Safety For Young Women

Ha ha.

Young people travel all over Europe independently with few problems. After all, most kids your age are away from home and in school.

The basic advice is to be aware of your surroundings and don't get drunk.

we watched the movie "Taken"

You have nothing to worry about, as long as your father is a former CIA operative.

Seriously, put the film out of your mind, obviously it's not the real world.

As Doug said, follow the common sense rules of safety that you would follow anywhere else. No guarantees, of course--but thousands of young women have memorable vacations in Europe every month.

You will get a more accurate response if you list the countries and cities you are going to. If I asked about safety in the US, wouldn't you want to know which cities I was talking about? Am I going to Miami, NYC, or Detroit, or out to N. Dakota or the Grand Canyon? Europe is a large continent with many different countries in it, and trying to answer for the entire continent is difficult. On the whole though, most places are extremely safe for anyone. Violent crime is quite low, though you do get a lot of pick-pocketing in some cities.

I travelled solo when I was younger than you and the most crime I saw was in the USA (the only country I have actually been a victim of crime in) so you don't need to worry that Europe is any worse than the rest of the world.

Just follow the normal rules that any woman should follow. E.g. be cautious with strangers (especially over-friendly men), don't leave your drink unattended in bars, don't wander around with all your cash in your pocket whilst waving your top-of-the-range iPhone around, look out for each other, plan ahead so don't get stranded anywhere etc. etc. Unless you have led an incredibly sheltered existence you will be fine.

I feel so much safer in London than I do in Boulder. I even felt safe walking in Whitechapel and even South of the Thames in Southwark at night.
Even though Boulder has little crime, I still get anxiety walking at night since any nutball can have a gun.

There were times in London when I was getting back to my hotel along Cromwell road in Earls Court very late at night and because it was such a busy road even at 1 am, I didnt feel scared. Maybe I am just naive!! But knowing most people dont have guns there really helped settle my nerves about traveling alone as a woman. I do know they have knife crimes in some areas, but I still think that gives one better odds than a handgun incident!! They have to get pretty close to you with a knife, and its hard to throw one and hit you with it from a moving car.....

Oh yea,I kept my cash and credit cards in my bra and coins in a change purse so if I got my handbag snatched, they wouldnt get much.

Hi Kristina,

You're not exactly traveling solo but this article might be interesting to you and your friend:

Women Traveling Solo

Enjoy your adventure!

Kristina, I guess it depends where you're going. I will speak from experience for cities in Germany. When I was a 20 year-old student there, I worked in a pub and would walk home alone at 3am in Stuttgart. That is a city. I was never worried or scared. I wasn't walking near the train station, just from the downtown to a residential area of the city (about 20 minutes by foot). I'd say it's probably the same in all German cities, and even safer in towns. But any time you're near the train station or in the red light distrct, there may be more questionable folks there. Jo can probably agree or disagree with me as she lives in Germany presently. It's been a few years since I lived there.... Now Eastern Europe is a totally different ballgame. If you go to a bookstore and look at "Let's Go Europe", in the first section for each country, it talks about safety. It will specifically talk about women traveling alone and how safe it is in that country. They're very frank. It may give you a good idea of where you should be more cautious. This will be an unforgettable experience!!! Oh, and if you meet a good looking guy at the airport in Europe, and he invites you guys to a party, don't share a cab with him back to your flat and don't tell him where you're staying! ;)

Amy brings up some good points about Eastern Europe. In general, violence against women will be more prevalent in more traditional societies. When women start to step out of their original roles, some men will use violence to inimidate them. This doesn't mean you should not travel there, but you should take extra precautions.

A busy area is almost always safer than a quiet one. You may want to get away from the tourist track and live like a local, but for your first trip there is safety in numbers.

I bet, if you look a crime statistics, that you are FAR more likely to be a victim of crime on your average US college campus than you will be in Europe.

I felt safer traveling solo in Eastern Europe than I did in Wesern Europe and North America. They stared at me more, but in no way did I feel threatened. Let's Go offers good suggestions on safety, but it usually will say the same thing and that is the same precautions that people have already stated on here.

I have a related question. I am traveling to Europe with my brother and another male friend. I have heard that some women wear fake wedding rings to ward off unwanted male attention. But I've also heard that jewelry can make you a target for thieves. Should I wear a ring or is that unnecessary when traveling with male companions?

It's okay to wear jewelery there but don't wear flashy jewelery if you are concerned about theft. I wear a simple wedding band there but not my engagement ring. More for the fact that I am afraid that I will lose it, not for fear of theft though.

RE: the wedding band thing. I lived in Germany for three months and was given this advice when I arrived: if you're not interested, don't smile. I don't know if you're American, but Americans tend to be very smiley, and will smile while saying no to "let him down easy." The smile tells the guy he's still got a chance. You don't have to glare, just make the :| face and say no and he should take the hint.

As for the original question, I personally feel that Germany is extremely safe, same with Austria - I have never felt threatened in those countries, even when walking alone past midnight. I would advise you to watch what you drink - if you're American, you can't drink legally in the states but you CAN in Europe, and if you don't know your personal limit you could get into trouble. Don't drink on an empty stomach and don't order shots. Also Guinness, while delicious, is not food.

But I would say that Europe is totally safe for you to travel in, at least, as safe as any first world country. Just do the same things you do to keep yourself safe in your home country and all should be well.

Krista,, the ring thing is a bit silly,, I heard it too, but if you are at a bar late at night and flirting away,, the ring will mean nothing to anyone anyways( like you honestly think men don't hit on married women,, LOL< too funny, I've been hit on ,, ring and KIDS and all,, )

To prevent getting pestered you have to change the way YOU behave. NO eye contact and smiles to strangers,, I know this sounds cold,where I live if you are out walking it is fine to smile and say hi to people, but in Europe , a lady doing that to a male is unfortunately sending signals they do not intend.

Look straight ahead, do not pause when addressed by stangers( especially when you are not with your male friends) . It sounds a bit weird I know,, and yes, you can talk to people,, but pick your moments, with your friends there, and times, not when dead drunk( not that you would get drunk) .

Krista, if you are with 2 guys, no one is going to hit on you. And in any case, it really depends on where you are in Europe. In most of Europe things aren't any different than in the US. I used to get a lot of unwanted male attention in Italy when alone (nothing unsafe, but I didn't really WANT company when sitting alone on a park bench!), but I've heard things have changed a lot in the past few years, and that men just aren't trying to pick up foreign women like they used to.

Wear jewelry like you would in any US city. Whatever you'd wear in Chicago, San Francisco, New York, you should feel comfortable wearing there.

I went to Europe last year on my own. I was 30. I felt safe the whole time. The main theme to take away from "Taken" is don't be stupid.

If you are not stupid you should be fine.

Have a great trip... Jaclyn

"The main theme to take away from "Taken" is don't be stupid."

The film "Taken" was mentioned in the original post as a joke (apparently)--which is what it should be, in the context of a discussion of safety in Europe. The film was perfectly okay for what it was intended to be, a piece of escapist non-stop action and pure fiction--the film was not intended in any sense to be part of a serious discussion of safety in Europe and should not, IMO, be on anyone's radar screen who is trying to think seriously about their personal safety in Europe.

Kristina,

Europe is much safer than USA.Violent crime is almost zero plus Europeans don't carry guns like Americans.
However, mugging is a problem in big cities, but all you have to do is to use common sense. Like keep your bag closed, do not flash any valuable in the middle of the crowded/street, don't acrry anything in your pants pockets, unless is fake. This subject has been discussed many time. You can search it.
Walk on the streets at night is safe in most of the European countries. The only countries I know that have safety problems is parts of Russia and Bulgaria.
While using public transit, keep your bag in front of you instead of on the shoulder or on your back.It's the safest way.

"I have a related question. I am traveling to Europe with my brother and another male friend. I have heard that some women wear fake wedding rings to ward off unwanted male attention. But I've also heard that jewelry can make you a target for thieves. Should I wear a ring or is that unnecessary when traveling with male companions? "

Krista,

I heard that ebfore and I find it silly.
No one would come to you cut your fingers off.
Fake rings doen't have anything to do with the European males williness to hit on women.They usually hit on good looking women.If there were thieves around you they would try to steall any valuable not just your rings. Some people believe that big rings might attract more eyes. It might be true, but I personally don't wear large rings.
No one would come to you cut your fingers off.

Hi! (Cool that you're from Camano Island- I'm up in Bellingham!)

Anyways, I'm a 19 year old girl and I just went to Europe for a month. I was nervous about the same things you are, but really, you just have to be smart. Obviously don't walk around the side streets of Rome at 1 in the morning, but as far as hostels and public transportation go, you've got little to fear. In hostels, I always clipped my bag (the small bag which held my passport, money etc.) to my bunk bed. This way, I would wake up if anyone was trying to steal from me. The bag was hanging above my head and this made me feel a lot better.

Just be careful and use your head. You should be fine. :) Have a blast!!

My advice is simple.

First, pack light to keep mobile and your movement easy. We saw one young woman (American) struggling with two large suitcases, plus a carry on size plus a daypack. She was a prime target for theft and "helping" guys.

Second, safety in numbers. You are going with a friend, good. As you travel, you will meet up with other small groups going to the same destination, hook up and travel together. At the Hostel, there will be others looking to do the same type of things, go as a group. Basically, a larger group will be left alone over a duo or especially a single. Plus...you will meet some neat fellow travelers.

Katy writes, "In hostels, I always clipped my bag (the small bag which held my passport, money etc.) to my bunk bed. This way, I would wake up if anyone was trying to steal from me. The bag was hanging above my head and this made me feel a lot better."

I'm glad Katy's stuff wasn't pilfered, but I think this is not really the best way to keep your stuff safe. You can sleep with your money belt around your waist, and keep money and passport safe.