How safe is it for a black teen to travel to eastern Europe?

Question

I really want to travel to Eastern Europe (particularly Romania, Bulgaria, Russia, Bosnia, Armenia, Ukraine, Albania, Estonia, Latvia, and Croatia) but I don't know how or if i'll be welcomed.

Are eastern Europeans very racist to blacks?

I've heard of skinheads attacking foreigners in Eastern Europe and the police force refusing to control the situation.

Will I be safe?

What language should I try to learn?... preferably an eastern European language that is somewhat a lingua franca in the region.

Answer 1

I live in Estonia and people in here are very tolerate. There are skinheads in here, but most of them are friendly, also i live in Tartu, what suppose to be capital of skinheads in Estonia, but i have seen them 2-3 times a year. One time i hitchhiked to a bus of skinheads, but they were friendly. You can have problems in Russia, but other countries are more safer than London. Also if you are in little town, then don´t mind if people are looking you weird, they are just not used to it. Most of languages you need in here are English and Russian

Answer 2

My husband and I traveled to Bulgaria three years ago, and I can definitely tell you that it was quite another experience from other European countries we've visited. Because we're experienced travelers, we never felt unsafe, but I'm not sure such a young teen - regardless of your skin color - should attempt such a trip until you get some more travel experience. The language barrier proved to tricky, and since it wasn't so long ago that Bulgaria was a communist state, the "service" employees (hotel clerks, police, waitresses, etc.) did not show very much interest in being helpful, patient, or kind with tourists.

Yes, there are skin-head groups in Europe, but so far they are a very small minority.

  If you're interested in travel, I would recommend that you gain some travel experience by first traveling around your own country (America, I assume). Then, as you get the money, you can try other, "calmer" European countries, like England, Austria (a BEAUTIFUL country), Ireland, etc. As far as language goes, Bulgarians speak a very odd Russian-sounding language that belongs to the "Slavic" group of languages. I think you'd have to be very, very serious about learning that language to be successful.

  I assume you live in America. If so, read the U.S. State Department's travel website, that I've provided for you. Read especially the link called "Country specific information", in order to read everything you need to know about any country you might be interested in.

Happy travels!!

Answer 3

I'm from romania and i can honestly tell you if you decide to come here you will have no problem. in the city i live in there are black people that come here to study, and no one has anything against them at all. we definitely don't hate black people or anything, not at all. and as for skinheads, personally, i don't know any and i've never heard of any living here. romanians are very religious people and we really aren't violent or anything.

what you're talking about is ukraine, i saw that on tv too and it really scared me, but don't worry, i've never seen or heard about anything like that happen here or bulgaria for that matter, about the rest, i really don't know.

as for the language you should try to learn, if you know english you'll be fine, most people speak at least a little english, in the cities that is. there is no common language really, every country has a different one, maybe russian, but i personally wouldn't advise you to go there...

oh and, since not many black people live here, expect people to stare at you, but not as an offence or anything like that, it's just not something you see everyday