I plan on extending my layover in Amsterdam when flying to India for business. I would like to fly somewhere else. Everyone kept telling me to go to Italy because that is the safest place to go for a young female travelling alone.
Do anyone have any other suggestions? I am 100% open to flying anywhere. I don'e want anything too expensive, I want to be near the water, possibly be able to take day trips to other popular towns.
Paris is out. I already have a trip planned next year.
Go any place you like! This is 2010, you shouldn't need to put restrictions on where you go.
Wondering why Italy is supposed to be "safer" than any other country on the European continent. Are there some statistics out there?
Cheapest places - Berlin in Germany is one of the most reasonable cities to visit and there is plenty to do there.
Hi Shannon:
I was in the south of France in Apr/09 - flew into Nice. I don't know if you're planning to go to that area while in Paris, but if not, it's a beautiful area & on the water - the beach is very accessible if you stay in Vieux Nice, where there lots of shops & restaurants. You didn't say how much time you would have spend in your "somewhere else", but, the Cote d'Azure bus line runs all along the coast - St Tropez, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Menton, Antibes, etc, etc all for 1 euro each way & frequent service. I loved the area & didn't encounter any type of hassle - only nice, friendly people.
Gail
Do you want saltwater or lakes? Denmark is surrounded by the sea, has some nice beaches (nice in summer, anyway) and is very safe and comfortable---but expensive.
For a lakeside destination, I'd choose someplace in Switzerland. The larger cities, like Montreux and Luzern, are expensive, but you can stay in one of the smaller lakeside towns (Weggis, Vitznau, or perhaps Hergiswil for Vierwaldstättersee (Lake Luzern)), or maybe Vevey for Lac Leman. Very safe, very easy transportation connections, and nice opportunities for daytrips.
From Amsterdam, you've got discount airline flights to Innsbruck (Transavia), Prague (easyjet), Copenhagen (Norwegian), Berlin (Transavia), Dublin (Aer Lingus), Nice (Transavia), Rome (easyjet), Oslo (Norwegian), Faro (Transavia), Madrid (easyjet), Edinburgh (easyjet) and many other places that are perfectly safe.
Go to whichbudget.com, enter Amsterdam as your place of origin, and pick a spot.
Shannon, I'm single (but older) but I've been traveling alone in Europe for many years. Pretty much anyplace is safe now, you just have to be careful after dark in certain areas, same as in the US. PM me with any quesitons.
I go traveling solo and you can go anywhere. Safer there then in the US.
Just avoid any cafe illuminated by pink, purple or red lights and you'll be fine.
My favorite beaches in Europe are on the Dutch and Belgian coasts- wide and sandy, like those of New Jersey, where I spent most of my childhood summers. Don't expect blazing sun, but people come here looking for an escape from summer heat, not more of it. Sort of like the Jersey shore again. Larger towns near the coasts of both countries include Brugge, Ghent, Den Haag, Leiden, Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, etc.
As a solo woman traveller, from experience, Italy would be at the bottom of my list. I travelled to Italy in 2004 with my daughter. She was constantly pestered verbally by overtly flirtatious Italian men wherever we went. In the main it was harmless, but became a pain in the butt after a time.
I can't imagine why someone would say Italy was the safest place for a woman alone. I can't think of any one European country that is safer than any other. Men are more likely to "ogle" you in Italy than any other country I've been to which may be uncomfortable but isn't unsafe. Make sure you don't wander into shady areas and you'll be fine. I've never been afraid in any of the places I've visited so I'd just pick the country you're most interested in seeing and go for it!
