Is Bologna safe for solo female travelers?

Bologna is generally a safe city for solo female travelers. The residents are friendly and respectful which provides a welcoming environment. However, like any city, it's important to take precautions, especially at night. Keep an eye on your belongings, as pickpocketing can occur, particularly in busy tourist areas. Public transport is reliable and safe to use. If you practice common sense and stay aware of your surroundings, you'll likely have a wonderful experience in Bologna.

Safety rating

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How safe is Bologna for female travelers?

Travel safety index

3.9 /5

based on 12 experiences from female travelers

Family travel

I recommend visiting Bologna, but not for more than 3 days. The city is nice, but it doesn’t have the unique atmosphere of other charming Italian towns. Prices are reasonable, and all the must-see spots are within walking distance. You can also take a direct fast train to Venice for a day trip — I highly recommend that. I felt safe in the city, so it’s a good option for a weekend trip

Posted: June 25, 2025
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Deniz

Deniz

Belgium

Group travel

We stayed for one week and it was very nice because it was very safe. It’s a very tiny place so you can actually go from a point to another point very fast. We used taxis to go to our hotel and it was very safe. We used it when when it was night. I think the only thing is that people don’t really speak English and I think if you are a Muslim, it will also be hard because they mostly sell pork and sometimes it’s hard to find something halal. But the people are nice and everywhere you go is like a place that you can take a photo of it’s very pretty and I think if you search for somewhere that is calm and somewhere that you can be alone travelling it’s a perfect place.

Posted: May 30, 2025
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Lois

Lois

United Kingdom

Solo travel

I feel like I can't do the city full justice as I was too ill to explore my first day here, but I would say it's probably better as a regional base to explore than a full destination in itself. It has impressive food, culture, history and street art, but definitely felt a bit rough around the edges. Whilst I never had any bad experience, I was warned not to go out in the dark and I didn't want to take the risk on my first trip. The area around the central station personally felt ungentrified and "gritty" rather than unsafe but everyone has a different comfort level and the warnings did stop me from exploring outside my hostel in the evenings so I'd reccomend it more for groups or couples than solo female travellers. I preferred my easy day trips to other cities overall.

Posted: February 7, 2025Experienced: January, 2025
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Group travel

I felt very safe in Bologna, and I had a great time. Less touristic than Florence or Rome which made it way better for experiencing the local culture and just relaxing. The local food was absolutely amazing and the Gelato as well!

Posted: July 19, 2024Experienced: April, 2024
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Group travel

I have a great splendid time in Italy, Bologna, actually I visited Bologna and cervia.it was great.and there food was top notch I had both restaurant and home cooked food pasta with some cream I'll recommend,ice cream too lol.my budget was around 800euros,I spent like almost all because of the good things around,I stay with a friend and it was nice,I visited cervia too beach around, everything about the country is grate, nice churches too, food drinks people are friendly. I can say I had a great time in Italy.

Posted: July 1, 2024Experienced: May, 2024
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How safe is Bologna for women?

Local safety index

3.4 /5

Based on 50 local experiences

Local crime index

2.6 /5

Based on 50 local experiences

Zijun

Zijun

There are truly many thieves in Italy but bologna is an exception cuz it’s a city full of students from all of the world. So most of the citizens here is nice. But it’s always better to be careful, especially near the central station and via Zamboni.

Posted: September 18, 2025
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I've been living in Bologna for two years and, at 35 years old, I can say that the city center gives me a sense of safety. I often go out for dinner or a drink with friends and sometimes return home around two in the morning, never having had any unpleasant incidents. The main streets remain fairly lively until late on the weekends: students, tourists, couples, groups of friends fill the squares and arcades, and this constant movement contributes to making the environment feel protected. The presence of cafes, restaurants, and bars guarantees that there is always someone around, while the warm lights under the arcades make walks pleasant and never desolate. I have never felt any real danger. For this reason, I feel I can say that the center of Bologna, in my daily experience, is safe and welcoming even late at night. I can't say the same with certainty for more peripheral areas, because I don't frequent them regularly, but the heart of the city remains a peaceful place for me.

Posted: September 18, 2025
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Alina

Alina

There are some places that are a bit dangerous, specially after dark but overall it is a very safe and lively city. Because of the university, there is a lot a young people and a lot of cultural activities.

Posted: August 31, 2025
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Bologna is a welcoming and friendly city, you can talk to everyone and even make bonding conversations and experiences! You should be cautious in the area next to the train and bus station and trust your intuition in your visit The most turistic areas are still very safe and if you are in danger you can ask for help to everyone around Anyway it's my second year in Bologna and nothing bad ever happened to me or my friends besides being catcalled which is pretty common in Italy

Posted: August 9, 2025
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Cristiana

Cristiana

Bologna could be a safe place in winter during the day and in summer during the day and night becouse there are many people around. I’m talking about the life in city centre. Police’s job is inefficient and this is the bigger reason than don’t permits me to feel in safe.

Posted: August 3, 2025
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Safety in Italy