Safety

Safety is our number one priority at TFT. We employ rigorously vetted Trip Leaders and Counselors, carefully scout all new locations' hotels and activities, and keep current on any changing political situations that may challenge our safety standards. But that's just the beginning. To learn more, visit our safety page.

Flexibility and Daily Choices

To free kids from the boredom of traditional teen travel (which too often amounts to hordes of kids traipsing around European capitals with expressionless faces), TFT travelers are presented with choices each day rather than a rigid itinerary. Enjoy art? Check out the Reina Sofia museum in Madrid. More of a soccer fan than an art buff? Tour the Real Madrid Santiago Bernabeu Futbol stadium instead! Seasoned travelers recognize that unplanned activities often turn out to be the most memorable, which is why trip directors are trained to be flexible when there's a local music festival or special art exhibition the group is interested in seeing. Our trips are organized into sessions lasting 10-18 days and are designed to be linked together; choose from an enormous variety of combinations! Check out our registration page to see trips broken down by session.

Fun

After safety, fun is our #2 priority! We've learned from years of working with teenagers what's appealing and what isn't, and we are careful to balance itineraries with activities that are both fun and culturally educational. But no matter what trip you're on, if your leaders aren't fun, the trip won't be. TFT employs responsible, well traveled, fun loving staff that work to ensure all of our participants are not only having a blast, but also learning a thing or two without even realizing it.

Educational

All TFT trips are designed to be as educational as they are fun, and many staff members are former or current educators. While some trips have a particular focus such as language, photography or community service, cultural exploration trips (which do not include classes or community service) are no exception when it comes to learning; our goal is for every participant to absorb cultural nuances, culinary treats, and interesting historical facts on every trip. On language trips, we find engaging ways to enhance the mornings' classroom learning with scavenger hunts, trips to the market, or challenges that require participants to interact with locals in a fun way. On our photography trips, participants are exposed to real photographers who teach both technical and conceptual lessons for how and when to capture the perfect shot (it helps when you have gorgeous Italian, French or South African landscapes as your backdrop, too!). Perhaps the most valuable life lessons come from helping others; on our service trips, participants are able to make an impact on a variety of projects all over the world. Giving back to our host communities in this way, and fostering a sense of global interconnectedness, is one of the most valuable lessons we can offer.

Growth and Testimonials

TFT has grown exponentially over the years, from one trip to Paris in 2003 to 33 programs covering 32 countries on 6 continents today. While many factors have contributed to our rapid growth, nothing is more important than the individual attention and care we provide to every single participant and their family. Word of mouth is the best recommendation we can have, and our happy travelers have helped us enormously to succeed. Read some testimonials (only a small sample of the 1000+ testimonials we've gotten over the years!) to hear what parents and participants have to say about their experience with TFT.

Staff

TFT receives over 1,000 applications each year, allowing us to pick from a wide pool of talented candidates who fit the criteria of being fun, knowledgeable role models. No Trip Leader can run a program without having been trained on one or more trips by a veteran Trip Leader first, a policy that is unique among teen travel operators. Trip Leaders have years of experience working in the youth travel industry and each member of our staff has gone through a multi-tiered interview process that includes thorough background and reference checks. In addition, each staff member is First Aid and CPR certified and participates in an annual staff training workshop. To learn more about who we are, visit our Staff Page.

Experience

Since 2003, Travel for Teens has led thousands of teenagers on hundreds of trips all over the world. After each trip we learn and improve over the previous year by conducting internal evaluations and soliciting anonymous feedback from parents and participants (which has yielded an overall positive rating of over 95%). We take the positive and constructive comments we hear from parents and participants and incorporate them into next year's trip planning, a process that has over the course of years made for excellent quality that can only come from experience.