero regrets.