Is Ghent Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Ghent is generally a safe city to visit, even for solo female travelers. The crime rate is low, and most visits are trouble-free. It's a friendly place where locals are often willing to help tourists in need. It is always advisable, however, to take some basic precautions like avoiding less crowded areas late at night and keeping your personal belongings secure at all times.

Safety rating

4.6 /5

Based on 6 experiences

4.5 /5

Based on research and crime data

Safety overview

Safety at night:Safe

Ghent is generally a safe city, even at night. It is well lit and often bustling with all the students who live there. Public transportation ceases around midnight but taxis are readily available. Like anywhere else, it's suggested to avoid dimly-lit and less populated areas and always be mindful of your surroundings. Keep an eye on your belongings and avoid displaying expensive items, as pickpocketing can occur in crowded areas. As a solo female traveler, you should feel quite safe for most of your excursions, however, always trust your intuition.

Public transportation: Safe

Public transportation in Ghent is quite reliable and generally safe. City trams and buses are efficient and conveniently mapped. Nonetheless, it's advisable to stay vigilant, especially at night, and always be aware of your belongings. Traveling during peak hours ensures more company which can also add an additional sense of security.

Street harassment: Very low

Ghent is known for its peacefulness and respect towards women. Street harassment is quite rare, instances of catcalling or inappropriate behavior are not common. Most importantly, the locals are friendly, and the authorities are very responsive, which makes Ghent a safe city for solo female travelers.

Petty crimes:Low

Ghent usually exhibits low levels of petty crime. Most of the incidents include pickpocketing or purse snatching, particularly in crowded areas and tourist hotspots. It's always important to keep an eye on your valuables, but generally, the city is considered quite safe.

Tap water:Very safe

The tap water in Ghent, is of excellent quality and completely safe to drink. It is highly regulated and tested frequently, ensuring it meets high standards. So, whether you are refilling your water bottle or using water from the tap for cooking, it's safe and reliable.

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Travel experiences

Overall rating

4.6 /5

based on 6 experiences

Rating summary

Things to do

4.6/5

Safety

4.6/5

Food

4.6/5

Budget-friendly

2.6/5

Solo travel experience

Ghent is an amazing city to go to as a woman. It's very safe, many cool things to do and very open-minded. You can easily walk alone at night and ask for help in any bar or club if you are feeling unsafe. The prices are a bit high, but you can find some nice budget places such as Panos or other chains.

Posted: August 15, 2023Experienced: June, 2023
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 5/5
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Solo travel experience

Things to do: - Walk into historic centre - Wandering around (St Michaels Bridge, Patershol, Gravensteen Castle, Graslei, Korenlei) - Riverside lunch at Delerium Bruges - Wandering around historic centre (The Markt and Belfry, Burg Square and City Hall, Rozenhoedkaai) - Climb the Belfry for a lovely view - Canal boat ride (gorgeous!) - Shopping

Posted: November 5, 2022
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 3/5Safety: 5/5
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Solo travel experience

Things to do: - Cross St. Michael’s Bridge - Take a walk on Graslei and Korenlei - Take a canal tour - Visit the Gravensteen Castle - Climb the Belfry Tower Safety: Ghent is very safe city. Nothing to worry about. Recommendations: Ghent is a cool city and definitely worth a visit! I highly recommend a day trip there.

Posted: September 16, 2022
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 3/5Safety: 5/5
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Solo travel experience

Things to do: - Take a boat tour - Visit the Castle of the Counts - Visit the Belfry - Visit the Graffiti Street Safety: It's as safe as it gets in Europe. Recommendations: Ghent is cool, spent the day walking around.

Posted: September 9, 2022
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 3/5Safety: 5/5
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Solo travel experience

Things to do: - Gravensteen - Saint Bavo's Cathedral - SMAK - Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art - Museum voor Schone Kunsten - Saint Nicholas' Church - Design Museum Gent - Graslei - STAM - Ghent City Museum - St Michael's Bridge Safety: Ghent is a great place to visit and it's about as safe as it gets in Europe. Recommendations: Ghent is also a lovely city and can also be done as a day trip.

Posted: September 2, 2022
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 3/5Safety: 5/5
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Local experiences

Ghent is a really nice place! Many open minded people, one of the bigger cities in Belgium although much smaller compared to Brussels or Antwerp. It's full of modern and authentic coffee bars, lot's of places to eat where no one looks at you when you sit alone. Beautiful sight seeings, nice streets and historical buildings, alternative neighbourhoods and more common stores as well. Green and less busier areas not far from the city centre. It really has everything to offer for a small getaway as well for a solo trip.

Posted: November 4, 2022
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Meet locals in Ghent

Haike

Haike

Speaking

About Me

Hey!, My name is Haike and I'm interested in animals, art, backpacking, cinema, dancing, diving, food & cuisine, hiking, languages, nature, shopping, sunbathing, books and events & social

Countries I’ve Visited

🇦🇺 Australia, 🇦🇹 Austria, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇰🇭 Cambodia, 🇨🇦 Canada, 🇨🇱 Chile, 🇨🇳 China, 🇭🇷 Croatia, 🇨🇿 Czech Republic, 🇩🇰 Denmark, 🇫🇮 Finland, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇭🇰 Hong Kong, 🇮🇩 Indonesia, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇯🇵 Japan, 🇰🇪 Kenya, 🇱🇦 Laos, 🇱🇻 Latvia, 🇲🇾 Malaysia, 🇲🇴 Macao, 🇲🇻 Maldives, 🇲🇽 Mexico, 🇳🇱 Netherlands, 🇳🇿 New Zealand, 🇳🇴 Norway, 🇵🇭 Philippines, 🇵🇹 Portugal, 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇷🇴 Romania, 🇷🇼 Rwanda, 🇸🇬 Singapore, 🇰🇷 South Korea, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka, 🇸🇪 Sweden, 🇨🇭 Switzerland, 🇹🇼 Taiwan, 🇹🇭 Thailand, 🇹🇿 Tanzania, 🇹🇷 Turkey, 🇺🇸 United States, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇻🇦 Vatican City, 🇻🇳 Vietnam

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Hannelore

Hannelore

Speaking

About Me

Hi! My name is Hannelore, 22 yo. I'm a creative, calm, open-minded, analytical and sensitive person. I'm a bit of an extroverted introvert: I love spending time with people, having fun together and connecting and on the other hand I take some time to open up and enjoy time alone. I also love doing my own thing while having people around in the same room. I'm passionate about psychology and philosophy, so these are the subjects I study. Next to my studies, I play theatre. I love the process of creating something together and I love expressing raw emotions on stage. In the rest of my time, I like reading books, watching shows, doing yoga, thrifting, sewing, participating in activism, spening time with friends or in nature and going to the occasional party. I'm not much of a traveler because I really love the comfort and cozyness of my own home. However, when I do travel every now and then, I like how it expands my horizon and I discover new things about the world and about myself. I'm not on this app because I'm traveling though. I'm coming to Utrecht to study, via the exchange programme, and haven't found a room yet :')

Countries I’ve Visited

🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇨🇿 Czech Republic, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇱🇺 Luxembourg, 🇳🇱 Netherlands, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇨🇭 Switzerland, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

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Lauranne

Lauranne

Speaking

About Me

Hi!, I'm Lauranne and I live in Ghent

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Stay with locals in Ghent

Sarah

Sarah

You can stay for:

3 days

About me

Hi, I am Sarah, living in Belgium, working in Marketing & Communication and having a passion for discovering foreign cuisines, taking care of animals and having fun with friends & family :-)

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Maartje

Maartje

Speaking

You can stay for:

3 days

About me

Hi, i am Maartje! Fulltime coffeeaddict, bookaddict and catlover!(although i don't mind dogs neither). Soon i'll travel to Australia, so i hope to meet up some people over there!

Countries I’ve Visited

🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇨🇳 China, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇬🇹 Guatemala, 🇮🇳 India, 🇮🇪 Ireland, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇱🇺 Luxembourg, 🇳🇵 Nepal, 🇳🇱 Netherlands, 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇵🇹 Portugal, 🇶🇦 Qatar, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇨🇭 Switzerland, 🇹🇷 Turkey, 🇺🇬 Uganda

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Samina

Samina

Speaking

You can stay for:

3 days

About me

Heyhey i like solo traveling and meeting people traveling. I like adventure but i’m not that good in planning, witch makes it adventurous all by itself. I live to talk and dance and I get really fascinated by watching people. I study performance and have a large interest feeld.

Countries I’ve Visited

🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇭🇷 Croatia, 🇨🇿 Czech Republic, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇱🇺 Luxembourg, 🇳🇱 Netherlands, 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇸🇮 Slovenia, 🇸🇰 Slovakia, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇨🇭 Switzerland, 🇵🇹 Portugal

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Safety in Belgium