How old do you have to be to travel alone without parental permission?

Do minors in the UK and the rest of Europe need written parental permission to travel abroad without parents?

• In the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, minors must have a letter of parental permission signed by both parents to travel outside the country alone or with someone other than their parents. I have never seen and cannot find any info on this issue for the UK or other European countries. Many young people of 16 or so from the UK write in about traveling alone, but never mention needing permission. What is the rule on this in Europe.? Thanks.

• Answer:

  The answer is yes, legally you need a notorised statement to enable any under 16 to travel and if it isn't in the Uk Childrens Rights ( which I think it is) then it is in the EU Rights of a Child which we adhere to...BUT I doubt very much if any of those young people have been asked to show it............... I travelled alone on many occassions from 14 onwards abroad and my son certainly has done lots of times.... Any young person who does travel alone are confident, maybe for that reason they don't get stopped and asked.....I would not have let my daughter travel alone into the nearest City as she would have got lost, so she would have certainly been stopped as they would have found her wandering lost in an airport somewhere.... my son you could drop him off anywhere in the world and he would find his way home. I think many young people like to dream about travelling but if they are 16 many are living alone in the UK, have their own flat, job etc so they are more mature ( which is not always a good thing)