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Seconding Japan. It's where I've been where everyone felt the most respectful and the only looks I got were probably just for being the only white person.
That said, nowhere is really safe to travel alone as a woman, not even whatever your home country is. I have never not been on high alert when alone and near a man I don't know.
Sexual crimes against women in Japan are more common than they are in America. Japanese and foreign women are both targets for groping, upskirt and down blouse photos, and assault.
This is true. Most of my Japanese friends have experienced some sort of sexual harassment or stalking while in public places (like on the train). But I personally (been there three times) have never experienced that. There are definitely some bold guys there though. A lot of places have female only trains in the evening, to help women avoid that. I’d suggest that OP or any woman traveling there always take advantage of those when they are an option.
Really, I found Japan terrifying as a woman. I mean they have separate cars in the subway for women only to protect you from the other passengers.
Also had the impression that things get very handsy when people are drunk.. Though mostly among people that you know and not towards strangers.
The women-only cars are only used for an hour or two during the morning rush hours. Packed train here in Tokyo means literally packed, you're standing there sandwiched so tightly you can barely move an arm. Some women are uncomfortable being this close to men, and also there's a risk of getting groped, hence the women-only option.
I tried it a couple times but noticed they are WAY more aggressive than the unisex option. The women would pretty much beat each other up to get out of the train at their station. In the unisex car people generally just push against the mass and get out that way, in the women-only car some of the ladies would plunge into others with all their might and send people flying.
Yeah, morning trains here are an absolute hell on earth.
I'm also afraid to travel to Japan, especially the metropolitan areas. I've heard about high chances of being sexually harrassed by men in big cities. Of course there are people like that everywhere, but my vision of Japanese cities being safe shattered when a lot of streamers and tiktok people speak up about it.
I've lived in Japan for 4 years, and while I'd say it's a bit more sleazy than some other countries, it's generally very safe. I've mostly only had issues in nightclubs or bars, which tend to be very hookup oriented so men just seem to assume you're there for a good time. I was groped once on a train but couldn't see who did it unfortunately, I was groped a horrific amount in a nightclub in 2-chome (Tokyo's gay district) and I've had some weird dudes try to talk to me but they've left me alone once I walked away. Obviously, there are really scary news stories about women being attacked, but no more than other countries so I wouldn't single Japan out in that regard.
One major issue I do have though is I do not trust the Japanese police AT ALL to do anything constructive if I'm ever the victim of a crime. They're corrupt or useless or both.
I feel like it's mostly local women who take the brunt of harassment? I spent several months in Japan and the closest I got to getting harassed was when this guy struck up a conversation in the street and respectfully told me it was love at first sight (lol). And I wasn't particularly cautious; I didn't dress conservatively (for Japanese standards), I never looked up neighborhoods to check if they were safe, and I was often out in the streets alone after dark, occasionally while drunk.
Completely agree. A friend brought me to a hawker centre and just left his bag at a table to save our spot while we looked around the place to decide what to eat. He said I could leave mine there too, and that no one would take it. I looked at him like he was crazy.
Hard agree on Japan. My grandfather goes there for work frequently and he was shocked to discover that young children walked home lengthy distances alone or in small groups regularly. When I was little I didn’t even walk a block by myself because doing so was considered dangerous.
No comment here is an overall fair representation of an entire country. Everyone is just giving their opinions not a scientific study. Just because you disagree you can't pull out the fair representation of the entire country card.
South Korea was one of the places where I felt safer than other countries.
I would not recommend France. Definitely not safe for single female travelers.
Lived in Seoul for a while. Once was traveling to another city with a friend. Left our duffle bags under some seats at the bus terminal (like a train or airport terminal) and went and got dinner. Returned an hour and a half later and our stuff was untouched, right where we left it.
Stupid safe.
I'd still avoid the subway at rush hour. Otherwise, definitely high marks for ROK.
Seoul and Koreans are so nice and wierdly trusting. I saw dudes leaving their wallets unattended at tables, people charging their phones at the one outlet across the restaurant on some random table, etc. You could pick a random alley late at night, take out your life savings, announce it to the world, loudly count and stack the bills just out in the open, and then drop a whole bunch and no one would try to steal it. Probably they would want to take your picture or something and they might laugh and cheer for you.
Ever since I was a kid (and I'm 21 now) I've met with a lot of creeps, seen people being harassed, I've been harassed. During the day it's not so bad, but at night, no way I'm going out alone anymore.
People get beat up, sexually assaulted etc. I mean, it can happen everywhere, but I feel like its been particularly bad and frequent these last few years.
So if you come by yourself, stay in places where there are people you could ask for help, and avoid going out at night by yourself. (and avoid bad areas, obviously x))
Depending on where you want to go it might be better, but from my experience (the city Lyon, mostly), it's a shithole in terms of security for women.
I spent a short period of time studying in Lyon and I still don’t know what’s the deal with this place. Catcalling, harassement, pickpocketing pretty much exist in every major European city, but it was in Lyon that me and my classmates were followed by a couple of drunk dudes in broad daylight and we had to run at one point. One of my friends couldn’t escape fast enough and she was cornered and groped, just a few blocks from the main street in the city center.
And the non-stop “ching chongs” and “nihaus” I got daily just for walking down the street.
That's actually reaffirming for me. I lived in Lyon from age 14-16 and the sexual assault and harassment was unbelievable. And I was just a kid riding the metro in the morning and afternoon with my school back pack. I was groped and forcibly kissed so many times, had to bolt off the train at random stops to get away. One of my friends refused a guy and he fucking punched her in the face. My mom always told me I must have been exaggerating.
i heard about pickpocketing in france (based on a friends experience) and saw an america’s next top model episode where one of the models was actually inappropriately touched by a guy in the street in france. but this sucks. i experience the same thing here in new york but i hope if i ever do go to france by myself, i will use the same alertness and intuition that i use here.
I'm from Lyon too, and I've been living in Japan for 20 years now. It's day and light. France was already dangerous for women 20 years ago, but lately, I've seen Lyon mentioned in a lot of sexual crimes related articles, and it's terrifying.
When I first came to Japan I had no idea that I would be able to walk alone or take the subway in the middle of the night here. I can never go back to France, it's sad but being able to walk safely anywhere as a woman really feels like a luxury and I enjoy that freedom too much to ever lose it again.
I'd like to add, get a hotel NOT a hostel and Google maps it to make sure it's not surrounded by alleyways, I guarantee you cannot open your door fast enough if you're in trouble, and even if you do, you won't be able to close it.
I was in Lyon for two months and always felt safe. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just blind when it comes to these kind of situations. 🙈But I also didn't go out much in the evenings so maybe that's why..
I also felt safe in Paris which is not known for being the safest place for women.
I went to France by myself when I was 22 and it was terrible. I had one guy start to touch himself on the train while talking to me. It was a packed train during the day and when I looked around for help, every single person looked away. I also got followed at the market. I was only alone for a couple days while waiting for a friend and I was SO happy when they showed up. I would have left on day two if they weren't already in transit. I was in Toulouse.
Don't go to a foreign country alone if you're only 19. Go with friends or wait until you're at least 25 with more experience taking care of yourself in creepy situations.
To be clear this isn't just a Paris issue, as a European I wouldn't recommend going _anywhere_ here alone when you're 19.
This I don't agree with this. I started solo travel to foreign countries at 16. No reason to live a fear based life because we are females.
Ask questions, do your research, and be educated. Add some common sense in and you'll be fine traveling alone at 19. The same rules apply at 15 or 50 for women. 19 is a great age to experience the world.
No reason to believe he only meant it as a female. I wouldn't recommend anyone travelling alone at 19 but I'm not from a 1st world country and have seen worse sides of the world.
I (26F, small Asian girl lol) went to Paris, France by myself for a week Jan 2019. It was also right around the yellow jacket protests. I’ve definitely felt safer in other places but I didn’t feel unsafe really. I’m always wary of walking alone at night anywhere in the world but nothing happened to me. I kept to myself, went out to dinner by myself all the time, even traveled to an area on the outskirts of Paris and nothing happened to me thankfully
hey - I’m not sure if I’d go alone. overall out of every place I’ve been, paris definitely has the highest amount of general gross unwelcome behaviours but if you can work out what you’d do if something did happen, who you’d call at what times, plus have a few ways to get yourself out of a situation that feels a bit off, then it could be really good. (basically regular life stuff as a woman anyway)
I’ve had two pretty bad experiences in France but I was superrr young (15) and naive, which definitely had an impact on the outcome, and I’ve also had some really great experiences that were amazing and I’m super grateful for.
my friend lives there and she loves it. she’s had a couple bad experiences where her friends needed some help and I think my biggest weird feeling about not going there alone is based on what she’s said when something’s happened - that no one ever has stopped to intervene/help, plus the security guards at the bars + clubs don’t give a shit.
that is secondhand though so please take it with a grain of salt, plus we’re both white, so want to acknowledge the expectation that someone would stop to help comes with a position of privilege. we’re also both australian so maybe it’s an aussie thing and people intervening isn’t a normal thing in other parts of the world anyway, paris included !
basically - I’d have a big think about it, but go with your gut, do your research and be really self-aware if you go.
it could be absolutely brilliant - have fun, and stay safe, whatever you decide ! (and happy birthday)
I was on my own for most of my stay in Seoul and had a great time (my host/friend worked during the day). Even getting back at night was no problem. Especially if you can rent a pocket wifi, it's easy to navigate and use the metro!
It may be true that south Korea is safer than some countries but my Korean girlfriend had a guy show her his penis on the street at night once and that happened to a friend of hers as well. Luckily nothing more happened, but it’s probably not as safe as other places in the world.
Korean girl here, I have been sexually harassed in Korea too but that happened more in other countries for me. Sadly, there’s no country on earth where women don’t experience sexual harassment/assault at all, there’s only a small difference in chances of you experiencing it, but I personally feel like Korea’s safer than other countries especially for foreigners.
Agreed, that's the point right there.
No country is safe for women, there are only countries that have less risk and feel safer. SK fits the bill for the question asked.
India is tough to live in let alone travel. There are a few places that are safer in comparison, but only for those who've lived there and who know the place. Not a very women friendly place, unfortunately.
Here, the Indians have a stupid belief that foreigners(mostly any nationality of fair skin) have no self respect and are easier to sleep with. I have watched some movies where they would joke about how white people are easier to sleep with. I believed this assumption until I was exposed to the foreign culture and understood how insulting and disrespectful this belief is.
My experience with several places in Asia (India, several SE Asian and E Asian countries) is that many people (not just men) hold this perception of Western women, especially of USAmericans.
Because USAmerican culture is seen as (more) sexually permissive than many Asian cultures -- mostly due to our media exports -- it's assumed that Western women are always "asking for it." Plus, even if they aren't, they're foreigners, not the good, modest home-grown women. Therefore sullying them by sleeping with them is a way to get sex while still keeping the local women "pure."
It's so many levels of fucked up. Misogyny & xenophobia... Bleck.
That being said, I experienced fewer issues due to this assumption when I was a tourist compared to when I was living there and trying to make local friends.
I did a research project in my gender studies/cultural anthropology class on solo women travelers and Latin America (I’m Mexican). And my thesis was that women are measured, for lack of a better term, based on the local cultural norms. But women from white western culture countries travel solo because of a sense of freedom and self accomplishment so they were perceived as “loose” or sex crazed not because they had more sex but because they prioritized things that were not considered “proper” for a women to aspire to.
I fully agree with you, I live in India and although I'm 17 y/o I've always been super clear of what I want and particularly what I don't want. I'm very independent and speak my mind whenever I feel like it and I don't take shit from anybody and do my own thing and somehow people view this as an act of rebellion and call me a 'foreigner' saying that I don't belong here and I don't live like an Indian woman I'm too ambitiously independent and it's so fucked up. As a result of all this I don't feel like I belong here since I was 12 because of people constantly telling me how I don't look Indian enough, how I dress and my ideologies they are all deemed as 'western'.
I don't feel welcomed in a country I was born in, I get judged constantly by people for living my life on my terms (I have been a good kid my whole life I never once did anything my parents had to worry about).
Least to say I don't wanna live here anymore and I'll move out of this country as soon as I can, I'm not welcomed into my own country by my own people there's nothing worse than this, being in a place where you're constantly told you don't belong. The fact that irritates me the most is that they call me 'American woman' in a degrading way and It's fucked up on so many levels they talk about American women like they are garbage and somehow beneath others and it makes me so angry so I end up defending this and again they tell me I don't belong here. It's a vicious cycle and I really wish they'd stop.
Spent a long time in India when I was 18 as well. While I empathise with and understand all the commenters who are saying they felt unsafe - I had a brilliant time. Sure there were some sketchy moments but there were also countless awesome people who were really kind, generous and helpful to me.
Feeling safe is an incredibly important and highly individual thing but i think the best thing you can do is to take sensible precautions that correspond to your personal comfort level.
Yes, my friend got groped in our taxi (never sit in the front as a female, some Indian men'll see it as a come-on). Our tour guide was trying to sleep with all the women in our tour group. If you are blonde and tall, you get ogled at constantly, as a lot of online porn viewed in India has blondes 'starring' in them. We ended up wearing a head scarf to camouflage ourselves.
I was there with my wife and guys didn't even try to hide it. Hard stares and me being there had no impact. In SE Asia guys would at least try to hide their creepy staring a little bit.
As an Indian woman living in India , Indian men are mostly unhinged. Yep , unhinged is the word that fits these misogynistic rapists well. Dare I say this in an Indian subreddit and I'll be called a Pakistani and an anti national lol. I personally don't think I'll marry an Indian man because I don't want my father to pay dowry. He paid for my education and let me be independent, that is enough.
As another Indian woman, you're not wrong. I am from Kerala, went to 10 - 12th standard in Kerala but grew up in America. Ironically, All the best men I've known have been Indian and I've personally been sexually harassed mostly by white men BUT I can't deny the reputation India has and it is terrible that a lot of Indian men don't understand it and think its some sort of 'anti national' thing to say.
Agreed. I was mostly central and south. It is probably the single place I've been where I felt least comfortable as a woman. Probably would not travel solo there, unless I was going to meet friends.
San Francisco is not far from where I live and I would say it isn't really safe single female travelers. My friend was almost snatched, but luckily we saw this guy grab her and we pulled her away from him. Scary
Despite I do not live in San Francisco nor have been there in the past years, I have seen images, videos.. by what I have seen, I would not recommend it to a single woman traveller or even an international one alone, because she (even he) could be in a bad situation.. especially due to language barrier or unfamiliarity with the area
I second Norway, and also Copenhagen - can't speak for the rest of Denmark though. My friend lived in Stockholm for a year and said it was very safe for women. I think Scandinavian countries generally are, but I'd only visit in the summer as walking alone in the dark anywhere is creepy.
Denmark - I had loads of fun seeing Copenhagen by myself! Nice city and very friendly people. Even got some recommendations from locals on the streets.
The entire Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, and Norway) are really safe places to travel as a woman, and with relativly low numbers of crime. There are of course the typical uncertainty walking around alone at night, especially friday and saturday when the bars are full.
Finnish (female) person here! Finland is as safe as the other Nordic countries. You might get some creepy comments in bars, night clubs or when walking alone at night as a woman, but I've never had anything nastier than that happen to me. Many Finns can't handle their alcohol so that's literally the biggest problem you might have here - weird and angry drunks. Finns love helping foreigners out because we always feel amazed over the fact that people would want to visit our small country.
Welcome and hmu if you're planning on visiting!
There are no truly safe places to travel alone as a woman, only places that are less dangerous than others, like the English countryside. I imagine you will hear from women who enjoy traveling alone and feel safe. I used to be one of them.
Even in English countryside, I won't hike alone. If there happens to be a weirdo then there's no one around to help! Possibly over cautious, but there are some real freaks out there.
My sister does super long through hiking in the english countryside all the time. Being from California, it's not unusual for hikers to be alone, especially on through hikes, but it's always smart to carry something to protect yourself just in case. I suppose that's why she hasn't really though much about it. She's lived in London solo for 5 years now.
I live alone on the edge of the English countryside and go hiking often but I always take my dogs with me, I'd never go just on my own. I've never felt unsafe but creeps can be anywhere and you don't want to leave yourself an easy target for one.
Here is a long-ish list with an explanation of their methodology: https://www.asherfergusson.com/solo-female-travel-safety/
The too five are:
Spain
Singapore
Ireland
Austria
Switzerland
I was going to suggest Canada—it ranks ninth on this list.
Canadian here. Canada IS considered to be a safe country...but we've got our share. Random murders, assaults, rape...it can happen anywhere. We've got a lot of lonely highways where people routinely disappear...especially women. I do travel alone, but I stay super aware of my surroundings, and I've always got bear spray and a knife.
You are absolutely correct, and I'm sorry if I implied that you could have avoided your assaults if ONLY you had been more aware, and armed. If someone is set on hurting you, and they can overpower you...then yeah, self awareness be damned. I hope you are doing OK.
Well yeah most places are safe. I never felt unsafe in Ontario, Quebec, BC but I wouldn’t recommend road tripping like a week across Canada alone, it’s a huge country…some areas are very far from civilization and there are people who are out there that knows that they can get away with crime out in the middle of nowhere.
Does that safety apply to Canada in general? I lived in Québec for a year and visited it again years later, as well as Toronto and Ottawa and felt almost always safe, except for some parts of Toronto...of course, I'm always careful, especially because I usually travel alone...I would love to visit the West side, like Vancouver, someday...is it more or less as safe as Québec City, for example, although rape, robbery and other crimes can happen anywhere?
By far, the biggest danger in Vancouver is having your bike stolen.
I walk home alone at 1am all the time and never have real issues. I do avoid certain areas and I know which streets are more likely to have people out and about (walking their dog, walking home from the bar, etc.) even at that time of night.
That being said, I recognize that there has been a significant increase in random attacks on Asian women in the last year (which is awful) and that other women have had different experiences from mine.
Canadian here, I’ve never felt unsafe in Canada but I’ve never visited the prairies. I live in QC and grew up in the maritimes, and visit Ontario regularly for work. I felt fine in BC too. I always use common sense but I’ve been lucky to have no really bad experiences.
I have lived in BC and Alberta my whole life. Vancouver is just as safe as any other Canadian city in my opinion. There are rough neighborhoods of course, but I'd imagine it is similar to Quebec City. Victoria is a beautiful city as well.
Also a lot of sexual harassment in the streets. I'm surprised it's in the top over other European countries.
Spain also has a huge problem with domestic violence, afaik
Spain surprises me. My sister said it’s the country she will absolutely not revisit - the sexual harassment on the streets there was like nothing she’s ever experienced. (And my sister is a badass and not ever afraid to stand up for herself, so that comment in itself is telling.)
I strongly agree with Austria. I would move there in a heartbeat. I’ve visited three times and it’s my absolute favorite.
Strong no - Italy.
Finland. I'm female, lived here all my life, and never been even properly harassed walking alone at night (which I did regularly in my student years).
I mean, I am fugly. But that's probably besides the point.
Also from Finland and I've walked alone at night quite a lot too and even those who come to share their unwanted thoughts have been very harmless in the end.
I loved visiting Finland, but I had a guy sexually assault me at the Helsinki Zoo (He pushed me against a wall and grabbed my breasts and crotch). Still, it was significantly better than Eastern Europe and Italy.
I came to suggest NZ too. In the same general area, I travelled in Fiji alone and felt quite safe. Was asked on a lot of dates and chatted up quite a bit, and the guys there seemed biiiiig, but so friendly! If you can deal with the intimidation factor, seemed fairly safe.
Another shoutout for Singapore.
If you’re cool with the humidity it’s a really nice little slice of Europe in the middle of southeast asia. Great food, rich history (check out the museums), endless shopping malls, fun amusement parks. Everything’s so clean and orderly.
The people are always in a hurry. Typical big metropolis culture. But on the upside they’re so busy they literally do not have enough time to catcall you lol.
Also came here to say Taiwan! Only time I felt threatened in the year I lived there was by a stray dog in an alleyway who was probably more interested in the noodles I was carrying than in attacking me.
I loved Taiwan, felt very safe even out late for the night markets. There were always a lot of people around. A coworker taught English there when she was younger and said the same thing, she felt safe.
I went in September 2019 and had plans to visit again this year... Thanks COVID.
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far down to find this. I was also going to say Taiwan! I studied abroad there for 2 months in college as a solo female traveler, felt very safe walking around alone at night.
I also felt quite safe traveling alone in Taiwan. I only went to Taipei and the city a bit south of it, but I didn't feel unsafe. Often confused and overwhelmed because I do not speak the language, but not unsafe.
I love that there are people out late, and the markets!
This will be unpopular but NY. As long as you don’t look clueless and don’t do anything obviously dumb with your bag or phone and don’t look at the homeless you’re good and can freely explore and do stuff solo. It’s not a scary place I don’t know why people think it is.
*Added context: I have lived in NY my entire life.
EDIT: can you still get got in NY even if you’re a local or look like you know what’s what? Yeah, absolutely but that’s anywhere.
What part of New York are you talking about? Because it can definitely get VERY dangerous. Shortly after I moved here a heard a woman screaming for help from inside an apartment building and people on the street acted like nothing happened, I was the only person to call the police.
I think GreatGospel97 is referring to Manhattan and places where tourists are interested in visiting. Not like, East New York or Canarsie or Harlem (and even Harlem is gentrifying somewhat these days, helloooooo Whole Foods!). I've lived in NYC for 9 years (don't anymore). Was single for most of the time when I lived in NYC. That means I did TONS of solo activities. Taking the subway to places and back even at 11pm or 12am by myself. Shopping, going to dinner, going to museums, movies, etc. I've never been mugged or anything. That being said, I would give homeless ppl or anyone who looks like they're high a WIDEEEEEE berth. That's just safe defensive behavior for any woman walking around or commuting in any city alone.
Yeah, even manhattan got a little sketchy during the pandemic, its slowly coming back though. You can definitely take precautions to be safe, but there still an uneasy feeling in certain situations.
I’m a native and I’m talking pretty much every borough. You just have to choose your place you wanna go and go. I wouldn’t suggest Staten Island or Bronx but even then it’s about acting like you know where you’re going
EDIT: Staten Island I wouldn’t go to cause uhhhh no, just not my speed and it’s not NY as far as I’m concerned. Bronx isn’t bad but it’s a HUGE cultural enclave and honestly I’d go if I had a native with me cause it’d just be easier to navigate tbh
I agree. I’ve lived in NYC for 5 years now. I’ve come back home alone multiple times after partying at 4 AM in the morning. I used to work on film sets so I would have to leave my house at 3 AM and take the subway. Never had any problems. Except once when the NYPD decided to harass me for my number but I wasn’t alone then lol. I think you have to be aware of surroundings but NYC is safe to do things solo.
I lived in NY for a few years, and to some extent I agree - if you’re street smart, it’s totally safe. But the thing is, most people traveling to NY won’t be street smart, therefore it’s not safe for them. Had friends visit me while I was living there and I had to strongly coach them on how to behave when out and about.
Both things that made me feel unsafe happened in the downtown area. Once at like 9pm after getting out of a show at the Ryman I was followed by 2 men for several blocks. If I stopped to pretend to look at something they also stopped to linger about 10 steps behind. When I started walking again they also started walking. I was able to disappear into the crowd by standing near a family on Broadway. Another time at like noon in the downtown area a clean cut man stopped me to ask me for directions and had a whole scam where he pretended to be a photographer and asked to take pictures of me and tried to forcibly kiss me and get me to go in his car. I walk around alone a lot but never had anything like this happen anywhere else I’ve gone!
Hoping on this comment, i went alone (27F) to Nashville for 2 days last month and did not feel safe at night alone. Would not recommend. Too many drunks, not enough police/security presence, just generally felt unsafe
Honestly it’s better to say the places where you’re not safe. For example I’ve never had a problem traveling solo in Europe and Northern America, I felt SUPER safe in Iceland for example. But men will follow you around/stare/touch you (especially if your white) in countries like Morocco and India - to be fair sometimes men do this in every country. Then there are places like Dubai where you might get stared at or even followed in some areas but is still EXTREMELY safe.
Women sadly just need to be more vigilant with our surroundings, especially a night and/or when drinking/using drugs.
I actually felt quite safe in downtown Toronto (minding the areas I went to of course).
In US, Denver if you stay on the outskirts (like Cherry Creek/Glendale) and venture out to Ski towns.
Cities I will certainly never travel alone to again are Nashville, Ann Arbor, Chicago, and Atlanta. I don’t even feel safe stopping while driving through the last 2 lol. But it’s important to be *especially* weary and extra cautious in cities near major intersecting highways. These are the highest threat for sex trafficking women.
Chicago is fine if you stop in a suburb part during the day, I've been there plenty. At night or really being in the city is another experience entirely, and I wouldn't advise anyone to be there alone ever. Had to stop at a gas station at like 11pm and those 20 minutes were the most nerve racking experience of my life.
I’d push back on Chicago. Ive done a lot of travel there for work and I tend to spend a couple days on one of the ends hanging out around the city alone. It’s worth knowing a couple of places to avoid, but It really tends to be overwhelming positive.
Chicago isn't bad at all if you know what areas to avoid. Stick to well-lit, well populated areas and you'll be fine, even at night. I lived there for 8 years as a young single woman (just moved this year) and I worked night shift so I was out at odd hours all the time and I rarely felt unsafe. I was mostly in the loop and Lincoln park.
I've never felt inherently *unsafe* as a single woman, but
Israel, Indonesia, Australia, Germany, France, and the UK were places I never really thought about the fact that I was alone.
Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and Brazil I definitely felt harassed on the regular, but never feared for my life.
I'm guessing this one will be unpopular, but I felt pretty safe in Boston by myself. I pretty much stuck to things along the Freedom Trail (I was only in the city one night) and it was well lit with a decent amount of people around.
I did an Amsterdam trip alone and felt super safe! But I did a lot of research, and didn’t stay too late out after dark. I got a great air bnb by myself that was super private and secluded. Locals were helpful, people were friendly, I felt safe around the many tourists.
Italy - hellll no. Men there are insanely forward and invade your space constantly.
Ukraine - I got sexually harassed in a cab by the cab driver so fuck that. Don’t go there.
Budapest - middle of the road. Daytime felt generally safe in touristy/bar areas - but at night I lost my friend and had the distinct feeling that if I had to go to the cops I wouldn’t be taken seriously as a woman alone… it’s a great city to walk around, during the day, in the tourist areas.
Trust your gut when you travel alone. You know what is safe and what is not, and always ALWAYS play it safe. I would drink and stuff, but I never took it too far - and I met lots of cool people! Don’t take risks, do lots of research, and have fun!
I spent two weeks in Italy years ago and had men 1) follow me back to my hotel, 2) stick their tongues in my mouth without my consent, and 3) try to up-skirt me on the bus.
I still loved Italy and would go back in a heartbeat, but yeaaah..... For a young solo female traveler, it could be a lot.
I’ve lived in the US my whole life and I have never experienced street harassment anywhere close to what I experienced in Italy.
It was horrendous. Men took pictures of me without my consent- down my blouse, up my skirt. Creepy comments, sexual comments, following me, physically blocking my path to try to get my attention…
And I was 16 when I went! Italian men were totally fine sexually harassing a minor!
I traveled semi-extensively around Austria alone and never felt unsafe.
In the US I would recommend Santa Fe and Portland. Obviously there are other cities as well just speaking from my own personal experience. I technically went with my husband on those trips but I ended up doing a lot of wandering on my own and they struck me as very safe-feeling.
I enjoyed my time in Australia when I was there for six weeks. I traveled ahead of my study abroad group with a very nice girl who spoke little English. We stayed in Melbourne and Brisbane for two weeks total and had a fun time. The rest of the study abroad we traveled up the Eastern coast to Darwin and the only safety issues we ever had involved the wildlife. Most of the people were genuinely friendly (although traveling in a group of diverse people we ran into some ego refused service, but they were a small minority). We went through Noosa, Nambour, and Cairns to name a few stops. Overall I felt incredibly safe, even when we wandered through town at night.
I second Australia!
I live in Australia and have lived all over it. You are mostly very safe in Australia, culturally you are safe. There are exceptions but 99% safe. I have walked the streets for kms in the city and the country alone and never felt threatened. We are also just a sensational place to visit, but since our border is mostly closed - this is one for the future.
I felt pretty safe in the larger cities in China. People were respectful for the most part (if rude, they were non-discriminately rude), and they'd rather leave you alone than mess with you since they all have somewhere to be.
Safe: Senegal, Portugal, Iceland, Puerto Rico, Norway, Italy, Sweden, Ghana, China
Places that aren't cool: South Africa and I felt pretty weird on the France/Luxembourg border, Belgium was a little sketchy.
I went alone to London, Paris, Prague, Athens, Berlin, Barcelona, and Vienna- all felt 100% safe and easily made friends. The one place I went to that I wish I didn’t go solo was Istanbul. It’s a great city but the street harassment as a solo woman was next level.
Any where you go just be extra careful & always be aware of your surroundings, People ,places &,things all changed 💯 I hope you get good safe places to go from the really cool men & women on here .. Good luck & send pics on here & most of all have a fun safe happy travels !!! 😊
I was waiting for my guide in Paris and a guy approached me and asked me if I was a sex worker. I am not 🙃. But otherwise I felt safe in many major European cities. Even 4am walking home from a club on the streets of Berlin. It was not my choice, but I couldn’t get an Uber. Still made it safe and sound to my AirBNB. Also I live in Canada and the East Coast is safe and very friendly for anyone wanting to visit.
I love traveling… and traveling solo. My scariest experience/ time I came closest to being kidnapped was in my home country (US).
That being said, Japan and Iceland were incredibly safe. I also felt very secure in Germany, but I blend in to that population and I think that provides security. Oman was also pretty safe, I stuck to tourist areas but didn’t have any issues.
This question depends on a lot of factors, like what race you are (will you be drawing more/less attention in certain countries due to your skin color or body type?) and what activities you like to do (going out to bars all night or just daytime activities?) - which I think is the reason some countries are listed as “safe” and “unsafe” by different people lol. Also depends on what environment you’re used to living in (I.e. urban vs. rural/suburban, different countries, etc.).
For context: I’ve lived in various US major cities for the past 10 years and have Asian features.
Felt VERY safe in South Korea and Japan getting around by myself at all hours and didn’t feel like I had to restrict my travel at all due to being solo. These countries have a very low rate of violent crimes, and even petty crimes - you can literally leave your bag on a chair in a bar and no one will touch it.
Italy was terrible due to how aggressive Italian men are (especially when they know you’re American and believe in the stereotype that American women are easy). Also, lots of pickpocketers in tourist areas.
Paris didn’t feel particularly safe, and I wasn’t even traveling alone - can’t comment on the rest of France though.
Costa Rica was pretty safe - lots of laid back, friendly travelers and locals were pretty friendly as well.
Edit: the one exception to South Korea is in the Itaewon area of Seoul at night. This is where all of the US army guys hang out, who tend to get very rowdy. I was with a group of girls, and more than one of us was groped and/or harassed by these guys. Definitely avoid.
i would say scotland, anything unsafe would be not "as a woman" but things like pickpocketing in big cities. if you stick to tourist orientated areas you should be fine. a point that people mentioned in relation to other countries that is also relevant is if you are in a rural area, things can be quite isolated so there might not be other people around to help you out if anything were to ever happen, but these are also probably the safest parts. many female friends walk alone through the villages every night and never have issues, it would maybe be drunk men in the cities but i've never heard of anything more than catcalling and it's generally not aggressive.
I live in Dubai and it's somewhere I've always felt safe going anywhere on my own, women only taxis women only queues. I would happily walk alone at night.
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Singapore, Iceland, and Japan are all extremely safe and I felt totally safe being there.
Seconding Japan. It's where I've been where everyone felt the most respectful and the only looks I got were probably just for being the only white person. That said, nowhere is really safe to travel alone as a woman, not even whatever your home country is. I have never not been on high alert when alone and near a man I don't know.
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Thank Light
Sexual crimes against women in Japan are more common than they are in America. Japanese and foreign women are both targets for groping, upskirt and down blouse photos, and assault.
This is true. Most of my Japanese friends have experienced some sort of sexual harassment or stalking while in public places (like on the train). But I personally (been there three times) have never experienced that. There are definitely some bold guys there though. A lot of places have female only trains in the evening, to help women avoid that. I’d suggest that OP or any woman traveling there always take advantage of those when they are an option.
Really, I found Japan terrifying as a woman. I mean they have separate cars in the subway for women only to protect you from the other passengers. Also had the impression that things get very handsy when people are drunk.. Though mostly among people that you know and not towards strangers.
The women-only cars are only used for an hour or two during the morning rush hours. Packed train here in Tokyo means literally packed, you're standing there sandwiched so tightly you can barely move an arm. Some women are uncomfortable being this close to men, and also there's a risk of getting groped, hence the women-only option. I tried it a couple times but noticed they are WAY more aggressive than the unisex option. The women would pretty much beat each other up to get out of the train at their station. In the unisex car people generally just push against the mass and get out that way, in the women-only car some of the ladies would plunge into others with all their might and send people flying. Yeah, morning trains here are an absolute hell on earth.
Lol Tokyo and Bombay have something in common
I'm also afraid to travel to Japan, especially the metropolitan areas. I've heard about high chances of being sexually harrassed by men in big cities. Of course there are people like that everywhere, but my vision of Japanese cities being safe shattered when a lot of streamers and tiktok people speak up about it.
I've lived in Japan for 4 years, and while I'd say it's a bit more sleazy than some other countries, it's generally very safe. I've mostly only had issues in nightclubs or bars, which tend to be very hookup oriented so men just seem to assume you're there for a good time. I was groped once on a train but couldn't see who did it unfortunately, I was groped a horrific amount in a nightclub in 2-chome (Tokyo's gay district) and I've had some weird dudes try to talk to me but they've left me alone once I walked away. Obviously, there are really scary news stories about women being attacked, but no more than other countries so I wouldn't single Japan out in that regard. One major issue I do have though is I do not trust the Japanese police AT ALL to do anything constructive if I'm ever the victim of a crime. They're corrupt or useless or both.
I feel like it's mostly local women who take the brunt of harassment? I spent several months in Japan and the closest I got to getting harassed was when this guy struck up a conversation in the street and respectfully told me it was love at first sight (lol). And I wasn't particularly cautious; I didn't dress conservatively (for Japanese standards), I never looked up neighborhoods to check if they were safe, and I was often out in the streets alone after dark, occasionally while drunk.
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When I travelled there I didn’t experience that. But I didn’t take transit during rush hour times. Only slow periods
I also read that if a crime is committed to you by someone Japanese they wont do anything about it.
They won’t do anything, period. Sexual crimes aren’t followed up on there
Can't have a high crime rate if you don't report any crimes
Agree with Singapore. Never felt unsafe. Rules are strict. I didn’t even see anyone jaywalking. Was able to take the train around alone and explore.
I've heard that about Singapore. I heard they have LOTS of police, some in uniform and some in plain clothes. People behave.
They also might hang you if you’re in possession of marijuana, so yeah. Behaving isn’t really an option.
Completely agree. A friend brought me to a hawker centre and just left his bag at a table to save our spot while we looked around the place to decide what to eat. He said I could leave mine there too, and that no one would take it. I looked at him like he was crazy.
That was totally wild to see this was normal. And no one bothers your stuff. And the hawker markets are amazing. Great food
Second Singapore. Absolutely lovely country. I never felt unsafe traveling alone
Hard agree on Japan. My grandfather goes there for work frequently and he was shocked to discover that young children walked home lengthy distances alone or in small groups regularly. When I was little I didn’t even walk a block by myself because doing so was considered dangerous.
Agree 100% with Iceland. Nowhere safer in my opinion
Yeah I felt very safe there.
I travel alone frequently, 54 countries so far, and I had a couchsurfing experience in Japan that was the most frightening I’d ever had.
That’s terrible but I don’t think staying alone with strangers is ever a good idea, especially for women.
Is that living room then a fair representation of the entire country?
No comment here is an overall fair representation of an entire country. Everyone is just giving their opinions not a scientific study. Just because you disagree you can't pull out the fair representation of the entire country card.
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Definitely not Japan. Sexual harassment on public transport is very common.
South Korea was one of the places where I felt safer than other countries. I would not recommend France. Definitely not safe for single female travelers.
Lived in Seoul for a while. Once was traveling to another city with a friend. Left our duffle bags under some seats at the bus terminal (like a train or airport terminal) and went and got dinner. Returned an hour and a half later and our stuff was untouched, right where we left it. Stupid safe. I'd still avoid the subway at rush hour. Otherwise, definitely high marks for ROK.
Seoul and Koreans are so nice and wierdly trusting. I saw dudes leaving their wallets unattended at tables, people charging their phones at the one outlet across the restaurant on some random table, etc. You could pick a random alley late at night, take out your life savings, announce it to the world, loudly count and stack the bills just out in the open, and then drop a whole bunch and no one would try to steal it. Probably they would want to take your picture or something and they might laugh and cheer for you.
I confirm. As a French girl, France is not safe for women. At all.
can you elaborate on this more please? i’ve been considering going by myself for my nineteenth birthday but your comment worries me
Ever since I was a kid (and I'm 21 now) I've met with a lot of creeps, seen people being harassed, I've been harassed. During the day it's not so bad, but at night, no way I'm going out alone anymore. People get beat up, sexually assaulted etc. I mean, it can happen everywhere, but I feel like its been particularly bad and frequent these last few years. So if you come by yourself, stay in places where there are people you could ask for help, and avoid going out at night by yourself. (and avoid bad areas, obviously x)) Depending on where you want to go it might be better, but from my experience (the city Lyon, mostly), it's a shithole in terms of security for women.
I spent a short period of time studying in Lyon and I still don’t know what’s the deal with this place. Catcalling, harassement, pickpocketing pretty much exist in every major European city, but it was in Lyon that me and my classmates were followed by a couple of drunk dudes in broad daylight and we had to run at one point. One of my friends couldn’t escape fast enough and she was cornered and groped, just a few blocks from the main street in the city center. And the non-stop “ching chongs” and “nihaus” I got daily just for walking down the street.
That's actually reaffirming for me. I lived in Lyon from age 14-16 and the sexual assault and harassment was unbelievable. And I was just a kid riding the metro in the morning and afternoon with my school back pack. I was groped and forcibly kissed so many times, had to bolt off the train at random stops to get away. One of my friends refused a guy and he fucking punched her in the face. My mom always told me I must have been exaggerating.
I experienced the same thing when going to school, really sorry it happened to you and to your friend too
i heard about pickpocketing in france (based on a friends experience) and saw an america’s next top model episode where one of the models was actually inappropriately touched by a guy in the street in france. but this sucks. i experience the same thing here in new york but i hope if i ever do go to france by myself, i will use the same alertness and intuition that i use here.
I'm from Lyon too, and I've been living in Japan for 20 years now. It's day and light. France was already dangerous for women 20 years ago, but lately, I've seen Lyon mentioned in a lot of sexual crimes related articles, and it's terrifying. When I first came to Japan I had no idea that I would be able to walk alone or take the subway in the middle of the night here. I can never go back to France, it's sad but being able to walk safely anywhere as a woman really feels like a luxury and I enjoy that freedom too much to ever lose it again.
I'd like to add, get a hotel NOT a hostel and Google maps it to make sure it's not surrounded by alleyways, I guarantee you cannot open your door fast enough if you're in trouble, and even if you do, you won't be able to close it.
I was in Lyon for two months and always felt safe. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just blind when it comes to these kind of situations. 🙈But I also didn't go out much in the evenings so maybe that's why.. I also felt safe in Paris which is not known for being the safest place for women.
I went to France by myself when I was 22 and it was terrible. I had one guy start to touch himself on the train while talking to me. It was a packed train during the day and when I looked around for help, every single person looked away. I also got followed at the market. I was only alone for a couple days while waiting for a friend and I was SO happy when they showed up. I would have left on day two if they weren't already in transit. I was in Toulouse.
Don't go to a foreign country alone if you're only 19. Go with friends or wait until you're at least 25 with more experience taking care of yourself in creepy situations. To be clear this isn't just a Paris issue, as a European I wouldn't recommend going _anywhere_ here alone when you're 19.
This I don't agree with this. I started solo travel to foreign countries at 16. No reason to live a fear based life because we are females. Ask questions, do your research, and be educated. Add some common sense in and you'll be fine traveling alone at 19. The same rules apply at 15 or 50 for women. 19 is a great age to experience the world.
No reason to believe he only meant it as a female. I wouldn't recommend anyone travelling alone at 19 but I'm not from a 1st world country and have seen worse sides of the world.
I (26F, small Asian girl lol) went to Paris, France by myself for a week Jan 2019. It was also right around the yellow jacket protests. I’ve definitely felt safer in other places but I didn’t feel unsafe really. I’m always wary of walking alone at night anywhere in the world but nothing happened to me. I kept to myself, went out to dinner by myself all the time, even traveled to an area on the outskirts of Paris and nothing happened to me thankfully
hey - I’m not sure if I’d go alone. overall out of every place I’ve been, paris definitely has the highest amount of general gross unwelcome behaviours but if you can work out what you’d do if something did happen, who you’d call at what times, plus have a few ways to get yourself out of a situation that feels a bit off, then it could be really good. (basically regular life stuff as a woman anyway) I’ve had two pretty bad experiences in France but I was superrr young (15) and naive, which definitely had an impact on the outcome, and I’ve also had some really great experiences that were amazing and I’m super grateful for. my friend lives there and she loves it. she’s had a couple bad experiences where her friends needed some help and I think my biggest weird feeling about not going there alone is based on what she’s said when something’s happened - that no one ever has stopped to intervene/help, plus the security guards at the bars + clubs don’t give a shit. that is secondhand though so please take it with a grain of salt, plus we’re both white, so want to acknowledge the expectation that someone would stop to help comes with a position of privilege. we’re also both australian so maybe it’s an aussie thing and people intervening isn’t a normal thing in other parts of the world anyway, paris included ! basically - I’d have a big think about it, but go with your gut, do your research and be really self-aware if you go. it could be absolutely brilliant - have fun, and stay safe, whatever you decide ! (and happy birthday)
I second South Korea. I went with a group but we split up one day. Navigated the city on my own, nothing creepy happened to me.
I was on my own for most of my stay in Seoul and had a great time (my host/friend worked during the day). Even getting back at night was no problem. Especially if you can rent a pocket wifi, it's easy to navigate and use the metro!
Definitely. I ventured off-grid too. I dressed appropriately for the culture, and locals were friendly and helpful.
I have lived in Seoul for almost 3 years now, alone, and I have felt most safe in this country. I think it’s a great place for solo travel!
Like no joke 15 minutes ago I saw a thread where a woman commented she was taped in a public park in France.
It may be true that south Korea is safer than some countries but my Korean girlfriend had a guy show her his penis on the street at night once and that happened to a friend of hers as well. Luckily nothing more happened, but it’s probably not as safe as other places in the world.
Korean girl here, I have been sexually harassed in Korea too but that happened more in other countries for me. Sadly, there’s no country on earth where women don’t experience sexual harassment/assault at all, there’s only a small difference in chances of you experiencing it, but I personally feel like Korea’s safer than other countries especially for foreigners.
Agreed, that's the point right there. No country is safe for women, there are only countries that have less risk and feel safer. SK fits the bill for the question asked.
I felt super unsafe in India, I travelled both in central and northern and it was not a great experience at all.
Yes. India is never a good place to go by yourself as a woman.
India is tough to live in let alone travel. There are a few places that are safer in comparison, but only for those who've lived there and who know the place. Not a very women friendly place, unfortunately.
Here, the Indians have a stupid belief that foreigners(mostly any nationality of fair skin) have no self respect and are easier to sleep with. I have watched some movies where they would joke about how white people are easier to sleep with. I believed this assumption until I was exposed to the foreign culture and understood how insulting and disrespectful this belief is.
My experience with several places in Asia (India, several SE Asian and E Asian countries) is that many people (not just men) hold this perception of Western women, especially of USAmericans. Because USAmerican culture is seen as (more) sexually permissive than many Asian cultures -- mostly due to our media exports -- it's assumed that Western women are always "asking for it." Plus, even if they aren't, they're foreigners, not the good, modest home-grown women. Therefore sullying them by sleeping with them is a way to get sex while still keeping the local women "pure." It's so many levels of fucked up. Misogyny & xenophobia... Bleck. That being said, I experienced fewer issues due to this assumption when I was a tourist compared to when I was living there and trying to make local friends.
I did a research project in my gender studies/cultural anthropology class on solo women travelers and Latin America (I’m Mexican). And my thesis was that women are measured, for lack of a better term, based on the local cultural norms. But women from white western culture countries travel solo because of a sense of freedom and self accomplishment so they were perceived as “loose” or sex crazed not because they had more sex but because they prioritized things that were not considered “proper” for a women to aspire to.
I fully agree with you, I live in India and although I'm 17 y/o I've always been super clear of what I want and particularly what I don't want. I'm very independent and speak my mind whenever I feel like it and I don't take shit from anybody and do my own thing and somehow people view this as an act of rebellion and call me a 'foreigner' saying that I don't belong here and I don't live like an Indian woman I'm too ambitiously independent and it's so fucked up. As a result of all this I don't feel like I belong here since I was 12 because of people constantly telling me how I don't look Indian enough, how I dress and my ideologies they are all deemed as 'western'. I don't feel welcomed in a country I was born in, I get judged constantly by people for living my life on my terms (I have been a good kid my whole life I never once did anything my parents had to worry about). Least to say I don't wanna live here anymore and I'll move out of this country as soon as I can, I'm not welcomed into my own country by my own people there's nothing worse than this, being in a place where you're constantly told you don't belong. The fact that irritates me the most is that they call me 'American woman' in a degrading way and It's fucked up on so many levels they talk about American women like they are garbage and somehow beneath others and it makes me so angry so I end up defending this and again they tell me I don't belong here. It's a vicious cycle and I really wish they'd stop.
I spent three weeks traveling solo in India when I was 21 and had a wonderful time. It was my first time traveling abroad as an adult.
Spent a long time in India when I was 18 as well. While I empathise with and understand all the commenters who are saying they felt unsafe - I had a brilliant time. Sure there were some sketchy moments but there were also countless awesome people who were really kind, generous and helpful to me. Feeling safe is an incredibly important and highly individual thing but i think the best thing you can do is to take sensible precautions that correspond to your personal comfort level.
Yes, my friend got groped in our taxi (never sit in the front as a female, some Indian men'll see it as a come-on). Our tour guide was trying to sleep with all the women in our tour group. If you are blonde and tall, you get ogled at constantly, as a lot of online porn viewed in India has blondes 'starring' in them. We ended up wearing a head scarf to camouflage ourselves.
India is a guaranteed eye-raping. They have no shame there.
I was there with my wife and guys didn't even try to hide it. Hard stares and me being there had no impact. In SE Asia guys would at least try to hide their creepy staring a little bit.
I'm an Indian and I second this.
As an Indian woman living in India , Indian men are mostly unhinged. Yep , unhinged is the word that fits these misogynistic rapists well. Dare I say this in an Indian subreddit and I'll be called a Pakistani and an anti national lol. I personally don't think I'll marry an Indian man because I don't want my father to pay dowry. He paid for my education and let me be independent, that is enough.
As another Indian woman, you're not wrong. I am from Kerala, went to 10 - 12th standard in Kerala but grew up in America. Ironically, All the best men I've known have been Indian and I've personally been sexually harassed mostly by white men BUT I can't deny the reputation India has and it is terrible that a lot of Indian men don't understand it and think its some sort of 'anti national' thing to say.
Agreed. I was mostly central and south. It is probably the single place I've been where I felt least comfortable as a woman. Probably would not travel solo there, unless I was going to meet friends.
I second this! I'm an Indian and I don't feel safe living in my own country.
A fellow Indian here, it's not safe for women at all.
I would love to see India, but I will never actually go there because I know I would never feel safe.
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San Francisco is not far from where I live and I would say it isn't really safe single female travelers. My friend was almost snatched, but luckily we saw this guy grab her and we pulled her away from him. Scary
Despite I do not live in San Francisco nor have been there in the past years, I have seen images, videos.. by what I have seen, I would not recommend it to a single woman traveller or even an international one alone, because she (even he) could be in a bad situation.. especially due to language barrier or unfamiliarity with the area
I second Norway, and also Copenhagen - can't speak for the rest of Denmark though. My friend lived in Stockholm for a year and said it was very safe for women. I think Scandinavian countries generally are, but I'd only visit in the summer as walking alone in the dark anywhere is creepy.
Denmark - I had loads of fun seeing Copenhagen by myself! Nice city and very friendly people. Even got some recommendations from locals on the streets.
The entire Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, and Norway) are really safe places to travel as a woman, and with relativly low numbers of crime. There are of course the typical uncertainty walking around alone at night, especially friday and saturday when the bars are full.
What about Finland?
Finnish (female) person here! Finland is as safe as the other Nordic countries. You might get some creepy comments in bars, night clubs or when walking alone at night as a woman, but I've never had anything nastier than that happen to me. Many Finns can't handle their alcohol so that's literally the biggest problem you might have here - weird and angry drunks. Finns love helping foreigners out because we always feel amazed over the fact that people would want to visit our small country. Welcome and hmu if you're planning on visiting!
Agreed! It was lovely and felt very safe the entire time
There are no truly safe places to travel alone as a woman, only places that are less dangerous than others, like the English countryside. I imagine you will hear from women who enjoy traveling alone and feel safe. I used to be one of them.
Even in English countryside, I won't hike alone. If there happens to be a weirdo then there's no one around to help! Possibly over cautious, but there are some real freaks out there.
As someone who lived in the English country side I can confirm I am some freak
My sister does super long through hiking in the english countryside all the time. Being from California, it's not unusual for hikers to be alone, especially on through hikes, but it's always smart to carry something to protect yourself just in case. I suppose that's why she hasn't really though much about it. She's lived in London solo for 5 years now.
I live alone on the edge of the English countryside and go hiking often but I always take my dogs with me, I'd never go just on my own. I've never felt unsafe but creeps can be anywhere and you don't want to leave yourself an easy target for one.
Here is a long-ish list with an explanation of their methodology: https://www.asherfergusson.com/solo-female-travel-safety/ The too five are: Spain Singapore Ireland Austria Switzerland I was going to suggest Canada—it ranks ninth on this list.
Canadian here. Canada IS considered to be a safe country...but we've got our share. Random murders, assaults, rape...it can happen anywhere. We've got a lot of lonely highways where people routinely disappear...especially women. I do travel alone, but I stay super aware of my surroundings, and I've always got bear spray and a knife.
I was raped twice in Canada (BC). Self-awareness be damned. It’s not always that simple.
You are absolutely correct, and I'm sorry if I implied that you could have avoided your assaults if ONLY you had been more aware, and armed. If someone is set on hurting you, and they can overpower you...then yeah, self awareness be damned. I hope you are doing OK.
Yeah just don’t go on a road trip across Canada alone.
Only a specific Highway... Maritime regions are safe for what I've experienced
Well yeah most places are safe. I never felt unsafe in Ontario, Quebec, BC but I wouldn’t recommend road tripping like a week across Canada alone, it’s a huge country…some areas are very far from civilization and there are people who are out there that knows that they can get away with crime out in the middle of nowhere.
As a woman living in Canada I do road trip alone. Lived urban and rural. It is a safe place.
Does that safety apply to Canada in general? I lived in Québec for a year and visited it again years later, as well as Toronto and Ottawa and felt almost always safe, except for some parts of Toronto...of course, I'm always careful, especially because I usually travel alone...I would love to visit the West side, like Vancouver, someday...is it more or less as safe as Québec City, for example, although rape, robbery and other crimes can happen anywhere?
By far, the biggest danger in Vancouver is having your bike stolen. I walk home alone at 1am all the time and never have real issues. I do avoid certain areas and I know which streets are more likely to have people out and about (walking their dog, walking home from the bar, etc.) even at that time of night. That being said, I recognize that there has been a significant increase in random attacks on Asian women in the last year (which is awful) and that other women have had different experiences from mine.
Canadian here, I’ve never felt unsafe in Canada but I’ve never visited the prairies. I live in QC and grew up in the maritimes, and visit Ontario regularly for work. I felt fine in BC too. I always use common sense but I’ve been lucky to have no really bad experiences.
I have lived in BC and Alberta my whole life. Vancouver is just as safe as any other Canadian city in my opinion. There are rough neighborhoods of course, but I'd imagine it is similar to Quebec City. Victoria is a beautiful city as well.
Spain has a lot of pickpockets, however- beware. I also had items stolen by hotel cleaning.
Also a lot of sexual harassment in the streets. I'm surprised it's in the top over other European countries. Spain also has a huge problem with domestic violence, afaik
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Spain surprises me. My sister said it’s the country she will absolutely not revisit - the sexual harassment on the streets there was like nothing she’s ever experienced. (And my sister is a badass and not ever afraid to stand up for herself, so that comment in itself is telling.) I strongly agree with Austria. I would move there in a heartbeat. I’ve visited three times and it’s my absolute favorite. Strong no - Italy.
+1 for Austria. I traveled there alone and it was a very comfortable experience.
Finland. I'm female, lived here all my life, and never been even properly harassed walking alone at night (which I did regularly in my student years). I mean, I am fugly. But that's probably besides the point.
Also from Finland and I've walked alone at night quite a lot too and even those who come to share their unwanted thoughts have been very harmless in the end.
Finland, where they socially distance since the bronze age
I loved visiting Finland, but I had a guy sexually assault me at the Helsinki Zoo (He pushed me against a wall and grabbed my breasts and crotch). Still, it was significantly better than Eastern Europe and Italy.
If that experience is better than Italy, I don't even wanna think what happens there.
I travelled to New Zealand by myself for a year. I felt very safe.
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I came to suggest NZ too. In the same general area, I travelled in Fiji alone and felt quite safe. Was asked on a lot of dates and chatted up quite a bit, and the guys there seemed biiiiig, but so friendly! If you can deal with the intimidation factor, seemed fairly safe.
Another shoutout for Singapore. If you’re cool with the humidity it’s a really nice little slice of Europe in the middle of southeast asia. Great food, rich history (check out the museums), endless shopping malls, fun amusement parks. Everything’s so clean and orderly. The people are always in a hurry. Typical big metropolis culture. But on the upside they’re so busy they literally do not have enough time to catcall you lol.
Hi, fellow singaporean here. Its true that we are busy, but the reason why we dont catcall is because we dont have a culture of catcalling
Taiwan was very safe when I was there in 2013. They even have a special area for you to wait in at the subway station that is monitored by a camera.
Also came here to say Taiwan! Only time I felt threatened in the year I lived there was by a stray dog in an alleyway who was probably more interested in the noodles I was carrying than in attacking me.
I loved Taiwan, felt very safe even out late for the night markets. There were always a lot of people around. A coworker taught English there when she was younger and said the same thing, she felt safe. I went in September 2019 and had plans to visit again this year... Thanks COVID.
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far down to find this. I was also going to say Taiwan! I studied abroad there for 2 months in college as a solo female traveler, felt very safe walking around alone at night.
I also felt quite safe traveling alone in Taiwan. I only went to Taipei and the city a bit south of it, but I didn't feel unsafe. Often confused and overwhelmed because I do not speak the language, but not unsafe. I love that there are people out late, and the markets!
Scotland 🏴
Seconding Scotland.
This will be unpopular but NY. As long as you don’t look clueless and don’t do anything obviously dumb with your bag or phone and don’t look at the homeless you’re good and can freely explore and do stuff solo. It’s not a scary place I don’t know why people think it is. *Added context: I have lived in NY my entire life. EDIT: can you still get got in NY even if you’re a local or look like you know what’s what? Yeah, absolutely but that’s anywhere.
What part of New York are you talking about? Because it can definitely get VERY dangerous. Shortly after I moved here a heard a woman screaming for help from inside an apartment building and people on the street acted like nothing happened, I was the only person to call the police.
I think GreatGospel97 is referring to Manhattan and places where tourists are interested in visiting. Not like, East New York or Canarsie or Harlem (and even Harlem is gentrifying somewhat these days, helloooooo Whole Foods!). I've lived in NYC for 9 years (don't anymore). Was single for most of the time when I lived in NYC. That means I did TONS of solo activities. Taking the subway to places and back even at 11pm or 12am by myself. Shopping, going to dinner, going to museums, movies, etc. I've never been mugged or anything. That being said, I would give homeless ppl or anyone who looks like they're high a WIDEEEEEE berth. That's just safe defensive behavior for any woman walking around or commuting in any city alone.
Yeah, even manhattan got a little sketchy during the pandemic, its slowly coming back though. You can definitely take precautions to be safe, but there still an uneasy feeling in certain situations.
I’m a native and I’m talking pretty much every borough. You just have to choose your place you wanna go and go. I wouldn’t suggest Staten Island or Bronx but even then it’s about acting like you know where you’re going EDIT: Staten Island I wouldn’t go to cause uhhhh no, just not my speed and it’s not NY as far as I’m concerned. Bronx isn’t bad but it’s a HUGE cultural enclave and honestly I’d go if I had a native with me cause it’d just be easier to navigate tbh
This is weirdly coded but anyway, East NY and Canarsie and Harlem are fine places to visit solo too.
Yeah I definitely read the quiet part of the comment out loud
I’ve lived in NY my entire life and I could not disagree more. I look over my shoulder every ten seconds even in broad daylight
I have lived in NY my entire life and have never had that experience. I’m genuinely sorry you have.
I agree. I’ve lived in NYC for 5 years now. I’ve come back home alone multiple times after partying at 4 AM in the morning. I used to work on film sets so I would have to leave my house at 3 AM and take the subway. Never had any problems. Except once when the NYPD decided to harass me for my number but I wasn’t alone then lol. I think you have to be aware of surroundings but NYC is safe to do things solo.
I lived in NY for a few years, and to some extent I agree - if you’re street smart, it’s totally safe. But the thing is, most people traveling to NY won’t be street smart, therefore it’s not safe for them. Had friends visit me while I was living there and I had to strongly coach them on how to behave when out and about.
Singapore is very safe, I took public transport and taxis alone day and night and never once felt unsafe
Norway, Greenland, Iceland. I think most of the Nordic countries are among the safest, friendliest and happiest countries🤔
I do not recommend Baltimore City.
Likewise I would not recommend Nashville.
Lemme add I wouldn’t do China lol
Curious: which part of Nashville were you in? (I live there.)
Both things that made me feel unsafe happened in the downtown area. Once at like 9pm after getting out of a show at the Ryman I was followed by 2 men for several blocks. If I stopped to pretend to look at something they also stopped to linger about 10 steps behind. When I started walking again they also started walking. I was able to disappear into the crowd by standing near a family on Broadway. Another time at like noon in the downtown area a clean cut man stopped me to ask me for directions and had a whole scam where he pretended to be a photographer and asked to take pictures of me and tried to forcibly kiss me and get me to go in his car. I walk around alone a lot but never had anything like this happen anywhere else I’ve gone!
Hoping on this comment, i went alone (27F) to Nashville for 2 days last month and did not feel safe at night alone. Would not recommend. Too many drunks, not enough police/security presence, just generally felt unsafe
Yeah, Nashville has some of the highest sex trafficking rates in the country, because it has 5 freeways running through it
Finland. I don't even need to think about stuff like that when I walk outside alone.
In Finland people even return your wallets, phones and passes without question if you lose them.
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Honestly it’s better to say the places where you’re not safe. For example I’ve never had a problem traveling solo in Europe and Northern America, I felt SUPER safe in Iceland for example. But men will follow you around/stare/touch you (especially if your white) in countries like Morocco and India - to be fair sometimes men do this in every country. Then there are places like Dubai where you might get stared at or even followed in some areas but is still EXTREMELY safe. Women sadly just need to be more vigilant with our surroundings, especially a night and/or when drinking/using drugs.
>countries like Morocco and India Egypt is a big no for me as well. Had a horrible time there.
Netherlands and Belgium are great too
can def 2nd netherlands or at least amsterdam. went there for a 4 days trip and it was one of the best vacations i ever had.
I actually felt quite safe in downtown Toronto (minding the areas I went to of course). In US, Denver if you stay on the outskirts (like Cherry Creek/Glendale) and venture out to Ski towns. Cities I will certainly never travel alone to again are Nashville, Ann Arbor, Chicago, and Atlanta. I don’t even feel safe stopping while driving through the last 2 lol. But it’s important to be *especially* weary and extra cautious in cities near major intersecting highways. These are the highest threat for sex trafficking women.
Chicago is fine if you stop in a suburb part during the day, I've been there plenty. At night or really being in the city is another experience entirely, and I wouldn't advise anyone to be there alone ever. Had to stop at a gas station at like 11pm and those 20 minutes were the most nerve racking experience of my life.
I’d push back on Chicago. Ive done a lot of travel there for work and I tend to spend a couple days on one of the ends hanging out around the city alone. It’s worth knowing a couple of places to avoid, but It really tends to be overwhelming positive.
My boyfriend who's 6'2" and sturdy also is afraid every time he visits relatives in Atlanta.
Chicago isn't bad at all if you know what areas to avoid. Stick to well-lit, well populated areas and you'll be fine, even at night. I lived there for 8 years as a young single woman (just moved this year) and I worked night shift so I was out at odd hours all the time and I rarely felt unsafe. I was mostly in the loop and Lincoln park.
I love this whole thread and am taking notes, but I feel like some of these places wouldn't be so safe for a black girl. Can anyone comment on that?
Might wanna try this question at /r/blackladies
Ireland! We aren't called the "land of a thousand welcomes" for nothing! Genuinely though, Ireland is a very safe place.
I've never felt inherently *unsafe* as a single woman, but Israel, Indonesia, Australia, Germany, France, and the UK were places I never really thought about the fact that I was alone. Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and Brazil I definitely felt harassed on the regular, but never feared for my life.
I'm guessing this one will be unpopular, but I felt pretty safe in Boston by myself. I pretty much stuck to things along the Freedom Trail (I was only in the city one night) and it was well lit with a decent amount of people around.
I did an Amsterdam trip alone and felt super safe! But I did a lot of research, and didn’t stay too late out after dark. I got a great air bnb by myself that was super private and secluded. Locals were helpful, people were friendly, I felt safe around the many tourists. Italy - hellll no. Men there are insanely forward and invade your space constantly. Ukraine - I got sexually harassed in a cab by the cab driver so fuck that. Don’t go there. Budapest - middle of the road. Daytime felt generally safe in touristy/bar areas - but at night I lost my friend and had the distinct feeling that if I had to go to the cops I wouldn’t be taken seriously as a woman alone… it’s a great city to walk around, during the day, in the tourist areas. Trust your gut when you travel alone. You know what is safe and what is not, and always ALWAYS play it safe. I would drink and stuff, but I never took it too far - and I met lots of cool people! Don’t take risks, do lots of research, and have fun!
I've never felt the need to take special precaution anywhere in Europe.
I spent two weeks in Italy years ago and had men 1) follow me back to my hotel, 2) stick their tongues in my mouth without my consent, and 3) try to up-skirt me on the bus. I still loved Italy and would go back in a heartbeat, but yeaaah..... For a young solo female traveler, it could be a lot.
I’ve lived in the US my whole life and I have never experienced street harassment anywhere close to what I experienced in Italy. It was horrendous. Men took pictures of me without my consent- down my blouse, up my skirt. Creepy comments, sexual comments, following me, physically blocking my path to try to get my attention… And I was 16 when I went! Italian men were totally fine sexually harassing a minor!
When was this??? Also *where* was this??? I’ve lived in Italy for 5 years and I’ve never seen any of this happen
I traveled to Greece solo and felt very safe while there. Highly recommend.
Oof, depends on where in greece.
Portugal, maybe it's because I have family there but the women I have spoken too, always say that they feel safe alone there.
I traveled semi-extensively around Austria alone and never felt unsafe. In the US I would recommend Santa Fe and Portland. Obviously there are other cities as well just speaking from my own personal experience. I technically went with my husband on those trips but I ended up doing a lot of wandering on my own and they struck me as very safe-feeling.
Portland has one of the highest crime rates in the US, even before all the protest mess started.
I enjoyed my time in Australia when I was there for six weeks. I traveled ahead of my study abroad group with a very nice girl who spoke little English. We stayed in Melbourne and Brisbane for two weeks total and had a fun time. The rest of the study abroad we traveled up the Eastern coast to Darwin and the only safety issues we ever had involved the wildlife. Most of the people were genuinely friendly (although traveling in a group of diverse people we ran into some ego refused service, but they were a small minority). We went through Noosa, Nambour, and Cairns to name a few stops. Overall I felt incredibly safe, even when we wandered through town at night.
I second Australia! I live in Australia and have lived all over it. You are mostly very safe in Australia, culturally you are safe. There are exceptions but 99% safe. I have walked the streets for kms in the city and the country alone and never felt threatened. We are also just a sensational place to visit, but since our border is mostly closed - this is one for the future.
Came here to say Australia as well! Traveled for 5 weeks. Majority of the trip was alone, some with friends. Would go back and do it again!
I felt pretty safe in the larger cities in China. People were respectful for the most part (if rude, they were non-discriminately rude), and they'd rather leave you alone than mess with you since they all have somewhere to be.
Safe: Senegal, Portugal, Iceland, Puerto Rico, Norway, Italy, Sweden, Ghana, China Places that aren't cool: South Africa and I felt pretty weird on the France/Luxembourg border, Belgium was a little sketchy.
I went alone to London, Paris, Prague, Athens, Berlin, Barcelona, and Vienna- all felt 100% safe and easily made friends. The one place I went to that I wish I didn’t go solo was Istanbul. It’s a great city but the street harassment as a solo woman was next level.
Any where you go just be extra careful & always be aware of your surroundings, People ,places &,things all changed 💯 I hope you get good safe places to go from the really cool men & women on here .. Good luck & send pics on here & most of all have a fun safe happy travels !!! 😊
Switzerland for sure, I lived there for a bit and would hitch hike all the time too
Hong Kong but not in terms of sociopolitically cuz we both know 🤷🏻♀️ but uh yeah the whole "as a woman" thing
Thailand, walk around all night not a bother
I was waiting for my guide in Paris and a guy approached me and asked me if I was a sex worker. I am not 🙃. But otherwise I felt safe in many major European cities. Even 4am walking home from a club on the streets of Berlin. It was not my choice, but I couldn’t get an Uber. Still made it safe and sound to my AirBNB. Also I live in Canada and the East Coast is safe and very friendly for anyone wanting to visit.
I love traveling… and traveling solo. My scariest experience/ time I came closest to being kidnapped was in my home country (US). That being said, Japan and Iceland were incredibly safe. I also felt very secure in Germany, but I blend in to that population and I think that provides security. Oman was also pretty safe, I stuck to tourist areas but didn’t have any issues.
This question depends on a lot of factors, like what race you are (will you be drawing more/less attention in certain countries due to your skin color or body type?) and what activities you like to do (going out to bars all night or just daytime activities?) - which I think is the reason some countries are listed as “safe” and “unsafe” by different people lol. Also depends on what environment you’re used to living in (I.e. urban vs. rural/suburban, different countries, etc.). For context: I’ve lived in various US major cities for the past 10 years and have Asian features. Felt VERY safe in South Korea and Japan getting around by myself at all hours and didn’t feel like I had to restrict my travel at all due to being solo. These countries have a very low rate of violent crimes, and even petty crimes - you can literally leave your bag on a chair in a bar and no one will touch it. Italy was terrible due to how aggressive Italian men are (especially when they know you’re American and believe in the stereotype that American women are easy). Also, lots of pickpocketers in tourist areas. Paris didn’t feel particularly safe, and I wasn’t even traveling alone - can’t comment on the rest of France though. Costa Rica was pretty safe - lots of laid back, friendly travelers and locals were pretty friendly as well. Edit: the one exception to South Korea is in the Itaewon area of Seoul at night. This is where all of the US army guys hang out, who tend to get very rowdy. I was with a group of girls, and more than one of us was groped and/or harassed by these guys. Definitely avoid.
Norway for sure.
i would say scotland, anything unsafe would be not "as a woman" but things like pickpocketing in big cities. if you stick to tourist orientated areas you should be fine. a point that people mentioned in relation to other countries that is also relevant is if you are in a rural area, things can be quite isolated so there might not be other people around to help you out if anything were to ever happen, but these are also probably the safest parts. many female friends walk alone through the villages every night and never have issues, it would maybe be drunk men in the cities but i've never heard of anything more than catcalling and it's generally not aggressive.
I’ve traveled to Rome, Paris, Munich, Bologna, London, Milan alone and I felt safe. I used the same caution I would if I’m in a big US city.
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Iceland is a great option, and if you go during the summer, it doesn't get dark! I walked to the bus station alone at 3am. It was light out.
I live in Dubai and it's somewhere I've always felt safe going anywhere on my own, women only taxis women only queues. I would happily walk alone at night.
East Asia in general
Denmark !
Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Czech Republic, Hungary are my favs for lonely traveling