If you are a new female solo traveler, I think one of the best place to start for your first international trip is EUROPE!! It’s still western civilization so it’s less of a cultural shock and in many countries people do speak English. It’s also filled with rich history with gorgeous backdrops!

Here are the top 5 safest countries to travel alone as a woman in Europe!

  1. Norway. Norway has an amazing landscape for every adventure. You can visit a major city like Oslo or take the train to Flam and see the Fijords or visit the Northern Lights! Even though the official language is Norwegian, most people speak some English!
  2. Sweden. Sweden is another Nordic country like Norway with beautiful mountains and an awesome city filled with gorgeous archectiure like Stockholm. I would highly recommend a trip to the adorable medieval town of Visby, as it brings you back in time. And most people speak English, so you won’t have any trouble getting around.
  3. United Kingdom. I lived in London for 3 months and traveled all around the country as a single woman! There is so much history in the UK and what’s best- all the museums in London are FREE! If you love English history the way I do, there are so many castles and palaces to visit, and you learn to truly love the meaning of Afternoon Tea! And yes, everyone speaks English!
  4. Iceland. Iceland is the safest country in the world, according to the Global Peace Index. It is a gorgeous place to visit – from the beautiful mountains to the huge waterfalls to the friendly Icelandic people – and if you go during the summer, you get 24 hours of sunlight so you have extra time to explore. Everyone in Iceland speaks English and Icelandic.
  5. Switzerland. Switzerland is known for its neutrality in foreign relations and ranked in the top 10 safest countries in the world. You don’t want to miss the Swiss Alps! Depending on the region, people may speak French, German, Italian or Romansh. When I visited Geneva, it was mostly French but as a tourist, attractions will have staff who know some basic English.

The Nordic countries are always a great place to start for solo female travelers, so places like Denmark or Finland will be great as well. They are generally very safe countries with a lot of people who can speak English.