Travelling solo around Europe can be an enriching experience, as you broaden your horizons and get a taste of many different cultures. You will get the chance to meet a variety of people and make long-lasting friendships that could potentially last a lifetime.
Hostel hopping, socialising with strangers, and exploring must-see landmarks are all part of the journey, but while enjoying all of these things, it’s important to stay safe, especially as a solo woman traveller. Many European countries have improved their safety tenfold with updated public transport systems, strengthened protocols and better-enforced regulations.
All of these reasons have made most European countries safe to visit for solo women travellers, but it’s still wise to follow tips to increase safety levels when going around Europe independently.
This guide will explore the best safety tips to follow for solo women travellers who are looking to have the best experience during their European journey, while simultaneously ensuring they stay out of harm’s way.
Transport Safety
Transport in Europe is a very mixed bag with some countries having a much more bustling public transport scene like the UK and France. No matter which country you decide to travel to, you should get a clearer understanding of protocols and schedules before you travel solo as a woman, as it can help make your experience easier and more enjoyable. A great way to go about this is by pre-arranging public transport journeys before visiting a country, as sticking to a schedule can help you be safer.
Nighttime travel should be avoided if you are a woman travelling alone, as it can increase the chances of something going wrong. Therefore, you should ensure that most of your public transport journeys are done during the day when you can get the best view of the surroundings.
Buses and trains run in most European countries and offer the safest ways of travelling, as many witnesses can help you out if anything happens. In some cases, there will be women-specific carriages to make women feel safer while travelling.
If you don’t want to use public transport, you can hire your own vehicle and drive around Europe using the many safe car parks on offer. For example, the Victoria Car Park in Leeds has recently been renovated to provide greater protection for people and their vehicles.
Accommodation Safety
Europe is the safest continent in the world for accommodation, as there are many hotels and hostels available to solo female travellers that have great security features. Splashing out on the more expensive hotels will provide you with the best safety compared to cheap alternatives that might have fewer security measures in place. It’s essential to conduct proper research about any hotel or hostel that you are looking to stay in while travelling solo.
To maintain safety, women solo travellers should follow these tips:
- Keep a note of hotel information, such as address and contact numbers.
- Make sure your room’s phone is working correctly.
- Lock your doors at all hours of the day.
- Avoid opening the door if you are not expecting anyone to visit you.
- Speak to staff if you notice anything suspicious.
You can find great recommendations online as a solo woman traveller, as you can look at reviews from other solo women who have stayed there.
Exploration Safety
There are many activities that you can do when travelling around Europe, from shopping at the local markets to adventuring around the unique landscapes to enjoying the nightlife of different countries. Doing activities that have a lot of people around will be the safest or making friends with the other travellers in your hotel or hostel and doing activities with them.
Looking for the hotspots in each country you go to will help improve your safety, as having a lot of people in the same place will ensure that you always have witnesses. Less dangers are likely to occur if there is a high chance of it being spotted.
You need to be respectful to each country’s culture when journeying around Europe, as each country will have different customs and traditions that must be respected. This will keep you in the good books of locals, which will heighten your safety as a solo traveller as a result.
Travel Tips for Solo Women
There are other tips that solo female travellers should consider in Europe. Let’s take a look:
- Dress Appropriately: Everywhere in Europe will have different levels when it comes to dressing appropriately. Most places are very conservative with what they wear.
- Stay Connected: Keep people you trust informed about your whereabouts and ensure that you switch on roaming or find friends on your mobile device.
- Seek Advice: You should get advice from tour groups or hotel receptionists if you are struggling with aspects of your solo European travel.
- Learn Local Language: There are many languages throughout Europe and to stay respectful, you should learn the basics of the language such as ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘yes/no’.
- Conduct Research: Make sure to research every aspect of your European travel as a solo woman from accommodation to travel insurance to nightclub reviews.
You should always take the necessary precautions when travelling to any country in Europe, as it’s important to stay safe with everything that you do. Finding other solo women travellers and forming a group can be the best way to ensure your safety in Europe.
