"Is It Safe For Me To Travel To India As A European Girl?" Viral Reddit Post Sparks Heated Debate
A Reddit post on Tuesday from a European woman contemplating solo travel to India has gone viral, igniting a passionate debate about safety, stereotypes, and the realities of being a solo female traveller in the country.
The post, shared under the username isabelleisback, opens with the young woman explaining that while she is currently preparing for a trip to South Korea, she is also deeply curious about visiting India, a country she describes as “completely different” and full of cultural richness. She even has her tourist visa ready.
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But the moment she brought up her India plans with friends and family, the response, she says, was overwhelmingly negative. “Every single person in my life — my boyfriend, my family, my friends — told me not to go and is strongly against it,” she wrote. “They spoke to me like I was being reckless and naive,” she added.
Her post details a mix of genuine curiosity and concern. Despite the backlash, she is still considering the trip and asked the community for honest, grounded advice, especially regarding safety and the best destinations for solo women travellers.
She also asked whether Indian cities like Gurugram or GIFT City offer a tech-forward urban experience comparable to East Asian hubs like Seoul or Tokyo.
The post quickly gained traction, drawing over 1.1k upvotes and thousands of comments, many of which struck a cautionary tone. One user bluntly replied: “Just don’t go alone!”
“Please don’t go to dodgy-as-hell places. Have some friends accompany you. It’ll be more fun and way safer,” said another.
One of the most upvoted comments came from a user named machetehands, who shared a real-life encounter involving a young European woman on a solo trip to India.
According to their account, the woman had met a man on a flight who invited her to a wedding the same evening. He promised to send friends to pick her up from her hotel. “I chatted with the men when they came to pick her up. Something didn’t sit right with me, so I called the resort they mentioned. The manager confirmed there was no event that night.”
The woman confronted the group. When the lie was exposed, the men fled the scene. Police later arrested them and reportedly found ropes, drugs, and other suspicious items in their car.
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“I shudder to think what would have happened if she got in that car,” machetehands wrote. The comment received over 600 upvotes and was hailed by others as a powerful reminder of the importance of trusting one’s instincts and staying vigilant.
Several Indian Redditors chimed in to provide nuanced perspectives. One user, PolyCouchPotato, acknowledged that safety can vary greatly across the country: “Places like Mumbai and Goa are reasonably safe, but places like Delhi and Gurgaon are definitely unsafe — even for locals.”
“As a white woman, you’ll definitely stand out more. That makes you more of a target, unfortunately,” they added.
Others pointed out that while sensational stories often dominate the headlines, India is also full of kind people, welcoming hosts, and enriching cultural experiences, especially when travelled smartly and cautiously.
