Skip to Content

This Off The Beaten Path European Country Is One Of The Safest For Solo Female Travelers

Share The Article

Last Updated


The often overlooked country of Slovenia lies in the shadow of three neighboring European fan favorites: Croatia, Austria, and Italy. 

While its popular neighbors rake in the tourists, Slovenia remains off the beaten path, offering the most scenic and affordable stay in central Europe. 

Lake Bled Slovenia

From the cobblestone streets of Ljubljana to the sapphire waters at Lake Bled, Slovenia feels like a fantastical dream.

Featuring crystal-clear alpine lakes, breathtaking mountains, and charming medieval cities, it’s no wonder that Slovenia was chosen as the filming location for the mythical kingdom of Narnia.

What does remain a wonder is why Slovenia isn’t yet the most popular destination for solo female travelers.

For better or for worse, when we talk about solo female travel, the first question is always about safety. Luckily, Slovenia is one of the safest destinations in the world for solo female travelers. 

woman with backpack and hat

7th Safest Country In The World

Slovenia is one of the top seven safest countries in the world, according to the Global Peace Index. Slovenia even ranks above super-secure Singapore and Scandinavian favorites like Norway and Finland.

Other recent rankings list Slovenia as one of the top three safest travel destinations in the world.

Most notably, Slovenia leads the Central and Eastern European regions in Women’s Peace and Security

Top 5 Travel Insurance Plans For 2023 Starting At $10 Per Week

Easily Earn Points For Free Travel

ljubljana slovenia

Top Pick for Solo Female Travelers

According to a recent BBC report, Slovenia is the best destination for women looking for a safe solo trip. 

BBC based their rankings on: 

  • Georgetown University's Women's Peace And Security Index (WPS)
  • World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap report and the Institute for Economics and Peace Global Peace Index (PGP)
  • Interviews with women who traveled solo to the top-ranked countries

Solo female travelers who recently visited Slovenia explained to the BBC that they never felt unsafe or truly alone, whether getting lost in Ljubljana’s picturesque streets at midnight or hiking sunny alpine trails.

85% of Slovenian women feel safe walking alone at night. Slovenia also has one of the lowest rates of intimate partner violence in Europe.

slovenia alpine lake


Progressive Social Attitudes

Women traveling in Slovenia can expect a progressive environment, free from any judgment of their choice to travel alone or to pursue adventurous activities while on their trip. 

In general, Slovenian society is quite gender equal. There is next to no discrimination against women working paid jobs, with 52% of Slovenian women employed in the workforce (equal to U.S. rates in 2021).

Slovenia’s Minister for Foreign and European Affairs even recently announced a “feminist foreign policy strategy” focusing on gender equality initiatives and empowerment across Europe.

While no country is without room for improvement when it comes to structural sexism, it’s safe to say that Slovenia is a country where solo female travelers are welcome and respected.

woman hiking in slovenia

Positive Experiences

Women who have taken solo trips to Slovenia are quick to share their positive experiences with safety on social media and travel blogs. 

Travel Ladies, an app that connects solo female travelers and locals to share destination information such as safety, gives Slovenia a 5-star safety rating based on real women’s solo adventures.

Over 80% of the experience reviews for Slovenia on Travel Ladies specifically mention feeling extremely safe.

woman traveling europe solo

Solo traveler Melissa shared that she felt very safe on her recent trip to Slovenia’s capital city Ljubljana. “Throughout my trip, I had no worries or questioned my safety,” she writes. “Safety is my top concern, and I felt protected and in my comfort zone.”

Full-time traveler Katie’s experience alone in the country was similarly carefree. “I arrived in Ljubljana well past midnight in the middle of a massive rain storm,” she explains. “Since the weather was so horrible, there was no one out on the streets, and I felt completely safe walking to the hostel… I never felt in danger.”

Aerial view of Maribor in Slovenia, Europe

As the 7th safest country in the world and a top-rated pick for women, Slovenia has so much to offer on your next carefree solo trip to Europe.

↓ Elevate Your Travel↓

Sign Up Now For Travel Off Path Premium! No ads, VIP Content, Personal Travel Concierge, Huge Savings, Daily Deals, Members Forum & More!

✈️Join Our Travel Off Path Community Forum: Where travelers unite, ask questions, share experiences and even find like-minded travel buddies!


SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LATEST POSTS

Enter your email address to subscribe to Travel Off Path's latest breaking travel news, straight to your inbox.

This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com

Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.


Elisa

Sunday 14th of May 2023

Off the beaten path for americans/canadians maybe, but it's actually quite touristy and in famous places like Bled it's very crowded. It's one of my favourite countries in Europe though and yes, for solo female travelers it's definitely worth a visit.

Christen Scalfano

Thursday 18th of May 2023

Hi @Elisa, author Christen Scalfano here -- so glad you've enjoyed Slovenia as much as I did!

You're totally right that Lake Bled is an Insta-famous destination. However, I wouldn't call it crowded, or at least any more crowded than any other nature park in Europe. Beyond the low visitor statistics, I personally visited twice this spring (once around peak Easter season too) and found it very peaceful with minimal crowds.

I refer to Slovenia as off-path here not because Slovenia is less familiar to U.S. and Canadian tourists (which is also true), but because ranks below #40 among European countries for international tourist arrivals according to annual visitor statistics from The World Bank and the World Tourism Organization.

For a better idea of how few visitors this is for Europe, neighboring Italy receives 50 times that amount, and next door Croatia receives 11 times that amount.

We hope this beautiful lesser visited country gains well-deserved popularity with solo female travelers!