A solo traveller is opening up about the ‘ugly parts’ of exploring the world alone after a recent experience in Milan left her feeling uneasy.
Fiona, from New York, U.S., regularly shares videos of her global adventures on social media – from spa days in Budapest to snowy scenes in Alaska and foodie finds in Mexico.
But a recent vlog she posted to her TikTok account, @findingfiona, which saw her document her journey from Milan to Budapest, has sparked a conversation about following one’s instincts as a female travelling alone in an unfamiliar place.
The video, which has amassed over a million views since its upload in March, shows Fiona getting ready to leave her hotel in Milan at 4am to catch a flight.
Concerned about catching public transport alone that early, she asked the hotel receptionist if it was safe to walk to Milan Central Station.
His response was a clear shake of the head, before promptly offering to call the her a taxi instead.
Fiona, now in the back of an Uber ride, shared, ‘I’m in the taxi, it’s pouring with rain,’ before she arrived safely at the bus station.
She later added how she’s ‘thankful to that man and to the universe’ as the bus actually left ten minutes early – meaning if she had walked, she might’ve missed it altogether.
Fiona made it safely to Budapest, where she continued to vlog her journey to her hotel and some well-earned downtime at an outdoor pool.
But it was her transparency about feeling unsafe in Milan that caught people’s attention in the comments.
Responding to a viewer’s question about safety during her stay in the Italian tourist hotspot, she said: ‘There were a lot of men loitering around the corners and it just felt weird walking past them, I did it when I landed and I had to speed walk.’
Her experience hit home with over 800 female travellers, who flooded the comments with support and similar stories.
One person wrote: ‘Therapy and PTSD cost way more than a 12 euro car ride. Throw money at safety.’
Another said, ‘I’m glad they called a taxi for you. Milan is definitely not safe, let alone at night/early morning,’ as a third added, ‘I will ALWAYS save extra $ for uber/taxi. That’s the one thing I don’t chance.’
One viewer, who claimed to be an Italian citizen, wrote: ‘As an Italian, taking the taxi was definitely the best decision ever. Milan became so dangerous lately. It’s hell for women.’
Another former visitor said: ‘When I went to Milan last year our tour guide told us not to walk around at night, so completely understandable he told you to take a cab.’
One daring tourist added: ‘Haha years ago solo traveled Europe by myself but was low on cash when I got to Italy so I walked to the train station in Milan at 5am.’
Another, who had visited Pisa, wrote: ‘I paid €20 for a 5-minute taxi ride to Pisa airport at like 5am so I wouldn’t have to walk through quiet, empty roads alone. solo tax + pink tax!’
Meanwhile, another female solo traveller has named the country that she believes is the most sexist to visit.
The account named Claujoor travels the world and posts videos on TikTok from the various countries she visits.
Now she has warned women about travelling to Morocco, after she found herself receiving constant cat calls from men in the street.
