Will my daughter be safe traveling alone in Europe?
 

I am the father of a 26 year old daughter who has completed her master's degree and wants to tour Europe before she starts her job. She has paid for a tour to go as a group with other college students to see the world. She has decided to go to Amsterdam, Paris and Prague by herself for one week and then meet up with the rest of the tour in Italy and Greece. She will be spending One Week by herself alone where she will fly into Amsterdam from the United States and then go to Paris and then to Prague. As her father I am extremely worried about her being alone in foreign countries. I hope that someone on this site can give me some insight about whether or not my daughter will be safe. Do I need to worry about her being in these three cities alone. Is there any advice that I should give her? Thank you for any information you can give me to calm my worries.

She'll be fine as long as she's sensible: stay in decent hotel in decent neighborhood, take precautions such as locking doors and watching for pickpockets, don't get drunk, use caution alone at night, etc.

Europe is generally safer than the USA.

Those cities are safer than American cities of similar size. They're full of people her age having a blast.
Dad, the biggest danger is you getting a phone call from her saying she's decided to cash in her return ticket and stay in Europe. :)

You are a bigger danger to your daughter than any of the cities she is traveling to! She's 26 and you're treating her like she's 16 or younger? :confused:
As others have noted, she is safer in Europe than in many US cities. I suggest you find some other things to worry about and let your daughter breathe and enjoy herself.

As the mom of a 24 year old son and a 28 year old daughter (who have both been traveling independently for years), I totally understand your trepidation. It sounds as if you've raised a very responsible daughter. She has a Master's Degree and is spending part of her vacation with a tour group. Now it's time to let her go and be an adult woman because that's exactly what she is. You can do it, dad!

She is a 26 year old woman, not an underage girl.

She will be as safe as if she were traveling to Boston alone, NYC alone, etc. It's all about common sense. I traveled alone to Europe in my early 20s and haven't stopped. :)

My 20 year old daughter just completed a semester abroad in Edinburgh. Whilst staying there she travelled all over Europe alone, stayed in youth hostel dorm rooms and went out at night. She has had the most wonderful four months.

Your daughter is a grown woman, she will have no issues at all.

+1
Here are some statistics about safety showing all the cities you mention are fine
https://www.numbeo.com/crime/rankings.jsp

Been there, did that, still alive. :)

The only thing I question is trying to cram 3 cities into one week. While Amsterdam and Paris are a relatively short train ride apart, Prague is a far distance away. I'd eliminate one of the 3, but hey, it's your daughter's trip, she's 26, so sit back and wait for the postcards.

many many many many young solo travelers, female and younger than that, visit these cities each year.

although pockets of amsterdam and paris could be a bit sketchy at the wrong time. the bigger worry - esp in paris - is pickpockets and purse snatchers.

I would not suggest the OP watch "Taken" anytime soon.

You are BAD :D:D

She's 26.

You're better off letting her go to Budapest than Baltimore.

She is more likely to give her money to beggars in Paris than to be robbed of it. I always feel so safe in Europe, but I do find the beggars to be much more aggressive than I'm used to in the States.

I don't understand the need of some to lecture you on being a worried parent. Ignore those posts, and as others have said, here's how you help her prepare.

- Treat the trip like going to any big city in the US. Don't walk alone at night, through dark alleys, etc. Walk away from strangers who come up to you on the street. All that kind of stuff.

- Drink responsibly. Crimes of opportunity are the biggest concern in Europe, and nothing presents an opportunity like a drunk person staggering down the street looking at her phone.

- The biggest threat will be pick-pockets. I've been to Europe many times and never been pick-pocketed, maybe lucky but I've been vigilant about keeping things in hard to reach pockets (inside a jacket, or similar), not flashing my wallet around, and when I can't avoid being in a crowd I'll even put my hand in my pocket on my money, credit card or whatever.

- Make sure she has a cell phone to use while she's there. You'll feel better if you know she can call you. Plus, just like here, it can help you out of jams with directions and maps.

- Remind her to take advantage of her time there. Learn a few words in the language of each place she visits (Amsterdam will be English :)). Make sure to see all the great historic sites, museums and great architecture. Sit at cafe's and watch the people. Eat at small brasseries where the locals eat. When we're young, we sometimes skip stuff to sleep in or do something silly, assuming we have our whole lives to come back. But for many, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

As for you, don't worry! She'll be perfectly safe and have a great experience!