Travelling to central Europe alone.

[blubellsarebells]

I will have a week child free over the summer, usually I just work but this year I'm considering going somewhere.
I'm thinking of going to Prague Vienna and Bratislava.
I will take my child somewhere else, city break/ beach holiday trip later in the year so he won't be missing out but I wonder if people will judge me for going alone?
Also worried about how safe I will be on my own?
On one hand I can see myself loving the freedom and independence, pleasing myself and seeing all I want to see without worrying about other people,
on the other I imagine myself lonely, lost, something terrible happening.
I've travelled a little bit alone before but I was young and invincible then.

Do it.

I think you'd be fine. I was in Vienna a couple of years ago at short notice and it was all very easy.
Do a bit of research and check out maps and Google Street View to ensure your hotel isn't in a skanky area and you're good to go.

Plus in summer the cities will be tourist central so you won't stand out.

Check out the trip advisor forums for each destination for tips and ideas. Very useful.

Enjoy the freedom to do your own thing.

What are you worried about safety wise?

I travel alone loads, often for work. Vienna and Prague absolutely no problem. It was a bit rough in Prague in the mid-late nineties, but it's completely transformed/lost its old-world/post-soviet charm. It's all high end shops and rich tourists now. Vienna is a beautiful city and completely modern (except for the smell of horse piss). I haven't been to Bratislava.

Generally avoid hotels near the train station, in most cities this is a rougher area. A hotel in the centre will be safer to get home to at night than a cheaper hotel a bus/taxi journey away. Plan your journey from the airport to hotel. Tell the taxi driver you're meeting someone, mention husband and children. Time arrival for daylight if you can. Get a number for an approved taxi company, perhaps from the hotel. Have fun!

Do it! So safe and just be sensible like anywhere else. My solo travels include 3 weeks covering Rome, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Milan and Madrid in 2016....amazing trip. First solo travel was Thailand in 2014 for 4 weeks. Loved both and stayed in a combination of hostels (good ones) and hotels when a bit of luxury was needed. Had no safety/security issues just take precautions like anywhere else. Something special about travelling solo! Do it you won’t regret it in my experience :)

Safety wise I'm worried about being lost, kidnapped or ripped off by taxi drivers, air band b host being creepy, falling and breaking a leg, I'm a worrier i could think of a hundred things to go wrong and being away from my child makes me anxious anyway.
I've been to Prague before and did feel safe there but I was with a man then. That sounds so pathetic.
I think I need to do it, might give me a confidence boost if I come back in one piece.

Agree the PPs about planning your trip and routes. Places near train stations are tougher for sure from memory. Across Europe mobile data is free huge bonus so can use google maps, internet, uber/mytaxi and WhatsApp to stay in contact with friends and family.

Have been to Prague and Vienna...both would be great for solo travel. Also Bratislava can’t imagine it’d be an issue if planned etc :)

You will be perfectly safe, research trip advisor for reputable accommodation and you can pre book transfers or use uber. If you are concerned about your safety reading a guidebook for advice rather than "winging it" pays dividends. This is what I have found. You won't be any less safe than in London alone
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I spent a week solo in Bratislava a couple of years ago and went to Vienna on the train twice. No problems.

I spend 5-7 days away solo travelling a year. It’s usually hard warrior type travelling.

Do it. But I would stay in a hostel in a private room if you want to meet people. Generally there is a massive spread of ages and everyone chats.

Go for it, I travelled to England and the USA (Chicago) alone before I moved here, the only local people who stopped me were the Chicago police to tell me I shouldn't be in that part of town alone - and then drove off and left me there 😀

Perfectly safe, but add Budapest! (nicer than bratislava or Vienna). Cringe is very low in all those places. For taxis find the taxi company recommended by airport, hotels, tourist info or locals. Enjoy it!

Safety wise I'm worried about being lost,
Download google maps on your phone and you'll always find your way

kidnapped
Extremely rare because most people seriously don't want the hassel, You're going to big cities, there are always people awake amd on the street in big cities. Kidnappers don't want to be seen.

or ripped off by taxi drivers,
Everybody gets ripped off by taxi drivers, it's no different abroad. See it as part of the experience. Better yet, take the busses, trains and metro. Big cities have them. Every airport or hotel is connected.

air band b host being creepy,
This can be realistic, go to a professional hotel or hostel. Don't go to someones home.

falling and breaking a leg,
This can happen at home as well but if it happens abroad just remember that it happens everywhere all the time so foreign hospitals know just as well how to treat you as at home.

I'm a worrier i could think of a hundred things to go wrong
Being careful is okay, it keeps you safe. Just don't overdo it, you're one of millions of people in the city so try to enjoy your trip as well.

In my opinion, the first trip alone is the scariest, after that it gets easier. You wouldn't worry as much if it was a trip to London or Glasgow. This isn't much different, they just speak another language (but enough people can speak some english) and they might have some different and interesting foods and culture. Have fun!

Nothing to see in Bratislava go to Budapešť. You are safer in those places than in London.

Do it - and enjoy it but worth checking the following before you go - talk it through with your child and explain how much you are looking forward to having special time with them when you both go off together
and also - not sure how old they are but can they call/message you if they need to or will they be with someone they are comfortable to ask if they can or if they are very young, could you arrange to video call in a couple of times while you are away? Time without your DC is crucial but on the very rare occasions I managed to snatch some, I sent a postcard (remember those?) back to DS saying where I was and suggesting he look it up on a map with my DP. If you send it on the first day (remember to buy stamps at the airport for ease) it should get home before you do.
Safety wise you will be fine - of course it goes without saying that you should never, ever leave a drink unattended anywhere. You shouldn't do it in your hometown so definitely don't pop to the loo leaving a drink unattended anywhere else. The best tip I was given is to pop my mobile in one of those neoprene sleeves that joggers use. strap it round your arm under your sleeve or under yr trouser leg so you aren't flashing a phone around especially if walking alone at night. You deserve a break - have fun, look after yourself and you will - hopefully - get a very big hug when you get home.

Thank you all.
I think I will do it, once I've got a plan together and written something down i will feel better and more in control, at the moment it's just ideas floating around.
I know logically it is safe there, I've been to London on my own many times and I live in a big city.
I'm trying to do it as cheaply as possible also which is adding a layer of stress.

People are asking exactly the same question about going alone in London...

If anyone judges you (who? why?) then ignore them, they're mad and not worth the brain space.

I'd go for an apartment or hotel room with a balcony and make a late lunch out the main meal of the day (I prefer to eat this way anyway - big hotel breakfast, late lunch in a pavement cafe or restaurant and then I only want snacks and wine on the balcony in the evening) and then you don't have to worry about being out on your own in the evening if you don't feel comfortable doing that.

Do it. I have travelled to those places with DCs (as a single parent) and they are just as safe as any city. My DCs have now flown the nest and I am rediscovering my love of solo travel.

Lots of women travel by themselves - you won't be an oddity, and who cares what anyone thinks anyway? Try reading something like Alone Time by Stephanie Rosenbloom or Around the World in 80 Trains for inspiration.

I prefer to go for hotels rather than airbnb-style places - it is much easier in terms of leaving luggage, there is always someone around to ask for help if there is a problem with the room etc. You can usually find some very good hotel deals on booking.com and so on.

I quite frequently do city breaks by myself and its really not hard, especially with the joys of the internet. Although having said that, I'd also buy a decent guidebook to get more complete information on where I'm going. Be as cautious about dodgy areas and wandering around late at night as you would be in a big city at home. I'd also agree with @BarbaraofSeville that a decent sized room with a balcony means that those times when you want to retreat to your room are much nicer. I tend to look for studio flats via airbnb, so I get privacy and the option to put a bottle of wine in the fridge and/or make a cup of tea whenever I like. And when I am staying in hotels I also prefer to buy a double room as single rooms tend to be monastic cells with the worst views possible. Oh, and buy travel insurance so that if the (very unlikely) worst happens you're ok. I did break an ankle abroad once, and the insurance not only paid for my hospital stay but also ensured I had transport to the airport, and a wheelchair arranged when I was there - best £30 I'd ever spent!

I take a trip every year without my DD, she goes and stays with her favourite aunt for 2 weeks every summer. Win-win.

I'm off to Poland and Slovakia this year- the slovakia part is an organised hiking adventure type trip, Poland is a few days of culture in Krakow.

You have the world in the palm of your hand (smart phone) so you can't get lost. Take some good books and while away your afternoons in bars and cafe's.

Do it.

Just don't book the very cheapest central accommodation you can find. That's how I ended up next to brothels in Barcelona, Madrid and Hamburg. Good locations, though...

Avoid AirBnB, especially if it's a room in someone else's house. If you must airbnb then a self-contained flat and a female host might be safer. Generally go for a hotel.

Kidnapping, - these are hardly kidnapping hotspots. Mogadishu would be a different matter. My main concern when travelling alone all over the world, is getting into a dodgy taxi, especially where you can't speak/read the language and know what's official. Hotels can book transfers for you and will use reputable companies.

Umm. Yeah, them central Europeans are absolute savages, they are. In fact, Central Europe is basically lawless, and hordes of scary Slavic people are dwelling there, just WAITING to kidnap a lone British woman. Civilization hasn't yet reached THOSE parts of the world, and they communicate with grunts. Mhmmmm.

Join the "Brits in Vienna" etc FB groups and chat to the friendly people there for advice.

Vienna is lovely, lots of police around but in a nice way, and I felt very safe there. Prague was good too, but not so much in Bratislava. The cake is better in Vienna too...