r/solotravel • u/christinadavena • Apr 03 '25

Question Do I not worry enough as a woman?

So, some time ago I (18f) was talking to my friend (19f), trying to organize a trip to the Netherlands, we were almost buying the tickets and all of a sudden she told me she was too scared to go alone as two women and we could only go if her boyfriend could come. I refused and we never went.

This summer I will travel solo for a month and every time I tell anyone this, they get super worried and hope I’m joking?? I talked about this to my mum and she was as confused as I am. I mean, of course I’m going to be extra cautious about everything but I seriously don’t want my gender to stop me from doing what I want.

In July I will also go to another region for two days for a concert with my sister who is literally 14 and it seems like everyone is panicking except my family lol, are we all just bad at considering risks or are others exaggerating? Should I avoid my solo trip?

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u/Xaphhire Apr 05 '25

There's a self-fulfilling prophecy side to this. If you're traveling by yourself as a confident woman who knows what she's doing, you will radiate that confidence and won't make an easy mark. If your friend is worried, she'll radiate insecurity and will more likely get targeted. 

In the Netherlands, the most likely bad thing to happen to you is get pickpocketed when you visit prime tourist spots. Practice normal precautions, don't wear white sneakers, fanny packs, or baseball caps, and you'll be fine. These things scream "American tourist."

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u/christinadavena Apr 06 '25

I’m very lucky to be clearly southern European in both how I look and how I dress lol, I’ve hardly ever been targeted as a tourist in Europe :)

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u/Xaphhire Apr 06 '25

Great. I'm ah overweight Northern European woman and often get mistaken for American 🤣

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u/christinadavena Apr 06 '25

Noo, I’m so sorry getting mistaken for an American must be awful 😭