How safe is it to travel through Europe alone?

Question

Ok, here's the deal, I just graduated high school and my college plans are in the process of failing me. I want to work har, save up money and take a very LONG trip through Europe probably by myself (unless I can find a travel partner). Is there anyone who has done this and is willing to give advice. I really feel strongly about going. I went last summer with my mom, but I need to go again. Any friendly advice is appreciated. Thank you!!! Peace.

Answer 1

I wish you the best of luck cause you will need it!

Answer 2

It is very safe to travel in Europe alone - I've done it many times, and met huge numbers of other travelers who have traveled alone.  If you are traveling alone and decide that you want to travel with people, it is easy to meet other travelers in youth hostels and on trains to travel with.

Violent crime against tourists is almost non-existent in Europe.  The only real crime problems are pickpocketing and bag snatching.  If you wear a money belt, you reduce the chance of theft by 90%.

Answer 3

It depends which European countries you plan on going to.

Answer 4

Your best bet is to try EFcollegebreak.com

You can be alone but there's also a big group of college students from around the country so you can make friends and be safe. Although, you'll find that the prices here are REALLY good so you can probably find a travel partner in one of your friends.

They give you so many different options to choose from (11 days in Greece, 30 days in 9 different countries, 10 days in Italy, 12 days in London, Paris, and Rome, New Year's Eve in Amsterdam, ETC...) and the prices are guaranteed the LOWEST PRICES for college students to travel. They plan everything for you, from the flight, to travel logistics (all hotels, train rides, boat rides, etc....trust me, this is a HUUGE pain in the *** to plan, and the fact that they're doing it for you is so awesome.) and major attractions. These are all included in the price....so you just have to worry about bringing spending money.

Something cool about them is that they also let you do a payment plan, so you don't have to worry about paying a huge sum of money up front.

They also give you tons of free time in every city (unlike other guided tours), recommending great night clubs and pubs.

I know in the 35 day Ultimate Europe tour, when you stay in Corfu Island, Greece, you get the option of touring the beautiful island on a booze cruise with other college students haha =]

If you choose to book with them, there is a campus manager discount code you  can use to get an EXTRA $50-$250 off your trips. The code is Tiu9005.

I wish you the best of luck in traveling! it'll change your life and you won't ever forget it! Please email me if you have any other questions about my travels or about the company!

xoxo

Answer 5

Most people wait until college to do this sort of thing. I had two friends who did it together and they were fine (2 single females). They didn't run into any problems and stayed at hostels the entire trip. I'd definitely try to find a travel buddy. Hostels I've stayed at in Europe are quite safe and you get to meet a lot of interesting people. Since you've been to Europe before, you at least have a bit of background experience. How long is a LONG trip? Would people consider you a responsible person? I'd wait until you've earned the money to go before you start getting too caught up in your plans. It's great to think ahead, but you should be realistic as well. One thing that might help convince your mom is finding ways that you could use this trip as a "gap year" to improve your applications to colleges later on (in a year, for instance). That would also help give structure to your trip.

Answer 6

Yeah you don't have to worry about travelling in Europe at all, it is a great place to go travelling. If you are going to be moving between many countries you should look into getting an inter rail pass. They will save you lots of money!!!

Just as a side note, if you're American, I wouldn't broadcast it... you won't get any trouble, but some European people aren't too fond of Americans.

Also, in many countries you will find it hard to travel if you don't know how to speak any of the language (which is one of the hardest things about travelling around Europe) - I would recommend learning at least the basics of the language of any country you intend to visit. This is especially true of southern Europe, not so true in western and northern Europe, where English is very common. (That's just my experience)

Answer 7

My sister is doing it right now.  She is a little bit older than you (24), and she has had no problems.  She's already been there four weeks, and is having a great time.  She stays in hostels, has met a lot of people, and just carries her backpack.  She downloads pictures and sends them to us almost every day from Internet cafes that she comes across as she travels.  Sometimes she'll have a travel partner for a few days or while in a certain city, but mostly she takes off.  She has been in Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia, and still has three weeks to go.  If you are that adventurous, do it.