‘The ideal is to feel at home anywhere, everywhere’ -Geoff Dyer
Sounds exciting to be a solo traveler exploring places alone but for a woman this wanderlust comes with a baggage of concerns and precariousness. Having shifted to Germany as a student and venturing out to explore Europe I have experienced the contrast between carefree walks in streets of Berlin and avigilant scurrying back to my Nainital hotel. There are risks and threats while travelling in any part of the world, instances of sexual harassment or theft can take place anywhere. However, being an Indian travelling in Europe I felt it was easier to travel in European cities with a lot more freedom. Cultural differences could also be part of why travelling alone in India draws so much flak, inviting advise, cautions and warnings from friends and family. Increasingly Indian women are venturing out alone to adventurous destinations even though locations for solo backpacking in India is limited because of access and safety concerns. One cannot ignore the fact that spaces in India are more prone to crime and probability of attack to personal security and safety is high.
A distinct feature of the European Union is that it offers great connectivity across cities and the hostel culture takes care of the accommodation. Maps are easy to use and most of the popular cities are equipped with tourist information centres which can be easily spotted unlike in India where I do not find them strategically located. You can be out at night any hour alone as thepublic transport system are excellent with security systems and better infrastructure. All it needs is to trust your instincts, be aware and use your common sense and you are good to go. A budget trip is also possible with some pre-planning particularly for students.
As first timers it is preferable to begin with popular cities where the locals are also used to seeing multi-cultural combination of visitors. Cities like Rotterdam, Munich, Brussels, Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Stockholm, Vienna, Budapest and Prague are well frequented by young crowd and solo travelers. Once you hit the streets you are on your own, researching sites, printing maps, exchanging currency and more importantly making international friends.Once you get a hang of it you can go off-roading to smaller towns like Bruges in Belgium, Mastrict and Leiden in Holland, Hallstatt (Austria), Pucisca (Croatia), Manarola, (Italy) being a few of them. With some safety measures, use of common sense and awareness you can navigate and explore the nook and corner of these cities which you probably never dared to explore back in your Indian home town. As an afterthought I wish public spaces in India become safer and less vulnerable for woman.Indian cities and towns need to implement the concept of night busses which ensure smooth transitioning from door to door connectivityFor this we need efficient public transport, well lit-up streets and more importantly, more women taking to the public spaces.

Sneha Sharma
Germany