A well-traveled individual has been utilizing TikTok to showcase her journeys through 24 European countries. Sarah Lim, breaking away from the typical travel narratives, chose to shine a light on five European cities where she felt vulnerable, particularly as an Asian woman explorer.
Captioning her post as “Five cities where I didn’t feel safe in Europe (as an Asian female),” Sarah disclosed her experiences. She mentioned feeling more unsafe in Western Europe compared to Eastern Europe, including her encounters in the French capital, where she was stalked and chased by a group of men.
Sarah also pointed out the prevalent threats like bag snatchers and pickpockets that she encountered in these cities. While she didn’t face major incidents in Brussels, she expressed a lingering sense of unease, especially at night due to the presence of groups of men in the city center.
The traveler also shared an unsettling incident of a Singaporean exchange student’s stabbing in Brussels, further fueling her concerns about the city’s safety. In Italy, Sarah narrowly avoided a scam at her accommodation and expressed feeling unsafe walking around residential areas at night, necessitating male friends’ company for safety.
Upon reaching Barcelona, she stayed vigilant due to the city’s reputation for pickpockets, having heard about stabbing and mugging incidents from fellow Erasmus students. In Rome, Sarah encountered numerous scammers, pickpockets, and snatch thieves, making it feel like a highly touristic destination.
Sarah’s TikTok post resonated with many viewers who shared their own travel anecdotes. Some empathized with her experiences, highlighting safety concerns in cities like Brussels and Paris, while others shared positive experiences in cities like Rome.
Overall, Sarah’s documentation of her travels shed light on safety issues in certain European cities, sparking conversations among viewers about their own travel experiences and perceptions of safety.
