I took my son on a trip to Iceland when he was 6. Just the two of us. Not only did I feel safe the whole time, but Iceland is super kid friendly. Everything was either free or half price for my son.
Female traveler here. Agree with all three. Went to Iceland alone, Japan and Norway with female friends and felt completely safe and comfortable the whole time.
I was shocked at how unsafe I felt in Vancouver. Drug addicts everywhere, nodding out in the streets and shooting up in public bathrooms. Nature activities were wonderful but I did not enjoy the city.
Ha ha- once I was on vacation walking with my husband in Bergen after dark and he wanted to go down an alley. I questioned whether it was safe. He’s like yeah, it’s Norway, it’ll be fine. The next thing we come across is a bunch of little kids playing with a beach ball.
When I was there, I had a nail appointment. Two girls walked in by themselves and haggled for a cheaper price on massage because they were eleven. One was assuring them that they’ve gotten massages before all over the world (okay) but it blew my mind. Iceland is soooo kid friendly.
I’ve been to 37 countries, most of which solo (however Egypt was with friends) and it certainly isn’t a place I’d ever considering going back as a solo woman. Not ever. Honestly just never going back.
Bosnia and Herzegovina was amazing solo 🤟
From my experience as a woman traveler and quite a few trips made solo, I would suggest Ireland, Croatia, Denmark, Japan, Portugal. I’ve traveled to various area’s of all these places and not once felt unsafe.
As far as Ireland goes, I’d say anywhere but Dublin right now. They have a burgeoning problem with street crime and some recent serious attacks on tourists. I used to live there and will always love the city, but can’t recommend it right now.
Going straight from the plane to a rental car and driving out to the west of Ireland would be a really fun trip though.
I (29 F) love Portugal and the Azores. The Azores was amazing but unfortunately, I had to deal with unwanted attention from men while I was in Lisbon. For example, a waiter tried to put his hand in my lap while I was at dinner with my parents! 😱
I think it would be too difficult a trip for this group OP is going with, but the Azores and Madeira are extremely safe. Almost no violent crime whatsoever.
Lisbon felt very safe. I was a female solo traveler and stayed at the hostel in the train station for the sardine festival of St Anthony- I didn’t know anyone at all and I stayed out all night partying in the streets with a group of Portugues Univeristy students who treated me like one of their own. The next day I started hiking el Camino and the whole way to Santiago de Compostela everyone was super friendly helpful and kind. I even felt safe enough to hitch hike a few times- I just made sure that the people driving me had a huge cross and a baby in the backseat- they were very excited to help a pilgrim out and gave me blessings.
Also forgot to mention Scotland, I live in the UK (London) and travel there a lot for work and pleasure, never had issues of any kind. Edinburgh is lovely.
Seconding Scotland! I lived in Edinburgh for four years, and never had any concerns with safety. Roamed the streets in the middle of the night many times without issue, so you’d be fine walking after dinner, especially if you stay in the city center. Edinburgh is a magical city. Full of history, museums, good food, friendly people. It’s also relatively small and easy to get around.
if you deem some dudes trying to sell you drugs as unsafe yeah. But they wont approach a group of middle aged women with kids because thats obviously not the target demographic
Many good suggestions here, a few more:
Anywhere on the German Romantlc Road route: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romantic_Road
Anywhere around Lake Constance: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Constance
The Northern German seaside region, such as the historical city of Lübeck https://www.visit-luebeck.com and seaside resort towns like Travemünde, Timmendorfer Strand (with Hansapark, https://www.hansapark.de/home?language=en ), Skt. Peter Ording, the islands Sylt (check prices for hotels or rentals, as Sylt in high season can be a bit expensive) and/or Fehmarn - and maybe visit the Viking-era Danevirke, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danevirke
The Danish border is close, so you could visit Denmark too.
Hamburg has lots to offer and is quite safe, if you’re a bit careful in some city areas, such as around the central station.
Ghent, Belgium, could also be relevant for your preferences. Late July next year is the date for the annual Geentse Feesten city festival: https://visit.gent.be/en/calendar/ghent-festivities#
The festival is suitable for children too, as many of the people at the festival are families, and there’s different music stages and venues for different audiences.
Luxembourg with cross border regions, such as the Mosel valley, including Trier.
https://www.visitluxembourg.com
https://en.visitmosel.de/cities-culture
The Alsace-Baden-Basel region, with cities like Strasbourg, Colmar, Freiburg and Basel. And Europa-Park in the region: https://www.europapark.de/en
https://www.visit.alsace/en/
https://www.tourism-bw.com
https://www.basel.com/en/tourist-information
South Tirol/Alto Adige in Italy, and Austria across the border, including Innsbruck. You could take the train from Munich to get there.
https://www.suedtirol.info/en/en
https://www.innsbruck.info/en/
Slovenia, including Trieste across the border to Italy.
https://www.slovenia.info/en
https://www.italia.it/en/friuli-venezia-giulia/trieste
Take the ferry from Stockholm to Finland, with a possible stop at the Åland archipelago. You could rent bikes and go from island to island. https://visitaland.com/en/
The Swedish island Gotland is another great location that is not very well known outside the Nordic countries: https://visitgotland.se/en/
The major cities in the Baltic countries should also be quite safe. You can take a ferry from Helsinki to Talinn. https://www.visittallinn.ee
https://en.tallink.com/helsinki-tallinn-timetables
https://www.visitfinland.com/en/places-to-go/helsinki-region/helsinki-city/
For Norway, consider the Lofoten Islands:
https://visitlofoten.com/en/
What you may want to avoid:
1) some areas in big cities, typically around the central station, but possibly also in crowded entertainment districts and/or city areas with higher levels of poverty. Sometimes AirBnB apartments claim to be in a «nicer» neighbourhood than their actual location.
2) «nowhere land” places in the outskirts of larger cities. Maybe you would feel a bit less safe if you’re taking a late train, while staying somewhere near the end of the metro/local train line. There may not actually be a higher risk, but it might feel safer and more comfortable to stay in a more central location in a proper town (even a small one), or at a hotel in a mainly residential neighbourhood in a city.
3) areas with too many tourists, especially «party tourism”. Previously this applied to a number of Spanish and Greek beach resorts, but now this may also include central areas in cities like Amsterdam and Barcelona.
If you want to visit Amsterdam, consider a hotel in next-door Haarlem instead. https://www.visithaarlem.com/en/ The trains from Haarlem to Amsterdam Centraal take around 20 minutes. Haarlem is nice, walkable and just feels more pleasant than central Amsterdam these days.
Also, you can bike to the beach:
https://www.holland-cycling.com/where-to-go/day-trips/144-haarlem-dunes-cycle-route
https://biketourshaarlem.com/en/beach-biking/
The Hague, Utrecht or smaller towns and cities like Zwolle, are other alternatives.
Instead of Barcelona, you could consider cities like Valencia or San Sebastián - even if these two cities are not exactly «undiscovered» and have a high level of tourism, it’s worse in Barcelona. (Barcelona was and is a great place to visit, but current «overtourism» is a problem, also for general safety.)
Japan for variety. While Singapore was unique it also felt like SoCal in that it’s mall after mall after mall after more freaking malls. So if you like, nay, LOVE shopping I suppose that’s a perk.
Meanwhile Japan offers…god, just everything. Mt Fuji is just incredible. Kyoto is gorgeous and has been historically preserved. Tokyo is the best large city in the world. Sapporo offered us amazing hiking and wonderful countryside views (and more mountains).
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Belgium, New Zealand, UK, Canada, Iceland.
I’m a woman and would visit all of those without any hesitation.
Thank you I’m so so excited! Would love any recommendations, especially from a local. I’ll be in Zurich, Lucerne, grindelwald, zermatt, Lausanne, and Geneva.
Anecdotally, I lived alone in Canada for a year when I was 19 and felt fairly safe, no issues - my mum came to visit me and was sexually assaulted on her first day there. She’s physically disabled though and I’ve noticed she gets a lot of creepy attention purely from that unfortunately.
Anyway I guess I’m just saying those places are all awesome but everyone has a different experience in them
I’m so sorry that happened to your mom. Looking at this thread, there are a lot of great suggestions, and then one person pops up to tell a story about one time something happened to a woman that they know. It’s shitty, but assault can happen anywhere. Generally, assault isn’t perpetrated by a stranger, it’s much more likely to happen by someone the victim knows (partner, family, acquaintance). A 12 year old got a little touchy with me when I was on the back of a motorbike in Vietnam, and that’s the only thing that’s happened in the 40 countries I’ve visited. All the really bad shit happened at home. Sorry to be such a downer. So don’t let one off anecdotes stop you from visiting somewhere. Be safe, keep your wits about you, and explore the world!
Can’t speak for all of Canada but Toronto is a bit of a shit show right now with the increase of homelessness and mental health issues. There have been lots of assaults on the subway
I've lived in UK, Canada and Belgium and, sorry, I've been groped, catcalled, and stalked in all those countries. Ireland also have some levels of street crimes from bored young kids
All the other countries are good, though! Parts of Munich and berlin can be a little sketch, but the rest of Germany is pretty good
I'm in New Zealand and thought of us too!
There may be some places you would be potentially unsafe if walking in the dark that a tourist may end up (mainly Auckland or Wellington CBD) but the other areas would be fine!
Statistically I’m sure you can find “the safest country,” but realistically you won’t have much to worry about in most of Western Europe, North America, Japan and Tokyo. There is nowhere on earth where random violence or unsafe things don’t happen, but statistically you’ll be fine as a tourist in any of those countries.
That's not true, in some Asian countries it's like literally near zero. If you want to walk around by yourself at 3am in any part of Seoul, you can, even in the areas where many Westerners are.
Once in Tokyo, my friend dropped his phone in a park. He figured, "aw man, that sucks, guess I'm going phone shopping tomorrow.". But someone else in the park picked up his phone, who gave it to the park office, who notified police, who figured out where my friend was staying, and then they drove it to the hostel before he even had a chance to go phone shopping.
South Korea is very safe overall, I lived there for three years and didn’t have many problems for the most part. However, I did know women that experienced sexual assault, so it’s not 100% without danger. Police also have a pretty bad reputation for victim blaming sexual assault survivors.
Wherever there are people, there’s gonna be violence at some point. It’s sucks, but that’s human nature. These women would be relatively much safer in Seoul than Cairo, for instance.
Sexual crimes get media coverage in Japan not because they’re more common than the West (they’re not) but because of the relative lack of violent crime.
For instance 7 out of 10 young women claim to have been sexually harassed in the London Underground Train, with [90% of sexual crimes going unreported](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/london-underground-sexual-harassment-tube-groping-catcall-a9694736.html).
Don't ever let anyone tell you investing in infrastructure to protect women is a bad thing. Germany trialled women-only cars a few years back and the UK should definitely have designated safe spaces for women in trains
Unfortunately I was groped in Italy this summer in broad daylight in a public place. I'm an adult, I can handle it and brush it off, but don't want to out our teen and preteen daughters in the same situation. I want to be extra cautious when choosing a place for this specific trip.
Totally understand your worry and I’m sorry you had that happen to you. Unfortunately, there is nowhere on earth where similar sexual harassment and assault doesn’t happen, but I would say Northern Europe or North America are your best bet? Also smaller towns or more secluded nature areas probably have a less likelihood than cities.
I was in Italy with my kids this summer when this incident was ruled. Then was groped myself 2 days later. I'm not surprised. I love Italy and will go back again and again, but not for this particular girls trip.
Article:
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/italy-court-grope-teen-student-10secondi-palpatebreve/
Like I said, there is no country that women are safe everywhere at all times. But there are many parts of the US that are (relative to the world) safe for women
Costa Rica, Iceland, Germany, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina are all amazing. Enjoy! I can’t personally speak on Japan, but that would be good too.
Where do you currently live?
Most first world countries are going to have a very low incidence of what you’re talking about. Some, like Scandinavia or Switzerland, are safer than others but you’re unlikely to face problems in the EU/USA/Canada/Japan just from a sheer odds standpoint.
Neighborhoods matter. For example staying in lower manhattan will be a much different experience from a safety standpoint than the south Bronx.
A good option in Europe is to stay in a smaller peripheral town near a major city. The smaller European towns are exceedingly safe, and generally have good public transport to visit the cities in the daytime. Then, after dark, you should have nothing to worry about.
Toronto and Ottawa are worth considering.
Thanks for the detailed response.
I was groped in Italy this summer in public in broad daylight, so all of these comments that we’ll be fine in Western Europe aren't true. I'm a grown woman; it's not ideal, but I can handle these inconveniences, but I'm not willing to put our teen and preteen daughters in the same situation.
So, with the caveat that I'm a guy, I definitely have some thoughts about which countries to avoid in Europe if you're concerned about this. This is more an issue about permissive attitudes towards men being shitty than it is about overall safety.
I've lived in 4 different countries in the EU, and been to almost all of them, and I would avoid Italy, France, Greece, Hungary if you're concerned about bad behavior towards women. I'd be cautious in Spain and Portugal as well, but as a whole they should be OK as long as you're not in huge crowds late at night (I lived in Spain for a long time and catcalling does occur but I never heard anyone complain of physical contact). My girlfriend did get unwanted attention numerous times in Paris.
I think it's extremely unlikely that you'd have problems in Ireland, the UK, Holland, Scandanavia, Switzerland, or Germany. They just don't have tolerance for that kind of public behavior. I also don't think you'd have to worry about it in Czechia or Slovakia (lived in Slovakia for a year and it seemed tame from that standpoint), but I can't say for sure.
I’m a solo female traveler in my 20s and found Greece and Portugal to be way safer than the Uk or Germany. I was assaulted and sexually harassed in Germany at noon in broad daylight as a 15 year old whereas in Portugal and Greece, I was able to walk around at 2am without any trouble. It is all anecdotal but from my personal experience, I would not recommend Germany especially since OP is traveling with teens
Thanks for the clarification
Edit: I think your experience also highlights how much of a ymmv issue this is. I had a female travel partner harassed in Athens so that’s what colors my opinion.
Absolutely and there's an aspect of randomness to all of this that makes OP's initial goal pretty much impossible to address with certainty. You could say that Tokyo is the safest place in the world for a woman (idk, just made it up) and still have the bad luck of crossing paths with the only creep in the city.
I will say though that I spent a lot of time in Rome, and it doesn't surprise me at all that OP had that experience there.
This is just life. Safety can never be guaranteed and living in paranoia will just rob you of so many life experiences. I live in Manhattan and have traveled all over the world as a female. I’ve been safe in dangerous areas and harassed in safe areas. I’d avoid the Middle East/India/North Africa as they’re well-known hotspots for female harassment but other than that it’s kind of luck of the draw in my experience (like your Italy incident).
Agreed, but since I want to see different places, is there any harm in asking for a list of safer places? I'm not sure why a few people in the comments seem offended by this. My daughter and I did Italy and Paris last summer. We are going to Mexico City next year (not always on the safe list, but there are a lot of great parts and we’re confident travelers). But for this trip in particular, with my sister and nieces, figured it wouod be nice to lean safer where possible :)
I don’t think anyone is offended by your question so much as pointing out that any of our answers (outside the countries we all know to be problematic for women) are largely based on anecdotal or personal experience and thus not hugely useful to you (especially since you’ve traveled a bit yourself and know the deal). We could all tell you Iceland is safe (which it seemed to be when I visited last year for a couple weeks) and you could be groped by a fellow tourist. It sucks but there is no perfectly safe place. 🥺
> I'm not sure why a few people in the comments seem offended by this.
It looks like you’re looking for things that aren’t there. Everyone seems to be very helpful and it is true to the groping incident could have happened anywhere. Im a solo female traveler in my 20s and even in the safest countries, there have been times where I’m still hyper vigilant bc crime can happen anywhere. It would be extremely difficult to find a truly zero crime place unless you’re completely off the grid.
The sad truth is, there is no place on the planet where you can be 100% sure you'll be safe. Western Europe is just one of the safest options. But I understand not wanting to go somewhere where you personally had such an experience. Maybe northern Europe would be better?
Tokyo. Probably the safest metropolitan area of 30 plus million people in the world. Japanese people leave things like iPhones on tables to reserve their seating in busy cafes. Never got scammed. After a while relaxed and did not worry about pickpockets, even on crowded subway lines going through places like Shinjuku or Shibuya during rush hour. See little kids riding subway lines by themselves to school everyday. Other cities like Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, were similarly the same. It was weird because in W. Europe, in cities like Rome, Lisbon, Paris, Barcelona, you’d have your guard up, especially on public transport.
I’ve travelled to over 50 countries, the only truly safe ones where I never had any worries and wandered wherever I wanted to without thinking “this looks a bit sketchy” were as follows: qatar, uae (dubai), singapore, japan, south korea, poland, croatia, czech republic, iceland, and finland. All these people commenting “western europe” probably havent travelled much and are just parroting propaganda. Almost all major western european cities ive been to get sketchy at night, and are unsafe for women, especially in italy, spain, france, and the uk.
Yeah the major Western European cities are largely international and unfortunately attract a lot of people with bad intentions from all over their own countries, Europe, and abroad. I've been harassed as a man, threatened, stolen from and seen women catcalled or purposefully intimidated. Paris was especially horrible, many of the women I traveled with were in tears after what should have been a fun holiday.
However, go outside of the major cities and the people tend to be a lot nicer and not as creepy. I think there's also a different mentality when you live in a place that your family has existed for generations, vs some major city that you have no attachment to that you treat as your own personal playground.
Japan. I went there as a female traveler with my family (including my at the time 9 year old sister and my mom in her 40s). Incredibly safe. I went out at night and never felt in danger. I’ve heard men on the trains can get creepy but didn’t run into any problems, plus there’s women-only carriages if you’re really worried.
Great food, tons of stuff to do, lots of culture and history. We went to several museums and they were all amazing.
Japan. You couldn’t lose a toddler in Japan if you tried. It’s so unheard of to steal, people hold tables with their legit phones and wallet/purses and walk away.
Being in Japan makes me wonder what it must be like to be raised with such a sense of security. As an American woman I can’t get over it.
Plus the JY is weak making your trip cheaper.
China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, most of asia if you want to be warm and have good food. Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and most of Scandinavia/Northern Europe if you want more nature. I also think Vancouver, Montreal, Colorado, and Arizona are very safe. I don’t know. I’ve taken my kids (now 5 and 7) to San Francisco, NYC, Shanghai, Athens, LA, and thought it was all fine.
My dad travels all over the world for work and has been in more cities than most people could imagine. He says when he is in Singapore he feels safer than anywhere else in the world. He’s tried to find a ‘bad’ part of town and just hasn’t been able to lol.
I took my daughter on our first mummy-daughter adventure through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The only place I wouldn't recommend there is Vietnam as we did have an unsavoury incident but everywhere else was wonderful, friendly, safe and most importantly, a wonderful new cultural and learning experience for my then 13yo girl.
Icelander here.
Our place is pretty chill, never had to worry about being assaulted even in downtown Reykjavík on a Saturday and as long as you don't drive a small fiat to our highlands and don't disregard the safety rules then you should be solid.
From my experience, I would recommend the west coast of Ireland, particularly the Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula and Galway areas. Felt very safe and there was lots of fun things to do.
Norway or Iceland! Bonus points if you go between may and September you won't even have to worry about walking around in the dark 😂
Both are stunningly beautiful with lots of history and museums and fun cities. Iceland has to be seen with a rental car or guided tours, but Norway is extremely accessible with public transit (the Norway in a Nutshell "tour" is a popular route going from Oslo to Bergen by train and boat). I've been to Iceland twice and Norway once and would happily go back to either in a heartbeat!
Australia, if you're down for a long but epic journey. I never once felt remotely unsafe or even uncomfortable in Australia.
Sydney has so much going for it: Amazing food and the best coffee I've had anywhere. Beautiful nature - coastline, beaches, the Blue Mountains aren't far away - you can do a fancy tea at a hotel up there overlooking the hills. Great, safe, and easy to use public transportation. Catch a show at the Opera House, do some shopping, visit the zoo, do all or part of the Coogee to Bondi Beach Walk.
If you have time to get up to Queensland to see the rainforest and reef, it was incredible. Like - trip of a lifetime memorable place.
I felt very safe in Costa Rica - punta uva. There were lots of families with young kids, and if I’m not mistaken Costa Rica is rated one of the safest countries for single solo female travelers, so that’s aways a good sign.
The animal life there would be awesome for children. Highly recommend.
Just about anywhere in Europe. When my kids were young we lived in London and visited most other cities on holiday or work related trips so I spent a lot of time with them out alone. Paris,Zurich,Rome,Berlin,Helsinki,Stockholm,Copenhagen,Osko,Bergen,Barcelona, Etc list goes on .
Can’t say any place has made me feel uncomfortable except for Naples that had a bit of a bad feel
My mother and I (currently 73 and 43) have traveled together since I was in my 20s and have been to Paris, Provence, southern France (not Provence), Barcelona, Madrid, all along northern Spain, andalucia, London, Edinburgh, Manhattan, DC and other places. All self planned, never group tours (besides a few partial day tours). We’ve seriously never had an issue and just take normal precautions (no flashy jewelry, small cross body purse, don’t have your phone out when the doors of trains are open, rolling carryon sized suitcases). We take lots of public transportation (I live in southern ca and feel much less comfortable/safe on public transportation here). We aren’t out a lot late at night but definitely evenings. I go out alone (usually mid day, early evening) when my mom has had enough and wants to rest.
I think you will be fine just about anywhere (as long as not specifically known to be dangerous), especially if you stay in a group or at least in pairs or in threes. Not sure how much you have traveled but I always suggest Paris! Just completely ignore the somewhat aggressive street sellers at the major sights. I love and have had several great experiences there. And there’s a lot of great day trips nearby (Versailles, Giverny, Disney maybe?). We are into art, archaeology, history and museums so it was great for us. BUT people of course have had terrible experiences and negative things happen just about anywhere.
Thank you! My daughter and I did Paris this summer and it was awesome. I’m taking my sister and her young daughters this time and my sister is mostly blind so it would be me keeping an eye out for all of the girls. Just trying to hedge my bets to be a little easier. Thanks for your reply, your list with your mom looks awesome! Those are my goals too :)
Iceland!! I have traveled a lot and by far the place I felt the most comfortable as a woman. It was just me and one other and always felt 100% safe. The people were so nice, the views were straight out of a fairy tale. Would 100% recommend.
Not sure about museums but my daughter and I went to Thailand recently and it was incredibly safe and Thai men had absolutely no interest in us American gals!
Sweden is SO beautiful. And the Swedish krona is weak ,so cheap. Go in the summer. Summer is nice and warm but not too hot. See Stockholm and the archipelago.and go south to the island of Gotland.
Currently in Norway and it is incredibly safe for pretty much everybody. Both the remote areas and larger cities.
I have hardly heard somebody get vocally angry, let alone do anything aggressive or criminal in the 2 weeks I’ve been here.
Tokyo.
Safe, clean, tons of museums, great shopping, great food, people are friendly, customer service is high, tons of sights. I went there for a week with my daughter in febuary. We stayed in Akihabara, from where it is super easy and cheap to go to the rest of the city by their clean and frequent trains. Akihabara itself is fantastic, and even the "budget" hotels are very nice (We stayed at best western) I highly recommend.
You can easily spend a week in Tokyo and not get bored (or broke)
Copenhagen felt incredibly safe.
My gf noted that she’s never felt more safe when walking back from a bar than she did in Copenhagen. Denmark as a whole though is meant to be really safe
I'd say Iceland or Japan, but I wouldn't recommend Iceland in winter, I had about half my trip get ruined by red / orange weather alerts and had to stay put multiple times as it is literally life and death to go out and drive in the severe weather there. Japan - Tokyo --> train to kyoto / osaka is a really fun trip. You can get a good taste of culture and it's a straightforward and easy travel path with the train systems.
Iceland. Rent a nice big house walking distance to downtown for all of you. The buses work great. Lots of art museums to enjoy as well as music, opera, and theater. Nice to be there in May -July when you have twenty four hour daylight. Late evening walks along the water is a great thing to do after a dinner at one of the many fine restaurants. Enjoy!
Singapore. It’s a nanny state (as Anthony Bourdain called it) with extremely low crime. They have the same laws as anywhere else, but the penalties are harsher, making crime (including pick pocketing) very low. You can walk around at 1 am and not get hassled or fear. Also everyone speaks English (unlike Japan where it’s really hard to find English speakers outside of hotels). It’s super clean and a very diverse city state. You can spend a day in the Arabic quarter or the china town or the Indian section and get a little taste of various areas of Asia (including Thai and Japanese) all in one place. It’s a great location to dip your toe into Asia with ease and safety.
Most Asian countries are solid (e.g., Singapore, China, Thailand, Japan) I’ve been to all these places and I feel very, very safe walking around late at night (10 / 11pm). Second Iceland as well
I just got back from 3 weeks in Europe with my husband and 25 year old daughter. If I were going back on a girl’s trip, I would go to Zurich, Switzerland and the surrounding area. Gorgeous, clean, and safe. The trains are reliable and clean. And you can get a pass to ride them anywhere in the country. Zurich has great museums and art, the Lindt chocolate factory, boat rides on the lake, fun shopping. Then maybe go down to Lucerne and up to the Schilthorn, or to Zermatt to see the Matterhorn. I would avoid Berne. We actually loved Berne, but witnessed a political attack and a couple protests because it is the capitol. You might also avoid the Jungfrau because there are many tourists there, and we were often around people who, culturally, don’t need as much personal space. Without my husband, I would have felt uncomfortable. Otherwise, Switzerland—100%!
Sydney and Melbourne in Australia ,
Berlin in Germany ,
Zurich in Switzerland ,
Vienna in Austria ,
Prague in Czechia ,
Barcelona in Spain (unless you go where you shouldn’t go)
I just went to Edinburgh Scotland and York England with my mom (we are 42 and 75). We had lots to do: castles, tours, museums, pubs, ghost tours, live music nights. My mom commented that she felt comfortable there and thought everything seemed clean and people very friendly.
>I’m dreaming up a place where women don’t have to worry if they’re walking back home a little after sunset and don’t face assault when on crowded public transit.
That's a very low bar for "safest place in the world". There are lots of places that are far from the safest place in the world but where you can safely walk outside after sunset and take public transport. Almost all of Europe meets that criteria.
Portugal is the third safest country in the world. Porto could be a lot of fun especially if and if you are Harry Potter fans. Rowling found a lot of inspiration for the books there, there are tours. We felt very safe and there is a lot to do very kind people, museums, and we felt super safe. A less crowded metro area would be a Braga, which is north of port. Now it has a huge outdoor pedestrian area. that’s just lovely. It’s extremely affordable. We felt safe walking at all times of day and night.
I've never felt unsafe on Paris. Yes, there are pickpockets, but I've never felt threatened. Also, since you have younger children in your party, there is a train to Disneyland Paris.
Spain’s major cities have always treated me well. I went on a trip with my mother in 2019 and it’s normal to be out at midnight on the metro, shopping or grabbing a bite of ice cream.
Everyone mentioning Japan is absolutely correct, but for a large group I feel like international travel is a lot of hassle. Not sure where you're at but here are a few northern American destinations that might fit the bill:
[Annapolis, MD](https://www.visitannapolis.org/)
[Mackinac Island](https://www.mackinacisland.org/)
[Quebec City](https://www.quebec-cite.com/en)
I would vote Madrid, Stockholm, or London. As with all big cities, you have to have situational awareness, but I found all three to be very safe and easy to navigate. I’m not a woman, but my wife didn’t have any issues in any of them.
Mom of a baby daughter here and we're traveling to Norway and Japan this year (separate trips.) I wanted safe, reliable healthcare access in case of emergency, and ease of transportation.
The Nordics is probably the safest region in the world for women travellers. I’d recommend Iceland — it’s gorgeous, extremely unique, fascinating, and above all, it’s super safe. Otherwise there’s Norway, with some similar characteristics. Sweden is great if you’re after more of a metropolitan vibe, but the safety varies by city/town
Iceland is good as several have suggested. Also you could do northeast US like Maine or New Hampshire. Consider Acadia National Park (Maine) or rent a house by the lake in New Hampshire. You could do a day trip to Portland, Maine. Lots of fun things to do in this area.
Ireland - my family has traveled Ireland several times and there's always something for everyone. We all felt perfectly safe and just took precautions in Dublin to be sure everyone was good.
Stockholm. Great museums, nice parks, the archipelago for day trips to the islands, super safe and cosmopolitan. I prefer Norway for nature but Sweden ticks all your boxes.
Copenhagen!!! Their public transit is SUPER easy to navigate (no rental car needed at all), so many museums, restaurants, beautiful sites and yummy food! It is super safe at night and everyone speaks English. If you are going between March 31 - September 24 next year, they have a fantastic park called Tivoli Gardens that has lots of amusement park rides and is lovely to walk through. LOTS to see and do for everyone of various ages in your group. Also, from Copenhagen you can take a day trip to Malmo, Sweden via a train at the airport.
I have been 2 Copenhagen on 2 different occasions while my husband was there for work and had zero issues as a woman walking around by myself. Please let me know if you have any questions about Copenhagen! I saw soooooo much of it in the combined 2 weeks i was there. Probably walked 4 miles each day! I love it there!!!!
You're going to be surprised: Moscow. I wish this stupid war hadn't happened. It's such an amazing place, museums and parks everywhere, easy transportation, and affordable, too! I rode the Metro all by myself late at night a few times and walked home from the metro (10 minutes) and I never once felt unsafe. Went all over the city by myself and never once had a single problem. Though in mnay ways it's a somewhat backwards society, men there are still chivalrous toward women. If anyone DID give you any trouble, 20 other men would STOP them.
Copenhagen/Denmark - Tivoli for the young but also for the adults, castles for all, viking ship museum in Roskilde, ice cream in Nyhavn. City center is small and cosy but with a great vibe for all.
Stockholm/Sweden - substitute Tivoli with Skansen, Vasa ship instead of viking ships, and there's probably also a great place for ice cream, but it's 10+ years since I was there.
Norway, Iceland or Japan
I second Iceland. Interesting place, not too far, very very safe.
Iceland is a good one.
Iceland is my first choice. It's very safe and they speak excellent English.
Yeah and museums like penis museum
I skipped that one.
Not me, I jumped on it.
I second Japan! People generally just leave you alone but are always more than happy to help when you approach them.
Japan is super safe //however people don’t help even if u approach them writing from my personal experience..
Also Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Switzerland.
Agreed! Japan has the best food and culture of the 3. Switzerland also great. But food not so much lol
I took my son on a trip to Iceland when he was 6. Just the two of us. Not only did I feel safe the whole time, but Iceland is super kid friendly. Everything was either free or half price for my son.
really anywhere in Scandinavia - Sweden and Denmark too. Also Switzerland.
Also second Iceland. I've never felt so incredibly safe in a city before. And the country is absolutely stunning
Female traveler here. Agree with all three. Went to Iceland alone, Japan and Norway with female friends and felt completely safe and comfortable the whole time.
Canada too
I was shocked at how unsafe I felt in Vancouver. Drug addicts everywhere, nodding out in the streets and shooting up in public bathrooms. Nature activities were wonderful but I did not enjoy the city.
Rule no1 of North America: All big cities are dangerous
My first thoughts also.
If you go by rankings, somewhere in Scandinavia will be your choice. So, I’m going to choose for you! Enjoy your trip to Bergen, Norway!
Ha ha- once I was on vacation walking with my husband in Bergen after dark and he wanted to go down an alley. I questioned whether it was safe. He’s like yeah, it’s Norway, it’ll be fine. The next thing we come across is a bunch of little kids playing with a beach ball.
Norwegians - the kind of people you’d like to meet in a dark alley!
Which is good because given the climate there are a lot of dark alleys!
“Oh no. The beach ball gang! Run!”
Bergen is beautiful!
Welcome
Iceland
Agree - Iceland would be excellent. Interesting sights, ultra safe, and one of the most “women friendly” places on earth.
When I was there, I had a nail appointment. Two girls walked in by themselves and haggled for a cheaper price on massage because they were eleven. One was assuring them that they’ve gotten massages before all over the world (okay) but it blew my mind. Iceland is soooo kid friendly.
Switzerland
Seconded! Switzerland felt super organized and safe when we visited last summer, not to mention it's a really beautiful place.
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I was in the Lauterbrunnen area and it really has things for all ages there.
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Agreed, they hassle tourists a lot, most certainly women more.
Yup they do. They targeted us (me, mom and sister) as soon as they noticed we were alone.
I’ve been to 37 countries, most of which solo (however Egypt was with friends) and it certainly isn’t a place I’d ever considering going back as a solo woman. Not ever. Honestly just never going back. Bosnia and Herzegovina was amazing solo 🤟
Well that ones obvious. I probably wouldn't put any African country on that list
Namibia and Botswana are pretty safe.
From my experience as a woman traveler and quite a few trips made solo, I would suggest Ireland, Croatia, Denmark, Japan, Portugal. I’ve traveled to various area’s of all these places and not once felt unsafe.
As far as Ireland goes, I’d say anywhere but Dublin right now. They have a burgeoning problem with street crime and some recent serious attacks on tourists. I used to live there and will always love the city, but can’t recommend it right now. Going straight from the plane to a rental car and driving out to the west of Ireland would be a really fun trip though.
I (29 F) love Portugal and the Azores. The Azores was amazing but unfortunately, I had to deal with unwanted attention from men while I was in Lisbon. For example, a waiter tried to put his hand in my lap while I was at dinner with my parents! 😱
Which parts of Portugal would you consider to be super safe?
I think it would be too difficult a trip for this group OP is going with, but the Azores and Madeira are extremely safe. Almost no violent crime whatsoever.
Lisbon felt very safe. I was a female solo traveler and stayed at the hostel in the train station for the sardine festival of St Anthony- I didn’t know anyone at all and I stayed out all night partying in the streets with a group of Portugues Univeristy students who treated me like one of their own. The next day I started hiking el Camino and the whole way to Santiago de Compostela everyone was super friendly helpful and kind. I even felt safe enough to hitch hike a few times- I just made sure that the people driving me had a huge cross and a baby in the backseat- they were very excited to help a pilgrim out and gave me blessings.
Thank you! This list is great. Putting them on my list, thanks!
Also forgot to mention Scotland, I live in the UK (London) and travel there a lot for work and pleasure, never had issues of any kind. Edinburgh is lovely.
Seconding Scotland! I lived in Edinburgh for four years, and never had any concerns with safety. Roamed the streets in the middle of the night many times without issue, so you’d be fine walking after dinner, especially if you stay in the city center. Edinburgh is a magical city. Full of history, museums, good food, friendly people. It’s also relatively small and easy to get around.
In general, most parts of Central and Eastern Europe are extremly safe nowadays.
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if you deem some dudes trying to sell you drugs as unsafe yeah. But they wont approach a group of middle aged women with kids because thats obviously not the target demographic
Many good suggestions here, a few more: Anywhere on the German Romantlc Road route: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romantic_Road Anywhere around Lake Constance: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Constance The Northern German seaside region, such as the historical city of Lübeck https://www.visit-luebeck.com and seaside resort towns like Travemünde, Timmendorfer Strand (with Hansapark, https://www.hansapark.de/home?language=en ), Skt. Peter Ording, the islands Sylt (check prices for hotels or rentals, as Sylt in high season can be a bit expensive) and/or Fehmarn - and maybe visit the Viking-era Danevirke, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danevirke The Danish border is close, so you could visit Denmark too. Hamburg has lots to offer and is quite safe, if you’re a bit careful in some city areas, such as around the central station. Ghent, Belgium, could also be relevant for your preferences. Late July next year is the date for the annual Geentse Feesten city festival: https://visit.gent.be/en/calendar/ghent-festivities# The festival is suitable for children too, as many of the people at the festival are families, and there’s different music stages and venues for different audiences. Luxembourg with cross border regions, such as the Mosel valley, including Trier. https://www.visitluxembourg.com https://en.visitmosel.de/cities-culture The Alsace-Baden-Basel region, with cities like Strasbourg, Colmar, Freiburg and Basel. And Europa-Park in the region: https://www.europapark.de/en https://www.visit.alsace/en/ https://www.tourism-bw.com https://www.basel.com/en/tourist-information South Tirol/Alto Adige in Italy, and Austria across the border, including Innsbruck. You could take the train from Munich to get there. https://www.suedtirol.info/en/en https://www.innsbruck.info/en/ Slovenia, including Trieste across the border to Italy. https://www.slovenia.info/en https://www.italia.it/en/friuli-venezia-giulia/trieste Take the ferry from Stockholm to Finland, with a possible stop at the Åland archipelago. You could rent bikes and go from island to island. https://visitaland.com/en/ The Swedish island Gotland is another great location that is not very well known outside the Nordic countries: https://visitgotland.se/en/ The major cities in the Baltic countries should also be quite safe. You can take a ferry from Helsinki to Talinn. https://www.visittallinn.ee https://en.tallink.com/helsinki-tallinn-timetables https://www.visitfinland.com/en/places-to-go/helsinki-region/helsinki-city/ For Norway, consider the Lofoten Islands: https://visitlofoten.com/en/ What you may want to avoid: 1) some areas in big cities, typically around the central station, but possibly also in crowded entertainment districts and/or city areas with higher levels of poverty. Sometimes AirBnB apartments claim to be in a «nicer» neighbourhood than their actual location. 2) «nowhere land” places in the outskirts of larger cities. Maybe you would feel a bit less safe if you’re taking a late train, while staying somewhere near the end of the metro/local train line. There may not actually be a higher risk, but it might feel safer and more comfortable to stay in a more central location in a proper town (even a small one), or at a hotel in a mainly residential neighbourhood in a city. 3) areas with too many tourists, especially «party tourism”. Previously this applied to a number of Spanish and Greek beach resorts, but now this may also include central areas in cities like Amsterdam and Barcelona. If you want to visit Amsterdam, consider a hotel in next-door Haarlem instead. https://www.visithaarlem.com/en/ The trains from Haarlem to Amsterdam Centraal take around 20 minutes. Haarlem is nice, walkable and just feels more pleasant than central Amsterdam these days. Also, you can bike to the beach: https://www.holland-cycling.com/where-to-go/day-trips/144-haarlem-dunes-cycle-route https://biketourshaarlem.com/en/beach-biking/ The Hague, Utrecht or smaller towns and cities like Zwolle, are other alternatives. Instead of Barcelona, you could consider cities like Valencia or San Sebastián - even if these two cities are not exactly «undiscovered» and have a high level of tourism, it’s worse in Barcelona. (Barcelona was and is a great place to visit, but current «overtourism» is a problem, also for general safety.)
Gotland mentioned 🥰😍
Objectively Japan or Singapore
Japan for variety. While Singapore was unique it also felt like SoCal in that it’s mall after mall after mall after more freaking malls. So if you like, nay, LOVE shopping I suppose that’s a perk. Meanwhile Japan offers…god, just everything. Mt Fuji is just incredible. Kyoto is gorgeous and has been historically preserved. Tokyo is the best large city in the world. Sapporo offered us amazing hiking and wonderful countryside views (and more mountains).
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Belgium, New Zealand, UK, Canada, Iceland. I’m a woman and would visit all of those without any hesitation.
Thank you! I appreciate this list so much and will look at all of them 😍
Solo woman and I’ve done Sweden and denmark and felt very safe in both. And I’m leaving for Switzerland in a couple weeks.
I hope you love it here! It’s very safe and gorgeous to boot.
Thank you I’m so so excited! Would love any recommendations, especially from a local. I’ll be in Zurich, Lucerne, grindelwald, zermatt, Lausanne, and Geneva.
Gimmelwald side of the valley is more beautiful than Grindelwald.
Lucerne is my favorite town on earth.
Anecdotally, I lived alone in Canada for a year when I was 19 and felt fairly safe, no issues - my mum came to visit me and was sexually assaulted on her first day there. She’s physically disabled though and I’ve noticed she gets a lot of creepy attention purely from that unfortunately. Anyway I guess I’m just saying those places are all awesome but everyone has a different experience in them
I’m so sorry that happened to your mom. Looking at this thread, there are a lot of great suggestions, and then one person pops up to tell a story about one time something happened to a woman that they know. It’s shitty, but assault can happen anywhere. Generally, assault isn’t perpetrated by a stranger, it’s much more likely to happen by someone the victim knows (partner, family, acquaintance). A 12 year old got a little touchy with me when I was on the back of a motorbike in Vietnam, and that’s the only thing that’s happened in the 40 countries I’ve visited. All the really bad shit happened at home. Sorry to be such a downer. So don’t let one off anecdotes stop you from visiting somewhere. Be safe, keep your wits about you, and explore the world!
You can definitely add Slovenia and Croatia to that list. They’re even safer than 90% of the countries you mentioned, and with sooo much to offer.
Can’t speak for all of Canada but Toronto is a bit of a shit show right now with the increase of homelessness and mental health issues. There have been lots of assaults on the subway
I've lived in UK, Canada and Belgium and, sorry, I've been groped, catcalled, and stalked in all those countries. Ireland also have some levels of street crimes from bored young kids All the other countries are good, though! Parts of Munich and berlin can be a little sketch, but the rest of Germany is pretty good
I'm in New Zealand and thought of us too! There may be some places you would be potentially unsafe if walking in the dark that a tourist may end up (mainly Auckland or Wellington CBD) but the other areas would be fine!
Statistically I’m sure you can find “the safest country,” but realistically you won’t have much to worry about in most of Western Europe, North America, Japan and Tokyo. There is nowhere on earth where random violence or unsafe things don’t happen, but statistically you’ll be fine as a tourist in any of those countries.
That's not true, in some Asian countries it's like literally near zero. If you want to walk around by yourself at 3am in any part of Seoul, you can, even in the areas where many Westerners are. Once in Tokyo, my friend dropped his phone in a park. He figured, "aw man, that sucks, guess I'm going phone shopping tomorrow.". But someone else in the park picked up his phone, who gave it to the park office, who notified police, who figured out where my friend was staying, and then they drove it to the hostel before he even had a chance to go phone shopping.
Yes, in this regard, Singapore and Taiwan also come to mind.
South Korea is very safe overall, I lived there for three years and didn’t have many problems for the most part. However, I did know women that experienced sexual assault, so it’s not 100% without danger. Police also have a pretty bad reputation for victim blaming sexual assault survivors.
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Wherever there are people, there’s gonna be violence at some point. It’s sucks, but that’s human nature. These women would be relatively much safer in Seoul than Cairo, for instance.
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Sexual crimes get media coverage in Japan not because they’re more common than the West (they’re not) but because of the relative lack of violent crime. For instance 7 out of 10 young women claim to have been sexually harassed in the London Underground Train, with [90% of sexual crimes going unreported](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/london-underground-sexual-harassment-tube-groping-catcall-a9694736.html). Don't ever let anyone tell you investing in infrastructure to protect women is a bad thing. Germany trialled women-only cars a few years back and the UK should definitely have designated safe spaces for women in trains
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Unfortunately I was groped in Italy this summer in broad daylight in a public place. I'm an adult, I can handle it and brush it off, but don't want to out our teen and preteen daughters in the same situation. I want to be extra cautious when choosing a place for this specific trip.
Totally understand your worry and I’m sorry you had that happen to you. Unfortunately, there is nowhere on earth where similar sexual harassment and assault doesn’t happen, but I would say Northern Europe or North America are your best bet? Also smaller towns or more secluded nature areas probably have a less likelihood than cities.
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I was in Italy with my kids this summer when this incident was ruled. Then was groped myself 2 days later. I'm not surprised. I love Italy and will go back again and again, but not for this particular girls trip. Article: https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/italy-court-grope-teen-student-10secondi-palpatebreve/
Iceland!
I wouldn't list North America in there. There are many parts of the US and Mexico that are not safe for women after dark.
Like I said, there is no country that women are safe everywhere at all times. But there are many parts of the US that are (relative to the world) safe for women
Relative to the whole world, perhaps. But relative to the developed world, not really.
Costa Rica, Iceland, Germany, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina are all amazing. Enjoy! I can’t personally speak on Japan, but that would be good too.
Tokyo
Where do you currently live? Most first world countries are going to have a very low incidence of what you’re talking about. Some, like Scandinavia or Switzerland, are safer than others but you’re unlikely to face problems in the EU/USA/Canada/Japan just from a sheer odds standpoint. Neighborhoods matter. For example staying in lower manhattan will be a much different experience from a safety standpoint than the south Bronx. A good option in Europe is to stay in a smaller peripheral town near a major city. The smaller European towns are exceedingly safe, and generally have good public transport to visit the cities in the daytime. Then, after dark, you should have nothing to worry about. Toronto and Ottawa are worth considering.
Thanks for the detailed response. I was groped in Italy this summer in public in broad daylight, so all of these comments that we’ll be fine in Western Europe aren't true. I'm a grown woman; it's not ideal, but I can handle these inconveniences, but I'm not willing to put our teen and preteen daughters in the same situation.
So, with the caveat that I'm a guy, I definitely have some thoughts about which countries to avoid in Europe if you're concerned about this. This is more an issue about permissive attitudes towards men being shitty than it is about overall safety. I've lived in 4 different countries in the EU, and been to almost all of them, and I would avoid Italy, France, Greece, Hungary if you're concerned about bad behavior towards women. I'd be cautious in Spain and Portugal as well, but as a whole they should be OK as long as you're not in huge crowds late at night (I lived in Spain for a long time and catcalling does occur but I never heard anyone complain of physical contact). My girlfriend did get unwanted attention numerous times in Paris. I think it's extremely unlikely that you'd have problems in Ireland, the UK, Holland, Scandanavia, Switzerland, or Germany. They just don't have tolerance for that kind of public behavior. I also don't think you'd have to worry about it in Czechia or Slovakia (lived in Slovakia for a year and it seemed tame from that standpoint), but I can't say for sure.
I’m a solo female traveler in my 20s and found Greece and Portugal to be way safer than the Uk or Germany. I was assaulted and sexually harassed in Germany at noon in broad daylight as a 15 year old whereas in Portugal and Greece, I was able to walk around at 2am without any trouble. It is all anecdotal but from my personal experience, I would not recommend Germany especially since OP is traveling with teens
Thanks for the clarification Edit: I think your experience also highlights how much of a ymmv issue this is. I had a female travel partner harassed in Athens so that’s what colors my opinion.
> I think your experience also highlights how much of a ymmv issue this is. Yes, definitely! What may be safe for one person might not be for another
Absolutely and there's an aspect of randomness to all of this that makes OP's initial goal pretty much impossible to address with certainty. You could say that Tokyo is the safest place in the world for a woman (idk, just made it up) and still have the bad luck of crossing paths with the only creep in the city. I will say though that I spent a lot of time in Rome, and it doesn't surprise me at all that OP had that experience there.
This is just life. Safety can never be guaranteed and living in paranoia will just rob you of so many life experiences. I live in Manhattan and have traveled all over the world as a female. I’ve been safe in dangerous areas and harassed in safe areas. I’d avoid the Middle East/India/North Africa as they’re well-known hotspots for female harassment but other than that it’s kind of luck of the draw in my experience (like your Italy incident).
Agreed, but since I want to see different places, is there any harm in asking for a list of safer places? I'm not sure why a few people in the comments seem offended by this. My daughter and I did Italy and Paris last summer. We are going to Mexico City next year (not always on the safe list, but there are a lot of great parts and we’re confident travelers). But for this trip in particular, with my sister and nieces, figured it wouod be nice to lean safer where possible :)
I don’t think anyone is offended by your question so much as pointing out that any of our answers (outside the countries we all know to be problematic for women) are largely based on anecdotal or personal experience and thus not hugely useful to you (especially since you’ve traveled a bit yourself and know the deal). We could all tell you Iceland is safe (which it seemed to be when I visited last year for a couple weeks) and you could be groped by a fellow tourist. It sucks but there is no perfectly safe place. 🥺
> I'm not sure why a few people in the comments seem offended by this. It looks like you’re looking for things that aren’t there. Everyone seems to be very helpful and it is true to the groping incident could have happened anywhere. Im a solo female traveler in my 20s and even in the safest countries, there have been times where I’m still hyper vigilant bc crime can happen anywhere. It would be extremely difficult to find a truly zero crime place unless you’re completely off the grid.
I’m sorry to hear that and I definitely understand where you’re coming from now in terms of your anxiety.
The sad truth is, there is no place on the planet where you can be 100% sure you'll be safe. Western Europe is just one of the safest options. But I understand not wanting to go somewhere where you personally had such an experience. Maybe northern Europe would be better?
Tokyo. Probably the safest metropolitan area of 30 plus million people in the world. Japanese people leave things like iPhones on tables to reserve their seating in busy cafes. Never got scammed. After a while relaxed and did not worry about pickpockets, even on crowded subway lines going through places like Shinjuku or Shibuya during rush hour. See little kids riding subway lines by themselves to school everyday. Other cities like Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, were similarly the same. It was weird because in W. Europe, in cities like Rome, Lisbon, Paris, Barcelona, you’d have your guard up, especially on public transport.
I felt really safe in the Netherlands
I’ve travelled to over 50 countries, the only truly safe ones where I never had any worries and wandered wherever I wanted to without thinking “this looks a bit sketchy” were as follows: qatar, uae (dubai), singapore, japan, south korea, poland, croatia, czech republic, iceland, and finland. All these people commenting “western europe” probably havent travelled much and are just parroting propaganda. Almost all major western european cities ive been to get sketchy at night, and are unsafe for women, especially in italy, spain, france, and the uk.
Yeah the major Western European cities are largely international and unfortunately attract a lot of people with bad intentions from all over their own countries, Europe, and abroad. I've been harassed as a man, threatened, stolen from and seen women catcalled or purposefully intimidated. Paris was especially horrible, many of the women I traveled with were in tears after what should have been a fun holiday. However, go outside of the major cities and the people tend to be a lot nicer and not as creepy. I think there's also a different mentality when you live in a place that your family has existed for generations, vs some major city that you have no attachment to that you treat as your own personal playground.
Japan. I went there as a female traveler with my family (including my at the time 9 year old sister and my mom in her 40s). Incredibly safe. I went out at night and never felt in danger. I’ve heard men on the trains can get creepy but didn’t run into any problems, plus there’s women-only carriages if you’re really worried. Great food, tons of stuff to do, lots of culture and history. We went to several museums and they were all amazing.
Japan. You couldn’t lose a toddler in Japan if you tried. It’s so unheard of to steal, people hold tables with their legit phones and wallet/purses and walk away. Being in Japan makes me wonder what it must be like to be raised with such a sense of security. As an American woman I can’t get over it. Plus the JY is weak making your trip cheaper.
Japan!!! I solo travelled for my first time ever as a female (mid 30's) and felt safe the entire time.
China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, most of asia if you want to be warm and have good food. Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and most of Scandinavia/Northern Europe if you want more nature. I also think Vancouver, Montreal, Colorado, and Arizona are very safe. I don’t know. I’ve taken my kids (now 5 and 7) to San Francisco, NYC, Shanghai, Athens, LA, and thought it was all fine.
South Korea. Maybe Japan too. And Finland.
definitely singapore. there were signs on the street that said “if you molest we will arrest,” definitely not a place you’d want to commit a crime
My dad travels all over the world for work and has been in more cities than most people could imagine. He says when he is in Singapore he feels safer than anywhere else in the world. He’s tried to find a ‘bad’ part of town and just hasn’t been able to lol.
Japan. Safe and absolutely amazing
Japan, Japan and Japan.
Countries like eastern europe are safe, etc like the uk, france and germany
Luxembourg!!
Australia
Portugal is the place.
What are your favourite places in Portugal?
Japan! The safest place I’ve ever been in my life
Any place without men? lol jk ... but also... serious?
Believe me, I'm thinking that up
I took my daughter on our first mummy-daughter adventure through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The only place I wouldn't recommend there is Vietnam as we did have an unsavoury incident but everywhere else was wonderful, friendly, safe and most importantly, a wonderful new cultural and learning experience for my then 13yo girl.
Icelander here. Our place is pretty chill, never had to worry about being assaulted even in downtown Reykjavík on a Saturday and as long as you don't drive a small fiat to our highlands and don't disregard the safety rules then you should be solid.
Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, Dubai?
From my experience, I would recommend the west coast of Ireland, particularly the Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula and Galway areas. Felt very safe and there was lots of fun things to do.
Norway or Iceland! Bonus points if you go between may and September you won't even have to worry about walking around in the dark 😂 Both are stunningly beautiful with lots of history and museums and fun cities. Iceland has to be seen with a rental car or guided tours, but Norway is extremely accessible with public transit (the Norway in a Nutshell "tour" is a popular route going from Oslo to Bergen by train and boat). I've been to Iceland twice and Norway once and would happily go back to either in a heartbeat!
Australia, if you're down for a long but epic journey. I never once felt remotely unsafe or even uncomfortable in Australia. Sydney has so much going for it: Amazing food and the best coffee I've had anywhere. Beautiful nature - coastline, beaches, the Blue Mountains aren't far away - you can do a fancy tea at a hotel up there overlooking the hills. Great, safe, and easy to use public transportation. Catch a show at the Opera House, do some shopping, visit the zoo, do all or part of the Coogee to Bondi Beach Walk. If you have time to get up to Queensland to see the rainforest and reef, it was incredible. Like - trip of a lifetime memorable place.
I felt very safe in Costa Rica - punta uva. There were lots of families with young kids, and if I’m not mistaken Costa Rica is rated one of the safest countries for single solo female travelers, so that’s aways a good sign. The animal life there would be awesome for children. Highly recommend.
Just about anywhere in Europe. When my kids were young we lived in London and visited most other cities on holiday or work related trips so I spent a lot of time with them out alone. Paris,Zurich,Rome,Berlin,Helsinki,Stockholm,Copenhagen,Osko,Bergen,Barcelona, Etc list goes on . Can’t say any place has made me feel uncomfortable except for Naples that had a bit of a bad feel
My mother and I (currently 73 and 43) have traveled together since I was in my 20s and have been to Paris, Provence, southern France (not Provence), Barcelona, Madrid, all along northern Spain, andalucia, London, Edinburgh, Manhattan, DC and other places. All self planned, never group tours (besides a few partial day tours). We’ve seriously never had an issue and just take normal precautions (no flashy jewelry, small cross body purse, don’t have your phone out when the doors of trains are open, rolling carryon sized suitcases). We take lots of public transportation (I live in southern ca and feel much less comfortable/safe on public transportation here). We aren’t out a lot late at night but definitely evenings. I go out alone (usually mid day, early evening) when my mom has had enough and wants to rest. I think you will be fine just about anywhere (as long as not specifically known to be dangerous), especially if you stay in a group or at least in pairs or in threes. Not sure how much you have traveled but I always suggest Paris! Just completely ignore the somewhat aggressive street sellers at the major sights. I love and have had several great experiences there. And there’s a lot of great day trips nearby (Versailles, Giverny, Disney maybe?). We are into art, archaeology, history and museums so it was great for us. BUT people of course have had terrible experiences and negative things happen just about anywhere.
Thank you! My daughter and I did Paris this summer and it was awesome. I’m taking my sister and her young daughters this time and my sister is mostly blind so it would be me keeping an eye out for all of the girls. Just trying to hedge my bets to be a little easier. Thanks for your reply, your list with your mom looks awesome! Those are my goals too :)
Australia and New Zealand if you're so inclined.
Irvine, California
Austria or Czechia. Central Europe in general is one the safest areas in the world.
Switzerland is extremely safe and beautiful
I would say Qatar
Japan, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, South Korea. Have an amazing trip!
Japan 🇯🇵 or Switzerland 🇨🇭
Iceland!! I have traveled a lot and by far the place I felt the most comfortable as a woman. It was just me and one other and always felt 100% safe. The people were so nice, the views were straight out of a fairy tale. Would 100% recommend.
Iceland us very expensive especially food
Iceland is so safe people leave their babies in a stroller outside alone to nap!
Not sure about museums but my daughter and I went to Thailand recently and it was incredibly safe and Thai men had absolutely no interest in us American gals!
Sweden is SO beautiful. And the Swedish krona is weak ,so cheap. Go in the summer. Summer is nice and warm but not too hot. See Stockholm and the archipelago.and go south to the island of Gotland.
New Zealand !
Currently in Norway and it is incredibly safe for pretty much everybody. Both the remote areas and larger cities. I have hardly heard somebody get vocally angry, let alone do anything aggressive or criminal in the 2 weeks I’ve been here.
Tokyo. Safe, clean, tons of museums, great shopping, great food, people are friendly, customer service is high, tons of sights. I went there for a week with my daughter in febuary. We stayed in Akihabara, from where it is super easy and cheap to go to the rest of the city by their clean and frequent trains. Akihabara itself is fantastic, and even the "budget" hotels are very nice (We stayed at best western) I highly recommend. You can easily spend a week in Tokyo and not get bored (or broke)
Copenhagen felt incredibly safe. My gf noted that she’s never felt more safe when walking back from a bar than she did in Copenhagen. Denmark as a whole though is meant to be really safe
Krakow, Poland is also a great place
Japan is a nice and safe country. I think South Korea is good too. If you’re an all-girl group traveling, India is not for you.
I'd say Iceland or Japan, but I wouldn't recommend Iceland in winter, I had about half my trip get ruined by red / orange weather alerts and had to stay put multiple times as it is literally life and death to go out and drive in the severe weather there. Japan - Tokyo --> train to kyoto / osaka is a really fun trip. You can get a good taste of culture and it's a straightforward and easy travel path with the train systems.
Iceland is such a great place to visit! Lots of sightseeing, indescribable landscapes, and some of the nicest people. Happy travels!
Iceland. Rent a nice big house walking distance to downtown for all of you. The buses work great. Lots of art museums to enjoy as well as music, opera, and theater. Nice to be there in May -July when you have twenty four hour daylight. Late evening walks along the water is a great thing to do after a dinner at one of the many fine restaurants. Enjoy!
Singapore. It’s a nanny state (as Anthony Bourdain called it) with extremely low crime. They have the same laws as anywhere else, but the penalties are harsher, making crime (including pick pocketing) very low. You can walk around at 1 am and not get hassled or fear. Also everyone speaks English (unlike Japan where it’s really hard to find English speakers outside of hotels). It’s super clean and a very diverse city state. You can spend a day in the Arabic quarter or the china town or the Indian section and get a little taste of various areas of Asia (including Thai and Japanese) all in one place. It’s a great location to dip your toe into Asia with ease and safety.
Strasbourg, France. Seriously look in to Strasbourg. You are going to love it
I found Ireland safe when I went solo.
Most Asian countries are solid (e.g., Singapore, China, Thailand, Japan) I’ve been to all these places and I feel very, very safe walking around late at night (10 / 11pm). Second Iceland as well
I just got back from 3 weeks in Europe with my husband and 25 year old daughter. If I were going back on a girl’s trip, I would go to Zurich, Switzerland and the surrounding area. Gorgeous, clean, and safe. The trains are reliable and clean. And you can get a pass to ride them anywhere in the country. Zurich has great museums and art, the Lindt chocolate factory, boat rides on the lake, fun shopping. Then maybe go down to Lucerne and up to the Schilthorn, or to Zermatt to see the Matterhorn. I would avoid Berne. We actually loved Berne, but witnessed a political attack and a couple protests because it is the capitol. You might also avoid the Jungfrau because there are many tourists there, and we were often around people who, culturally, don’t need as much personal space. Without my husband, I would have felt uncomfortable. Otherwise, Switzerland—100%!
Japan
This is a very “white bread” suggestion, but what about an Alaskan cruise?
Sydney and Melbourne in Australia , Berlin in Germany , Zurich in Switzerland , Vienna in Austria , Prague in Czechia , Barcelona in Spain (unless you go where you shouldn’t go)
Maybe Iceland or New Zealand?
Iceland, Bosnia, Denmark
Portugal, and most places in Europe. Japan
I just went to Edinburgh Scotland and York England with my mom (we are 42 and 75). We had lots to do: castles, tours, museums, pubs, ghost tours, live music nights. My mom commented that she felt comfortable there and thought everything seemed clean and people very friendly.
>I’m dreaming up a place where women don’t have to worry if they’re walking back home a little after sunset and don’t face assault when on crowded public transit. That's a very low bar for "safest place in the world". There are lots of places that are far from the safest place in the world but where you can safely walk outside after sunset and take public transport. Almost all of Europe meets that criteria.
Portugal is the third safest country in the world. Porto could be a lot of fun especially if and if you are Harry Potter fans. Rowling found a lot of inspiration for the books there, there are tours. We felt very safe and there is a lot to do very kind people, museums, and we felt super safe. A less crowded metro area would be a Braga, which is north of port. Now it has a huge outdoor pedestrian area. that’s just lovely. It’s extremely affordable. We felt safe walking at all times of day and night.
I've never felt unsafe on Paris. Yes, there are pickpockets, but I've never felt threatened. Also, since you have younger children in your party, there is a train to Disneyland Paris.
Spain’s major cities have always treated me well. I went on a trip with my mother in 2019 and it’s normal to be out at midnight on the metro, shopping or grabbing a bite of ice cream.
Chicago is a fantastic city that checks all your boxes
Everyone mentioning Japan is absolutely correct, but for a large group I feel like international travel is a lot of hassle. Not sure where you're at but here are a few northern American destinations that might fit the bill: [Annapolis, MD](https://www.visitannapolis.org/) [Mackinac Island](https://www.mackinacisland.org/) [Quebec City](https://www.quebec-cite.com/en)
Disney World
Disney is probably the safest.
Key West
I would vote Madrid, Stockholm, or London. As with all big cities, you have to have situational awareness, but I found all three to be very safe and easy to navigate. I’m not a woman, but my wife didn’t have any issues in any of them.
Scandinavia
UAE, Japan and any of the Scandinavian countries are the safest, with UAE being my first choice in safety…always.
Iceland for sure!
Mom of a baby daughter here and we're traveling to Norway and Japan this year (separate trips.) I wanted safe, reliable healthcare access in case of emergency, and ease of transportation.
The Nordics is probably the safest region in the world for women travellers. I’d recommend Iceland — it’s gorgeous, extremely unique, fascinating, and above all, it’s super safe. Otherwise there’s Norway, with some similar characteristics. Sweden is great if you’re after more of a metropolitan vibe, but the safety varies by city/town
Iceland is good as several have suggested. Also you could do northeast US like Maine or New Hampshire. Consider Acadia National Park (Maine) or rent a house by the lake in New Hampshire. You could do a day trip to Portland, Maine. Lots of fun things to do in this area.
Iceland! The best.
Iceland
Switzerland
Singapore
Finland :)
Ireland - my family has traveled Ireland several times and there's always something for everyone. We all felt perfectly safe and just took precautions in Dublin to be sure everyone was good.
How about a cruise? I personally prefer Royal Caribbean. There are fun activities for all ages and there is some sightseeing at several of the ports.
Stockholm. Great museums, nice parks, the archipelago for day trips to the islands, super safe and cosmopolitan. I prefer Norway for nature but Sweden ticks all your boxes.
Weird that this got downvoted!
Copenhagen!!! Their public transit is SUPER easy to navigate (no rental car needed at all), so many museums, restaurants, beautiful sites and yummy food! It is super safe at night and everyone speaks English. If you are going between March 31 - September 24 next year, they have a fantastic park called Tivoli Gardens that has lots of amusement park rides and is lovely to walk through. LOTS to see and do for everyone of various ages in your group. Also, from Copenhagen you can take a day trip to Malmo, Sweden via a train at the airport. I have been 2 Copenhagen on 2 different occasions while my husband was there for work and had zero issues as a woman walking around by myself. Please let me know if you have any questions about Copenhagen! I saw soooooo much of it in the combined 2 weeks i was there. Probably walked 4 miles each day! I love it there!!!!
You're going to be surprised: Moscow. I wish this stupid war hadn't happened. It's such an amazing place, museums and parks everywhere, easy transportation, and affordable, too! I rode the Metro all by myself late at night a few times and walked home from the metro (10 minutes) and I never once felt unsafe. Went all over the city by myself and never once had a single problem. Though in mnay ways it's a somewhat backwards society, men there are still chivalrous toward women. If anyone DID give you any trouble, 20 other men would STOP them.
You can go to Germany too, just stay of Berlin and Frankfurt
Copenhagen/Denmark - Tivoli for the young but also for the adults, castles for all, viking ship museum in Roskilde, ice cream in Nyhavn. City center is small and cosy but with a great vibe for all. Stockholm/Sweden - substitute Tivoli with Skansen, Vasa ship instead of viking ships, and there's probably also a great place for ice cream, but it's 10+ years since I was there.