“Are you crazy? Italy is not safe for solo travel, especially for a woman! And Naples, it’s got the mafia and pickpockets!” This is the reaction I got when my relatives learnt that I was travelling solo to Italy. Just a note, in India, we are very family oriented, so relatives have much say in the things you do.
I soon got bombarded with discouraging stories. My uncle had visited Rome with his family. Their handbags, passports and money was stolen from the hotel when they left it on the table during the buffet.
Even tourists in Italy are wary about Naples. An American lady I met on a train during my trip was shocked to know that Naples was my next destination. “I just heard that some woman there got raped! It’s not a safe place,” she said. “Have you been there?” I asked. “No”, she said with an expression saying “I never will.”
I’m sure that some stories might be true. But can this idea of Italy being unsafe be generalized?
No place in the world is completely safe.
A friend of mine was careful with her belongings in Italy after seeing signboards warning against pickpockets. But guess what, her wallet was stolen in the supposedly safe London simply because she thought London was safe.
My own pocket has been picked twice in my home city but I have yet to come across such an incident in my travels. Every place in the world will have dishonest people. It simply means that you should always be vigilant while travelling, irrespective of the place.
Always take precautions.
When you’re travelling, especially solo, you should take some precautions to avoid theft. When I travelled to Italy, I would only keep a little money in my pockets. The rest of the money and my passport I kept in
a pouch that I wore under my t-shirt. I would even sleep with the pouch on me since I mostly stayed in hostels. My pouch was thin and comfortable and I slept soundly knowing that my things are safe.
As a solo traveller, I think it’s also important to avoid areas that look unsafe and shady. I would avoid going to unknown areas after dark, because a woman, unfortunately even in the 21st century, is never completely safe. Want to see the night life of a city? Make some friends at your hostel, join a group. Maybe don’t venture out alone.
Thieves don’t always look like thieves.
Unlike movies, thieves don’t really have dirty teeth, shifty eyes and haggard clothes. They can look quite sophisticated and even trustworthy. I was approached a couple of times by such people who looked very official and legitimate, pretending to help me. .But they were out to get my money. So, trust no one and always do your research on the cost of things before you go ahead and pay for them.
Best way to be safe – Don’t look like a tourist
In Verona, my couch surfing host warned me about pickpockets in tourist places. Then, she paused for a minute and looked me up and down. “You look like you have no money. I don’t think they’ll target you,” she said. I burst out laughing. I couldn’t blame her considering that I just had a backpack and had carried only six T-shirts and three trousers for a 21 day trip. For me, utility always trumps fashion. So, my appearance made me blend in the crowd.
Don’t Let Stories Scare You
The Naples scare stories continued throughout my trip. My Korean roommate in Florence told me that she had visited Naples but had left after staying only a night. She heard so many scary stories about the place that she decided it was just too much. Although this was the fifth time I was warned about Naples’ dangers, I did not cancel. I wanted to see it for myself. I didn’t fly all the way there just to avoid visiting the place where pizza was invented! 
And guess what, I loved Naples. I was there for three days, walking around in the streets, watching random parades, hearing people shouting amicably at each other and interacting with some locals. I did take enough precautions but the place is so vibrant with energy and full of culture and friendly people. I would have regretted not visiting it.
So please, do not miss out on an opportunity to experience a place just because of some stories (unless, of course, it’s some terrorist ridden camp or a war zone).
You will always find horror stories about all countries but you shouldn’t let that hamper your plans. If we do enough research on a place, we can decide for ourselves whether it is for us.
If you are travelling solo, Europe is quite safe. You obviously, have to be vigilant and cautious but that stands true for every destination you visit. Just go ahead and explore the wonderful world out there. Just fly!