When choosing a country to solo travel to, the general safety of a country is an important aspect to take into consideration because, unfortunately, not all countries are created equal. These are a few of the cities I have been to alone and felt safest in.
In Europe
Vienna, Austria
Vienna was the first city I ventured to on my own when I was just 21 years old. I had been Au Pairing an hour north of Barcelona at the time and took a short 48 hour weekend trip to Vienna because I had planned on attending the University of Vienna for graduate school and wanted to see it in person. I might’ve been viewing the city through rose-tinted glasses as it was just such an exciting trip for me, but I truly felt so comfortable exploring it on my own. It is consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in the world for female solo travelers and is a perfectly safe place to travel to alone in Europe if you’re nervous about solo traveling. I actually loved it so much that I currently plan on moving here after finishing my upcoming year in Airbnb rentals.
Bergen, Norway
I visited Bergen this past Christmas break when I found a round trip flight deal for $360. I booked it without a second thought and next thing I knew I was wandering around Norway for 3 days with zero plans. I am someone who thoroughly enjoys winter and snowy weather, especially around the holidays so I was excited to visit their Christmas market and relax for a few days before heading back to Manhattan to finish my finals. I stayed in a tiny Airbnb apartment close to the downtown area and felt extremely safe walking to and from my room at night. The local people were very kind and welcoming, so this is another European destination I would recommend for first-time solo travelers.
In Asia
Singapore, Singapore
Singapore is one of the safest cities in the world and is somewhere you should feel very comfortable exploring alone. English is very widely spoken and it is estimated that 40% of the population are expats (people living outside of their native country) so it is a popular destination for people of all nationalities. I felt very comfortable walking around at night and did not feel the need to rush back to my room as soon as the sun went down as I often do in other countries. The citizens are friendly, public transportation is very easy to use, and the whole city was spotless.
Seoul, South Korea
Seoul is another one of the safest cities in the world and I definitely felt that when exploring. The hospitality I experienced when visiting went above and beyond and, again, I felt very safe walking around at night (can you tell I like to measure how safe a place is by whether or not I can walk around at night?). English is less prominent here, but locals are generally very polite and will try to assist you however possible. Public transportation was super easy to figure out and I never worried about minor crimes like pickpocketing while there. I will spend a month here next spring as part of my Airbnb journey because I enjoyed it so much.
A word of caution- South Korea is one of the few OECD countries without any anti-discrimination laws in place, so unfortunately it is possible to be denied entry from restaurants or bars due to race or nationality. This did not make me feel less safe when visiting, but I was highly aware that if I somehow got involved in an altercation there would be fewer laws that would protect me as a foreigner.
In North America
If I’m being honest, the places I feel the safest in the U.S. have been cities I’ve lived in rather than places that I’ve traveled to. I generally have felt safe in all of the cities that I have lived in, which includes 12 cities in 9 different states. I have not solo traveled anywhere in the United States outside of places that I also visit regularly with my family (such as Hilton Head Island, South Carolina where my parents own a rental property).
Since I currently live in Manhattan I will not count it as somewhere that I’ve traveled to alone, but I have lived here without my family since I finished my undergraduate degree and feel safe here. Of course there are neighborhoods that I don’t venture into and I won’t ride the subway alone late at night, but New York is actually considered one of the safest large cities in the U.S.
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Singapore and Seoul are both routinely ranked within the top 10 safest cities in the world, and Vienna and Bergen are consistently included in lists detailing safest destinations for female solo travelers. However, it is important to always keep in mind that you are easier to take advantage of as a solo traveler and that you must always remain diligent when exploring new countries.
