Is Cologne Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Solo travel

For me it was a little difficult, sometimes I felt alone and had no one to go out with, there aren't that many things to do and they don't have festivals or as much street music as I expected there would be, the people are friendly but they don't make much of an effort to include you, unfortunately the first day I arrived I had a very persistent experience in terms of xenophobia but nothing went wrong.

Solo travel

I felt safe. You can see the churches around, there are 12 of them. It's nice to see the botanical garden, grab some Kölsch and stroll around the river. I stayed at Novo Hotel. I walked mostly on foot but it's easier if you rent a bike or go by bus.

Solo travel

It was my first time doing a solo trip. I felt pretty safe considering the fact that the city itself has free wifi and you can find an english speaker everywhere in the city. The only thing that out me off was the food options. Maybe I couldn't find something good but everything was pretty bland, especially after trying amazing food all around in my Paris trip.

Solo travel

my experience cologne was really nice, i went for the concert there, and felt quite safe throughout the day, though maybe not as much during the night time. the transportation was okay, though there were some problems with bus, which made me amost miss my train

Solo travel

I felt really safe in Cologne, maybe because I travel in the day time :) But overall it's very lively in the city, there lots of people, lots of events going on, lots of cafes, especially with ice cream

Solo travel

Yes, it was a nice experience. I lived in Bonn, but I used to travel to Cologne. It was for a trip, and I visited the harbor bridge. It was already quite nice and had a lot of restaurants that matched my taste, so I very much loved the food. I really liked it, and I look forward to visiting it again officially. It was an unplanned trip because it was due to business. I had one more day, which I used to explore Cologne.

Solo travel

I had a good time in Cologne with a lot of vegan food and nice people. The restaurant Zarathustra was really great experience and I would recommend it to everyone who visits the city. They also have a place which sells vegan spaghetti ice cream which is want to try the next time staying there.

Family travel

I went to Cologne during Christmas with my best friend and her dad, I had the best time! I felt completely safe at all times (even when we were walking during the night, I started feeling scared because it was getting dark but everyone was minding their own business) Definitely go inside the Cathedral and climb the stairs, though it is a bit tiring to do so, it's so worth it once you see the view of all of Cologne!! I stayed in the Novum Hotel Mariella Airport and it was pretty nice, the breakfast was delicious, it wasn't so expensive, the only con is that they didn't clean my room during my whole stay, but overall it's a great hotel. It is a few minutes away from the Köln Porz Markt station. I got around the city through public transportation, it is real easy to use and economical (you can buy a 24 - 72 hr pass I believe).

Solo travel

I was travelling for work and I was hosted in a teacher’s house which was a very interesting experience since I got to exchange views about art and education. The city although not too big I think it has a great public transportation and a lot of cultural events going on. Not too expensive and very calm!

Solo travel

Cologne was one of my favourite cities that I’ve visited so far in Germany. Not only was it extremely safe, but the architecture and food scene was out of this world. I had great kölsch and the best schnitzel I’ve ever had in my life there. Furthermore, as a Catholic, the church in front of the train station is a must see.

It's overall safe and the people are nice. It depends on who you are around and also the context, sometimes I don't feel secure as a women alone in the dark, but it is all relatively safe depending on your context. BIPOC Women & Muslim women with hijab will have different experiences for sure!

I think Cologne is, all in all, a safe city. I wouldn't worry that much, than usual, during the day or in central areas like the Altstadt and around the cathedral. There are usually plenty of people around, and public transport feels secure, even though they've got some big problems with punctuality. There are some areas where it’s smart to be a bit more cautious, particularly at night, but there's a noticeable police presence—especially during festivals—which helps with crowd control and safety. I would say that the police are generally trustworthy.