Alpin makes a fair point, the poverty in some of the areas she’d be cycling through might mean being more cautious/self-aware. You know your daughter best, but if she’s got a decent amount of common sense then she’d most likely be OK. Having said that, going solo has to be a bit more risky (and less fun) than going with a mate.

You need to ask yourself these questions.

1. What is the possibility of negative or positive things happening to her. The latter we can all congratulate ourselves but the former we have the habit of blaming others …

2. Can you live with the consequences if something negative happens to her?

3. Finally, ask yourself this question. Do I feel lucky … Do I?

I bet 99% of the time nothing happens and you get all the positive outcomes but it is the 1% that usually cause all the pains so can you handle it?

🙄

p/s: if you let her go then install one of this Integrated GPS tracker for peace of mind … Someone suggested on the forum.

Most dangerous place will be UK. Give her a lift to whichever port she is using.

right then intresting replies thanks and not so thanks for those who say I am suprised at your attitude then please read the post

indeed worried father syndrome….oddly as she has sole travelled across nepal and northern indian for 4 months, then 4 weeks solo travelling in usa including new york and washington using grey hound bus.i was far less concerned than camping in europe

she has undertaken some serious solo travellling in india and nepal not to mention usa which is severally more intresting and dangerous

My question relates to camping and it’s realistic option for a solo traveller in eastern europe ehich is less campsite friendly….Alpin post was intresting and useful ditto tandemjeremy

midnighthour your post is not correct in its assumption, we have already let her travel and we understand the dangers and experiences involved particular to travelling. As parents we have the right to worry be concern and try and help by looking at the options with her.
Origianlly she was looking at hostels and SERVAS but these are limited in the balkans, wild camping is not something i would encourage her to do in the balkans.

Agreed uk is possibly the most dangerous place for cycling and other issues, intresting the place we had most trouble was spain.

Tha taken comment is funny and LOL, in america a lot of women said to her they would not travel to Europe because the film was ‘real’….. 🙄

Thanks for all the comments been an intresting read

Most dangerous place will be UK. Give her a lift to whichever port she is using.

this.. surely.. unless things have changed dramatically in the last 10 – 15 years

Absolutely Yunki. Surely there’s nothing that’s happened over the last few decades that would….

….. wait a minute 🙁

From 1987 to the present I have regularly travelled around Europe and the UK as a lone female by hitching, cycling driving and public transport. I’ve stayed in campsites, wild camped, hostels, slept rough, stayed with people I’ve met along the way/people who have given me lifts or people I’ve given lifts to.

The only place I’ve ever had trouble was once in the UK when a bloke got his todger out whilst driving along the motorway. I told him I couldnt’ do anything with it while we were driving so he had to pull over. Once stopped I got out, took my rucsac and legged it with him calling plaintively “I didn’t mean it, don’t tell the police…”

When hitching, I always carried a slim aerosol (hairspray/deodorant) of some sort up my sleeve, to spray in someone’s eyes if things got properly dodgy. Weapons can be taken from you and used on you. Have never had to use them for anything other than deodorising or fixing hair.

Hello would you feel comfortable letting you 21 yr old daughter cycle tour through western europe into the balkans using camping as her main form of accomodation?

How safe someone is in any given situation is largely irrelevant of their age or sex, and extremely dependent on their attitude/mindsets/situational awareness/common sense/etc.

Holy thread revival Batman!

When I was in Romania the locals we were with in Bucharest advised against camping in the countryside (north of Bucharest around Brasov) – they reckoned it was too dodgy with the risk of getting robbed etc.

I reckon as long as she’s careful about where she goes she’ll be fine though.

Oh, just seen how old the thread is. 😳

She’s probably long gone by now given that the thread started 11 months ago, pre TJ-ban!… (and, she’ll be 22 now 🙂 )

Did she go? Did she return?

Or is she happily married to borat in khazakstan with baby number two on the way?!

Was she “Taken” and used?