Safety at dawn?

I can only speak for Paris. My husband is professional photographer and we have wondered around Paris at all hours for over 20 years with no problems. He often gets up early and sets out by himself. I don't know about a woman, but we have never had any problems. I wouldn't leave my camera bag unattended , and I would certainly notice my surroundings and the people that were around me.

Generally, almost all European cities are safer than American cities.

I take the same kind of photos and I've never had a problem. I tend to take mine just after sunset. At the Colosseum and many other places you will see dozens of people taking the same picture. The morning might be a little more deserted. You will have to use your judgement for the situation. I agree, you should keep your eye on your belongings. Nobody ever bothers me, but I'm a dude and I don't look like the kind of guy you would want to mess with.

Because of jet lag I am often up early first few days,, even before cafes open, but usually after first light( around 6 or 630) and its seems fine to me,, but, if I was alone, and it was dark, and early that no one was around at all,, I would take a few precautions, being more aware of who is around ,, not going down dark alleys etc,, Nightclubs close around 5 am,, so you may run into a group of drunks,, mostly friendly I suppose, but still I would be wary if I was alone and female.(well of course I am female, so do have different thoughts about this then a 6ft man might) IF there are two of you it would be better I guess, but I am sure you will be fine,, don't want to sound alarmist,, just that when its dark at night,, there are usually still lots of other people around, cafes are open etc,, at 5 am,, not so much.

i'm female, short, skinny, weak, young and inexperienced. that's certainly where all my concern is coming from. maybe i should just use the sunsets. it's safer and more practical. what attracts me about the dawn though is the tourist-free aspect of it. but i guess that's a 2 edged knife. in a slightly off topic question, does the colosseum lit up every night after it's closed? or just in the rare occasions when they keep it open for longer hours? it sounds like a very dumb question but trust me, i searched everywhere for this information and didn't find any definitive answer. thanks everyone for the replies.

I love walking around the city at dawn, there are no people around, the city is waking up and the sunrises have a totally different quality to sunsets. My take is that early mornings are just about the safest time of the day to walk around. How is it in your city? Do you walk around early in the morning? Does it look safe? Where are you going besides Paris and Rome? Giving generic advice about a whole continent can be difficult. Do be aware that sunrise comes early to France, Germany, etc. In June and July, the sun comes up around 04:00- 04:30, so you will need to get up and out early too. If you feel like you are so weak, why don't you take some strength building courses or a martial arts course, then you won't feel so defenseless.

It's been my experience that dawn is blissfully peaceful and quiet, and I've always felt quite safe. I love to take pictures at those hours, too, and the only people I encounter are street cleaners, people going to or from work, and the occasional clump of friends on their way home from a late night. I imagine that nefarious types are home in bed, since there are few targets out and about. It's really lovely to see the monuments unmolested by the beggars and the hoards of people selling cheap trinkets.

Well another thought, yes, nightclubs close at 5am,, but , just realized this,, most people won't be out nightclubbing and drinking till dawn on say a Sunday or Monday night, as oppposed to a Friday or Saturday night. As for early mornings being safer, well, look at where I live, about 10 years ago a older lady was out delivering the early morning paper,, she was unfortunately killed .. it has never been solved, but seemed to be a random assault,, it was still dark, she was alone,, its no safer at 4 am then it is a 2 am if you are in a dark deserted areas alone,, and Paris is no less likely to have random attacks then anywhere else,,simply because human nature is the same over the world. I am not a photographer so I don't know much about the light you seek,, but I do think it would be quite safe by about 6-630,, the metro is running so people are moving about, but trust me, the monuments will still be pretty tourist free for good shots .

Fraulein, The sunset photos shouldn't be much of a problem, as evenings in European cities are typically quite "busy" with lots of people around. Most of the Piazza's in Italian cities will still be active at 23:00. In my experience, sunrise and dawn are much more quiet. There are usually a few people around, heading to work or whatever. That's often a good time to get photos, as the main sights are relatively deserted. As a "larger male", my situation is a bit different than yours. If you carry yourself in a confident manner and practice some "situational awareness", you shouldn't have any difficulties. However, I'd suggest speaking to the staff at each Hotel to determine if there are any parts of the city or recent incidents you should be aware of. Happy travels!

Oh yes, you absolutely can grow physical strength...without getting bulky.

And Jo does have a good point - at the time you are going, dawn is VERY early in the night. One of our favourite walks was in Venice just after dawn, it was early May I think, around 5:30 to 6. That doesn't bother me because I am often at work before 4am but it might others...

Charles Bridge in Prague at sunrise with no tourists is gorgeous. Never had any trouble walking around Prague as a single female at sunrise.

Generally European cities are extremely safe, especially in the areas you will want to be. Violent crime against strangers is almost non-existent. But of course incidents can occur and if the places you will be are completely deserted, you might want to use more caution. I think Ken's idea is good, double check with your hotel to be sure where you are going is ok and that there hasn't been a rash of incidents of late. Plus someone will know you are out and about. As the sun starts rising, I think you'll find joggers, dog walkers and commuters out and about. I'd doubt you'll find yourself completely in deserted areas.

"i'm female, short, skinny, weak, young and inexperienced." I agree with the poster upthread. You can't change the female, short, skinny, young and inexperienced, but you can change the weak part. I can't remember when you are traveling, but I would either get to a gym for some time with weights or get some DVDs and work out at home. You need to travel with the mindset that you are a strong woman, not a weakling. That goes for life, too!

i'm going in late september. from what i've researched, in paris the sun rises at around 7:30 during that time. seems pretty late if you ask me, is this information correct? yes i intend on getting into the gym to work out my stamina because i'll certainly be doing a lot of walking there. but i'm not sure i can grow any physical strenght. the only other place i want particularly to check out in the dawn besides rome and paris is venice. maybe london, but i'm not sure. other places i'm going: lauterbrunnen, florence, pompeii and cinque terre. thanks again for the help.

I'm a runner, and need less sleep than the rest of my family, so I often go out for early-morning runs, including when visiting Rome, Paris, Venice, London and Florence. I'm a small, skinny female (though not young, inexperienced and only moderately strong), and have never had a problem or even been concerned. There are always a few people out, especially as dawn will be later at that time of year - you may even encounter school kids heading off to school. On our last trip to Paris, it was me and one street cleaner out in front of Notre Dame - it was magic! As already mentioned, just be aware of your surroundings. At that early hour, on side streets, you can walk (or run!) in the middle of the street, giving you a better view to each side of the street.

i'm still not sure about strenght, but i'll make sure my stamina is good enough so i can just run away from whoever i want! thanks again for the advice. does anyone recommend other sights that are good at dawn? places that are very beautiful but very crowded during that day. it can be in any of the cities i'll visit: london, paris, lauterbrunnen, rome, florence, cinque terre, venice.