Travel For Teens

Community Photos

Fun picture after finishing our day of ziplining!

All of our TFT crew taking in the scenery of Germany on a bike tour!

View All Photos

About

Travel For Teens is a program provider that believes that teen travel should be both enriching and fun. TFT offers a full range of travel experiences that teens can choose from to create their own ideal international experience.

TFT's motto is "Teaching teens to be travelers, not tourists," and their itineraries are designed to reflect this. While participants have the opportunity to visit mainstream attractions, TFT also provides insider opportunities and experiences, giving participants the ability to explore the culture far beyond the tourist perspective.

If you are looking for a summer travel program that goes beyond the typical tourist path, then Travel For Teens is the perfect fit!

Now Hiring: Travelers with Youth/Education Experience!

Are you passionate about inspiring youth? Do you believe experiential education is crucial to growth and development? TFT staff have the unique opportunity to work with teens in incredible countries all around the globe. Our staff have in-depth knowledge of the destinations we visit and are proven role models and leaders. If this sounds like you, we want to hear from you! Check out our site for more details and to submit your application today!

Learn More

Website

www.go.travelforteens.com

Founded

2003

Connect with us

Reviews

I went on the 19 day Ultimate Italy trip and it was the most amazing trip of my life. Everything about the trip was perfect, you got to see all the things in the big cities like the Colosseum in Rome or the beautiful beaches in the smaller Cinque Terre. The counselors on the trip were very friendly, organized everything very well and not a day went by were the whole group didn't have a blast. And if you are as big of a foodie as me the meals will not disappoint, they knew of all the best local restaurants so you will constantly be telling yourself that that was one of the best meals you have ever eaten. The hotels/hostels we stayed at were all also very nice and well kept so that was definitely a bonus also. If you are thinking about going on on a trip with TFT to Italy, don't think about it do it... you will not regret it and it will be the trip of a lifetime.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?

Pesto Lasagna, While visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa we ate at this restaurant right next to it and sat outside. I had never heard of Pesto Lasagna but saw it on the menu and had to try it and It was one of the best meals of my life, I hope to one day eat the same meal with the same view.

For my graduation present last year, I was grateful enough to travel to Italy with TFT! I was a bit nervous about traveling across the world without knowing anyone beforehand, but the staff and my peers were all so friendly and welcoming! Everything about this trip was so FUN, exciting, and very well organized. From the airport designations to the travel itinerary, everything was smooth sailing. There was always something new for us to do/see which was my favorite part of the trip. Although relaxing, it was fulfilling to be kept busy with a new culture to explore. I highly recommend not only the Amalfi trip, but any trip with TFT! They are an extremely trust worthy company and my parents were confident that I was being left in good hands. This trip was hands down one of the best trips I have been on and am excited to be traveling with TFT again soon!

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?

I was really nervous about traveling across the world without knowing anyone else beforehand. However, everyone on TFT staff and my peers were all so friendly and welcoming. We all still keep in touch to this day!

I had a great time on my trip to Alaska and met some amazing people who I still keep in touch with. However, I do have a few complaints. My counselors seems very uneducated on my medical disability and put me in danger a couple of times. The trip did not seem well put together or thought out. There were too many changes while we were on the trip. They were not going by the itinerary at all and this was very aggravating. I loved the trip and had a blast however my trip to Costa Rica last summer with a different company was a lot better planned and I felt 100% safer than I did in Alaska. I even had an incident in Costa Rica where I got sick and they handled it well. In Alaska, none of my three counselors seemed to know anything and left me feeling very alone in that aspect. I wish they knew more and I would’ve felt safer.

What would you improve about this program?

I would like to see the staff be better trained. My trip was amazing; however, I have a medical disability that my counselors did not seem very educated on and made me feel less safe. I had one encounter that I could have possibly sued over if I didn’t fight for what I needed so I wish they were more understanding and helpful! I would be cautious if you have a medical disability when going on these trips. I went to Costa Rica the summer before and had wonderful staff but this was with a different company.

This was my second TFT trip and I am so glad to have went on it! It was a great combination of the service, traveling the country, and relaxing. The organization that the service was through was a honest group of people and I felt that the work we did was genuinely beneficial. I found that the trip leaders and campers created a welcoming and inclusive environment even though the campers were from varying backgrounds and with a variety of ages. I always felt safe and appreciated having time to explore certain areas with my friends on the trip. When things out of our control went astray (like weather and transportation), the energy of the group was good and the trip leaders sought to make the best of our situations! My parents and I also greatly appreciated getting sent the photos taken by the trip leaders!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?

At the beginning of the trip we went to a food and produce market and one of the Thai guides introduced me to the Mangosteen which quickly became my favorite fruit! I ate it as much as I could, I also tried Durian which I avoided after trying it one time.

The second I got off the plan at LAX everyone was so welcoming and nice to me and immediately all my fears of being homesick or missing my friends went away and I enjoyed myself for the two weeks on my trip wishing it was longer. I have met so many amazing people on the trip and I wouldn’t change it for the world I got to try new foods and go places I have never been before seeing the Grand Canyon in real life was breathtaking and if someone has the opportunity they should take it. The travel for teens counselors set rules that made me feel safe and comfortable being by myself in a place I have never been before.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

It’s good to get out of your comfort zone and this is the perfect way to do it.

10 •11 reviews

Visit the Land Down Under with us! Our Australia program is led by our...

View Program

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program because I wanted to travel to a place and continent I had never been before that offered similar experiences like the ones I usually do each summer, such as going to the beach. I also wanted to experience a different culture and see a different lifestyle from the one I’m accustomed to.

When looking through the various trips, the beauty of Thailand one can witness captured all of my attention. I knew I needed to witness the beauty of the country through my own eyes, and all of the wonderful activities the country has to offer.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

My program provider assisted us with everything, from the daily meals to the information about our flight home. Travel For Teens did everything for us, they booked all of our hotels and flights, were in charge of our meals and made sure that whatever we order was suitable for us. They also told us what to pack, how much money to bring, and the type of weather we would be dealing with based on the place we were visiting. All we, the travelers, had to do was packed our suitcases, bring money for souvenirs and board a plane taking us to our final destination.

View Entire Interview

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

My one piece of advice is to enjoy the trip as much as possible and make every second there memorable. Before you know it you will be sitting on the plane back home wishing you could have one more week, or wishing you would have done something better, or at least that's what happened to me. Even though you can't change how much time you will be going, don’t sit on that plane wishing you would have done something better, or enjoyed it more, instead do everything you can while you are over there, because, at the end of the day, those actions will become splendor memories that will live with you for the rest of your life.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

The average day in Thailand depends on the place you are in. For example, the average day in Chiang Mai consisted of learning about the culture of helping out the community, while the average day in the Phi Phi Islands was spent going snorkeling or scuba diving in the morning, visiting the beach in the afternoon and going on an adventure at night. Every day was spent doing something out of the ordinary, that any tourist visiting the area would not have the opportunity to do as easily.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear of traveling so far away and alone was that I would not have many friends, or that I would struggle to make friends. I overcame this fear the second I met everyone at the airport. At first, I was a little shy, but then I started talking to people from my group and making small talk, and before I knew it, I had made a bond with everyone there, including counselors, who were also extremely nice and welcoming. All of us became a family with whom we managed to share wonderful memories.

If you had to choose one thing that you either learned or experienced during the trip that will mark your life forever, what will it be? Explain why.

Witnessing the presence of bioluminescence lights during the night is an experience that will remain with me for the rest of my life. This experience is something that I didn’t know even existed, and it's so impactful to know the power that nature has, that it even manages to create tiny algae particles that create natural light, not only in full darkness but also in the water.

Madelyn Grant

2018 Alum

Kseniya Klyuchka

2018 Alum

Sydney Johnson

2018 Alum

Evelina Ogrodniczuk

2018 Alum

Olivia Haan

2018 Alum

Sofia Casale

2018 Alum

Taleen Cochran

2018 Alum

Makenzie Hoag

2018 Alum

Jessica Paszko

2018 Alum

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Sam Rae Roy

Program

Travel For Teens: Canada

Job Title

Sales & Marketing Manager

Sam is an adventure enthusiast who has spent time living in both New England and Colorado. She has road tripped extensively around the continent, from Canada to Central America, which has aided in her development of our North America programs. In addition to her home continent, Sam has traveled all over Europe, Oceania, Asia, and Latin America. After numerous summers leading trips with TFT, she became a member of our Sales and Marketing team!

What is your favorite travel memory?

My favorite travel memory is the last night I spent in the backcountry on a 9-day trek in the Andean mountains of Peru. I had wanted to complete this trek for years but knew it involved an immense amount of preparation and planning. At our final campsite, not only was I overwhelmed with the feeling of accomplishment, but the beauty of my surroundings took my breath away.

A man who had lived in the area where I camped with my companion offered to cook us trout caught from the pristine alpine lake we were set up by and we took him up on the offer! We had a delicious meal in an incredible place knowing we had completed something we had longed to for years.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I started as an ambitious counselor who wanted to make Travel For Teens her full-time career. Over the course of the last nine years that I have been with this company, I have grown and learned so much about how travel positively influences today's youth and myself as well. Travel For Teens fosters growth in everyone it touches and spreads a love for authentic travel around the world.

View Entire Interview

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

The best story I've ever heard from a returning student is that, after traveling on our Hawaii Sea Turtle Service program, he had started an environmental awareness club at his school--and he was the president! It was really special to me that this student had felt so strongly about what he learned about recycling and sustainability in Hawaii that he wanted to share it with others.

To me, that is what Travel For Teens is all about: exposing today's youth to the world and all of its different cultures, beauty, needs, and teaching them to respect these cultures, maintain this beauty, and help our world's needs.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would go on the Hawaii program over and over again because I feel passionate about our planet and sharing my love for sustainability with them. You have the opportunity not only to work with an endangered species while on the beautiful island of Maui but you see a beach on the North Shore that is infamous for collecting hundreds of thousands of tons of micro pieces of plastics that have traveled from the beautiful beaches of Hawaii from California and Asia. It really paints a picture of where the plastic fork you leave on the beach in LA ends up.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

We are unique because we allow our students to feel like a local instead of a member of a tour group. We don't travel in huge groups of 30 to chain restaurants and ride massive tour buses. We take local transportation and make food a part of our itinerary. It's important to us that our students feel like they've learned how to be a traveler at the end of their trip.

I was especially proud to be a part of this team when I was off in a small group visiting a museum a group of kids had wanted to see while a different group was at a market with a different leader. We ran into a different company who were all wearing matching backpacks following a leader with a giant pink sign in a straight line. They stuck out like a sore thumb and myself and my small group looked like a traveling family which, by that point, we were.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I think being honest and passionate about what you are selling makes all the difference in a successful company. The people that run TFT truly love what they do and believe in the product they are endorsing. This is enhanced by the natural honest the comes with truly believing in what you are giving and that leads to happy customers.