As a woman in a same-sex relationship, safety is something I need to heavily consider when choosing where I travel, and I am not alone in this. According to a survey conducted at CoStar, 80% of women consider the risk of sexual assault/harassment when planning a trip - a fact that may be difficult for many men to believe, but as women it is our harsh reality. I want all women to feel confident traveling without having to be concerned for their safety. That is why I want to give you a list of places where you can travel alone or with other women without a shout of a doubt.
Berlin is a super cool place to visit for a lot of reasons. Coming from the USA, I found it very different from any of the cities I was used to because the buildings were so spaced out, there were lots of small hidden parks, it wasn't crowded with tourists at all (at least when I went in June 2019), and there were SO many people on bikes. There is also a ton of history, yet so many modern touches! Berlin is a very LGBTQIA+ friendly destination as well: they showed massive support in a variety of ways all around the city ranging from their advertisements to their street art. In my personal experience, it felt like the people who lived there were very focused on doing their own thing (rather than associating with others), and that may be one of the main reasons it felt so safe. No one ever tried to talk to us or even get near us virtually the whole time we were there; we only asked other tourists for pictures and they were always kind. I would definitely recommend making a stop in Berlin on your next Europe trip! See my personal trip details on Ravel Trips.
Now I have so many positive things to say about Split and Šolta (an island right off of Split) so buckle up. I stayed on the island of Šolta with my girlfriend for just over a month in October/November of 2020 and have never felt safer anywhere in my life. That might sound like an exaggeration, but it’s not. Šolta is a pretty small island (you could drive the length of it in 30 minutes) and so pretty much everyone who lives there knows each other. We stayed in an Airbnb owned by a lovely couple (Danijela and Mario) who helped us with everything we needed and became great friends of ours. Since we were basically the only tourists on the island, everyone knew about us. The residents were all so warm hearted, and when we didn’t have a car, people offered us rides all the time. That sounds super sketchy, but once you visit the island you’ll understand how trustworthy everyone is! Split is a lot more populated so I wouldn’t have accepted rides from strangers there, but we spent nights walking around/getting drinks and never felt uncomfortable! Basically everyone in Split spoke English too which is always a bonus. Check out a shortened version of my Šolta trip on the Ravel Trips app!
If you love cute coastal towns, Málaga should definitely be on your bucket list. I’ve been to Málaga three times now - and that says a whole lot because normally I like to visit somewhere new when I travel - but I just love it so much I can’t stay away. To sum it up, the city can be split into two parts. Half of it is right on the water and can best be described as a glamorous port with restaurants, shops/little pop-up markets, live music, and a rental center for all different kinds of bikes and things with wheels. At the end, you’ll find a nice sized beach where you can relax and get your tan on. The other half of Málaga is set up more like most European cities with shops and restaurants along cobblestone streets. They have some really awesome churches/monuments dispersed throughout the city and an amazing selection of dining options. When I visit, I can walk around at any time of the day or night and feel completely safe! Everyone is very friendly and pretty much everyone speaks English since they get a lot of British tourists. We typically stayed in apartments, which were very reasonably priced and super spacious. If you haven’t already visited Málaga, what are you waiting for? Plan a trip!
