Is Belgium Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Belgium is generally a safe country to travel for solo female travelers. Violent crime is low, however, like every other place in the world, it's always wise to stay cautious and vigilant, especially during night hours or when visiting isolated areas. As a solo female traveler, it is recommended to keep in touch with family, avoid sharing specifics about accommodation and travel, and follow travel advisories. Also, be aware of pickpocketing in busy tourist areas or public transport.

Safety rating

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How safe is Belgium?

Safety at night:

Safety at night:Safe

Belgium, overall, is considered quite safe for solo female travelers even at night. The well-lit urban areas, like Brussels and Antwerp, have plenty of people around which will significantly reduce the risk. However, it is always advisable to stay vigilant and avoid less populated or poorly lit areas. Use your discretion in more rural regions where it can be more isolated. Public transportation or taxis are widely available and reliable. It is always wise to let someone else know your whereabouts, especially when traveling alone.
Public transportation:

Public transportation:Safe

Public transportation in Belgium, including buses, trains, and trams, is generally safe, efficient, and reliable. Passengers are typically respectful, and it's quite commonplace for solo female travelers to use these transportation systems. However, just like any other place in the world, you should always remain aware of your belongings and surroundings to avoid petty theft. Occasional delays may occur, but timetables are typically adhered to.
Street harassment:

Street harassment:Low

Belgium is generally considered to be quite safe for solo female travelers. Street harassment, while not completely absent, is not highly prominent either. Respect for personal space is significant amongst Belgians. However, just like any other city, occasional cat-calling in crowded or touristy areas might occur. But overall, most encounters are likely to be polite and non-threatening.
Petty crimes:

Petty crimes:Low

Belgium generally boasts a low rate of petty crimes such as pickpocketing and purse snatching, especially when compared to other European countries. These types of crimes usually happen in crowded places like public transportation, main tourist attractions, and major events. However, by taking some basic precautions such as keeping an eye on your belongings and avoiding isolated places at night, such risks can be mitigated. Travellers are advised to be vigilant especially in larger cities like Brussels and Antwerp.

Is Belgium worth visiting?

Overall rating

4.7 /5

based on 96 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.5/5

Safety

4.7/5

Food

4.4/5

Budget-friendly

3.4/5
Julia

Julia

Netherlands

Ghent, Solo travel

I went to Ghent for 3 days and stayed at the Upplink hostel. It was a great experience because the hostel has a lot of young people, it is in a perfect location and very well organized. The hostel staff were very friendly and gave me a city tour. The city is very beautiful and easy to get around because all the attractions are close by. The castle is definitely worth a visit. Try the Ghent Noses. The restaurants are expensive, and for a solo traveler with a very small salary, I think it is worth buying a sandwich at Carrefour for lunch 🤣

Posted: May 8, 2025
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Reilly

Reilly

United States

Bruges, Group travel

This was my first time in Belgium! I LOVED IT!!! Brugge is so pretty and everyone is very friendly!! Some things me and my friends did: - a canal boat tour (definetely worth it even if you aren’t into touristy stuff- the views of the nature and houses are so amazing from the canals) - beer flight tasting in the main square area - ate a lot of French fries and drank a lot of beer!! I also love finding record stores in Europe and Brugge had a few good ones! Safety: 10/10 during the day (I wasn’t there at night) everyone was so nice and friendly

Posted: May 6, 2025
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Anli

Anli

Netherlands

Liège, Solo travel

I did not feel too safe there. The city is quite grey. But i do recommend going to the very very high staircase, climbing to the top and taking in the view. That was beautiful. I can also reccommend taking the trains, they were good and i felt safe.

Posted: May 4, 2025Experienced: March, 2025
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Srijita

Srijita

France

Bruges, Solo travel

I went to visit Brugge from Lille in February 2025 for a day. I fell in love with the town. It is straight out of a fairytale. I am not the biggest fan of solo travelling either, but i genuine loved roaming around by myself in this small but breathtaking town by myself. Going from one end to the other will not take you more than 30-40mins on foot. And every corner of it is so picturesque. You might also meet some amazing people, like the belgian painter i met who gave me a souvenir for free or the local sellers who were selling hand crafted jewelry from recycled products and gosh they looked so beautiful that I had to buy one!

Posted: May 1, 2025Experienced: January, 2025
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Sara

Sara

Italy

Brussels, Solo travel

Brussels is an amazing city, so lively full of different culture and people. Everyone speaks English but the avarege life is pretty expensive especially the food. I will suggest to visit the Art Noveau houses and the gardens (there are many and all amazing). It's actually a pretty safe city but still be careful walking alone at night.

Posted: April 29, 2025Experienced: March, 2025
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Bruges, Couple travel

Bruges is an incredibly beautiful city; we have often felt very comfortable there. It's easy to park in the underground parking garages. Waffles from chefz Albert are a must. Just like the ice cream from Freds. Also, feel free to check out the market and drive to the sea in Bredene in the evening to see the sunset.

Posted: April 29, 2025Experienced: June, 2024
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Alexa

Alexa

Latvia

Brussels, Solo travel

I visited Brussels recently and overall had a good experience. I felt mostly safe during the day, but in the evenings, I noticed a lot of groups of men walking around the city center, which made me feel a bit uncomfortable as a solo female traveler. That being said, the city itself is beautiful, full of historic architecture and great museums. I highly recommend visiting Grand Place, Atomium, and trying the local waffles and fries—they’re amazing. If you’re planning a short trip, 2–3 days are enough to cover the main sights. I’d suggest avoiding late evening walks alone, especially in less busy areas.

Posted: April 24, 2025
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Dilara

Dilara

Turkey

Brussels, Group travel

In the center, I felt safer but even near the center in the night I did not feel safe. I spent 70€ more than I expected there, including the shuttle from airport to center, 20€ each. Waffle was great in Maison dandoy but it was not cheap, and I don’t recommend the waffle factory although it is a cheaper place, it didn’t fulfill my expectations and taste and texture wasn’t good. We were not sure whether to go to Magritte Museum, but we end up loving it and spent 2.5 hours there. If you’re into art, %100 recommend.

Posted: April 17, 2025
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Belgium, Group travel

I love belgium its fun to go around and see different countries. I love the belgian waffles and the nature that it preserves. But the wearher wasnt much of my prefered ones. You never know when şta goşng to rain

Posted: April 17, 2025Experienced: April, 2025
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Lucia

Lucia

France

Ghent, Group travel

Even though it was a one-day trip, we tasted delicious beers, frites and hamburgers. The architecture of the city is magical and I assure you one day is enough to visit Ghent, we were 4 girls and we never felt insecure, nor rushed. One of the best quick trips to do!

Posted: April 6, 2025Experienced: September, 2024
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Is Belgium safe for women?

Safety index

4 /5

Based on 147 local experiences

Crime index

2.3 /5

Based on 147 local experiences

Brussels

Here is a place where you don't have much to worry about, but everyone should be careful wherever they go. It's safe in Belgium, but it depends on where you want to explore in the city. There were a few attacks, but not targeting civilians—only gangs. Drugs were involved, and so on.

Posted: May 7, 2025
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aster

aster

Leuven

Leuven is a university city, so there are a lot of students and night life is pretty big. Leuven is pretty small. I generally feel very safe in my city, and if anything happens, I know most strangers would be happy to help. I do feel a little unsafe when I am alone outside at night, but I think that’s also because I am very scared of being sexually harassed in general, not because Leuven is unsafe. I get catcalled once in a while, but i never experienced anything worse than that in my city.

Posted: May 4, 2025
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Safety in Belgium