The 15 safest cities for when you want to travel alone (or with friends)

Traveling alone: not every woman dares to do it, but she should be able to do it at least once. I say able, because it is far from safe enough for women to travel solo everywhere. If cycling through Amsterdam alone at night is sometimes too scary to do, then we are not surprised at all.

Did you know that 73 percent of women worry about their safety while traveling? Holidu investigated which destinations are considered the safest for women. They do this based on street safety, crime levels, cultural attitudes, and the costs of solo travel per city and country. Because that destination definitely matters. And even though women should be able to travel everywhere without worries and feelings of insecurity, it's a small start. So don't get too fixated on this list, because common sense is much more important, but use it for inspiration. It's nice to know what the safest cities in Europe, Asia, and the world are.

1. Montreal – Canada

In the second city of Canada, you almost feel like you're in Paris, so many French influences the city has. The destination scores particularly high on the point of walking alone on the streets at night. Nice, because the city is bursting with restaurants and bars where you want to hang out until the late hours.

2. Colombo – Sri Lanka

If there is one continent that calls for a visit, it is of course Asia. Unfortunately, not all countries and cities feel equally safe. Colombo in Sri Lanka makes up for this to a large extent, as 77 percent of solo traveling women still feel safe there after sunset. A nice bonus is that taxis are very affordable.

3. Ljubljana – Slovenia

At the top of the safest cities in Europe is the Slovenian city of Ljubljana. This is mainly because violence against women is more than 10 percent below the average. The nice thing is that the city is very suitable for a city trip. The cozy terraces stretch along the banks of the Ljubljanica river and there is an almost Mediterranean vibe.

4. Ottawa – Canada

Back to Canada two (!) more times in this top five. Ottawa is the capital of the country and has what a capital should have: art, culture, architecture, and a lot of coziness. A great pit stop on a road trip. The city scores extremely low when it comes to women who have experienced violence.

5. Edmonton – Canada

Holidu concludes the top five with another Canadian addition: Edmonton. Unfortunately, there is a catch with the Edmonton grass, as the rise in violence in general has been quite significant in recent years. Although it is still a safe option for women, you might want to skip this one.

Besides Canada, Austria also adds quite a few cities to the ranking of Holidu. Cities like Vienna and Salzburg are present, but don't overlook Zagreb in Croatia.

6. Vienna – Austria

7. Linz – Austria

8. Łódź – Poland

9. Calgary – Canada

10. Zagreb – Croatia

11. Vancouver – Canada

12. Jakarta – Indonesia

13. Salzburg – Austria

14. Graz – Austria

15. Doha – Qatar

Note: the current situation in the world can directly affect safety in a city or country. Always keep a close eye on this.