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19 Safest Vacation Spots in the U.S. You’ll Love

By: Author Amanda OBrien

Posted on Last updated: 16/02/2024

Safety is something that’s often not thought about when visiting the United States. This is understandable, considering you’ll be traveling to the “land of the free, home of the brave”. But crime exists anywhere, especially in tourist havens. 

So what are the safest vacation spots in the U.S.? This guide breaks down the 19 safest travel destinations in America, what you can do there, and when is the best time to visit. 

But before we dive in, make sure you’re informed about the most dangerous cities in the U.S. to avoid bumping into any trouble.

How Safety is Determined

The guidelines used to determine the safest places to go on holiday in the U.S. were sourced from the FBI Crime Data Explorer dataset and a recent analysis by MoneyGeek. 

The research examined the cost of crime in each city: the opportunity cost of time lost to criminal acts, incarceration, crime prevention, and recovery after victimization. This analysis by MoneyGeek only looked at U.S. cities with 100,000 or more inhabitants.

Note: This guide specifically looks at vacation spots and tourist hubs in the United States, so this list may not include all of the safest cities in the U.S.

Essentials for Staying Safe While Traveling If you’re keen to feel safer when you travel try out some of the devices we swear by to make us feel more comfortable. 🔐 Personal Safety: 1. Portable Hotel Safety Lock 2. Personal Safety Alarm 🧳 Baggage Safety: 1. Luggage Locks 2 . Bluetooth Luggage Tracker ✈️ Most of all, don’t leave home without decent travel insurance , so if anything goes wrong, you will be covered.

19 Safest Holiday Destinations in the U.S.

So a city is declared safe when it uses the integration of technology to reduce all kinds of crime, congestion, urban sprawl, and any other antisocial behavior. 

These 19 cities have proven to have great crime prevention mechanisms and hence feature on this list of the safest U.S. cities. These are great options if you’re looking to go on vacation or relocate to a new city. 

1. Honolulu, Hawaii

Aloha, and welcome to Hawaii’s bustling commercial and cultural hub. Honolulu is one of the best sunny places to visit in the U.S., and it’s easy to see why. This metropolis on the island of Oahu is known for its famous crescent beach, dotted with palms and high-rise buildings.

Honolulu is also one of the safest holiday destinations in the U.S. In 2020, the city’s violent crime rate was lower than the national average. That means people living in Honolulu were less likely to fall victim to violent crimes than the entire population on the mainland.

There are tons of great things you can do while visiting Honolulu. From attending a traditional Hawaiian luau to snorkeling in the great blue sea or enjoying a romantic sunset cruise, you’re sure to have an epic experience. And this is all without having to worry about your safety.

2. Virginia Beach, Virginia

Photo by Marshall Williams on Unsplash

Virginia Beach is an oceanfront destination packed with a vibrant art and entertainment scene. You’ll also find a growing local dining scene, rich maritime history, and many tourist attractions. The city’s three-mile boardwalk is the epicenter of it all, boasting restaurants, shops, and plenty of attractions.

In addition to having a lower property crime rate than the national average, Virginia Beach also has a lower burglary rate, motor vehicle theft, and robbery rate. Thus making the oceanfront city one of the safest places to visit in America.

While you’re in Virginia Beach, take some time to explore its top attractions. Strolling along the promenade is a must-do. But you can also enjoy a sunset kayak and dolphin-watching tour or visit the city’s Vibe District for an exciting display of street art and murals.

3. San Diego, California

Photo by Clayton Cardinalli on Unsplash

Well-known for its year-round perfect weather, pristine beaches, and world-class attractions, San Diego is one of the best cities to visit in the USA. The city is also home to some of the most beautiful sunsets in California . 

Considering its size, San Diego is one of the safest cities in America. The city has a low crime rate, its beaches are safe, and you’re not likely to run into any trouble at major attractions. However, it’s essential to remember that cities this size are prone to petty crimes, such as pickpocketing and other forms of thieving. 

Spend your time in this coastal city beach hopping, cruising the sea, or chasing after the best San Diego sunsets . You can also go on a hop-on hop-off tour of the city’s attractions or spend time bonding with some critters at San Diego Zoo.

4. Henderson, Nevada

Located about a 30-minute drive from glistening Las Vegas, Henderson is a gorgeous desert oasis just waiting to be explored. In recent years the city has seen an increasing number of shopping malls, restaurants, and casino resorts. 

This makes Henderson a great place to discover some of the best things to do in Vegas without having to live within the city. Henderson’s crime rate statistics have led to the city being the second and third safest city in the U.S. in recent years.   

You can do lots of things in Henderson without having to go all the way to Vegas. Head to the Clark County Museum to immerse yourself in the history of the region and see a collection of restored vintage houses. Enjoy a traditional Chuckwagon dinner show , or make a 30-mile journey to the colourful Seven Magic Mountains for Instagram-worthy snaps.

Check out my posts on Las Vegas in May , Visiting Las Vegas in June and things to do in Vegas in December.

5. El Paso, Texas

Photo by Raul Miranda on Unsplash

Straddling the edge of the U.S.-Mexico border, El Paso is a West Texas town famous for its blend of Native American, Spanish, Western, and Mexican cultures. The city boasts plenty of history and art museums, Spanish missions, and stunning backdrops of the Franklin Mountains.

Although the city’s crime rate has increased, it still falls lower than the national average. El Paso is generally a safe place for solo travelers and families. But it’s crucial to note that the city is less than 10 miles away from Juárez, Mexico, notorious for cartels, drug trafficking, and intense violence. In short, avoid going close to the border.

Simply dubbed “Sun City”, El Paso experiences an average of 320 days of sunshine annually. That means you’ll have lots of fun in the sun, no matter the season. You can visit the zoo and botanical gardens in El Paso and watch a show at The Plaza Theatre.

6. New York City, New York

Image by Jo Wiggijo from Pixabay

New York City needs no introduction. This bustling city is one of the most sought-after holiday destinations in the world, and it’s easy to see why. Its towering skyscrapers, red-brick boroughs, Times Square, and Statue of Liberty are some of the best historical places in New York to visit.

The enormity of New York makes it prone to tourist traps where travelers could easily be targeted by pickpockets or duped into buying something at exorbitant prices. But the Big Apple has a vigilant and friendly police force constantly protecting the city and its citizens. That’s why New York remains one of the safest cities in the world for tourists. 

While visiting the Big Apple, tick off the most beautiful places in New York and famous landmarks like Broadway and Central Park. You can also fly over Manhattan on a scenic helicopter ride or take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. And there are loads to do if you’re traveling solo in NYC.

Honestly, there’s just too much to do in New York. I can’t possibly mention it all here. But if you’re looking for a less touristy way to discover the Big Apple, read my guide on New York’s off-beaten path attractions that will blow your mind.

7. Manchester, New Hampshire

Photo by Wikimedia Commons

Manchester is the largest city in New Hampshire in terms of population size. The city boasts an intriguing array of art galleries, museums, and historical sites. Manchester sits along the Merrimack River and is famous for its iconic mills.

When it comes to safety, Manchester is a relatively safe city. According to Neighborhood Scout, the chances of being a victim of violent crime in Manchester is 1 in 37. But remember, safety is always relative. 

On the flip side, Manchester has a higher crime rate than other cities in New Hampshire. However, the city’s crime rate still falls under the national average, making it one of the best places to visit on America’s East Coast. 

Despite often being overshadowed by its popular neighbors, Boston and Portland, Manchester offers tons to do. History buffs will love visiting the Manchester Millyard Museum, while art lovers will have a blast at the elegant Currier Museum of Art.

8. Mesa, Arizona

Photo by Gautier Salles on Unsplash

If you’re looking for a modern-day desert escape, look no further than Mesa. It’s the third largest city in Arizona and jam-packed with exciting attractions. From desert hiking and biking trails to epic basketball games and interesting museums, Mesa has something for everyone.

Mesa’s crime statistics were on a steady decline between 2016 and 2020 and continue to do so, according to data from the Mesa Police Department . This lowering crime rate makes Mesa an ideal and tranquil suburban escape from neighboring Phoenix. 

Mesa is less than a 30-minute drive from Phoenix and about two hours from Sedona , so you’ll have plenty of things to do depending on how much time you have to explore. You can visit famous Arizona landmarks , from stunning red canyons to meteor craters and sandstone buttes.

9. Charlotte, North Carolina

Image by David from Pixabay

If you’re a sports enthusiast, you’ll love visiting Charlotte. In fact, you might think it’s the best place to visit in America. Why? This North Carolina city is home to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, the Carolina Panthers from the NFL, and the incredible NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Charlotte has a moderate level of crime that requires one to be cautious when exploring attractions with lots of tourist traffic. The city center, or Uptown Charlotte, is a modern central business district where you’ll find plenty of museums, stadiums, arenas, and theatres. You should always be vigilant when exploring Uptown and try to avoid walking alone.

Exploring the city in a group, either with friends or through a historical walking tour , would be an excellent way to see the Queen City and stay safe. Notable attractions in Uptown Charlotte you should check out are the Hall of Fame, Mint Museum, and the lively Optimist Hall.

10. San Jose, California

Image by Bella Mannaro from Pixabay

Surrounded by the rolling hills of Silicon Valley, San Jose is a picturesque city dotted with palms, Italianate-style Oddfellows, and Spanish Colonial Revival buildings all over its old town. San Jose is often overlooked for neighboring cities like San Francisco , but this Bay Area city is home to some of the best landmarks in California .

San Jose’s crime level is moderate and has steadily increased in the past three years. However, the chances of being physically attacked because of your skin colour, ethnic origin, or religion are very low, which is quite reassuring for tourists.

The city’s fun and friendly atmosphere is as welcoming as San Jose’s weather. You can spend your days experiencing San Jose by taking a party-bike tour around the city. Other things to do include an app-led scavenger hunt and visiting the famous Winchester Mystery House .  

11. Boston, Massachusetts

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

Like many of the best places to visit in the U.S., Boston is known for its richness in history, culture, sports, and entertainment. Boston is the capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and home to one of the most visited places in the U.S. — the Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

Boston is quite a safe city, especially for its commercial significance in the New England region. The city has a relatively low to moderate crime rate. So you won’t have to worry about muggings. Downton is considered safe, but you should avoid Park Street and Downtown Crossing.

Catching a Red Sox match at Fenway Park is a classic way to spend time in Boston, but you can also get a guided walking tour of the baseball park. Take a hop-on hop-off bus tour through the Old Town or opt for a Boston Duck tour so you can discover the city from the water.

12. Raleigh, North Carolina

Photo by Reba Spike on Unsplash

Raleigh is an exemplary university town and also the capital of North Carolina. It is famous for its free museums, universities, and astute technological institutions. Raleigh gives you that “big city meets Southern Charm” feel with its blend of historic landmarks and modern architecture. 

The city has a moderate crime rate, and although it has been increasing in the last few years, the chances of you getting robbed, mugged, insulted, or assaulted are still low. As with any major city, you should always stay cautious.

Raleigh also has a vibrant restaurant scene making it one of the best places in America to visit for hearty Southern cuisine. Visit the lively Morgan Street Food Hall or North Carolina State Farmers Public Market for a gastronomic adventure. Other things you can do include taking the Raleigh trolley pub public tour and strolling through Pullen Park.

13. Arlington, Texas

Image by sandler482 from Pixabay

Not to be confused with the North Carolina county, Arlington, Texas, is home to world-class stadiums, arenas, lakes, theme and water parks, and unique museums. Arlington is located just a 25-minute drive west of Dallas, making it one of the best holiday destinations in the USA close to a major commercial and cultural hub.

When it comes to safety, Arlington’s overall crime rate is relatively high. But as you’ll know, stats don’t always give the full picture. The level of safety people feel when walking around during the day and at night are high and moderate. Meaning many Arlington residents feel comfortable in their city’s streets. That’s not to say, though, that you should be any less cautious when visiting.

There are plenty of fun and inclusive things to do in Arlington. If you’re a sports fanatic, you’ll love catching a Dallas Cowboys match or a tour at the AT&T Stadium . Adrenaline seekers will appreciate visiting Six Flags Over Texas for exhilarating fun.

14. Santa Ana, California

Photo by Simon Maage on Unsplash

Santa Ana is located in Orange County, one of the best places in California to visit. The city is famous for its abundance of golden-sand beaches, cultural museums, the impressive Santa Ana Zoo, and a vibrant historic downtown district.

Santa Ana may not be the safest city in the USA, but it does offer a great alternative to nearby cities like Long Beach, which can get quite crowded. The city has a moderate crime rate that’s been rising in the last few years. But the chances of being assaulted are still fairly low.

You can do quite a lot in Santa Ana. From visiting the historic Bowers Museum to meeting critters at the zoo or taking a day trip to one of the best lakes in Southern California , Lake Elsinore, you’re sure to find something fun.

15. Omaha, Nebraska

Photo by John Matychuk on Unsplash

As the largest city in Nebraska, Omaha is best known for its diverse population and culture. The city boasts an array of art galleries, museums, and theatres. It is also home to one of the best zoos in the world – Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.

In recent years Omaha’s crime rate has been moderate. And although crimes like property theft and vandalism still prevail, the city has low levels of robbery, muggings, and violent crimes. But even though you’re unlikely to be at risk of these crimes, practice caution at all times.

Spend your time in Omaha learning more about the city’s history and culture at its museums. The Durham Museum is a restored 1931 train station that takes you back in time, and if you love art, head over to the Joslyn Art Museum or Bemis Center For Contemporary Arts.

16. Austin, Texas

Image by Kim Broomhall from Pixabay

Famous for its eclectic live music scene across popular genres like country, rock, and the blues, Austin is known as the “Live Music Capital of the World”. Whether that’s self-proclaimed or not, Austin offers more than just song and dance. The city boasts many intriguing attractions, including the white-washed Governor’s Mansion — one of the best landmarks in Texas .

Austin’s crime rate is slightly less or on par with the national average. And although the statistics say the city has a moderate level of crime, the chances of getting mugged, robbed, or assaulted in Austin are very low.

Take some time to explore this lively Texan capital. From pedicab sightseeing tours to the historic Texas Capitol and lush Zilker Metropolitan Park, Austin has lots to offer. Another must-do is taking a Live Music Crawl , where you’ll experience Austin’s music scene firsthand.   

You might enjoy reading my article on the safest cities to visit in Europe.

17. Tampa, Florida

Photo by Itai Aarons on Unsplash

Tampa is arguably the best place to visit in America for relaxation under ideal weather and affordable prices all the way around. The city boasts several attractions like museums, a zoo, aquariums, and theme parks that will leave you awestruck. You’ll also enjoy some unique things to do in Florida , like strolling through the Bok Tower Gardens.

Tampa has a low crime rate compared to other major cities. The city’s newest data shows that Tampa ranked as one of the lowest in violent crimes, specifically in large metropolitans. That means you can enjoy some of the best landmarks in Florida , such as the African-themed Busch Gardens Tampa Bay theme park , without any worry.

18. Portland, Maine

Photo by Mercedes Mehling on Unsplash

Portland is an idyllic coastal city sitting on the Casco Bay peninsula. This is the most populous city in Maine and hence the state’s vibrant cultural hub. Portland’s laid-back atmosphere resonates with beachcombers, artists, and foodies. 

The crime rate in Portland is quite low, and although it has been rising, the chances of you being robbed, mugged, attacked, or even scammed are very low. That’s why Portland is one of the safest cities in America to visit and live in.

The city’s main attractions, like the Museum of Art, Fort Allen Park, and Duckfat – a popular sandwich shop are worth visiting. You can also head out to the Portland Headlight, which is one of the best things to do in Maine . 

19. Long Beach, California

Image by Lisa Larsen from Pixabay

Long Beach is one of the most beautiful places to visit in America. The Southern California city boasts an incredible blend of urban architecture, a thriving art scene, sun-filled beaches, and a rich maritime heritage. 

When it comes to safety, Long Beach is among the safest places to go on holiday in the States. The city has a crime rate that’s lower than the national average. But caution must always be exercised. Long Beach is a tourist haven that’s likely to attract acts of criminality.

Long Beach is a great place to sunbathe, swim, and enjoy a range of water sports. But you can also enjoy an immersive experience at the Shoreline Aquatic Park . Or try off-the-beaten-path adventures like exploring The Queen Mary – a historic lodging you’ll find nowhere else.

Safest Vacation Spots in the U.S. | FAQs

Here are a few most commonly asked questions about the safest vacation spots in the U.S.

Where Is the Safest Place To Travel Right Now in the United States?

Honolulu, Hawaii, is the safest vacation destination in America. This island city has all you could ever need, from beautiful beaches to lush scenery, delicious food, and lots of cultural attractions. Additionally, there are many other safe places to visit, such as the cities listed above.

Is America Safe For Tourists?

Yes! The United States is one of the safest countries to visit in the world, but some places in the U.S. are safer than others, so exercise caution. 

How Can We Stay Safe in America?

Always prepare ahead of time. Do research on the places you want to visit, check out crime statistics on official sites, and avoid dodgy areas on the city outskirts. If you can, bring a travel companion

Safest Places in the U.S. for a Holiday | Wrapped Up

The safest states in America are home to popular cities and attractions that are usually flooded by tourists. These tourist traps often attract acts of criminality, like pickpocketing and scamming. 

And while it’s possible to avoid these areas, you’ll be missing out on famous U.S. landmarks that made the country what it is today.

That’s why this list of the safest vacation spots in the U.S. comes in handy. Pick a place that has the best weather, attractions, and historical landmarks for you, and get exploring.

Amanda O’Brien is the creator and editor of The Boutique Adventurer. She has visited 80 countries and is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers as well as the IFTWTA. She is passionate about wine had has just completed Level 3 of the WSET. Born in Australia, she lives in London.

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Places the U.S. Government Warns Not to Travel Right Now

You may want to reconsider traveling to these countries right now.

Do Not Travel to These Countries

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Crime, civil unrest and terrorism are common risk factors for countries that end up on the State Department's "Do Not Travel" advisory list.

In 2024, tourism across the globe is “well on track” to return to pre-pandemic levels, according to projections by UN Tourism.

Global conflicts and natural disasters , ranging from a series of coups across Africa to catastrophic earthquakes in the Middle East affected international travel patterns throughout 2023. Still, international tourist arrivals reached 87% of pre-pandemic levels in 2023, according to estimates by UN Tourism .

In January 2024 alone, about 4.6 million U.S. citizens left the country for international destinations, 17% higher than the same month in 2019, according to the International Trade Administration . But some destinations warrant more caution than others.

On Oct. 19, 2023, following the outbreak of war between Israel and Gaza and flaring tensions in the region, the U.S. State Department issued a worldwide caution advisory due to “increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests.” Prior to this update, the most recent worldwide caution advisory was issued in 2022 after a U.S. strike killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s successor as leader of Al Qaeda, causing “a higher potential for anti-American violence.” The worldwide caution advisory remains in effect.

The U.S. State Department also issues individual travel advisory levels for more than 200 countries globally, continually updating them based on a variety of risk indicators such as health, terrorism and civil unrest. Travel advisory levels range from Level 1, which means exercise normal precautions, to Level 4, which means do not travel there.

About 10% of countries – 19 total – have a Level 4: “Do Not Travel” advisory as of Mar. 4. In Level 4 countries, the U.S. government may have “very limited ability” to step in should travelers’ safety or security be at risk, according to the State Department. Crime, civil unrest, kidnapping and terrorism are common risk factors associated with Level 4 countries.

So far in 2024, the State Department made changes to the existing Level 4 advisories for Myanmar, Iran and Gaza, and moved Niger and Lebanon off of the Level 4 list.

Places With a Level 4 Travel Advisory

These are the primary areas the U.S. government says not to travel to right now, in alphabetical order:

Jump to Place: Afghanistan Belarus Burkina Faso Central African Republic Myanmar (formerly Burma) Gaza Haiti Iran Iraq Libya Mali Mexico North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) Russia Somalia South Sudan Sudan Syria Ukraine Venezuela Yemen

Afghanistan: The Central Asian country is wrestling with “terrorism, risk of wrongful detention, kidnapping and crime,” according to the State Department. U.S. citizens are specifically at risk for wrongful detention and kidnapping. In 2022, the government reinstituted public floggings and executions, and women’s rights are disappearing under Taliban control. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul halted operations in August 2021. Since the Taliban took control , many forms of international aid have been halted . Meanwhile, in 2023, some of the year’s deadliest earthquakes killed more than 2,400 in Afghanistan while the country continues to face a years-long extreme drought.

Belarus: Belarus, which shares a western border with Russia and a southern border with Ukraine, has been flagged for “Belarusian authorities’ continued facilitation of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the buildup of Russian military forces in Belarus, the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, the potential of civil unrest, the risk of detention, and the Embassy’s limited ability to assist U.S. citizens residing in or traveling to Belarus.” The U.S. Embassy in Minsk halted operations in February 2022.

Burkina Faso: Terrorism, crime and kidnapping are plaguing this West African nation. Terrorist attacks may target hotels, restaurants and schools with little to no warning, and the East and Sahel regions of the country are under a state of emergency. In late November 2023, hundreds died in clashes between state security forces and rebels near the country’s border with Mali. In June, more than 2 million people in Burkina Faso were displaced due to “violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.”

Central African Republic: While there have not been specific incidents of U.S. citizens targeted with violence or crime, violent crime and sudden closure of roads and borders is common. The advisory states that “Embassy Bangui’s limited capacity to provide support to U.S. citizens, crime, civil unrest, and kidnapping” is a factor in its assessment. Recent data from UNICEF suggests the country has the worst drinking water accessibility of all countries in 2022.

Myanmar (Formerly Burma): Armed conflict and civil unrest are the primary reasons to not travel to this Southeast Asian country, which experienced a military coup in early 2021. Limited health care resources, wrongful detentions and “areas with land mines and unexploded ordnance” are also listed as risk factors. After Ukraine and Israel, Myanmar had the highest conflict-related death toll in 2023.

Gaza : Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization as designated by the State Department, controls much of the Gaza Strip, which shares borders with both Israel and Egypt. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas fighters broke across the border into Israel, killing hundreds of civilians and soldiers in a brazen attack that stunned Israelis. On Oct. 10, Israel hit the Gaza Strip with “the fiercest air strikes in its 75-year conflict” according to Reuters . The conflict has since escalated into war between Israel and Hamas, with regular Israeli airstrikes leading to extensive civilian casualties in Gaza. As of mid-December, nearly 85% of Gaza’s population were displaced from their homes, according to UN estimates . The region continues to face shortages of food , water, electricity and medical supplies , with conditions deemed “far beyond a humanitarian crisis.” The State Department warns of terrorism and armed conflict within Gaza’s borders.

Haiti: In July 2023, the Department of State ordered all non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members to leave the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince in response to the increased risk of kidnapping and violent crime in the country , as well as armed conflict between gangs and police. The travel advisory states that cases of kidnapping “often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed during kidnappings.” The travel advisory also states that “U.S. citizens in Haiti should depart Haiti as soon as possible” given “the current security situation and infrastructure challenges.” A series of gang attacks in late September 2023 caused thousands to flee their homes, and many aid groups have been forced to cut or suspend operations amid escalating violence in recent months.

Iran: Terrorism, kidnapping and civil unrest are risk factors for all travelers to Iran, while U.S. citizens are specifically at risk for “arbitrary arrest.” U.S.-Iranian nationals such as students, journalists and business travelers have been arrested on charges of espionage and threatening national security. Executions in Iran rose sharply between 2021 and 2022, bringing the country’s total to nearly 580 people over the year, according to a report by Amnesty International released in May 2023.

Iraq: The State Department cites “terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict [and] civil unrest” as cause for the country’s Level 4 distinction. Iraq’s northern borders, and its border with Syria, are especially dangerous. Since the escalation of conflict in neighboring Israel in October, there has been an increase in attacks against Iraqi military bases, which host U.S. troops and other international forces. In October 2023, non-emergency U.S. government personnel and eligible family members were ordered to leave the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

Libya: Following the end of its dictatorship over a decade ago, Libya has been wrought with internal conflict between armed groups in the East and West. Armed conflict, civil unrest, crime, kidnapping and terrorism are all risk factors. U.S. citizens have been targets of kidnapping for ransom, with terrorists targeting hotels and airports frequented by Westerners. The U.S. Embassy in Tripoli halted operations in 2014. In mid-September 2023, floods, which some say were intensified by climate change , killed thousands in eastern Libya. Clashes between armed factions escalated across the country in the latter half of 2023, including in the capital city of Tripoli and in Benghazi.

Mali: After experiencing military coups in 2020 and 2021, crime, terrorism and kidnapping are all prevalent threats in this West African landlocked nation. In July 2022, non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families were ordered to leave the country due to higher risk of terrorist activity. A U.N. report in August 2023 said that military groups in the country, including both Mali security forces and possibly Russian Wagner mercenaries, were spreading terror through the use of violence against women and human rights abuses. Democratic elections were supposed to occur in February 2024, but Mali’s military junta postponed the plans indefinitely. In December, the U.N. officially ended a decade-long peacekeeping presence in the country, which had been among the agency’s deadliest missions, with hundreds of the mission personnel killed since 2013.

Mexico: Each state in Mexico is assessed separately for travel advisory levels. Six of the 32 states in Mexico are designated as Level 4: Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas. Crime and kidnapping are listed as the primary risk factors throughout the country. Nearly 112,000 people were missing across the country as of October, a number the U.N. has called “alarming.”

North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea): U.S. passports are not valid for travel “to, in, or through” this country, home to one of the world's longest-running dynastic dictatorships. The travel advisory states that the Level 4 distinction is due to “the continuing serious risk of arrest and long-term detention of U.S. nationals.” In July 2023, a U.S. soldier fled across the border into North Korea, where he is believed to be in North Korean custody, the first American detained in the North in nearly five years. He was returned to U.S. custody in September 2023.

Russia: The travel advisory for Russia cites its invasion of Ukraine , harassment of U.S. citizens by Russian government officials and arbitrary law enforcement as a few of the reasons for the Level 4 designation. Chechnya and Mount Elbrus are specifically listed as Level 4 regions. Terrorism, civil unrest, health, kidnapping and wrongful detention are all noted as risks.

Russia Invades Ukraine: A Timeline

Somalia: A severe drought resulting from five failed rainy seasons in a row killed 43,000 people in 2022, and caused a famine amid conflict with Islamist insurgents . Violent crime is common throughout Somalia , pirates frequent its coast off the Horn of Africa, and medical facilities, where they exist, have limited capacity. Crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health and kidnapping are all risk factors. In January 2024, some passengers aboard a U.N.-contracted helicopter were taken hostage by al-Shabaab militants after the vehicle crashed in central Somalia.

South Sudan: Crime, kidnapping and armed conflict are the primary risk factors for South Sudan, which separated from Sudan in 2011, making it the world’s newest country . Weapons are readily available, and travelers have been victims of sexual assault and armed robbery.

Sudan: The U.S. evacuated its embassy in Khartoum in April 2023, and the country closed its airspace due to the ongoing conflict in the country, only permitting humanitarian aid and evacuation efforts. Fighting has escalated in the region between two warring generals seeking to gain control after a military coup in 2021 ousted the country’s prime minister. Civil unrest is the primary risk factor for Africa’s third largest country by area. Crime, terrorism, kidnapping and armed conflict are also noted. The International Criminal Court began investigating alleged war crimes and violence against African ethnic groups in the country in 2023. Millions have fled their homes due to conflict, and the U.N. has said its efforts to provide aid have been hindered by a lack of support, safety and resources. As recently as December 2023, the United Nations warned of catastrophic famine , with millions of children at-risk for malnutrition .

Syria: The advisory states that “No part of Syria is safe from violence,” with terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed conflict and risk of unjust detention all potential risk factors. U.S. citizens are often a target for kidnappings and detention. The U.S. Embassy in Damascus halted operations in 2012. Fighting in neighboring Israel has escalated since October, and the conflict has spilled over into Syria, where the U.S. has carried out air strikes following drone and rocket attacks against American troops in Syria and Iraq, triggered by the Israel-Hamas war.

Ukraine: Russian setbacks in their invasion of Ukraine buoyed hopes in Ukraine in 2023. However, Ukraine is a Level 4 country due to Russia’s invasion, with crime and civil unrest also noted as risk factors. The country’s forces shot down two Russian fighter jets on Christmas Eve 2023, in a move Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “sets the right mood for the entire year ahead.”

Venezuela: Human rights abuses and lack of health care plague this South American nation, which has been in a political crisis since 2014. In 2019, diplomatic personnel were withdrawn from the U.S. Embassy in Caracas. Threats in the country include crime, civil unrest, kidnapping, wrongful detention and poor health infrastructure.

Yemen: Six of the nine risk factors defined by the State Department – terrorism, civil unrest, health risks, kidnapping, armed conflict and landmines – are all present in Yemen. Despite private companies offering tourist visits to the Yemeni island of Socotra, the U.S. government argues those arranging such visits “are putting tourists in danger.” Civil war and cholera are also both present throughout the country. The U.S. Embassy in Sanaa halted operations in 2015. The country has experienced a relative lull in the civil war fighting, but as peace negotiations have gotten traction, flare ups in the fighting have jeopardized progress. Most recently, the U.S. and U.K. have carried out a series of airstrikes in the country, targeting Iran-backed Houthi sites.

Other Countries to Watch

Since Jan. 1, the State Department has updated travel advisories for 17 different countries as well as for the West Bank and Gaza, adding information about specific regions or risk factors, or simply renewing an existing advisory. Travel advisory levels can change based on several factors in a nation, such as increased civil unrest, policies that affect human rights or higher risks of unlawful detention.

The State Department has given about 25 countries an assessment of Level 3, meaning it recommends people “reconsider travel” to those destinations.

On Oct. 14, one week after the deadly Hamas attack on Israel, Israel and the West Bank were both moved from Level 2 to Level 3, while Gaza remains at Level 4. The region’s travel advisory was updated in November to reflect travel restrictions for certain government employees who have not already left the area, and it was updated again on Jan. 3.

Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in early October, the U.S. State Department raised Lebanon ’s travel advisory level from a Level 3 to a Level 4 level due to “the unpredictable security situation related to rocket, missile, and artillery exchanges” between Israel and Hezbollah or other militant groups. In December, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut returned to normal staffing and presence, and on Jan. 29, the country was moved back to Level 3. Crime, terrorism, armed conflict, civil unrest, kidnapping and unexploded landmines are listed as the country’s primary risk factors. However, the country’s borders with Syria and with Israel, as well as refugee settlements within Lebanon, are specifically noted as Level 4 regions.

China became a Level 3 country in late 2020, with an update in December 2022 citing “the surge in COVID-19 cases, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, and COVID-19-related restrictions” as the reason for the advisory. In June 2023, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) was moved from the Level 3 to the Level 2 list, but travelers are still advised to be cautious in the area due to “arbitrary enforcement of local laws.” Meanwhile, Macau remains at Level 3.

Following an attempted coup in August 2023, Niger was elevated to Level 4 in August and the Department of State ordered all non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members to leave the U.S. Embassy in Niamey. In early January 2024, the overall risk level for the country was lowered back to Level 3. Despite the new classification, the State Department still asks non-emergency government personnel and eligible family members to depart the country.

In mid-December 2023 there was an explosion at Guinea’s main fuel depot which has since affected access to health care and basic goods and services. The country was subsequently designated a Level 3 nation after having previously been Level 2. Concerns about civil unrest, health, crime and fuel shortages impacting local infrastructure were listed as the primary risk factors contributing to the change.

Several Level 3 countries are among the worst countries for human trafficking, as designated by the State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report . Level 3 countries on this list include Papua New Guinea, Guinea Bissau, China and Chad. There are also nine Level 4 countries designated as among the worst for human trafficking: Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, Syria, South Sudan and Venezuela.

Over 70 countries are currently at Level 2, meaning the State Department recommends travelers “exercise increased caution” when traveling to those destinations.

Botswana became the newest Level 2 country on Feb. 26 after having previously been Level 1, with crime noted as the primary risk factor.

France, which saw nationwide protests throughout 2023, has civil unrest and terrorism noted as risk factors for its Level 2 status, and Sweden’s Level 2 status is associated with risks of terrorism.

The Level 2 travel advisory for the Bahamas was updated in January to reflect water safety concerns. The advisory warns that “activities involving commercial recreational watercraft, including water tours, are not consistently regulated” and notes that government personnel are “not permitted to use independently operated jet-ski rentals on New Providence and Paradise Islands.” It also warns visitors to be mindful of sharks, weather and water conditions. The advisory also says that crime is a primary risk factor with gang-on-gang violence contributing to high homicide rates in some areas. Visitors are asked to “be vigilant” and to not physically resist robbery attempts.

Bangladesh 's Level 2 travel advisory was updated in October 2023 to add a note about the country’s general election , which took place Jan. 7, 2024. The advisory states “demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence.” The U.S. has since claimed the country’s election was not free nor fair.

In November 2023, several Level 2 travel advisories were updated with new cautionary information. The advisory for Ghana was updated to reflect threats against LGBTQI+ travelers specifically, noting “anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric and violence have increased in recent years.” Meanwhile, the advisory for South Africa was updated in February to note that routes recommended by GPS may be unsafe with higher risk for crime.

Turkmenistan was moved off of the Level 2 list to become the newest addition to the Level 1 list on Jan. 22, meaning normal precautions are recommended but there are no risk factors causing travelers to practice increased caution.

The State Department asks travelers to pay attention to travel advisory levels and alerts , review country information pages for their destinations and read related country security reports before going abroad.

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10 Statistically-Proven Safe Tourist Destinations In The U.S.

Travel in peace to these ten safe US tourist destinations, which boast low crime rates, friendly residents, and lots of attractions to enjoy all year.

• Picking a safe destination is crucial for a stress-free vacation. Consider crime rates, friendly locals, and night safety when planning your trip.
• Raleigh, San Diego, Boise, and Honolulu are among the safest tourist destinations in the US, with low crime rates and friendly populations.
• States like Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts offer safe experiences for travelers, with low crime rates, educated populations, and plenty of attractions.

Planning a vacation is a complicated process. Once the wanderlust takes hold, it can be easy to want to simply hop in a car or book a plane ticket and escape. The reality of travel, however, takes a little more thought.

One of the most important and often overlooked aspects of vacation is picking a safe destination. Particularly for those traveling alone, there are several safety tips to consider when planning a trip. While booming tourist spots exist all over the country, not all of them are as friendly as they seem. High levels of crime, frequent natural disasters, or an unfriendly local population can all quickly derail those relaxing days.

Thankfully, there are many ways to learn how safe a travel destination is. This list has compiled data from Neighborhood Scout , the FBI Crime Data Explorer , and US News Crime & Corrections Rankings to provide a comprehensive list of the safest travel destinations in the US (some are specific spots like cities while others are entire states). Factors including crime rates, risk of being a victim, tourism friendliness, and night safety have been cross-referenced to create a well-rounded look at these popular and safe tourist destinations in America.

• Violent Crime Rate (Assault, Violent Robbery, etc.) National Average: 4.0
• Property Crime Rate (Stolen or Destroyed Property) National Average: 19.0

Crime rates represent the amount of a particular type of crime that occurs per 1,000 residents. If the violent crime rate is 3.5, that means that there were approximately 3.5 violent crimes for every 1,000 people.

Other self-reported factors, like local friendliness and resident education levels, are not necessarily firm indicators for safety, but higher levels of both consistently correlate with safer destinations and can help overall ranking.

While these may not simply be the ten safest cities in the US, these ten destinations represent the safest popular tourist locations throughout the US and have been ranked in order of overall safety.

These Are The 10 Safest Countries In Europe

10 raleigh, north carolina, crime rate - 4.83: consistent law enforcement presence and numerous revolutionary war landmarks.

Capital cities rarely rank high on the safety list, largely due to higher population density and the prevalence of petty and violent crime. North Carolina, however, manages to beat the odds and provides plenty for travelers to do in Raleigh , like visit the James B. Hunt Library , in a safe environment.

Raleigh boasts a 4.83 crime rate, compared to similarly-sized East Coast cities, which are frequently above six. Additionally, the high number of friendly locals makes even the most out-of-place tourists feel comfortable walking around and exploring, even at night. All of this combined makes Raleigh among the safest places in the US to visit as a tourist.

Raleigh, North Carolina, Safety Statistics

• Violent Crime Rate: 4.83
• Chances of Being a Violent Crime Victim: 1 in 207
• Factors That Increase Safety in Raleigh: Friendly Local Population; Consistent Police Presence; Safe To Walk At Night

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9 san diego, california, crime rate - 3.96: nearby military base and warm sandy beaches for year-round relaxation.

California is a popular tourist destination, but as the most populous state in the US, safety can vary wildly. Of the cities that are popular tourist destinations in California, the beach city of San Diego boasts one of the lowest crime rates in America when it comes to this category.

San Diego is a city that is full of career-oriented individuals, with a large percentage of the population working in math and computers. This demographic tends to lend itself to lower crime rates overall, which is apparent in San Diego’s 3.96 violent crime rate, below the national average despite the large population of this major city. This means that guests can focus on lounging on the beach instead of patting themselves down for missing valuables while they explore San Diego.

San Diego, California, Safety Statistics

• Violent Crime Rate: 3.96
• Chances of Being a Violent Crime Victim: 1 in 253
• Factors That Increase Safety in San Diego: Educated Population; Nearby Military Base (Camp Pendleton); Safe To Walk At Night

8 Boise, Idaho

Crime rate - 2.90: low property crime and plenty of outdoor activities.

Idaho is one of the most underrated states when it comes to tourism. A haven for outdoor activities, Idaho also has several of the safest cities in the US. Even major cities like Boise offer a safer-than-average experience, while also being a premier destination for outdoor adventurers.

Not only is Boise’s violent crime rate well below the national average, its property crime rate is exceptionally low as well; 13.12 compared to the national average of 19. Since a car will likely be needed to fully explore the variety of things to do in and around Boise , knowing that one’s belongings will be safe is a major factor in identifying Boise as one of the safest tourist destinations in the US.

Boise, Idaho, Safety Statistics

• Violent Crime Rate: 2.90
• Chances of Being a Violent Crime Victim: 1 in 345
• Factors That Increase Safety in Boise: Low Property Crime Rate; High Advanced Education Levels; Safe To Walk Alone; Friendly Local Population

7 Honolulu, Hawaii

Crime rate - 2.56: a year-round tropical paradise focused on tourist safety.

Honolulu is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and in this case, that works to the city's benefit. Honolulu's economy is centered around tourism, so the entire city has made great efforts to ensure that locals and visitors alike are safe during their exploration.

Honolulu benefits from a number of factors that increase its overall sense of safety for travelers. Overall, the local population is highly educated, with nearly 40% of the population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. Similarly, there is a steady police and military presence in this part of the island, with on- and off-duty officers being commonplace. With so much protection around town, the biggest threat to Honolulu’s visitors is actually its main attraction, the ocean itself.

Honolulu, Hawaii, Safety Statistics

• Violent Crime Rate: 2.56
• Chances of Being a Violent Crime Victim: 1 in 390
• Factors That Increase Safety in Honolulu: Highly Educated Population; Friendly Locals; Consistent Police Presence; Safe To Walk Alone; Safe To Walk At Night

How Safe Is Honolulu? Here Are Some First-Timer Safety Tips

6 henderson, nevada, crime rate - 2.40: next to las vegas but safe to explore at night or alone.

Las Vegas may be known as Sin City, but that doesn't mean there aren't some particularly safe towns nearby. Henderson, Nevada, is just outside of Las Vegas and is a popular destination for those who want access to southern Nevada's activities from a safe central location.

Despite being located right next to Las Vegas, Henderson’s crime levels are half that of its famous neighbor. Where Las Vegas has a violent crime rate of 4.89, Henderson’s is just 2.40, making it a much safer alternative for those looking for a Vegas vacation.

Henderson, Nevada, Safety Statistics

• Violent Crime Rate: 2.40
• Chances of Being a Violent Crime Victim: 1 in 417
• Factors That Increase Safety in Henderson: Below-Average Property Crime Rate; Consistent Police Presence; Safe To Walk At Night

5 The State Of Vermont

Crime rate - 1.87: friendly to tourists with forests and cities to explore.

When it comes to determining the safest tourist destination in the US, there are a number of factors to consider, not all of which can be easily quantified. In the case of Vermont, however, there is no doubt that the state itself (not just specific cities) deserves its place near the top of the list.

In addition to having one of the lowest per capita crime rates of any state in the US, Vermont is also at relatively low risk for major natural disasters and other hazards. Since the entire state is one of the safest places in America for tourists, people need not fear that they are wandering out of the “safety zone” when they head to towns like Woodstock, which is full of activities , or simply go on an impromptu excursion through the Green Mountains.

Vermont Safety Statistics

• Violent Crime Rate: 1.87
• Chances of Being a Violent Crime Victim: 1 in 534
• Factors That Increase Safety in Vermont: Friendly Local Population; Safe To Walk At Night; Safe To Walk Alone; Minimal Natural Disaster Risk; Highly Educated Population

4 Naples, Florida

Crime rate - 1.19: a quiet beach town alternative in florida with low property crime.

Florida is a favorite tourist destination, particularly for snowbirds fleeing the winter weather up north. While many of the major cities in Florida are fairly average in their safety ratings, the beach paradise of Naples is not only scenic; it is extremely safe.

There are a wide variety of things to do in Naples, Florida , including both beachfront activities and city attractions like the Naples Botanical Garden . Guests can explore in peace, knowing that the violent crime rate is barely over one, and the property crime rate is similarly low at 13.89.

Naples, Florida, Safety Statistics

• Violent Crime Rate: 1.19
• Chances of Being a Violent Crime Victim: 1 in 842
• Factors That Increase Safety in Naples: Friendly Local Population; Low Property Crime Rate; Safe To Walk Alone

3 The State Of Maine

Crime rate - 1.13: safe for solo travelers and home to the internationally known acadia national park.

While many of the safest tourist destinations in the US are individual cities or even suburbs of cities, several entire states offer an exceptionally safe experience regardless of where travelers go. Maine has a variety of activities to enjoy, from walks through the downtown areas to enjoying one of the best hikes in Acadia National Park .

With a violent crime rate of just over one, Maine is one of the safest tourist destinations in the country. Travelers report feeling free to walk around big cities and small towns alike. A low property crime rate (11.66) means that even those who bring their own car and belongings along for the ride can feel confident that their items will be secure.

Maine Safety Statistics

• Violent Crime Rate: 1.13
• Chances of Being a Violent Crime Victim: 1 in 881
• Factors That Increase Safety in Maine: Friendly Local Population; Safe To Walk At Night; Safe To Walk Alone; Low Property Crime Rate; Highly Educated Population

2 Virginia Beach, Virginia

Crime rate - 1.12: an east coast beach getaway with proactive law enforcemen t.

Coastal cities are frequently some of the most popular tourist destinations in the US, with year-round desirability and a wide variety of things to do. But as the crowds increase in size, it is not uncommon for general safety levels to suffer.

Thankfully, one of the best beach towns in Virginia is also one of the safest tourist spots in the US. With a 1.12 crime rate, even the most crowded beaches are relatively free of violent crime. Property crime is similarly low, sitting a firm 3.5 points below the national average. Considering pick-pocketing is a common concern, particularly on tourist beaches, enjoying a safe vacation at Virginia Beach seems particularly sweet.

Virginia Beach, Virginia, Safety Statistics

• Violent Crime Rate: 1.12
• Chances of Being a Violent Crime Victim: 1 in 894
• Factors That Increase Safety in Virginia Beach: Safe To Walk At Night; Low Property Crime Levels; Proactive Law Enforcement

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1 arlington, massachusetts, crime rate - 0.44: one of the safest towns in the us with numerous historical attractions and just 15 minutes from boston.

A historical town that was a major location during the American Revolution, Arlington, Massachusetts, is a popular tourist destination for history buffs or for those hoping for a Massachusetts vacation without the Boston crowds. Arlington is also one of the USA's safest cities to visit, with low crime rates on all fronts and a general feeling of peace for travelers as they walk around.

Whether exploring the museums or walking around the scenic Spy Pond Park , the chances of being the victim of violent crime are literally less than one in 1,000 in Arlington. Even property crime is nearly nonexistent, with a 2.98 rating. Arlington is also a short 15-minute drive to Boston, making it a popular place to stay for those who want a safer way to explore Boston.

With plenty to do and practically no crime, Arlington is one of the safest places to visit in the US any time of the year.

Arlington, Massachusetts, Safety Statistics

• Violent Crime Rate: 0.44
• Chances of Being a Violent Crime Victim: 1 in 2,281
• Factors That Increase Safety in Arlington: Friendly Local Population; Safe To Walk At Night; Low Property Crime Rate; Safe To Walk Alone

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The 15 Safest Countries to Travel to in 2024

Caroline Morse Teel

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline .

Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.

Her stories have also appeared online at USA Today, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Boston.com, TripAdvisor, Buzzfeed, Jetsetter, Oyster, Airfarewatchdog, and others.

The Handy Item I Always Pack : "Earplugs. A good pair has saved my sleep and sanity many times!"

Ultimate Bucket List Experience : Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro.

Travel Motto : "Don't be boring."

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat : "Aisle (when the first class private suite isn't available)."

E-mail her at [email protected] .

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No one wants to go on vacation only to be too afraid to leave their hotel. So, if you’re looking for the safest countries to travel to in 2024, plan your next trip around this list. 

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, a travel insurance provider, just released its annual list of the safest countries in the world . The rankings are created using an extensive methodology that includes surveying recent travelers, analyzing data from the Global Peace Index and the US State Department, and evaluating the GeoSure Global scores of the major cities in each country. These data points are used to calculate a weighted score reflecting each country’s safety. 

Berkshire Hathaway issues an important caveat alongside its safest countries list: “These ratings aren’t predictive—that is, just because we say Canada is safe that doesn’t mean it will rank in the Top 10 in the future. Also, it doesn’t account for the possibility of natural disasters, like the Canadian wildfires.” Inclusion on the list also doesn’t mean that “every part of the company is as safe as any other,” says the company. 

This is the ninth year that Berkshire Hathaway has released this study. Over the years, the company says the definition of a safe place to travel has changed over time. “A safe place was originally a place that’s largely free from terrorist activity. Then it became a place that was safe from disease outbreaks. Now it’s a place where all types of people can move about freely without discrimination or harassment.”

Canada rose from sixth place in 2023 to claim the title of the safest country to travel to in 2024. Canada was ranked highly for safety due to its low rates of violent crime. However, travelers are advised to watch out for wildfires, which have been a major issue in the country in recent years, causing diminished air quality and the potential for health problems. 

• Switzerland
• Netherlands
• United Kingdom
• New Zealand

Safety looks different for every traveler. The study also broke down the safest countries by a number of specific categories.

Safest Countries to Travel to (Safest From Violent Crime)

Safest countries to travel to (safety from terrorism).

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This North American country tops the list of the safest countries for travelers

A new year means new destinations.

When looking at where to go, travelers will consider the usual factors such as weather, cost and available activities. This year, safety is also top of mind as more people want to go off the beaten path and take solo trips.

To help, travel insurance provider Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection just released its ninth annual State of Travel Insurance report, which includes the safest countries in the world for travelers.

"The definition of safe destination has evolved,” Carol Mueller, vice president at Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, told USA TODAY in an email. "In our most recent survey, travelers lean in on countries they believe as safe destinations they can move about freely without discrimination or harassment."

To determine the list, the travel insurance provider surveyed 1,702 people on their own travel experiences in different countries and also pulled data from third-party resources that evaluate safety concerns such as terrorism, weather emergencies, health measures and the safety of underrepresented groups. This included the  Global Peace Index  and the State Department’s own  travel safety ratings .

Learn more: Best travel insurance

While these countries are considered to be overall safe for people to visit, the company noted the report doesn't mean every part of the country is safe nor account for the possibility of natural disasters. And as always, don't let your guard down when it comes to petty theft against tourists.

'It's like your local bestie': This startup helps make solo travel as a woman feel safer

Read below to see the 15 countries determined to be the safest for all travelers.

The Great White North tops this year's list of safest countries in the world for travelers, thanks to its low violent crime and strict gun laws. Last year, the country, known for its high standard of living and political stability, made sixth on the list.

2. Switzerland

Known for its security and low crime rates, Switzerland made second place for the safest nations to visit. The country is known for its high quality of living and beautiful nature, such as Lake Geneva and Lake Zurich.

Besides having some of the best views of the dancing northern lights , Norway is also one of the safest places when it comes to crime rates, terrorist activity and violent demonstrations. According to the report, Oslo, the capital of Norway, was the country's safest area.

Those wanting to see Ireland's Cliffs of Moher or sip on some Guinness can rest assured in going through with those travel plans. The country had fewer homicides in 2022 than 16 U.S. cities, according to the report.

5. Netherlands

Last year, the Netherlands took the top spot for safest destinations to visit, and this year, it made fifth. Survey respondents repeatedly said they felt safe in the country and its capital Amsterdam. Just beware of the tourist tax increase as the city continues to crack down on reckless partiers.

6. United Kingdom

With a beautiful countryside and cities with low murder and theft rates, the United Kingdom is a safe bet for travelers. Unfortunately, the country is soon going to implement a fee to enter its borders .

7. Portugal

There's a reason digital nomads flock to this sunny coastal country, and it's not just the delicious seafood and wine. Portugal's cities are secure and orderly, and the rural areas are peaceful. In 2022, the country was determined to be one of the best places for solo female travelers too.

Last year, Denmark was the second safest country in the world for travelers, and its low crime rates continue to help it be a safe choice for travelers. The northern European country typically steals the spotlight for its happy residents and its politics.

Like its Nordic neighbor Denmark, Iceland is often regarded as the world's most gender-equal country and the safest country in the world when it comes to crime. To entice travelers even more, the country is home to otherworldly landscapes featuring glaciers, geysers, hot springs, waterfalls and volcanic terrain.

10. Australia

Rugged wilderness and cosmopolitan cities make Australia a desirable country for travelers, especially female solo travelers since the Land Down Under also has low homicide rates. In 2022, there were 377 recorded homicides, about half of what Chicago experienced, according to the report.

11. New Zealand

Although expensive, New Zealand is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts who want to explore its coastlines, mountains, fjords and more, or for those who are big "Lord of the Rings" fans. With low crime rates, the country is also considered to be quite peaceful and great for female solo travelers.

Along with low crime rates, Japan offers travelers a blend of ancient traditions and cutting-edge modernity. Think robot servers in restaurants amongst ancient shrines. In Japanese culture, politeness and orderliness are also highly valued, making it a safe place for travelers, solo or not. However, the report doesn't consider natural disasters, such as the earthquakes that recently shook the western part of the island nation.

Home to the City of Light, France has stood the test of time as one of the world's most popular destinations. Thankfully, for travelers, the country has relatively safe transportation (well, minus petty theft, which is common on the metro) and safety from disease epidemics, according to the report. However, violent demonstrations mean travelers should be cautious and check local media for updates.

Another popular European destination, Spain is known for petty theft like pickpocketing. Overall, the Mediterranean country has a low crime rating for how heavily touristed it is, the report said. Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection recommends people especially watch out for passport thefts, so as always, travel cautiously.

This year, Brazil made the list of safe countries to visit. The survey respondents who identified as women, people of color and LGBTQ+ especially felt safe in the South American country, known for its beautiful beaches. However, Brazil's borders are notably dangerous for crime activity.

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .

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Is United States Safe? Crime Rates & Safety Report

United States : Safety by State

• Connecticut
• Massachusetts
• Mississippi
• New Hampshire
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• West Virginia

The United States of America, also known as America, the U.S., or USA, is a vast region with 50 states to explore.

48 of the states are known as the “contiguous U.S.”

Alaska and Hawaii are both states but not directly connected by land to the main portion of the country.

There is also a group of locations known as U.S. Territories but aren’t technically states.

These include:

• American Samoa
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Puerto Rico
• The Virgin Islands

Throughout the U.S., there are different regions to explore, each bringing its own unique qualities and safety risks.

The country has four time zones on the mainland, starting with the Pacific Time Zone on the West Coast and adding up to three hours until you reach the Eastern Seaboard.

Hawaii has its own time zone, which is three hours behind the Pacific Time Zone.

Part of Alaska is on the Hawaii/Aleutian Time Zone boundary, and the other part is known as the Alaska Time Zone.

The different regions of America might have some slippery boundaries in the title alone.

For example, the exact boundaries of the South have long been debated.

Texas likes to be its own location, not wanting to be considered the South or desert Southwest.

In general, the regions are, starting from the west and going east:

• Pacific Northwest: Washington & Oregon. Mountainous and rainy climates with some higher desert areas with less moisture.
• West Coast: Mainly California, both north and south. There have been discussions about dissecting California into two states, Northern & Southern, since the two halves of the state have very different climates regarding weather, politics, and lifestyle.
• Desert Southwest: Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Nevada. Hot, dry climates with many outdoor parks and attractions.
• Texas: Texas has different climates from one side to the other but is known for American pride, a love of legally owned guns, and a tough and resilient class of diverse people.
• Mountain States: The Rocky Mountains and related natural wonders spread across Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and the Dakotas.
• Midwest: Central states ranging from the plains to the rolling hills of the Ozarks to the colder weather of places like Minnesota and Michigan.
• South: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, and – depending on who you ask – Virginia.
• Florida: Technically in the South, but no Floridian will agree with that. Florida is sort of its own separate place with many beaches and tropical weather.
• Mid-Atlantic: Moving up the seaboard, you’ll find Virginia (again, arguably), West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Rhode Island.
• Northeast: Aka “East Coast” with major cities like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

The United States has seen a surge in violent crimes and homicides over the past few years, with gun sales increasing and an opioid epidemic growing with fentanyl-laced drugs on the streets.

If you are considering visiting from another country, the reports of mass shootings and violent crime might scare you, but there are no crime trends showing tourists are at a greater risk.

Crime risks aren’t just in big cities, as even some Midwestern towns face challenges.

There’s also an overall challenge of finding enough law enforcement officers to hold people accountable while giving criminals the due process they are constitutionally guaranteed.

• Warnings & Dangers in United States

OVERALL RISK: LOW

There's a low overall risk, but that risk can change quickly depending on which city or state you visit. Homeland Security oversees terroristic threats on a global scale, the FBI investigates crime on a federal level, and communities are either served by law enforcement locally or county-wide.

TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW

In most cities larger than 20,000 people are going to have public transportation in the form of buses, light rail systems, or trains. There's a strong network of highways across the country. Some highways have tolls, but the majority are toll-free. Rideshares are very popular, with Uber and Lyft dominating the business, while taxis are still available too. Many people find rideshares to be less expensive. Rental cars are widely available. For non-US residents, you need an International Driving Permit (IDP) before you leave your home country. You cannot get an IDP in the U.S. if you are a citizen of another country.

PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM

Any larger city or high tourist traffic area will have a higher pickpocket rate. Places like Disney World, beaches, and New York City should be approached with medium risk. The truth is, pickpocketing or purse snatching can happen anywhere. Always carry as little as necessary with you and use concealed pockets for important items like cash, passports, and hotel keys.

NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW

Each section of the country has its own risks. All cities or counties also have an Emergency Management Department that lists local risks and safety plans. Tornado season heats up in the Midwest and South in the spring. Hurricane season runs along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines from June through October. Wildfire season out West happens in the summer, but wildfires have been growing in intensity and can last well into the fall. Winter brings heavy snow to the northern and northeastern states, but there's not always going to be snow on the ground.

MUGGING RISK: LOW

The risk of being mugged is city-dependent, so review our local reports of cities before you visit. You should know that police in every city will tell you never to fight back against a robber, as it's not worth risking your life over a mobile device, wallet, or personal item.

TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM

Homeland Security and state-wide investigation bureaus protect each state, but some places are at a higher risk. Any large population area is going to get a higher risk. Nearby military bases increase risk as well. Remote areas are at a smaller risk but could also be a hiding place for what's known as "homegrown terrorists." The "See Something, Say Something" motto spans across the country. It encourages people to report any suspicious activity - even something as simple as an abandoned piece of luggage.

SCAMS RISK: LOW

The Better Business Bureau is a great resource to find local scams happening in the region or city you plan to visit. Rental scams are a big challenge in tourist areas. In these cases, scammers will steal photos of legitimate properties but falsely advertise that they are for rent. Potential tenants are asked to wire money ahead of time to secure the property. When travelers arrive, there is no rental home available and no way to recoup that lost money. You should also be wary of any deal that seems too good to be true or where you are pressured to make a decision.

WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW

Women should always proceed with caution when visiting a new location. As exciting as going on holiday is, don't bring high-value items like designer bags or expensive jewelry. It just risks making you a target for a would-be thief. A new trend in nightlife safety involves a woman who feels uncomfortable with the way another patron is treating her to go to the bar and order an "Angel Shot." It's a simple way to tell the bartender you are in a tough situation and need help without alerting the person bothering you.

TAP WATER RISK: LOW

Each water utility is required to provide a Consumer Confidence Water Quality Report yearly. Those reports are required to be on the utility website for review. You can also call the Safe Water Hotline 24/7 at 800-426-4791 if you have specific questions about any location's water quality.

• Safest Places to Visit in United States

Disney World or Disneyland, located in Orlando, Florida, and Anaheim, California, are safe places to visit, with cities built around them to accommodate larger tourist crowds.

There will be a greater risk of petty thefts and a greater security presence on all levels – from business security guards to law enforcement to Homeland Security offices.

The Grand Canyon is one of the eight wonders of the world and brings in a lot of tourists throughout the year.

Visitors can also parlay a trip here to see Phoenix or Sedona, Arizona.

Parks throughout the U.S. are listed at a national, state, or local level.

For example, Yellowstone is a National Park, while Cumberland Falls in Kentuck is a state park.

What’s the difference?

Entrance fees and laws might slightly differ, but there are no identification requirements that make one preferable over another.

Las Vegas is one of the top tourist attractions in the world, with a 24/7 lifestyle with budget-friendly options all the way to the lap of luxury.

Local casinos also dot the landscape of the famed “Las Vegas Strip,” and there are natural attractions nearby like Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon.

Big cities like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Dallas/Ft Worth, and Seattle bring in large crowds, and each has very different safety advice.

We’ve broken down the reports on this website into the individual cities and suburbs of these regions, so you have the best possible information.

The beaches of Florida, North & South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas (not an exhaustive list) are popular as well, but crowds will build up during Spring Break and winter when the heat and humidity aren’t as intense, and there isn’t a hurricane possible.

A trip to Hawaii or Alaska might feel like you’re going to a different country, but it’s still subject to the federal laws of the United States.

Each state has its own rules too.

For example, Hawaii is very particular about pets coming in due to it being a “rabies-free” environment.

Alaska will have days with more than 20 hours of sunshine or darkness since it’s so far north.

• Places to Avoid in United States

There isn’t any place you need to avoid when visiting the United States, but you should research the climate before you go.

If you want a beach getaway, there’s a difference between the crowds of Miami and the laid-back nature of Sarasota.

If you don’t like humidity, you might enjoy the desert southwest, with an arid climate but temperatures that get into the triple digits half the year.

If you want big crowds, going to Wyoming isn’t going to be a good idea, but if you want open country, beautiful scenery, and mountain peaks, you’ll love it.

You should be familiar with the common U.S. holidays, as most government agencies will close down on those days.

As of 2022, these are the federal holidays:

• New Year’s Day: January 1
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: The third Monday of January
• President’s Day: The third Monday of February
• Memorial Day: The last Monday in May
• Juneteenth: June 19
• Independence Day: July 4
• Labor Day: The first Monday in September
• Indigenous Peoples’ Day: second Monday in October
• Veterans Day: November 11
• Thanksgiving Day: The fourth Thursday in November
• Black Friday: The day after Thanksgiving. It’s not a federal holiday, but many state offices choose to close on this day.
• Christmas Eve: Not a federal holiday, but many state and local offices either close or work half-days.
• Christmas Day: December 25

Each state might have its own holidays as well.

For example, Nevada Day is celebrated in the Silver State on the last Friday of October.

All city and state offices are usually closed, and school is out statewide.

The places to avoid have “the devil is in the details.”

For example, there are many reasons to visit Chicago – there are also some really dangerous areas.

Iowa is generally considered a nice Midwestern state, but there are some communities battling major drug and crime issues you might not expect.

• Safety Tips for Traveling to United States
• As part of “See Something, Say Something,” you don’t call Homeland Security to report an issue. The local law enforcement takes the complaint and then decides how far to escalate the concern. For example, an unattended bag at a carnival might get the local police there, who then call the bomb squad, who might then call the FBI. 911 is the universal call for emergency help in the United States and will connect you to any local emergency center.
• The U.S. Department of State, or State Department as it’s casually referred to, is the best source for information about visiting this country. There is detailed information about the Visa process and great warnings about Visa scams. Please review this site in detail before you start your Visa application.
• If you are visiting from Mexico, Brazil, China, or India, look for the State Department’s “Straight Facts” section of the website. These documents break down common myths or rumors circulating and give you direct information about requirements and concerns.
• American English is the language of the land, and Americans are as bilingual as some other countries. You can generally find people who speak Spanish, and there are bilingual people at hotels and tourism bureaus. If you don’t speak English and need help, Americans are very willing to help you find someone to communicate with you. Just avoid asking someone on the street. Approach a law enforcement officer or a hotel front desk worker.
• The U.S. measures distances in miles and temperatures in Farenheight. One mile is 1609 meters. To convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, subtract 32 and multiply by 5556.
• Different regions of the country have different access or slang terms, just like any other country. The people in the South tend to speak a little slower with a thick accent, while people in the northeast are going to speak faster with a wide variety of accents.
• Since America is a country full of immigrant populations, you might find pockets of different nationalities in surprising locations. For example, Pella, Iowa, has a rich Dutch culture. Wilbur, Nebraska, has a large Czech population.
• Each city or country usually has its own tourism bureau with a website separate from city and county government websites. These websites and apps are great tools for finding the best and safest tourist attractions in a location.
• Bring a universal adapter so your electronics will be able to use the American Type A and Type B sockets. Many stores like Walmart, Target, Walgreens, and Best Buy have adapters available if you forget one.
• Much of America has age limits for buying alcohol, usually 21. Gambling is generally 21 years old, but some places might allow 18-year-olds. Smoking is generally frowned upon in American communities, with some places not even allowing smoking outside businesses. Check locally before you visit so you know the law.
• So... How Safe Is United States Really?

Illegal guns, legally carried guns, violent crimes, murders, drug crimes, and thefts are all on the rise in the United States.

Over the past few years, mass shootings have become more common, and an opioid epidemic has rattled communities from coast to coast.

You should never take a prescription drug unless it’s from a licensed pharmacy like Walgreens, CVS, or Rite Aid.

Drugs are being shipped to the U.S. with potentially deadly doses of Fentanyl inside.

A drug user wouldn’t know the difference when looking at or tasting a drug.

The majority of the crimes are among people who know each other, like gangs or domestic issues between couples or families.

You should avoid any situation where tension is mounting, people are arguing, or where it just doesn’t feel safe.

Trust your gut.

Don’t walk down dark alleys at night.

From abroad, it might seem like America is a violent place with gunshots at every corner.

It’s not as safe as it has been in the past, but it’s also not a place where you need a bullet-proof vest.

Unfortunately, you can’t trust people on the street in America, since there are too many scams that prey on the kindness of strangers.

That doesn’t mean people in America aren’t friendly – it’s just too risky.

Trust the people who are paid to help you stay safe, like the concierge at a hotel or a police officer.

Avoid buying anything from the trunk of a car or from someone wandering the street, as gold scams are growing in popularity.

There’s an 11% poverty rate in America, with some cities having as high as 30% of people living in poverty.

You’ll likely see homeless people and panhandlers in any city you visit.

You should not give these people money, no matter how sympathetic you are.

Instead, donate to a local homeless shelter if you are so inclined.

With so many great places to visit in the U.S., there’s no reason to avoid it.

It’s hard to explain the country in one broad stroke, which is why we’ve diligently detailed each state, metro area, and city to help you determine your best path.

• How Does United States Compare?
• Useful Information

The U.S. State Department has a great "Visa Wizard" that takes you through a series of questions to get you the exact Visa you need for your trip. This can help eliminate guesswork and possibly save you time and money during the process. Some people will qualify for the "Electronic System for Travel Authorization" (ESTA), which is a Visa waiver program.

You can only use the U.S. Dollar nationwide, and there aren't places that will accept other currency in 99.9% of the cases. Credit cards are widely accepted and encouraged, as they provide the best theft and fraud protection. ATMs will be found everywhere but come with different fees. Whenever possible, go into a bank to make a transaction and avoid using ATMs at night or in remote areas.

Each area of the country has different weather patterns. Winters in the South will be milder than winters in Minnesota. When you review each city on our website, you'll see a chart with average temperatures for each time of the year. West of the Rockies, you'll find drier air, which means less humidity but also more risk for dehydration. East of the Rockies, it's going to be more humid and have more potential for severe weather like tornadoes. Always bring plenty of layers, from t-shirts to hoodies, and shoes, from sandals to hiking boots. Some tourist attractions, like caves, will require closed-toed shoes. Bring bug spray and sunscreen for any time of year.

America has more than 5,500 public airports. International Airports are those that have flights outside of the country, but be wary - just having a few flights to Mexico can make an airport "International." The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) oversees airport safety and can break open locks on luggage if there are suspicions about what is inside. Before a non-US resident leaves the airport, they'll have to go through Customs and Border Patrol. Be very serious when you go through this process, and don't make any jokes or try to start random conversations. Just do as you are told and answer questions directly. Each airport should have a place to exchange currency.

Travel Insurance

All hospitals and medical centers in the country will require payment, so if you don't have health insurance with U.S. coverage, please buy travel health insurance. It's not worth a $5,000 emergency room bill for stitches from a fall or crutches for a sprained ankle. Severe weather of any kind can not only cause local delays or cancelations but can also have ripple effects across the country. A snowstorm in Denver, for example, can impact flights in all directions since it's such a large hub.

United States Weather Averages (Temperatures)

• Average High/Low Temperature

United States - Safety by City

Explore united states.

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• Where to Next?

200 Reviews on United States

Real opinion from someone who is not american but who have lived and travelled to the usa.

Ok… pickpockets risk : low? !!!!!!!!! Women travelers risks: low?!!!!!! LOOOOOOL…. the person who wrote this article is delusional or American, or probably both!!!!! The USA is one of the most dangerous country you could end up in! I like this country, but let’s keep it real… you do not watch the News!!!!! The everyday criminality level is high ( check the official numbers…)

said mass shootings are highly unlikely at places frequented by tourists, guess las vegas doesn’t count

The person responding above must have had a bad experience , hangs out in the wrong places or just has an issue with the US. If you travel you just don’t go to bad parts of any city in the world. It is safe but always keep your guard up as a traveler and a woman anywhere.

REAL REVIEW REAL AMERICAN

The United States Is NOT A Safe Country… Especially if you are BLACK, HISPANIC, ASIAN, Or an Immigrant That A Person Of Color!! The police are Criminal Gangs…Opioid addiction is at an Al Time High… Driving is Not Safe, Especially in Large Cities…. Homelessness is High…Unemployment is HIGH…and Covid is Widespread!!! I am American… Lives here for 56 plus years… Many Americans are trying to leave…Come here at your own risk and expense!!

This is clearly a political response LMAO. I reckon you haven’t done much traveling in your “56 years.”

Agreed. Yvonne sounds like she belongs to BLM. I understand that blacks are not safe from other blacks, but explain to me how Asians are not safe in America. They experience the lowest rates of crime victimization of any racial group residing in this country.

there’s been plenty of attacks on asian americans and poc generally by the pigs in the American police force. I’m assuming you’ve never left your rich suburb and seen what the rest of the country is like

Huh? Asians Elders get attacked daily especially over the course of the Coronavirus. It s been all over the news. Also, yes. Black people get targeted by the police over white people. It’s a real thing. A black woman got hit by a white woman in a mall and the white girl freaked out and got away with it. If the black woman hit her, she wouldv’e been in prison.

Are you implying black lives don’t matter? Or are you in america being told that black people standing on their humanity and truth is nothing more than a political ideology worth dismissing… while on a thread that’s talking about whether or not it is safe – as if only Europeans are coming to visit.

In 2020 hate crimes against Asian Americans went up76% and in 2021 164% they might be safer sure when you look at just the number in without considering there are fewer Asians, but when you break it down to percent of the population victimized it’s higher than average. Asian travelers are also at a higher risk of trafficking, because of language barrier, few Americans speak Asian languages, if the do speak one they might not speak one of the 100s of different Asian languages or dialects. The thing about cops is true too. I also live in US and my white kid got pulled over everything was fine until he rolled down the window and the cop saw the 2 black kids in the back seat then it was “out of the car” with his hand on his gun. I’ve seen that video, thats how it happend. Just because you haven’t experienced it doesn’t mean it’s not true. The US is safer than a lot of countries. They’ll probably be fine, but doesn’t mean it’s political either.

The irony of a person telling their experience of being safe and you denying it and immediately trying to associate it with politics. Tell me the time your politics stopped something negative from happening to a black person? I won’t wait, because you wont have any

Yvonne's a lying fool.

Delusional.

You know you are proving the point

DONT come to AMERICA if your not WHITE!

Yvonne is definitely NOT lying and the ones that say she is well THEY are part of the AMERICAN RACE PROBLEM!

grow up . the USA is very safe and very accommodating to all who visit and respect her .

Well stated!

100% accurate Yvonne! I was born in UK, speak 5 languages (including sign), have traveled to 13 countries and lived in the USA for many years, caring for mum. *If English is not your first language or if you have 2 drops of melanin; brown black yellow red, Enter at your own risk and know that you are not welcomed in this Native land.*

It’s as Amazing as you Want it to be

Are you a crazy person? I’m American, lived in London for 5-years and was SHOCKED how racist and anti-Semitic the English are. Yes, racism exists here, but nowhere on the level of Europe. My brother lives in Berlin and loves it there, but the German people do not like or want the Turkish, and blacks struggle with acceptance. This happens throughout Europe and is not just an American problem. Keep in mind your country is as big as a state and there are regions like the south that have much deeper problems than the New England region or West Coast. Too many of the posts on here are obviously from people who watch way too much sensational news and have no idea about reality. That’s their job, to make you want to watch and keep watching. A nice gesture does not make the news (that’s an entirely different problem). There is no greater city than NYC and it is safer than your intelligence!

Here is a perfect example of a lunatic. America is not safe, it is full of deluded, mentally unstable, racist psychopaths.

Your crazy, I am a American and there is 0 to none racism here.

Wow, that’s totally false. You must live in a highly white populated state. I live in a diversity state, where we have every race in the world. I’ve been pulled over just because, I had my black friends with me. We did nothing wrong. My Latino friends are treated the same way. Any other race and most police won’t pull you over. We have a ton of homeless drug addicts as well. It’s really sad.

Where do you live, im a white suburban female and have a few black neighbors and I’ve seen it. How have you not?

Yvonne is a freeloader and can leave anytime

Rewritten by a Real American: The United States is NOT a safe country in black and Hispanic communities where there is an accepted culture of crime and gang violence. The police do all that they can, except when Democrat leadership tells them to stand down. Opioid addiction is at an all time high thanks to Democrats allowing mules from Mexico to come right in. Illegal immigrates are also largely responsible for sex trafficking of children (Democrats make up the rest). Driving is not safe in urban area where thugs turn to car-jacking instead of getting a job. Homelessness is high especially for those cultures that frown on having a job (probably the case for Yvonne). Covid is widespread in urban areas because thugs only wash their hands after committing a crime. No one is trying to leave. If they were trying to leave, they would have left. Every four years celebrity Democrats threaten to leave if a conservative were to get elected, but they never leave. The rest of us Americans welcome celebrity Democrats to leave, but they just stay sucking off the freedom of this great country.

100% agree.

You’re proving her point with your retarded statement 🤣🤣

The irony. I bet you really think you are making a point too. It is obvious you don’t know ish or do ish besides act like a POC online while attempting to put every hate stereotype you can find in a post about whether or not a country is safe. You don’t even see it o you. I don’t know if I should blame your parents, your school system, or did everyone just give up on you for being this stupid on purpose

YES!!!! America is NOT safe. Leave now and never come back. If you live here and are afraid for your life, please go to Mexico right away… oh wait, they do not have food stamps there.

Mexico is dangerous why go there?

Dude Mexico is dangerous than America was. Canada is much more safer there, so how about go to Canada instead

What they both say, Mexico is really dangerous over there. Mexico has shooting, rapist, and kidnapping over there. Even though I am Mexican but I live in the safe city in America. What xxxx says yeah go to Canada instead.

Don’t let the criticisms of the people who are far left & far right influence you. It’s still a great country, just don’t talk politics. As with anywhere you travel in the US use your common sense & wit. Come & visit, experience the great cities & National parks, so much beauty calls there.

Someone Please Check this Racist Karen

You’re totally racist and psychotic and delusional, but what is to be expected from some of you people at that point in time? Not shocking at all.

We’ve seen little precious Caucasian Timmy grow from his lily-white suburb to grab his AR-15 and slaughter innocent children at the local American school many times.

Something people in those ‘Black and Hispanic” communities don’t really fear in their areas. Guess the “gangs” tend to keep it in the gang. Bless them for that.

P.S. Communities are economic based, not race based Karen. Get a clue.

Very true. Unfortunate that the ones who are most dangerous are the ones who would dismiss your view and try to assert their own. Go figure. Being black here in America is much more “trying” and dangerous than I have ever felt traveling most places in the world. But It isn’t all and every euro-american (white person) – but you will know those groups. Very eas to recognize. and the cops are not your friend a majority of the time

Actually… United States is safer for Asians than Whites. 😂

Funny how it’s pretty much all blacks attacking Asians. I’ve lived in the United States my whole life and the only time I’ve ever been The victim of a violent crime was when I was a kid. An adult black woman assaulted me and multiple of my friends for no reason. We were children. Stay away from them when you’re in the US and you’ll be fine.

Let's Fight Racism with more Racism: True Peak American Logic

I’m sorry, so I’m suddenly responsible for the psychotic black woman that attacked you as a child because of complexion?

Maybe you’re just as racist as she was, perhaps.

Statistically speaking, Asian Americans are mostly victims of hate crimes at the hands of White Americans, as most other “minority” groups are.

Plus, didn’t an Asian man just slaughter an entire dance studio filled of Asian people in Monterey Park, California back in January, or was it that adult Black woman you spoke of from your childhood? hmmm. . . . .

You know you can look up statistics too right...?

You should really check statistics before you make posts like this. I don’t know when you made this (obviously post-covid) but unemployment and homelessness are not “HIGH” by any means, whether you look at it in terms of the US historically or when compared to the rest of the world. US unemployment in Dec. 2021 3.9% compared to 7% in Europe and homeless rates in US are less than half that of countries like Sweden, Luxembourg, France, Australia, or the UK. “Many Americans are trying to leave” is anecdotal and subjective and I would be curious to know how you would even know this considering your lack of knowledge of the statistics above.

The U.S. is quite safe, but the news agencies sensationalize crime from small, concentrated areas and make it seem like it’s everywhere. Yes, you need to be aware of your surroundings, but the chances of being the victim of a crime are low if you stay away from areas that are known for crime, and honestly, why would a tourist go to these areas anyway? Every country I’ve been to has good and bad areas. Do your research and enjoy seeing new things.

“Do not watch the news” “Check the official numbers” Jeez lady.

Reality Check

Yvonne really needs to get back on her meds. Her neighborhood may be a dump, and if the cops are hostile, maybe it’s due to the issues caused by some residents. As long as you stay out of the crappy part of town, you’re no less safe than most other large cities worldwide.

How about y’all chill on Yvonne and respect that she has an opinion. And you who are saying she’s crazy liar and on meds are a part of the reason she said what she said .. relax you fkn hypocrites

Always watch your 6

Well said. You should always be cautious when visiting any place where there are humans. There are many good ones and there are many bad.

I agree on all of the personal comments, many of which were totally inappropriate and uncalled for. However, when it comes to her opinions, we do not have to respect them when those opinions consist of assertions which can be proven false with even the most cursory of Google searches. Opinions on the value/morality/goodness of the police, individual perceptions and lived experiences, and the like are opinions to which everyone is entitled, but we are not entitled to our own facts and the facts disprove the other points she was trying to make.

Including violence & racial harrasment, that’s perfect for you to desrcibe the word, “safe” country overall

perspective from someone who lived in America his whole life

uh US is the best yes I dont watch the news but I lived in this beautiful country my whole life I don’t know where you live but you have a small brain there’s only been one major terrorist attack in the 21th century that’s 911 you probably live in a country that hates America. They even call it “the land of immigrants” and ‘the free country’ me and my whole family never been pickpoketed in the US

As an American I can say that if you fly into a bigger city here, to stay safe, rent a car and get the hell out of that city. City’s are and always have been highly populated. In city’s your going to have more crime because you have more people (and more people looking for trouble). I would say that if you can get out in of a city and into a nice small town to explore and shop around in your experience of America will be amazing. Everyone’s always getting on small towns being the worst places for hate on minorities. The fact for most small white towns is that we don’t grow up around a lot of other colored people. This doesn’t mean that we don’t want to invite them into the town. However, people from these towns because of the lack of experience with people from other countries will treat these people kindly like we treat everyone else in our town. People in city’s are always in a big rush and are always mad for whatever reason. If your a tourist looking for a nice trip to America find a out of town place to go in a state that doesn’t get all the hype on the news. They’ll treat you the best and give you the best service around.

Not so horrible--just need to know where you're going

“Most dangerous”? That is a massive exaggeration. It’s nothing like visiting North Korea, South Sudan, or Afghanistan–countries where that label would actually apply. Due to the size of the country, I agree with the article’s recommendation that you do prior research on your intended destination(s) as there can be some bad pockets. All countries have these but with very large countries like the US it can be a mistake to try and assign one blanket rating to the entire country, or even to some cities as a whole.

You need to know the specific cities you plan to visit. Even the same state can have some better cities, some worse. Some cities are relatively safe, but others have suffered from poor public policy (“decriminalizing” of violent offenses and defunding of police). For instance, I would give a mostly positive recommendation to Nashville or Pittsburgh, for example, but I would advise everyone–including Americans–to stay away from cities like San Francisco, Portland (whoever rated this in the green is delusional), Seattle, or Los Angeles.

Another thing I’d mention…the overall rating for the US probably also takes a hit because we tend to get screwed by the weather. Don’t assume all of that negative rating is due to crime. It’s true, if you’re coming from somewhere like Europe, you’ve likely never seen weather as temperamental and violent as ours can get. BUT, if you pay attention to it before you go and when you get here, you’re generally going to be safe as far as natural disasters are concerned.

I also agree with the recommendation to buy travel insurance. Hopefully you won’t get sick on vacation here or anywhere else in the world, but the insurance will save you a lot of hassle where dealing with our health care system is concerned. (Great quality of service, but the billing side of it can be a huge mess.) Travel insurance will also be useful if our fickle weather decides to do something especially nasty…if you want to go to one of our East Coast or Gulf Coast cities during hurricane season, it will definitely give you some peace of mind to have that on hand.

One of the most dangerous countries you can end up in? Perhaps you are mistaken about who is actually delusional. “The News” is not necessarily the best source for accurate information especially when it comes to crime and its ACTUAL prevalence and depending upon your “news” source, can range from misleading to outright false.

For perspective, the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) homicide rate for the US sits at 4.96 per 1,000 people. While this is higher than many other developed countries, it is lower than the world average of 7.31 and far lower than many other popular tourist destinations such as Jamaica (43.85), Belize (37.79), The Bahamas (31.96), Saint Lucia, (21.44), Seychelles (12.54), etc. just to name a few.

The fact that it is well below even the average rate disproves your claim that the US is “one of the most dangerous countries you could end up in” on its face but makes it laughable when you consider what the high end of the spectrum actually looks like (52.02).

The “everyday criminality level” is hard to gauge given that this is not actually a thing so perhaps you should check the official numbers (or any numbers since you didn’t bother to offer any) but violent crime, in general, is on the decline and has been for over 30 years, falling by 49% according to FBI data or 74% according to the DOJ in that span The US is a big country and there are places which (like anywhere else in the world) can be potentially dangerous.

However, the vast majority is perfectly safe and the notion that it is somehow among the world’s most dangerous places is completely false and your comments are absolutely absurd. You should take your own advice and check the official statistics or better yet, take a trip to Syria, Honduras, Somalia, or El Salvador then come back and give us an update.

It's very safe.

Your being hysterical. The US is a ginourmous country and the “dangerous” areas are probably less than 1% of the land mass. The vast majority of murderous shootings take place in restricted parts of cities. Suicide is another story but someone killing themself won’t impact your travel. Yes, the news likes to upsell the crime but that’s because it will always draw more viewers and clicks with scary stories than it will with the 99% of the country where the big news is a new employer opening up dozens of jobs.

If you’re really here (which I doubt) and are being truthful (ditto) then you’ve got to be hanging out in the bad part of whatever metro you’re in (Or in Baltimore, which is not representative of most other cities).

USA is among the most unsafe countries in the world

Overall, not just in specific areas, USA is among the unsafest nations in the world. No “western” country is close to be as unsafe. And most African, Asian and South American countries are safer. The only ones who don’t know this, seem to be USamericans themselves. Totally blind for facts and realities.

Completely agree Fred

The United States definitely has freedom of speech.

It's a big diverse country

You must have had experience in some tough inner city areas? Where you travel and live makes all the difference. The country is huge and extremely diverse. Yes, firearms are part of the history but I have lived here all my life ( 65 years) and have only seen a gun pulled once, 40 years ago by a cop in NY making an arrest. You chances of injury are much higher crossing the street then being shot in the US. The Homicide rate of less then 5 per 100k does not rank in the top 50. It’s a big big country.

The news doesn’t really matter it’s a taurus I don’t know how to spell it but the new it doesn’t really matter it’s for a safe place unless if you go to Florida just don’t go to Florida there’s like nothing bad just Florida man and those alligators are scary I wouldn’t really suggest going to basically anywhere with the population of over 1,000,000 1/2 maybe 2 million and another half

Thats the problem, you watch the “News.” STOP, it is infesting your brain with bad info. The “News” ain’t the news. The “News” make an isolated incident, or a very rare incident, seem like an epidemic. We are a gigantic country, it’s extremely safe…unless your stupid and hang out in dangerous areas at dangerous times.

As an Natural Born American citizen, who has lived here all his life, I must say the person who wrote this article is delusional and very much “Candy Coating” the truth. America is full of street crimes especially in the major cities where most foreign tourists travel. Lots of muggings, purse snatching, pick pockets, and yes even car jackings. People get ruffied and drugged in bars and later robbed and/or raped. Many small theft is committed by junkies looking for quick cash to get a quick fix and then on to the next victim. I am not saying that everyone will get targeted but lets be real. Everyone, especially unaware tourists, are a target. I would say tourists are more of a public target than an American as Americans are more alert because we are more aware of the tactics American criminals use. I would rate the safety in major cities as moderately high and urban areas low to moderate. I am no expert I am just speaking from personal opinion based on my knowledge of local and national crime statistics and news.

Safe but learn where to avoid.

You must hang out in the wrong places. WE have lived in the NY area and or visited for over 40 years and it is not as you described. No matter where you travel in the world there are good areas and bad. You need to be smart enough to ask where those areas are and stay out of the bad areas. I understand that California has some issues in the “sanctuary cities” with petty crime and homelessness . Also, bail reform seems to be increasing the use of drugs on the street because people won’t suffer consequences. Coincidentally, friends who have visited the once beautiful city of San Francisco say you can find needles on the street

Dangerous Urban Areas

PROTIP: It isn’t the immigrants committing the crimes, nor is it the people getting out of the world’s most crowded prison system because of bail reform. Your racism is factually not true. What is true is that American cities are extraordinarily dangerous compared to their counterparts in the rest of the developed world.

Illegal immigrants do increase crime a good bit and bail reform has made crime higher, facts are not racism. A bad area in an American city is dangerous at night but the rest of the country is not more dangerous than elsewhere in the developed world.

Where in the f… does the OP mention immigrants?

Completely agreed. There is a lot of crime going on everywhere, so stay safe out there

Small City America

(English not superior very sorry) America great place for visit long time. Big cities noisy and smelly, small cities calm and inviting. I forgot card on bus stranger hand it to me. Good place.

Thank you.next time don’t forget your card

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 America safe really give me a break

lived here my whole life never had any crimes happen to me so give me a break about your uneducated response.

I’ve also lived there my entire life and I haven’t had any crimes happen to me, but I can think of literally hundreds of examples of crimes happening to friends, family and just locals and tourists visiting.

So idk how you can call him uneducated when you’re basing it strictly off your personal lack of American crimes.

I’d say cities in the US range from low to high, especially high in Albuquerque, Detroit, St. Louis, Baltimore, and Hartford.

I was born and lived more than 20 years in Mexico and I never had any crimes happen to me, BUT it doesn`t mean that I am not aware of what’s going on around. I have visited also many countries including several cities in the US and I can tell this Index is not very reliable.

As with any place it depends on where you go and the people there. There are shit people the world over. In America I have had cars broken into and stolen. I have been attacked more than once. I have even had guns drawn on me by people trying to rob me to be honest I just gave them what they wanted. In the United States of America my suggestion is to stay away from the inner-city no matter where you are. As long as you stay in good areas and are aware of your surroundings you will be very safe. PS when I lived in America I lived in the inner-city and this is what I learned from it.

It is safe to visit tho…

I would say it’s safe, I’ve lived here my entire life. There are bad things about the US for sure, but it’s relatively safe if you want to travel. Obviously there are areas you should avoid, like any country, but the major tourist areas aren’t really unsafe in my opinion. Beware of pickpocketing and scams in the tourist areas, but overall it’s not too bad. For California, I’d say try to visit Los Angeles, and go the the beaches there (like Malibu), Hollywood isn’t the nicest area, but if you’re interested you should go, San Diego is really nice as well. Hawaii is amazing of course and I think it’s one of the safest places you can go to (in my unprofessional opinion). New York City is nice, just be careful, but it’s a nice tourist place. Florida is alright if you go to Orlando and visit DisneyWorld or something, Floridians are a bit wacky though haha. I’d say those are all the “tourist”-like places in the US, but there are other nice places too. Hope this is helpful!

Thanks for Your Thoughts!

Great tips! Totally agree!

**** america

USA bad country and the only reason it is considered safe in this website is because this website is American. Like “Iraq isn’t safe terrorism” bro america is way worse when even the police does crimes

Lol thats absolutely right

AS an American I can assure you that the USA is safe. The people are kind hearted and welcoming. Its is pricey, so be prepared to spend at least 150 dollars per night for an average hotel.

Amazing, hard to see country! Think ‘Blind Man and the Elephant’!

Crazy commentary above! The USA is generally a very safe to travel, but it is hard to se much if, because of it’s size and lack of decent public transport! From Florida to Alaska and California to Maine…and then there is Texas! It is big and diverse! Frankly, it is Capitalism at it’s best and it’’s worst (see Texas)! It is a melting pot of cultures, also at it best and worst. Yet sadly only English is spoken here! Hard country to see on a budget and surely somewhat less safe at lower cost levels!

America Is Beautiful and Safe

Wonderful country with amazing people. Very safe for visitors with lots of fun things to do and beautiful places to see.

PEOPLE ALWAYS EXAGERATE WHEN IT COMES TO THE USA

I knew people were going to exagerate in the comments, the USA is not dangerous, but not so safe either. As an immigrant I’ve never felt safer, the USA has higher crime and safety issues than other developed countries. But only if you ask for it, don’t go into certain neighborhoods. I’ve lived in the “hood” and felt safer than I did in my country, maybe my perspective is different because I come from a 3rd world country, I have various European friends here and they don’t dislike living here. People that complain either watches too much news or just demonizes the USA for their own political beliefs. One thing I’ve noticed is the HUGE amount of drug addiction witch fuels crime.

American and a Woman with kids...

I am An American and a Woman and I have to say that as both I can not agree that it is safe even in tourist areas. With my kids and a female friend and her two kids someone attempted to mug us on the strip in Las Vegas…a common tourist place. Crime in a lot of tourist places unless you are talking things like the actual resort but outside the place there is crime. Museums, they are safe but many are in downtown areas that are not great and you will be robbed, have your car broken into and the such. Once in the place you are safe. Many outside places are safe like the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone Park.

New York? Nope

Don’t be fooled by the nonsense. People love to take advantage of tourist and will do so.

Not as bad as made out to be but know your destinations.

Like I always tell my friends outside of America, because this country is so large, it pays to research the specific destinations you want to visit. Trying to rate the US as a whole really isn’t very informative.

I can’t help wondering if you’re referring to Graceland with your museum story!!! XD People from outside Memphis are nuts about wanting to visit the place. People born and raised in the city know better! That said, Graceland is probably one of the most extreme examples I can think of, of a place with high tourist draw but in a high-crime area. In a lot of other places it really isn’t as bad.

There are certain cities these days as an American that I wouldn’t want to visit. But there ARE still a lot of nice ones (Nashville comes to mind…I have family there and we’ve had plenty of good experiences going downtown for concerts). Even with those other cities though, as long as it isn’t a total leftist sh*thole, you’re probably going to be fine. And as you correctly pointed out, the natural landscapes of the US are outstanding. When I lived in San Antonio, I took a road trip from there to New Mexico and Arizona and the drive there and back was almost as awesome on its own merits as the actual destinations we visited. 🙂

I have mixed feelings about the USA, but it does have some amazing destinations

As a Canadian, (I am not going to address politics) I am going to try to not be to bias against the USA, but when you watch the news, you can see that it can be a pretty sketchy place sometimes, and it is definitely a risk to take. However, with that being said there are lots of incredible places to visit, all over the country, and it is definitely a good place for a vacation.

yeah the news says the same about Canadians being all drugged out in the streets

Bull. We Americans are so below Canadian standards in health, crime and education. Don’t be salty. I’d much rather visit Canada

Anon, you know you’re free to leave right? If you love Canada so much then by all means emigrate there, you won’t be missed!

Dont Base off the news reports.

If you go to a small town like mine you will likely never run into any crime at all. If you travel to a larger city , it maybe different in different areas of the city. Around the main business centers are normally the safest. I would feel safe to walk across my town in any place at any time day or night.

Don’t trust the media: it’s perfectly safe.

The small towns and parks are perfectly safe to visit, and honestly I feel just as safe walking down the street in my hometown in NC at midnight as I do here in Japan, where I currently live. Plenty of us are those dreaded gun-owners you always hear about, and yet nothing tends to happen in our rural communities.

Most violent crime in the US occurs in very specific areas that most tourists don’t even know how to find. In general, my feeling of safety in the central area of most US cities has been just about the same as anywhere else in the developed world. Be smart about things and don’t fall for scams and you’ll probably be fine. Even in infamous New Orleans, I never felt threatened or in danger. A general rule of thumb many of us have discussed is that if you aren’t involved in crime, you’re unlikely to be a victim of it.

The mass shooting statistic is also kind of generalized; the majority of these involve a few people and typically occur in the aforementioned places that have gang warfare, meaning that many (but not all, of course) victims are already involved in those circumstances to start. I’ve done my own research on the subject, and if you discount gang warfare (don’t get me wrong, it’s a horrible problem that we need to address as a nation), the rate of terrorist attacks/mass murders is almost on par with many other developed countries. Even the murder rate drops substantially when you take these factors into account; what this essentially means is that you, as an ordinary person uninvolved in any major crime (no, smoking weed doesn’t count), have a negligibly low chance of being the victim of a crime.

I’m an avid world traveler, and every person I’ve met who has been to the US has only had positive things to say, explaining that the US really defied their expectations and was much more safe than the media had them believe. I think the same applies to lots of other places in the world too.

Or you can listen to the grammatically poor “AMERICA BAD!!!” reviews with a thousand exclamation points and no valid explanation as to why.

I agree. If you watch the news you would think the US is a war zone. That is because the media in the US is all about ratings to make more money selling commercials. Most gun deaths are either gang members killing other gang members or suicides. You just have to have some common sense when travelling to avoid seedy area just.lime everywhere else in the world.

Well said. I’m half American half French and have travelled the East Coast a decent amount and studied for a semester in California.

The US definitely has very “ghetto” areas but as you pointed out they’re generally not where tourist go. And even when going to these areas, if you’re not involved in local crime or walking around with a ton of valuables people will generally leave you alone.

I’ve been to poorer areas of New Orleans, Washington DC, Miami and Philadelphia and never ran into trouble personally, though I did witness a few violent altercations. It probably helped that we were in groups of 2-4 guys, I wouldn’t recommend these areas to women travelling alone.

But yeah the remaining 90% of the US are very safe. It’s a developed country with an efficient police force overall no matter what left leaning media might say. People, especially in smaller towns are very welcoming and generous. As a foreigner (well half, but my friends were all native French) and atheist at that, I was well received and had lots of interesting conversations when travelling the Deep South (supposed to be xenophobic and intolerant). If you’re polite and respectful, people will be friendly and curious.

A New Yorker’s Opinion

Pickpocketing and petty theft crimes do happen in New York. Watch your belongings in high tourist areas like Times Square. Avoid leaving personal items on restaurant tables because they can be stolen when you’re not looking. Take yellow or green metered NYC taxis or use share riding services like Uber. Do not hail a black cab because they are more likely to ripe you off. Don’t get suckered into buying counterfeit luxury items from Chinatown. Avoid the NYCHA public housing projects located throughout the city; especially when the sun goes down. These tend to be high crime areas. Do not stare at people on public transportation and mind your own business. New Yorkers are a friendly bunch. We will help anyone in need of assistance but please don’t get in our way when we have somewhere to go.

I’ve lived in the us all my life, and it’s incredibly hard to make an average for this country. The northeast is drastically different from New Orleans, which is drastically different to the Great Lakes and so on. Overall there is absolutely no threat to coming here. As always be cautious and if something doesn’t feel right then leave, but I’ve been everywhere in the US and the rest of these people in the comments are just Americans who are bored and looked up there country. It’s a diverse place that is completely different wherever you go. The US is more like 10 different countries in 1.

Of course it’s safe

You obviously have never been outside highly developed countries if you seriously think the United States is unsafe to visit. The US is one of the most safe countries on earth to visit and live in. Use common sense and stay out of sketchy areas of major cities at night, and there will be no problems. I have been to every corner of the country and I have never felt in danger. Don’t let exaggerated reviews or the media scare you away, visit and enjoy this beautiful country!

Use common sense

America is built the rights of the people, and though there are those who dislike others simply because they are a different race is not a dramatic feature of America now days and does not have a role in tourism nor should the personal political opinions of Americans be expressed to scare anyone away from experiencing this great nation. Racisms does not have any real gravity to a visitor. Like anything if you look hard enough you will find something wrong with every single location on earth. do not sensationalize negativity about America its its manipulation and untrue. Yes there is internal civil tension regarding this topic but that does not include visitors from abroad.

If you must

If you are white and not involved in drugs it’s safe enough. By far the most racist country in the Western Hemisphere. Physically it can be beautiful but just doesn’t have that relaxed vibe to it. It’s a big world with better choices for a vacation

Oh please, the USA is the least racist country, give me a break.

If the USA is so racist, why do so many people from around the world come here and succeed here, they wouldn’t if it was racist. It’s the least racist country in the western hemisphere.

Not least racist but definetly not most racist

Yes, THE usa IS the least racist. No other country on the planet is as tolerant as the US when it comes to immigration, free healthcare and schooling for illegal migrants and no other country has as much diversity in its’ leadership as the USA.

There are still many racists in the south that proudly raise the confederate flag. The people of the US are still super racist. I can name many countries that are less racist than southern USA.

Nonetheless, there are some racist people in the US who doesn’t care other races other than white.

Pick up some history books Sherlock and read what happened to the indigenous people who hear first and read about the people who built this country who were considered property and 3/5’s of a human. Read about what happened to them after they were freed and how the legacy continues to affect them. Are you really that Al damn stupid are you just faking because you need to uphold the lies you were raised with?

People need to understand the difference between what you see on American news stations and reality. The media profits off of people’s fear here, both sides do it, conservatives and liberals. It’s how they get people to watch their shows. If you watch the news, it may seem like there’s more crime here than other developed countries, and there usually is, because The U.S. is huge. More people=More crimes to report.

Your Mileage May Vary

Big country so varies widely. Occasional terrorist attacks of all verities are a sad reality and seemingly random. Large size means a large variety of natural disasters possible. Be aware of fire season and earthquakes in the west, tornado season in the Midwest, hurricane season in the south and east coast, winter in the north and northeast is not the most enjoyable and can cause airport delays.

Street crime is a thing and every state and city has areas you should avoid. On the other hand every state has “safe” neighborhoods but they will often cost a pretty penny.

Lots of people are armed. Avoid confrontations which can easily escalate out of control. Absolutely avoid drugs. The USA has a very competitive culture that sometimes seems very cold to foreigners and there is a general attitude of victim blaming if someone gets taken advantage of or ripped off. If you encounter someone who is aggressively nice or seems like they have an agenda they probably do.

We are Awesome

We Americans are proud to have tourists and people wanting to become citizens on a daily basis!

While mass shootings and other violent crimes happen; They are not all over like some people like to portray.

Where I am from, we have large amounts of Asian tourists and they are always telling our shop owners and fellow locals how safe and welcome they feel day or night.

The only truly unsafe places would be the ghettos and similar locations in bigger cities like Detroit or Los Angeles.

I’m a 13 Year Old Kid, Its Perfectly Safe Here don’t get me wrong crime is very very rare but it’s not place to be safe to be at in the night always stay home after 10 PM. I do feel safe in the U.S. There is a high risk of smoking.

THIS PERSON IS INCORRECT

Are you serious? so you are saying America is safe, for example, Algeria is being accused of having terrorist attacks which is a big lie because that was 8 years ago and the reason I brought up Algeria is that I have been to it and the people there let me stay in their houses and gave me all sorts of food for FREE and I got a lot of souvenirs and entered a lot of places for free too because how nice the people are in there.

The first night I was in LA some dude came up to me with a gun and a dog and mugged me and I was planning to go to another area but canceled because there was an ACTIVE SHOOTER IN IT and this is without addressing all of the crimes and kidnappings and gang members. this review triggered this out of me.

Try to speak to citizens from the country to see how it really is.

Triggered that explains it right there

I wonder why im triggered

Best country in the world by far, considering its population crime is low.

Go to Murderapolis

Minneapolis, North side = death

Read the international statistics fir violent crime in developed countries. USA is NOT the best at all.

Pretty safe

i have rented cars in two states that had specific laws in place for rental cars not to be identified as rentals because too many tourists were being targeted. However I have been many places in the states and rarely have I felt unsafe. Except that one time in Compton after the riots… THAT was a wrong turn… Reality is that there are many factors to your safety when you travel. The more you blend in, the less of a target you will be. If you look like a target, you will be a target.

Dangerous. Avoid!!!

Do not travel to this dangerous country

Shoot you’re wrong Safetyfirst the United states is safe for us to travel. Shootings are uncommon in here

Do not travel to the country Safetyfirst is from. And stay away from the USA unless you want to buy the bridge I have to sell you. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Bunch of Crybabies

So many jealous haters in these comments. If the United States is so terrible, why are so many people desperate to immigrate here? No, we aren’t perfect. But what country is? I bet most of you haters actually live here and have the audacity to trash it.

I love this comment

I think it’s a great Country. I have been here all my life.

THANK YOU YENEA! I was thinking the same on all the “haters” of this Great US of A! After all-which FAMILY is PERFECT????

Honestly kinda sucks here /: would not recommend

People be shootin each other on the daily bro

The U.S. is a big Country! Lots of states. It will vary from city to city. Everyone knows there are BAD areas. In every Country. Do your research before traveling.Make sure to recheck when your actually ready to enter the State’s. For varied reasons. Example: COVID-19 now. There are homeless people. A lot of drugs. Many people live here. From across the world. I have felt uncomfortable in the States. But mostly a good place. Beautiful places. Some very bad ugly places. Travel all countries at your own risk!

Northwest, very safe

I have been all over the United States, the Pacific Northwest is really nice, I would avoid any large metro area, like L.A., New York, Chicago, Atlanta etc, especially places with a large black or hispanic population. These are crime ripe areas. The Northwest, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana are beautiful places to visit. Very vast area, a car rental is a must. People are friendly. (Exception is Seattle). The Northwest is a great area of America for summer motorcycle trip.

forget Portland, bunch of violent communist idiots

I’m an American and considering all that is going on around here from Portland to Kenosha, I am absolutely amazed the United States still has a green status.

Alright, 2020 update!

As a person who is living in the USA, which has right now the most Covid-19 cases, I can tell you that the USA isn’t really safe for travel. There is right now civil unrest happening everywhere, a dictatorial president, and right wing guerrilla groups in the south. Please reconsider your choice, if you’ve travelled to the US multiple times, great, just take extreme precautions when going out. Only travel if necessary. My rating for right now: 35/100.

Oh please, it not “right wing guerrilla” groups in the South, it’s Antifa left wing radicals causing the problems.

Move along, we’re full.

Impossible to Generalize

I admire this website’s earnest effort to summarize tourist safety in the US, but it’s just impossible to generalize – it’s too big, too diverse, and too varied in the reason travelers are here. A person traveling to New York will have a totally different experience and risk profile than a traveler to Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon. Foreign exchange students to the midwest will be in a completely different environment that somebody wanting to live it up in South Beach.

It is okay if you are with a big group

I am an American and I would recommend foreigners to stay away from southern states, you might be a victim of a hate crime. Random gun shootings are real and can happen to anybody, stay away from Ghetto areas or places where you see a lot of homeless people. You should hired at least 2 security guys because we Americans love to commit crime man. It is true, and the thing I hate is we can’t do anything to prevent a crime from happening, we have to wait until the crime happens before catching the criminal. We know who is shady and gonna commit a crime, but we can’t do anything because we will get sued or end up on the news as a “monster.”

“Extra Life”-Your review is not only false but ridiculous. Random shootings are rare, most shootings are suicide or drug/gang related and in a bad area. Yes, American cities have bad areas but those are certainly avoidable. You do not need to hire security or go in a group, simply take common sense safety precautions such as staying out of a bad urban area and not walking in deserted urban areas at night and keeping your valuables secured, you know the same safety precautions as in any country.

Normal Precautions

How absolutely ridiculous to stay away from southern states due to hate crimes. These are some of the friendliest places in the US. Hate crimes are extremely rare and certainly not in tourist areas. Like any country, stay away from inner city areas, be careful at night in downtown and watch your valuables on public transit. I have traveled as a solo female all over the US and the world and have never had any issues at all. The national parks and other outdoorsy areas are all fabulous and extremely safe. Obviously, you have to be more careful in places like NY, Chicago and LA.

You’re caucasian correct.

Wow completely biased article coming from someone who was born and raised here

I give the United States three stars the reason why I gave it three stars is because yes relatively the United States when it comes to being safe compared to other countries yes it’s more safe but the crime in United States is very high. They cannot sit there and say that United States is relatively safe and the crimes are low when you have the police literally killing black and Hispanics and minorities out here .They cannot say that On top of that you have a lot of petty crimes you have a lot of kidnappings you have a lot of organized crimes such as human trafficking , you have kid napping actual kidnapping not just adults children kidnapping that are Being sold for sex you also have rapes drugs and the poor community is very high so this article is very biased but I can say compared to other countries United States is more organized in a sense that if you are in trouble you will get help immediately! Other countries if you are in trouble if you are injured They won’t come to you as fast as possible like the United States. As a woman of color who has been raised by Caribbean parents and Was born and grew up here I’ve had many friends family coworkers just people that I know neighbors they have had terrible things happen to them me per se I can’t say that I haven’t had anything bad happened to me that’s major but it was close to being bad so they can’t paint United States as such a wonderful place to travel to Over other countries!!

USA is perfectly fine

I lived in New York city and now I’m currently in Los Angeles. United States is safe just use common sense and be aware that’s for travel into any country. I have lived in LA five years and nothing has ever happened to me. The only time it was crazy was during the George Floyd riots. There is homeless that’s no lie but it’s not bad. People on here are dramatic or hate USA. Don’t listen to media.

The only time it was crazy? Quick question, what do you think lead up to that?

usa is still a little safe

USA is a safe place but there is mass shootings and gun crimes. USA is ranked no. 1 for the amount of people with guns. but you should be fine if you follow common sense and take precaution measures. also my family has been getting scammed so also watch out for that.

After 2021, change this once again.

The U.S. right now is electing a president, and whoever it is, it is almost certain that post-election day violence will follow, no matter who gets elected. If Trump gets elected, then there will be outrage from BLM protesters and other activists, and Trump-Supported right wing militias will probably start trying to wage war with them. If Biden gets elected, there could be an insurgency somewhere in the U.S. After 2020, the U.S’ safety rating would probably be lower yellow to upper red.

Sooo, that didn’t age very well did it ?

Well you called that wrong.

anonyoumus i always see u making comments

It's kinda racist..

i’m japanese and look like it.. ..karens advise their kids to stay away from me cause I’m chinese and probably have ”corona” .. really karen? =.= if i had corona i would’ve stayed in japan not go shopping.. i also notice old men stare at you when you show the slightest bit of skin!! o.O i can’t tell if their doing it cause their dissapointed in me or just.. are weird.. its an ok country i guess..their not very nice to me as they stand in a different lane when i come.. cause of course every asian person has corona.. but its okey =^.^= i get used to it.. it has many shops!! its so cool kind of expensive but yeah :3

Please, Japan most racist country on planet.

Are you seriously invalidating a Japanese persons racist experience here?

The only racists here are the Democrats who perpetuate racist stereotypes and classify people based on the color of their skin. Everyone with an ounce of common sense knows that the wu-flu is just as likely to be spread by someone who is Asian as it is to be by a white person.

And wu-flu is not racist, by the way. Chinese isn’t a race, and this entire pandemic is their fault. Thank them for governmental overreach that will inevitably bring about the end of this country.

Political charged bias and delusion

Dude I’m from Arkansas. Republicans are just as bad. I don’t know why think political parties will distinguish it. Conservative =/= Republican, Liberal =/= Democrat. lol

Terrible Country

Sh*t hole country Avoid at all costs!!

u have to avoid places like memphis, cleveland, baltimore, detroit, huston, new orleans, baton rouge, birmingham, dayton, and little rock.

well america is not as safe as this article says, as an white american

Read Within Reason and Avoid Insanity

This is hilarious!

I’ve lived in and out the outskirts of Boston, Chelsea and the lower east side in New York City, Los Angeles , Austin Texas and Miami. I’m a professor so I seek to find new areas across the country. NYC , to me, has provided the most comfort and safety despite the density of people roaming around at any given time. Look at per PER CAP crime rates across the spectrum. Otherwise, expect to be misinformed.

Don’t get bamboozled—no matter day or night you can walk around the city with some common sense (where I think a lot of these comments are NOT coming from) and enjoy yourself. If you are concerned, contact the hotel or the concierge of the hotel with which you are staying.

If not, maybe try Iowa–we can shuck corn together!

I live here but this isn’t right on lol

neutral, indifferent

There are numerous flaws, but the suburbs are probably the safest areas of America. The cities are very large, and the crime rate is higher. On the other hand, the smaller suburbs are safer. I have a friend who was in DC and they said that it is unsafe to walk in the street a night and that is true. I went to America and the monuments are fun to take pictures of, and they have some nice restaurants. It has some room to improve but overall 9/10 visit, would recommend.

DC native here. The streets of the District are unsafe in certain parts of the area at night and one hundred percent safe in others. On more than one occasion a tourist has asked if there are any actual residents living in DC itself or does everyone live in the two surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia? It has a thriving residential population. The city is rapidly gentrifying and housing prices are skyrocketing even in the southeastern quadrant, east of the Anacostia River. That section is probably not advisable to wonder around in at night but even there, certain parts are quiet residential streets however there is very little in the way of tourist attractions to see so no real reason to explore.

Scams? Yep! We got’em. The “gentlemen” pushing bicycles with flat tires and asking for money to get the sudden puncture fixed. Panhandlers at many a busy intersection especially in Georgetown, Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan but you’ll find them everywhere. Some have asked me for money “for a ticket home” at Union Station – the main railway station. Gas stations seem to attract more of the aggressive types who want to come up and pump your gas for a small fee. They often get offended when you refuse the offer but I’ve never been more than verbally abused for the rebuff (6’2” 200lbs) Your interactions may vary!

I once interrupted an almost mugging at an atm in Capitol Hill (near 3rd and Pennsylvania SE) at around 8:30pm. A young female tourist was obliviously counting a pile of $20 bills right there on the street without a care in the world for her surroundings. I could see the guy approaching and I simply walked up to her and said in an extremely loud voice “SO GLAD to see you again! I didn’t know you’d be down here tonight!” She had NO IDEA what kind of nut was talking to her and was more afraid of me than what was about to happen. Once she did realize she thanked me profusely and was on her way, a little wiser.

DC? Safe if you keep an eye out on your surroundings, MD and VA burbs, the same but you’ll have little to no problem here if you use common sense as a tourist. Metros are clean and efficient but hold on to those iPhones and handbags and don’t sit right near the doors where someone can grab them and jump out as the train is coming to a stop but even this doesn’t happen all the often and won’t happen to you if you are vigilant.

Its early 2021 We are patiently waiting for y’all tourists to come back soon!!

Pretty accurate

This is pretty accurate, except for Natural Disasters. I think it should be high, as I see them almost every time I go on a multiple state road trip (but that might be because I tend to like places with these types of weather)

My nation gleefully wants to rip itself apart we have 10 years 20 tops before it ends.Any tourists should come now to see the sights before that happens. crime is rising so stay away from population areas and go see the natural beauty while it lasts.Like the national parks.P.S. Even if you are super wealthy that will not be enough to protect you in the cities rich people here get hurt like everyone else.

WHY IS USA SAFER THAN TAIWAN!! TAIWAN IS WAY SAFER THAN USA!!! KEEEEEPPP YOUR FACT REAL AND STOP LYING ABOUT THE SAFTEY RATE! ALL YOU WANT IS TOURIST MONEY!!

HOW COULD TERROST BE MEDIUM IT SHOULD BE HIGH!!! THERE HAD BEEN A ATTACK FOR THE CAPITOL!!!

Even medium is being generous

The 1/6 Capitol riot was a very serious incident. However, such incidents are far from being commonplace in the U.S., and the likelihood of any unknowing traveler in the U.S. finding themselves in the midst of something like that is EXCEEDINGLY LOW. For there to be a need to rate the terrorism risk as high, terror incidents would have to be far more commonplace, far more indiscriminate, and far more likely in any given area of the country. But that just isn’t the case here. The U.S. is a massively large country, with over 320 Million people in it. However, very very few of those people will ever in their entire lives be directly harmed by terrorism, whether foreign or domestic. For a short-term visitor to the U.S. to encounter terrorism while here, would be akin to the odds of winning a 9-figure sum from a lottery ticket. The bottom line is that it simply would make no sense at all to list the country as having a high risk of terrorism. There are other countries in the world which really DO have a high risk of terrorism, and there is absolutely no comparison between the situation in those places, and the situation here in the U.S.

Us ok just be careful.

Reality: I am 63 and lived in US my entire life. Today April 18,2021. I have lived in California the last 15 years. Current issues in US is hate crimes against Asians. Stupid idiots trying to blame them for Covid. San Francisco is currently not a place to visit. Since Covid, crime has increased. Many folks are leaving California. Some companies are returning to work so San Francisco is a tiny bit better but very dirty, homeless everywhere and many folks on the street that have mental health issues. Still some areas fairly safe if you are careful. Union Street and maybe fisherman‘s wharf but that’s pretty much it right now. Sacramento area pretty safe the old sacramental extremely safe. Los Angeles I haven’t visited for quite some time so I don’t know. I have family in Chicago where the suburbs are OK but the city of Chicago very dangerous. Safest during the day but once nighttime hits be very careful. Cities like to treat stay away. Cities like Oakland California definitely stay away unless it’s daytime by the lake. Las Vegas is having some issues on the strip but they have tripled up the cups so just be aware don’t go on any alleys stay on the main street and you’re gonna be fine so much but traffic you’ll be fine. Pickpocket are‘s, just watch your purse or your wallet me personally have never been pickpocketed but I’m very careful. If you rent a car, never leave anything in the car otherwise I guarantee someone will break in and steal it. If it’s in the truck they will still possibly have someone watching when you walk away the best into the trunk and take it. Especially Christmas time at the malls you go in shopping you buy stuff you come out to drop things off in the car put them in the trunk, I actually will move my car to the other side of the mall then go back in because you’re guaranteed someone’s probably watching for that shopper to go back in and then they hit your truck and steal it. Remember here in the US and most of the cities we have the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor. you will have a beautiful neighborhood very upscale but a few blocks away a very poor neighborhood and it doesn’t take much for them to walk on over bicycle over what ever, do their street crime then head back to their own neighborhood. We have extreme drug use in our cities and they’re looking for a quick fix and get money wherever they can. So the US right now if it were me and I want to go out and visit play tourist which I do sometimes I would not go to San Francisco right now but I will go to old Sacramento which is kind of a old cowboy town Because there’s so much police presence is extremely safe. Covid here in the US has taken it’s toll and businesses are just now starting to open up for most of the cities so yeah we really would love to have Taurus but I’m gonna say it straight hell it is be careful be aware I am probably don’t go running around at night time keep it during the day and stick to main streets main areas and you’ll be fine.

Good place to go

Been to 15 states as a tourist Always was treated well and on 2 occasions people went out of their way to help me, once in Baltimore and once in phoenix. Love to travel in this nation a d will do so again as soon as it’s possible. Canadian neighbor

You can call me racist all you want, but as an American I can absolutely say the safest places are nicer (suburban) higher income white or Asian areas. Not all, but most black and hispanic areas are less safe to absolutely unsafe. Like never step foot there. Its a fact. Its a shame for the black and hispanic children who are raised there. Vast majority of mass shootings/gun crime is black on black gang related crimes. You can debate the reasons if you like, but its a fact. Stick with whites and asians and you’ll pretty much be untouched. Regardless of your own race. Sorry. Oh, and the South absolutely is more friendly. Southerners are the warmest friendliest people you’ll ever meet. And I’m a Northerner. People from New York are obnoxious A-holes. And Boston isn’t so great either. Sorry to speak the truth.

The most accurate thing on here. No one’s ever willing to confront the fact that enabling Democrat policies have been the root cause of minority-caused crime. The moment we begin treating people equally, rather than by the color of their skin as though they somehow need help because they aren’t white, the sooner we can rid ourselves of the majority of crime here.

The south has way higher crime rates.. and its white infested. But okay! Look at the actual real collected data and the south is more dangerous than the north. Also there are WAY more white serial killers, lol.

Don’t buy into to negative press

You’ll be fine as long as you have an ounce of common sense. Do your research and stay out of bad areas. Your biggest inconvenience will be how annoyed you get at our self-centered and cynical population.

I live on the east coast it’s safe very safe lived here since I was a kid

Only Democrat run areas are dangerous

Urban areas like Portland, St. Louis, NY, LA and Chicago may be dangerous because of the thug culture accepted by Democrats. Other areas governed by Republicans are fine.

name a large population republican city? And make sure you post the crime numbers for Jacksonville, Oklahoma city, Miami, and fort worth.

I am sure you wont. so look around, find a seat and shut all of the entire effs up.

Safe as kittens

Yall crack me up 🤣

As someone who’s lived in Florida their entire life, it’s overall an amazing place. The only places I wouldn’t personally recommend travelling to are California and the NY area due to high crime rates and overall being dumb as rocks.

If you’re in a big city, travel in groups (3+) with at least one guy or stay indoors at night. If you can do that, you’re safe! I would recommend visiting California for all the parks there, but don’t stay in LA. That place scares me, even during the day 😬

Stay out of Democrat-run cities

Large cities in the United States are typically run by well-meaning but naive Democrats whose social welfare programs draw undesirables like minorities and illegal immigrants who commit disproportionate amounts of crime despite being a minority of the population. That isn’t to say that all of them are bad, however, the FBI crime statistics speak for themselves. Mostly, these people are suffering from continued pandering and handouts from racist people who insist they are only trying to help, causing them to resort to crime. Just look at the BLM and Antifa riots of 2020 to get an idea of what I’m talking about. Stick to cities with a population below 125,000 and you’ll be fine. Anything more and you can expect little to no help from police, due to rampant crime. If you *must* visit a major city, do so by plane, travel during the day, and only remain only in well-traveled areas. It’s a shame where this country is headed. God bless the USA and to Hell with woke morons.

Stay out of large cities and you're fine.

As of late 2021, the USA exists in two parallel realities. The first reality is found well outside of large cities in suburbs, exurbs, and rural areas; largely safe and clean, and good for anyone to visit. You won’t have a problem in that part of America unless you either set out looking for it or make it for yourself. The second reality is found exclusively in large cities and their urban metropolitan zones, where the quality of life is generally lower as conditions are far dirtier, louder, very poorly managed if at all, and extremely violent compared to other places; these areas are not fit for anyone for any purpose and should be avoided.

As there has been a lot of conjecture regarding risk of violence based on one’s race, the facts are reflected in crime statistics: Blacks are overwhelmingly victimized by other Blacks, and they’re civilians – not law enforcement. Hispanics, Asians, and Whites are also predominantly victimized by Blacks in urban metropolitan zones, especially in cities with current and historical “leadership” from the Democratic Party. Also all of these areas have extensive “gun-free zones” wherein local ordinances attempt to prohibit civilian gun possession – most assault, rape, and murder in the USA happens within these “gun-free zones”.

If you research the summer rioting of 2020 incited in many cities by BLM and related “social justice activist groups”, and tolerated by governments in those locales, you will find a long list of places that honestly do not offer any quality experiences to any visitors of any demographic. Avoid these areas if you have concerns for your physical safety as well as how your time will be spent.

If you want to quickly assess whether your destination is safe for you, check if your destination fits the following criteria:

• large city • run by Democratic Party mayors & council • features a large population of a race known to victimize your race • features huge gun-free zones • experienced BLM-centric rioting in 2020

You can find many parts of the USA that are still clean, properly managed, with lots of natural beauty and friendly residents who will not hesitate to assist you, socialize with you, and peacefully coexist with you — but you will find most of them in the places popular and “news” media tell you to avoid: red states and cities with historically Republican leadership, smaller cities and towns, and rural regions with lots of wilderness where virtually everyone is armed and better behaved than people in urban environs.

Feel free to dismiss all of the above as whatever variety of *ism your social justice sensibilities prefer and take your chances in whatever sprawling, filthy, crowded, boorish gross urban zone you wish, but do not purport that you weren’t warned.

Totally agree with you.

Agreed, mostly true and well said.

I am an American, but I’ve also lived out of the U.S. for extended periods of time. It’s very hard to put all of the U.S. into one box because it varies from place to place but I would definitely recommend not going places alone after dark in bigger cities and always being aware of your belongings and surroundings. I would also not recommend visiting Detroit as it is known for gang violence and lots of petty theft, but if you do go, be careful and be 100% aware of your surroundings.

The US got problem of being too sensitive with any issues, but not with general safety. If you are not black, you cannot say negative things about blacks. If you are not gun owner, then you cannot have a negative opinion about the gun safety. If you are a straight, then no way to have any opinion about gays or trans or queers. Even Hollywood cannot pass a year without making movies about jewish struggle or some black freedom activist kicks caucasian ass. They were trying to please their minorities, especially blacks, then slowly lost their grasp with the equality and truth. Other that that the US America is safe as it can be.

You think 3 movies (tops) a year for jewish and black people dealing with Actual history on this land is whats being done to please black folks? Please us how. Be specific

unsafe to visit

a Beautiful Country to visit but it still dangerous to visit they are robbers, killers not safe country

been to the us dozens of times. only felt unsafe stopping for gas in philly once. america is extremely safe country. but things have been getting worse in recent years

Not as safe as used to be

shame us has degraded so much in recent years

This is a false statement.

Just take literally 5 minutes to research violent crime rates in the US and you will see that this is not true. Violent crime in particular has fallen by anywhere from 49% (FBI) to 74% (DOJ) just since 1993. This sentiment which you are echoing and which is so prevalent these days is driven purely by media coverage (particularly conservative media sources) and has no basis in fact. Not trying to get political, but numbers are numbers and they disprove your assertion.

If oxymoron was a comment section...

Imagine stating that there is no racism and that America is a completely safe country only to read violent and racist comments by those who “proudly” say they are Americans. I just can’t make this up 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

You all drank the kool aid….then went back in for seconds.

Truly the only comment I’ve read that makes any sense. This thread is giving me second hand embarrassment at best & complete shame at worst. Americans defending this country meanwhile they ignore the ignorance and outright racism in their blatant words — that’s most of American. You should absolutely go visit different country!!!

NOT AS SAFE

Yes. If you are in there move to somewhere like Vermont or into the Canadian lands.

Small towns are great

Small towns are nice and safe for anyone. You will get what you give. If you are rude or try to commit crimes, you’ll be treated accordingly. If you avoid areas with a lot of minorities, you will be completely safe.

America / A beautiful land but be weary

Ok. If you visit America limit your time in big cities. You do not go into a park in a big city at night in America. Europeans cannot grasp this.

If you visit America got the the National parks in the Mid-West and Western parts of the country. You will not see these views anywhere else in the world and traveling through National Parks is relatively safe and you will have the a “real” American experience being on the open road seeing the landscape.

If you visit a big city, it’s best to have a friend from there to keep you out of trouble. New York, New Orleans, Chicago, etc, these types of cities require some mindfulness. San Francisco, Seattle, etc, have a huge homelessness problem.

Visiting America can be as safe as visiting Holland or as dangerous as Mogadishu. Plan your trip accordingly.

Do not trust the news.

everytime i trusted the horrible news i would think usa is the new iraq. But it is TOTALLY NOT an Iraq if you don’t trust the news. The Usa’s global peace index isnt as high as war torn countries, even though there are many other countries with more peace than USA. The USA , however, has many other risks such as hurricanes (especially in the south), droughts (especially in northwestern texas and california), flooding (especially in low lying areas), scorching heat, ice-cold winters (in alaska and the northcentral contiguous us), earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions (in the west), and gun violence.

Source: I'm a woman in USA

Women travelers and locals are not safe in USA. Never walk alone by yourself, even during the day. Stalking and kidnapping does happen and should be taken very seriously. Don’t ever let anyone, not even a child who says they need help, into your car or home if you are a woman in USA.

The USA is VERY dangerous in Cities, Very safe in Rural areas.

I am Born and Raised In the USA.. traveled abroad and most states. This Review is Inaccurate in 2022. The USA is very VERY dangerous in most large Cities and surrounding city suburban areas. FACT…. The USA is very VERY SAFE in most small towns and rural areas. So, it all depends where you go. You will likely fly into one of our Major Cities.. so it’s best to rent a car and make a straight B-line out of that city.. and you will be fine. If you come to the USA.. it’s wise to come to enjoy the small towns and scenic vistas, national parks. Just stay out of the Cities. Our cities our highly dangerous for for even indigenous people.. it’s certainly no place for Foreigners to hang out. Do NOT take the advice that only “certain” parts of a city are dangerous. Even if that was true, you wouldn’t know which part is good or bad and could easily stray into a dangerous part. The cities in the USA are actually MORE dangerous than many third world countries. There is a lot of Politically motivated propaganda telling you the cities are safe..that is a dangerous lie. You won’t just get mugged in our cities.. a good chance you will get shot and killed (no joke). Police have been downsized in most cities now while violent crime has skyrocketed. You have been warned.

W.o.w. as a foreigner thinking about travelling to the U.S. and reading the ultragious comments you bunch left here, I’d stirr clear from travelling to the U.S.. You sound like a bunch of horrible people. Hopefully your tourism facilities are good at pretending you’re nice…

Well…you are giving a one star rating to a place you’ve never been…soooo there’s that. Don’t let these politically motivated conversations sway you from visiting. The US has so much to offer, safety being number one despite what you read. We are a very diverse country and with that comes diverse opinions. At the end of the day, you will have a plethora of places to visit you’re sure to find at least one area you love.

My home country is extremely satisfying

My home country is about the safest you could get in north america. Everything is great here. Not perfect but great. There is rarely any chance of being victim to any major crime. So go ahead stay at one of the hotels if you want to. Feel lucky and go ahead.

America is very UNSAFE

As an american myself, this is so untrue, Women/POC/LGBTQ+ people can’t walk outside without having to hold something to protect them, SA is not uncommon and when people report it, they get scolded for what they were wearing, Shooting happen everywhere even in elementary schools, Police brutality is also a very huge issue we struggle with on a day to day basis, America is a very unsafe place for anyone who isn’t a straight, white, republican, cisgendered, christian, male, if you don’t fit all of the above but you still want to visit, PLEASE stay safe and hold pepper spray or a pocketknife with you at all times.

This comment thread is pretty hilarious. As an American who frequently travels internationally, many of these comments are not helpful to travelers. Travelers, as has been displayed here, Americans endlessly argue with each other over differing opinions. Many natives may not be well-traveled, but will weigh-in and muddy the waters. (General knowledge of grammar is also decreasing at an alarming rate.)

The site itself gave the best info. There are extremely safe areas and those that are sketchy. The idea that the big cities are unsafe is silly. Just keep notice of what’s around you, the mood of people you see or the amount of foot-traffic. Your hotel or uber/lyft drivers can give you info about areas to avoid. (If you get a weird answer, refer to the * below and ask someone else.) Public transport and ride share is plentiful in urban areas. If you’re going extremely rural or covering a lot of ground, rent a car. Shootings most certainly do not happen on all the street corners, though the country needs to address the increase. You may randomly hear some gunshots in the cities at night. It is what it is. The likelihood that you’re the one being shot at is extremely low. Most areas are full of cool people who will talk to you. Some cities are more outwardly conversational than others. *Broad opinion statements about nearly anything, delivered in an over-dramatic/unhinged manner are usually politically charged and can be frequent depending on location. Stay out of that and steer clear of political clothing/decorations so you actually enjoy your trip. Haha.

Overall, you should be just fine. Stay aware, explore and enjoy your visit.

I have traveled throughout the US from Alaska to Key West, and East coast to West Coast both before, during, and after covid, more than half the time have traveled alone. I, personally, have not encountered any major issues in my travels. Yes, some people can be rude at times but that can happen anywhere to anyone. In some major cities I have had instances of concern but have removed myself from those areas quickly and had no problems. The US, as a whole is safe and friendly to visitors, we have beautiful areas to explore and a diverse population of unique people, great food, and interesting places. The US is completely different depending on the area you visit, we have deserts, ocean, mountains, cities, suburbs, rural and completely empty areas. My friend in the UK calls it simply ‘space’. We have space to breathe, to roam…and unlike other places around the world, you can move around freely and not have to worry about the crazy kind of things that happen in other parts of the world. We are very lucky to move around the way we do without a care. It’s only that way because of the people who live here, who protect here, who love here. Never mind politics for those who want to put that into play. You can’t beat the art, the beauty, the space, the safety we all enjoy that apparently some people don’t understand or appreciate. Many parts of the world have the same beauty but you can’t go there because it’s so unpredictable, so unsafe or restricted. We don’t have that here. Appreciate what you have. Ungratefulness and entitlement is something some people here have because they don’t know how bad it could be.

Land of inequalities

Safe if you stay in rich areas. Otherwise so many issues with violence in the US. Sad that Americans can’t even notice it …

Define “Rich”, because even in the USA those lines are blurred.

People of all economical backgrounds have been victims of gun-violence while minding their own business out in public at the malls, schools, churches, etc.

Depends where you live

In overall, USA is actually very safe to travel. Depends on where you travel to different cities. Some of other cities in America has massive shooting and homicide violence….. but traveling to all states wouldn’t be a problem, only for cities just be very cautious about crime veils please. Aye c’mon people with one star saying “USA is unsafe!” meaning you didn’t even been to America because a lot of American people are really friendly and a lot of them are innocent. I was born in America and travel to a lot of states and I was actually very stable. Sometimes there is problems with America but evidence happens everywhere and law enforcement will target people who kidnaps or criticizes innocents and place them in jail and then it will attach to our devices and news will pop up or look for safety in America. All states aren’t actually a high course of crimes but overall it is low but depending on which city you live or travel to. And yes, living Canada is way safer than America and America is way safer than Mexico. In case it doesn’t matter where you live, just pls be safe! Don’t do anything crazy!

It's as good as you let it be

I am a full American citizen, 32 years of age. I’ve lived here my whole life and will admit, yes, there is racism and anti-semitism in America. But if you learn to look the other way, choose safe communities, and ignore the naysayers, life in America can be amazing! There’s opportunity around every corner, and if you take it, life can take you amazing places. This is no exception for tourists. It’s called the land of opportunity for a reason! I would recommend traveling to areas such as New York City or Boston Massachusetts for a clean experience without much threat of racism or anti-semitism. However, if you look to see American culture, traveling to the South can be a little more risky but just as rewarding. I now reside in Fort Smith Arkansas and have loved every bit of experiencing the local culture! Definitely travel here, I promise you it’ll be worth it.

The USA is not a Safe Nation

Let this comment section be a small sample of the GREATEST example of the declining mental well-being of Americans as a whole.

Displaced/extreme racism, narcissisms, violence, lack of empathy, no health care, poor economical distribution, low quality education, and a whole lot of firearms, seem to be on a persistent rise here.

You could be at the mall, at a school function, a movie theater, a club, literally anywhere, minding your own life and be gunned down by an AR-15 owned by some random guy who decided to take his bad day out on the general public.

Politicians refuse to do anything about the mass-violence, and would rather benefit from the division, racial obsession’s, and fear of thy neighbor. DO NOT COME HERE.

The Divided States of America is not safe.

On the unsafe side

In my opinion, the U.S is not a country of interest and can be delayed unless you need to go for something.

I have lived here my whole life and looking at other countries, I would prefer to be in somewhere safe, like Nordic countries. Not saying the U.S is like Syria or Venezuela, but I just think the U.S isn’t very safe.

The U.S, though being rich, also means that it is ranks high in unwanted categories. For example, the U.S produces the most trash on earth, its also a good part in the emissions.

Over all, I would not recommend this country, but you still come.

Visit the Natural areas (National Parks, National Forests). America has some beautiful natural places to offer and provide much less drama than the cities. America has its turds, but most people you run into are very accommodating and helpful.

I’ve been hassled (approached by scammers) more in Europe than I have in the US and I have lived in 3 cities in the US. One of which is considered a high crime area. Never once did I see a gun pulled, but would hear them on my block every two weeks when I lived in a rough part of Kansas City. To the articles point, most violence is between people who know each other in rough areas.

When I lived in a small town in the country, I think there was only one gun crime in the 18 years that I lived there.

Random but average and probably a wet blanket

I live in the United States and i have yet to see one act of crime. However traffic jams do happen. It just depends on what state you’re in and what time it is. Anything in the U.S can possibly happen. It is not as safe as Japan or Iceland. In fact safety is the least of my worries. If you are an only child and live with someone you know you’ll be quite bored sitting at home all day maybe even suffer depression like i always do. It isn’t dangerous. It’s an alright country. I’ll say its about average in terms of safety but it isn’t as free as everyone says. In short i wouldn’t trust this rating even if my life depended on it.

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Solo Vacations: The 29 Best Places to Travel Alone in the U.S.

These destinations make traveling solo easy — and extra fun.

Evie Carrick is a writer and editor who’s lived in five countries and visited well over 50. She now splits her time between Colorado and Paris, ensuring she doesn't have to live without skiing or L'As du Fallafel.

Stephanie Granada is a writer and editor focusing on travel, beauty, home, and health. Her bylines have appeared in Sunset , Outside , Southern Living , Woman's Day , Brit + Co. , National Geographic Traveler , and others.

Traveling alone is all about freedom and independence — freedom to go where you want, when you want, and independence in your ability to visit new places and meet new people without the crutch of a travel companion. It's not for everyone, but those willing to venture off on their own are rewarded with a compromise-free vacation and unforgettable experiences. Exciting things just seem to happen when you're traveling solo.

But where to go? If you're just testing the waters of solo travel, you might want to stay close to home, which is where these U.S. destinations come in handy. Whether you dream of a spa vacation with plenty of time to relax and reset, a trip packed with activities, or a soul-searching expedition, these U.S. destinations cater to the solo traveler, thanks to their ease of transportation and large selection of things to do.

Ready to book your next solo trip? Read on for the best places to travel alone in the U.S.

Naples, Florida

If you have your heart set on a beach vacation, consider Naples, a relatively small community in southwest Florida. There are plenty of ways a solo beach traveler can occupy themselves in Naples. You can check out the beach at Naples Pier, go kayaking in the mangroves , or hit the links at one of the area's 90+ golf courses. If you're looking for an activity that will leave a big grin on your face, book a dolphin watching cruise from Marco Island , just 30 minutes south of Naples. Plus, the city was ranked number one in a recent list of safest places to live the U.S. , thanks to its low crime rates.

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston may be a big city, but it can often feel like a small town. Thanks to its walkability, you'll be able to explore the city's historic center on foot and can take the T, the local subway system, across the Charles River to Cambridge. In Boston, you'll find a wellspring of history and culture in museums like the fun Boston Tea Party Museum and the impressive Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum , the site of one of the world's most famous art heists.

Boulder, Colorado

Those looking for quiet solo travel in the U.S. can spend their days exploring the mountains and hills surrounding Boulder. Eldorado Canyon State Park is just 20 minutes south of downtown, the approximately two-mile trail up Flagstaff Mountain is just 15 minutes to the west, and the iconic Flatirons (red sandstone formations) are less than 10 minutes away by car. And If you're feeling social, head to Pearl Street Mall , a bustling pedestrian-only street with some of the city's best restaurants, shops, and bars.

Portland, Oregon

Not everyone feels comfortable eating out at a restaurant alone, especially when traveling solo, but Portland makes mealtime a nonissue, thanks to its bustling food cart scene. There are many food cart parks scattered about the city where you can go and peruse a diverse offering of cuisine, from pizza to Senegalese, and enjoy your meal in a atmospheric and fun shared space. Food aside, Portland's reliable transportation, great parks, and community vibe make this city an easy choice for people traveling alone. Between the good meals, you can also enjoy the tranquility of the Japanese Garden or browse the shelves at the famous Powell's Books .

Asheville, North Carolina

Pierre Leclerc Photography/Getty Images

If your perfect vacation includes hiking and biking during the day and gulping down beers with new friends at night, there's arguably no better place than Asheville, a city situated in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains. Bikers will want to tackle the Blue Ridge Parkway , while hikers can head to the Craggy Pinnacle Trail (an approximately one-mile hike with serious views) or climb Mount Pisgah (2.6 miles round-trip). After a day in the mountains, reward yourself with a beer on the pup-friendly patio at Wicked Weed Brewing .

Sedona, Arizona

Traveling solo may be the only time you're able to truly check out from the grind and relax. That's why spa destinations like Sedona are so perfect for solo travelers. In addition to beautiful scenery, Sedona is packed with spas and wellness offerings. For a full resort experience, book a stay at the Amara Resort and Spa , or test out a few of the city's plentiful day spas: A Spa for You and Sedona's New Day Spa are long-standing favorites.

Charleston, South Carolina

Taylor McIntyre/Travel + Leisure

Art lovers will find themselves in their element in this colorful coastal city in South Carolina. The small city of Charleston is home to over 35 fine art galleries and hosts an Art Walk on the first Friday of every month. If you're hoping to make some art yourself, the French Quarter is sure to inspire, while the city's warm southern hospitality will make you feel right at home. If the temperature is right, you can even take a trip out to Isle of Palms to enjoy some quality time on the beach.

Nashville, Tennessee

If your idea of a dream solo trip is getting out and meeting new people, book a ticket to Nashville and let the city of music connect you to others. The Basement​​ , a live music venue known for its cozy vibes and spacious patio, is a must, as is 3rd and Lindsley . Just don't leave the city without trying the spicy fried chicken at Hattie B's . A trip to Nashville is also a chance to try out one of its best hotels like the classic Hermitage Hotel.

Portland, Maine

This may be the second Portland on the list, but this one has a coastal advantage. From the seaside city you can hop on a ferry or boat charter, or eat your way through the city's best lobster rolls at Luke's Lobster . When you're not out enjoying the water or stuffing your face with deliciously fresh seafood, you can meander in and out of the shops and boutiques at the historic Old Port.

San Francisco, California

When you're traveling solo, public transportation is key (no one wants to foot the bill for a weekend full of Uber rides). That's where cities like San Francisco shine. Between Muni buses, trains, streetcars, and cable cars, you can get to every corner of the city without hopping in a cab. Surrounded by beautiful bay views and offering easy access to experience a Redwood forest in Muir Woods , there are plenty of things to do in and around San Francisco.

Bayfield, Wisconsin

Located on the shores of Lake Superior, and home to quaint B&Bs and beautiful Victorian homes, Bayfield is a warm and welcoming coastal destination and one of the loveliest small towns in the U.S. Solo travelers can roam the intimate downtown or head to the nearby Apostle Islands National Lakeshore , best known for its series of caves that freeze during the winter months.

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Just off California's iconic Highway 1 is Carmel-by-the-Sea, a small beach city on the Monterey Peninsula that will capture your heart the moment you see it. Traveling solo is no problem here, as the city offers plenty to do — surfing, sea animals, and a village-style center that feels like it belongs in a storybook. However, solo travelers may feel most at ease exploring the many art galleries like the Carmel Art Association and Bennett Sculpture .

Boise, Idaho

Boise is a paradise for lovers of the outdoors. Solo travelers will find riverside walking and biking trails that run right through town, skiing (in the winter) and hiking (in the summer) at the city's Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area , and easy access to mountain towns like McCall and ski areas like the rapidly growing Tamarack Resort .

Savannah, Georgia

 Marje/ Getty Images

Savannah's welcoming nature makes solo travel a breeze. If you're feeling social, join a haunted pub crawl through town or book an architectural tour . And if you're looking for a quiet escape, rent a bike and explore the history-rich city on two wheels. The best time to visit Savannah is in the fall and winter, when the temperatures are cooler and you can embrace the spooky spirit during Halloween when the city goes all out with on-theme activities .

Hot Springs, Arkansas

As you might guess, Hot Springs, Arkansas, is known for its natural hot springs, which have drawn visitors since the early 1900s. For solo travelers, there's nothing like a serene soak in the natural thermal waters found on the historic Bathhouse Row, followed by a refreshing drink of spring water and a lazy hike through the dense woods at Hot Springs National Park . In addition to the gorgeous scenery of the park, you can also discover it's unique history as a wellness destination .

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Jackson Hole may be home to a world-renowned ski area , mouthwatering cuisine, and high-end galleries, but you'll still find Old West-style bars where cowboys throw back PBRs (check out the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar ). It's the perfect place to throw on a Stetson and dress the part for a night or two. The town itself offers plenty to do when you're not drinking or skiing, like rodeo nights at the Jackson Hole Rodeo and incredible pastries at the James Beard-recognized Persephone Bakery .

Seattle, Washington

Gautier Houba/Travel + Leisure

If you want access to nature without sacrificing big-city amenities, Seattle offers an ideal balance. Spend a couple of days checking out Pike Place Market (don't miss a cup of mac n' cheese from Beecher's ), going to the top of the Space Needle , and visiting the Museum of Pop Culture before hopping aboard a ferry and getting away from it all. From the heart of Seattle, you can take a boat across Elliott Bay to Bainbridge Island and onto Olympic National Park , home to both glacier-capped mountains and 70 miles of wild coastline.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

It's been said that one can hardly be called an architect if they haven't designed something in Minneapolis — the city showcases work from Jean Nouvel, Herzog & de Meuron, César Pelli, and Frank Gehry, among others. The city's love of design is also noticeable in the hotel scene, where sophistication meets Midwestern hospitality. So, while it's perfectly acceptable to wander through the city looking up, you don't want to miss a cruise on one of the famous bike paths, which wind past lakes that are perfect for a dip in the summertime.

Salt Lake City, Utah

It may be Utah's largest city, but Salt Lake City doesn't feel like a giant metropolis. Maybe it's the fact that it's surrounded by mountains or the open expanse of the Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island State Park to the west. Either way, this friendly city has everything a solo traveler could want — great food (check out Feldman's Deli ), plenty of sun-drenched days, and easy access to both the mountains and water. Among the many things to do in town, you will also have your pick of exciting day trips to nearby state parks, or you can use the city as a launchpad to explore Utah's stunning geology at national parks like Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon .

Fort Collins, Colorado

dlewis33/E+/Getty Images

If you're a beer lover, head to Fort Collins, a Colorado town with plenty of heart and really good beer. Start your tour of the city in the taproom of New Belgium Brewing (the company behind Fat Tire) and follow it with a pint at a few lesser-known breweries — we recommend Zwei Brewing Co. , Maxline Brewing , and Black Bottle Brewery . By the end of the day, you'll have your own beer-loving posse to explore the city with. Solo travelers will love the atmosphere of the downtown area, which is so charming it was the inspiration for Walt Disney when designing Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland.

Austin, Texas

The quickest way to bond with a stranger? Shared musical taste. Austin has plenty of opportunities to bump into fellow music lovers. Stay on or near South Congress Avenue, where trendy properties like the Hotel Magdalena provide the ideal base for visiting the street's iconic venues. Other ‘hoods you can easily get to include East Austin, booming with hipster bars and food trucks; South Lamar with its great shops; and Rainey Street, beloved among college students. Visit March through November to see the bats flying under the Ann W. Richards bridge — it's one of the best things to do in Austin , as is indulging in the city's incredible food.

Islamorada, Florida

Of all the towns in the Florida Keys , Islamorada has the homiest feel. Locals are happy to regale you with tales of family squabbles and fishing exploits at any of the seaside watering holes. For an elevated dining experience, snag a barstool at Chef Michael’s and order the whole lionfish. It's a big but manageable dish, made from an invasive species that Floridians pride themselves on removing from local waters and serving as a tasty dinner instead. When you're done, rest your head at one of the cozy cottages at Moorings Village.

Louisville, Kentucky

Kentucky is known for its hospitality and Louisville for its bourbon , meaning solo travelers can find good friends and good drinks while exploring this Southern city. NuLu is the most happening neighborhood, but Old Louisville is the place to hunker down if you’re a sucker for history and architecture. Downtown offers new hotels and inventive restaurants, while Butchertown and Germantown pair up-and-coming bars and businesses with impressive vintage architecture.

Marfa, Texas

Artists in search of a solitary life have been drawn to Marfa for decades. Today, the population hovers just under 2,000, but there’s enough art, food, and quirk for a city many times that size. El Cosmico offers outstanding glamping and communal spaces, while art houses like the Chinati Foundation keep visitors entertained. Though it's more than three hours from the closest airport, this flatland village offers progressive galleries, mystifying desert skies, and a sparse beauty that makes it one of the best small towns in Texas .

New York, New York

New York City might be full of crowds, but it’s also a welcoming hub for parties of one. There are sleek hotels with bars that draw worldly travelers and locals, some of the best art and shopping in the world, and more food and drink options than you can fit into a month-long trip. If you need help deciding what to do on your visit, take a look at our three-day weekend guide .

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

New Hampshire is one of the safest states in the country — and solo travelers wanting to enjoy that security will find a great home base in Portsmouth. This waterfront town is one of the state's most pedestrian-friendly communities, and with a colonial heritage that dates back to the 1600s, it's fantastic for history buffs. Portsmouth knows its food, as is perhaps best showcased in the dozen oyster farms active offshore in the Great Bay. Sample their best bivalves at The Franklin, an upscale seafood joint run by James Beard-nominated chef Matt Louis.

San Diego, California

San Diego combines the laid-back vibes of SoCal with the multicultural energy of a city located right on the Mexican border. From mild weather and great surfing to vibrant West Coast sunsets, it has lots to offer, making it a great place to spend a few days. Opportunities for hiking and watersports abound, while coastal areas like La Jolla and Del Mar offer a bevy of chic hotels where a solo traveler can catch some oceanside R&R.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Solo travelers in search of spiritual healing should look no further than Santa Fe . Book a night at Ten Thousand Waves, an upscale lodge inspired by Japanese hot spring resorts and decked out with secluded soaking tubs. Downtown, you’ll find historical landmarks, handmade tchotchkes, and restaurants serving delectable Southwestern food. Beyond the adobe architecture and unique attractions, the best thing you can do in Santa Fe is meet its colorful characters.

Washington, D.C.

Museums are best explored alone, and in Washington, D.C. , you have more than 20 to choose from—many of which are free. The District also has a hot food scene, and as a solo diner, you'll have the best shot at getting into the most highly coveted spots. To get far away from D.C.’s political crowds, head to a hip residential neighborhood like Shaw, where you can imbibe at Maxwell Park Wine Bar or catch a show at the Howard Theatre.

Bon Voyaged

15 High-Risk Travel Destinations for 2024

Posted: April 26, 2024 | Last updated: April 26, 2024

The world is a tapestry of diverse landscapes and cultures, but amidst its beauty and wonder, there exist places that are fraught with danger. These perilous locales, known as the most dangerous places on Earth, offer a stark contrast to the serene and inviting destinations that most travelers seek. From war-torn regions where conflict and political unrest are a constant threat, to natural landscapes that are as deadly as they are breathtaking, these areas challenge the very limits of human survival. They encompass treacherous terrains like active volcanoes and deep, uncharted jungles, as well as areas with extreme climates, from the scorching heat of vast deserts to the frigid expanses of polar ice fields. The danger in these places is not only to the physical well-being of those who dare to venture there but also poses a threat to mental fortitude, challenging the resolve and resilience of even the most seasoned adventurers.

In this Middle Eastern nation, the U.S. State Department’s warning is unequivocal: Yemen is engulfed in pervasive violence, rendering no area within its borders safe. The persistent and calculated activities of terrorist groups pose a relentless threat, with bombings and armed conflicts frequently targeting tourist sites, public transportation, shopping centers, and other public venues. This volatile situation has persisted for several years, a fact underscored by the closure of the U.S. Embassy in February 2015. As a result of this withdrawal, American nationals in Yemen find themselves without the safeguard of their country’s diplomatic presence on the ground.

Many travelers fantasize about visiting the vibrant castles of St. Petersburg, yet the U.S. State Department suggests a cautious approach when considering travel to Russia. Although not every region in Russia is fraught with danger, the potential for terrorist attacks and the risk of American citizens facing harassment or extortion by police officers have led to a Level 3 advisory – urging travelers to rethink their plans. For those who decide to visit, heightened safety measures are recommended. It’s advised to avoid demonstrations, stay informed with local news updates, and exercise increased vigilance in areas frequently visited by Western tourists, to navigate the complexities of safety in Russia.

This Central American nation, nestled just below Mexico, currently carries a Level 3 travel advisory from the U.S. State Department. A mix of political unrest, widespread poverty, rampant drug trafficking, and a high risk of crimes such as carjacking and armed robbery contribute to its precarious safety situation. Furthermore, violent crimes, including sexual assault and murder, are alarmingly common, a situation exacerbated by the presence of numerous gangs in urban areas and along border regions. For those who choose to travel there, it is crucial to prioritize safety: staying in hotels with both door attendants and professional security staff is recommended. When exploring, it is advised to be accompanied by a security member from the Guatemalan Tourism Institute. Additionally, it is wise to avoid nighttime travel, using public ATMs, and displaying signs of wealth like wearing watches or jewelry, to mitigate risks in this challenging environment.

Philippines

While much of the Philippines offers a safe experience for travelers, caution is particularly advised in its southern regions, especially the beach areas, as highlighted by Gobbels. The U.S. State Department has issued a Level 2 travel advisory for these parts due to an uptick in kidnappings. Specifically, on the large island of Mindanao, in areas like Zamboanga and the Sulu Archipelago, there’s a risk of encountering the ASG (Abu Sayyaf Group), an ISIS-affiliated terrorist organization notorious for its kidnap-for-ransom activities. In Manila, the capital city, there is an increasing trend in pickpocketing and some violent crimes. Gobbels advises that walking might be safer than driving in these regions due to the high rate of accidents and limited emergency response services.

Cairo holds the unsettling distinction of being the most dangerous city for women globally. Despite a gradual easing of political tensions, the city remains fraught with challenges for both local and visiting women, primarily due to prevalent violence and deeply entrenched cultural norms. The efforts of numerous women’s rights organizations to enhance street safety are ongoing, but meaningful change is progressing slowly. For those determined to travel to Cairo, it is strongly recommended to engage with a reputable and trusted tour operator to navigate the city’s complex social landscape with greater security and awareness.

Madagascar, when compared to other African nations, boasts a relatively lower crime rate. However, the country is not without its challenges. Political instability in the region has led to increased unemployment, which in turn has sparked a rise in robberies and muggings. These incidents are particularly prevalent in densely populated areas such as airports and street markets. Additionally, there is a concerning trend of violent highway robberies, including car thefts, targeting travelers on major roads like RN7, RN27, RN10, and RN1B. Visitors to Madagascar should be especially cautious in these areas and remain vigilant to ensure their safety.

Malaysian Borneo

Situated in the Malay Archipelago of Southeast Asia, this island is a haven for nature enthusiasts, boasting unspoiled beaches, lush rainforests, and a diverse array of wildlife, including leopards and orangutans. While the natural scenery is captivating, the political situation presents significant risks. During the election period in early May, there were heightened concerns regarding the kidnapping of foreigners. Additionally, areas of the island renowned for their diving experiences are identified as particularly perilous due to the current political unrest.

In a ranking by worldatlas.com of the 50 most dangerous cities globally, Brazil notably had 17 cities on the list, underscoring the need for heightened vigilance and safety awareness for travelers. Beyond issues of personal security, health risks are also a significant concern, particularly regarding water pollution. This is true even for renowned beach destinations like Ipanema. A study revealed that exposure to just three teaspoons of beach water in these areas could potentially lead to viral or bacterial infections, highlighting the critical importance of caution in both urban and natural environments in Brazil.

The recent relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem has intensified the already volatile atmosphere in the region, marking it as a potentially hazardous destination. Despite the celebratory nature of the embassy’s opening ceremony, significant violent protests broke out in Gaza, located just 50 miles away. This area, revered as one of the world’s holiest, continues to attract numerous visitors. However, in light of the current situation, the State Department advises travelers to remain highly vigilant and well-prepared for any eventualities when visiting this region.

This once-idyllic beach resort town on Mexico’s Pacific coast has seen a drastic transformation from its former status as a white-sand party haven. It now falls under a Level 4 travel advisory, placing it in the same risk category as countries like Iran, Syria, and North Korea. The primary reason for this alarming classification is its reputation as the murder capital of Mexico, plagued by an extensive network of gangs that operate blatantly in the area.

The Big Island of Hawaii, commonly known as a romantic haven for honeymooners, has recently emerged as a potentially perilous destination. This shift in perception is largely due to the eruption of the Kilauea volcano, which has led to a declared state of emergency. Visitors to the island now face risks including toxic gas emissions, emerging fissures, unpredictable lava flows, and frequent earthquakes. While attractive airline deals to the island may become more prevalent, travelers should carefully consider these significant natural hazards before planning their journey to this otherwise enchanting destination.

The striking contrast in wealth and social class in India contributes to the risks of scams and theft. However, it’s the country’s medical safety concerns that heighten its danger level. The U.S. State Department currently assigns India a Level 2 travel advisory, which urges travelers to “exercise increased caution.” This advisory is primarily due to significant health risks, including severe air pollution, and the prevalence of diseases like typhoid, as well as various food and waterborne infections. Additionally, India has reported cases of the Nipah virus, a rare but serious infection. For those who have their hearts set on visiting iconic sites like the Taj Mahal, it’s crucial to be well-informed and prepared to navigate these health and safety challenges.

Caracas, Venezuela

has garnered notoriety for its exceptionally high crime rates, particularly in the realms of kidnapping and armed robbery. The city’s dire economic situation, coupled with political instability, has fostered an environment where such criminal activities are rampant. Visitors and locals alike face a constant threat in this urban landscape, where the risk of falling victim to these crimes is significantly elevated.

San Pedro Sula, Honduras

San Pedro Sula, Honduras, has been infamously referred to as the ‘murder capital of the world’, primarily due to its alarmingly high homicide rates. This grim title reflects the city’s intense struggles with gang violence and drug trafficking, which are major contributors to the pervasive sense of insecurity and danger. The city’s challenging socio-economic conditions further exacerbate the situation, making it a particularly hazardous environment for both residents and visitors.

Mogadishu, Somalia

The nature of violence in Mogadishu includes attacks by Al-Shabaab targeting government and security officials, foreign forces, and civilians. These attacks often take place in busy locations such as hotels, restaurants, and teashops, resulting in numerous civilian casualties.

Libya remains a highly dangerous destination due to ongoing conflict and political instability. Recent clashes in Tripoli, the capital, have underscored the precarious security situation, with deadly encounters between major armed groups resulting in significant casualties, including civilians. This instability is undermining the country’s preparations for elections, which are crucial for establishing a unified government and military, and essential for lasting stability. The lack of unified political leadership and the presence of various armed groups, including the Libyan National Army and militias with differing allegiances, further complicate the security landscape.

South Sudan

South Sudan is considered a dangerous place to visit due to a combination of factors, including ongoing violence, political instability, and severe humanitarian crises. The country has been experiencing chronic intercommunal clashes and violence between armed groups, particularly in the Upper Nile, southern Central Equatoria, and southern Unity states. These conflicts have led to significant displacement of people and serious human rights abuses, some of which may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity.

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Things to know before visiting the Gili Islands

Apr 21, 2024 • 6 min read

Whichever island you're on, head to the west coast for the best sunset views © Marcos Welsh / Getty Images

As far as tiny, picturesque islands go, the Gili Islands have it all and then some. Glassy waters full of colorful marine life, local tradition and culture, a rowdy nightlife scene, and also plenty of places to completely relax under the sun – it's the real deal. 

These three islands – Gili Trawangan , Meno and Air – are generally safe and fairly easy to navigate. As a first-time visitor though, you'll want a quick travel guide on a few specifics regarding trip planning, respectful etiquette, and safety before you arrive.

Take note of these 11 tips for a smooth journey around the Gili Islands.

1. Pack light, or at least skip the giant suitcase

We've been there and witnessed it: giant suitcases piled into the back of the Gili boats, later being lugged around on dusty laneways by sweaty, regretful travelers under the hot sun. Trust us on this one: packing light is the way to go for the Gili Islands. Either leave your suitcase at accommodations in Bali or use a service such as Bali Store Luggage to take care of it while you're island hopping. Between the logistics of getting on and off the Gili boats, plus the fact that the Gili Islands don't have any motorized vehicles – you're much better off bringing only what's comfortable to carry on your back.

2. Decide how to split your time between the three islands (or just wing it)

Whether you enjoy a quick weekend getaway or slowly move through all three islands over the course of a week, deciding how to split your time in advance is advantageous. Each island brings a different personality, with Gili Trawangan being notorious for parties and nightlife. Gili Meno, in the middle, draws a more laidback crowd – those seeking tranquility (and a decent number of honeymooners). To the east, Gili Air falls somewhere in the middle of the chill scale, where it's easy to bliss out in silence or get social at one of the island's many cheerful beach bars.

Even though the islands are small, you can have a completely different experience depending on where you go and what you do. Plan accordingly. 

3. Team up with other travelers to share boats between islands

It's possible to take public boats between all three Gili Islands, but they don't run very frequently – usually just a couple times per day – and plans are subject to change. If you're looking to travel on the fly, or completely on your own schedule, the best way to move between the Gili Islands is to team up with other travelers and share a private boat transfer. Walk down to the port and chat up some of the friendly boatmen waiting for your business, preferably with a friend or two to split the cost. Expect to pay around 300,000Rp for the entire boat for a one-way, depending on your negotiation abilities.

4. Dress and behave respectfully 

While you explore the Gili Islands, you might encounter a few signs that say "no swimwear in the village" – or simply a picture of a bikini with a big red no symbol on top of it. Most residents of the Gili Islands are Muslim, and dressing modestly is important for traveling respectfully. There's no issue rocking swim trunks or a bikini when you're actually at the beach – but cover up when you're heading inland, especially when passing through residential areas. Keep a big t-shirt and sarong in your bag, and you'll be good to go.

5. Check the calendar for any holidays

There are two holidays to be aware of, both bring different experiences in the Gili Islands: Ramadan, a Muslim holiday, and Nyepi, a Balinese holiday. Ramadan is usually around March or April where people fast from sunrise to sunset each day for a month. You can still travel to the Gili Islands, but be advised that some businesses will close earlier and parties are limited during this time. During Nyepi, Bali's day of silence which typically falls the first or second week of March, the entire island shuts down – leading many travelers to head to the Gili Islands where businesses remain open. This can make things pretty busy for two or three days over Nyepi.

6. Lock up your bicycle when you're not using it

You won't find any motorized vehicles on the Gili Islands, where the best method of transportation is either via foot or bicycle. Petty theft isn't all that common – but locking your bike whenever you're not using it is a best practice just in case. Insurance for bike theft isn't really a thing here, so if someone were to roam off with it, you'd be on the hook for covering the cost. Most folks simply put the lock around their tire rather than fastening it to a stationary object.

7. Always drink purified water 

Tap water is not safe for consumption across Indonesia so always only drink water you’ve either purified yourself; you have purchased in a sealed bottle; or have refilled your reusable from a clean water source to stay hydrated. A lot of people brush their teeth with the tap water without experiencing any issues, but if you're really concerned, use bottled water for that too.

8. Watch out for mosquitos

Catching dengue fever is the biggest risk from mosquito bites here – not to mention uncomfortable itchiness. Mosquitos are a year-round experience in the Gili Islands, slightly less so during the dry season from roughly June until October. The best way to prevent bites or mosquito-induced illness is by preparing yourself with bug spray, especially around dusk.

9. Drugs are illegal in Indonesia

You might've heard stories of magic mushrooms in the Gilis from other travelers – and it's true, several beachside cafes openly advertise the sale of magic mushrooms despite the fact that Indonesia has strong anti-drug laws. It's not uncommon to get offers for "magic shakes" or mushrooms while walking on the street, either. Do beware: Indonesia has extremely strict laws against illicit substances, including mushrooms.

Intoxication or possession is punishable by lengthy imprisonment (or worse!). According to Indonesia's tourism board , "Possession is punishable by 4 to 12 years of imprisonment. There is also IDR 800 million to 8 billion (US$89,600 to US$896,000) worth of fines."

10. Stick to beer and wine if you want to drink

Throughout the years, there have been countless reports of travelers in Indonesia becoming ill due to methanol poisoning from alcoholic spirits. The consumption of this illegal tainted alcohol – which has occurred even in fancy, upscale resorts – can cause severe illness, blindness, or even death. Methanol-tainted alcohol is typically the result of cost cutting, oftentimes far earlier in the supply chain before bars and restaurants have any say in the matter. The safest way to get a buzz is by drinking beer or wine, so load up on the Bintang beers or get champagne tipsy all day long.

11. Head west for sunset 

When the fiery sun begins to descend closer to the horizon, make your way west. Regardless of whether you're on Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, or Gili Air – the best sunset views are on the west coast, accompanied by views of Bali's towering Gunung Agung volcano off in the distance. It's the best way to slip into the evening, typically accompanied by sherbet-colored hues in the sky and good vibes.

Explore related stories

Apr 22, 2024 • 6 min read

Whether you're heading over for diving, beach-hopping or taking in a sunset view - here are the top places to go while you're in the Gili Islands.

Apr 18, 2024 • 5 min read

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• Anniston/Gadsden

U.S. travel alert: Cruise line cancels more visits to popular Caribbean destination

• Updated: Apr. 24, 2024, 10:55 p.m. |
• Published: Apr. 24, 2024, 11:09 a.m.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has canceled more stops at one of its most popular destinations due to safety concerns.

• Leada Gore | [email protected]

RoyalCaribbeanblog.com, a website that tracks the line, reported guests booked in the summer and early fall are receiving notification their visits to Labadee, Haiti have been canceled. Labadee is a private resort operated by Royal Caribbean.

The line had previously canceled visits to Labadee through the end of May. The stop was replaced with visits to other destinations or a day at sea.

The cancellations affect several Royal Caribbean ships, including Adventure of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas, the website reported.

Royal Caribbean announced in March it was suspending calls to the resort on the northern coast of Haiti after the U.S. State Department issued an alert advising people not to visit the country. Haiti is at a Level Four travel advisory, alongside countries such as Russia, Syria and Burkina Faso, due to issues with “kidnapping, crime, civil unrest and poor healthcare infrastructure,” U.S. officials said.

Haiti is located on the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic sharing the island to the east. The Dominican Republic is under a level 2 advisory with visitors urged to exercise increased caution.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Money: '£2,000 landed in my account' - The people who say they're manifesting riches

We delve into the world of manifestation - but will a one-day course help our reporter land some extra cash and an engagement ring? Enjoy our weekend reads, and leave a comment, below, and we'll be back with all the latest personal finance and consumer news on Monday.

Saturday 27 April 2024 08:58, UK

Weekend Money

• '£2,000 landed in my account' - The people who say they're manifesting riches
• Iceland's new slogan and cash for grades: What our readers said this week
• Calculate how much your take-home pay will change this month with national insurance reduction
• Why are mortgage rates going up?

Best of the week

• The world of dark tourism - what is it, is it ethical and where can you go?
• Virgin Media customers share their bad experiences of customer service
• More Britons paying inheritance tax after chancellor freezes threshold - so how can you beat it?
• 'More important than a will': What are lasting power of attorneys and how much do they cost?
• 'I have a mortgage offer - will it change now rates are rising?'

Ask a question or make a comment

By Jess Sharp , Money team

My journey into the world of manifestation (the belief that you can attract success in your life through positive affirmations and visualisation) has taken me places I never thought I'd go.

Like a woods in Edenbridge, where I stood meditating under a tree in the pouring rain. I don't yet know where my journey will end (I've been hoping for an engagement ring but my boyfriend hasn't yet seen my visualisations), but it started with a conversation with Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, one of millions and millions of people who say manifestation has transformed their lives.

"About a year ago, there was something happening and I thought we just need two grand to cover the expense," Jamie, a former dancer from London, told me. "The following day £2,000 landed in my account."

It sounded like a coincidence to me, too.

But Jamie was adamant. His husband calls him "the master manifester" because of his "ability to bring in money".

"It's happened on so many occasions, like four, five times," he said. "I've become very clear on what I want and the amount of money I need and literally it can be within 24 hours that I get a phone call for a job and it's almost identical to what I asked for money-wise."

When I asked the now-psychic where the £2,000 actually came from, he said it was payment for a modelling job he had been offered.

"With manifesting you don't get caught up in the how, and often it comes in ways that you don't expect," he added, explaining it could come as the result of a claim after being in a car crash.

"It's not always coming in the way that you think but money is out there for us to take in the world. It's just having the confidence to receive it and we are worthy of it."

"Even if it is a placebo effect, does it matter?" he said.

The 43-year-old also believes he manifested his husband Fiongal after being diagnosed with cancer. While going through treatment and dating "a lot" of people, he decided to take matters into his own hands, or rather his own head, and started visualising his perfect partner.

"I decided to spend a good couple of weeks getting really, really, super clear in my mind what this person looked like. Then I started creating lists asking about personality traits, and all the things that I wanted that person to be," the former dancer said.

"The day I got the all clear from cancer I randomly met my husband and when I look at the list of the things I asked for, he pretty much ticks every single box. I really, really believe that is because I got super clear on what I wanted and I put that out to the universe to bring to me."

Jim Carrey and manifestation

If you think this is a new practice, it isn't. Jim Carrey was doing it back in the 90s. He famously wrote himself a $10m cheque for "acting services rendered" and dated it years in advance. Then in 1995, he was told he was going to make the exact amount for filming Dumb and Dumber.

The idea shot up in popularity again in 2006 after Rhonda Byrne published her self-help book The Secret.

Since then, it has hit every inch of the internet and has resurfaced on TikTok with videos posted under #manifesting accumulating a huge 13 billion views.

I tried to learn manifesting - I felt like an idiot

After hearing Jamie's story and seeing the idea was popular with so many people, I thought it best to try to learn manifestation myself. I mean, who wouldn't want money landing in their account and a work promotion from the universe?

As I stood in the woods, in the pouring rain, being told to imagine roots growing from the soles of my feet, I felt like an idiot.

I was soaking wet (of course I had forgotten a coat with a hood) and while my mind kept wandering through thoughts about being cold, if I'd hit traffic on the way home and how dirty my white trainers were getting, a gentle, soothing voice kept bringing me back to what I was supposed to be thinking about.

"How we are all connected, how the trees and plants produce oxygen that we breathe, and we breathe out carbon dioxide which they need to survive"

While some people focus their manifestation practices on being grateful to the universe, Tansy Jane Dowman believes we need to get "out of our heads, into our bodies", connect with nature and find our true selves before we can practice it successfully.

My meditation in the woods was just one part of a six-hour workshop run by Tansy, which aimed to send me off with a clearer vision of what I truly desired.

Tansy charges anywhere from £25 to £580 for her courses, which range from one-on-one sessions and an online six-week programme, to forest bathing workshops and weekend-long nature retreats.

But some courses have popped up online which cost more than £1,000.

Tansy started practising manifestation in 2018 after going through a difficult period in her life. She eventually quit her job in events management and started teaching others how to do it successfully.

"The way I manifest is not to focus on material wealth or gain. I would ask my clients what an abundant life means to them in terms of feelings, experiences, connections, people and places," she explained.

"The more authentic you are, the more of a beacon you become for those things to find you."

After spending time walking in the rain and meditating under a tree, Tansy and I sat in her dining room and explored some of the happiest moments in my life and the feelings I experienced. It became clear I like feeling accomplished, needed and excited.

We also spoke about challenging times, but the conversation focused on the positives, like how I had overcome them and what I had learned.

"It's so important to bring in your values with manifestation because sometimes we can get really confused with what we want, with social media especially," she told me.

Throughout her house, Tansy has a number of "abundance boards" proudly on display - some she has made with her children, others are from her annual January tradition of setting out her desires for the year.

"I've had some really wonderful goosebump things happen to me. I did a board at the beginning of 2020... I put a picture of a microphone on it. I just thought I really like that image and I didn't immediately place any meaning onto it," she said.

"Then as the world was shutting down for lockdown, I did a press event and I met a lady who worked for Wellbeing Radio and she wondered if I would be interested in trying out as a presenter."

She explained that some people will be very specific with their desires, like selecting a photo of the exact car they want, or the perfect house, but that isn't how manifestation works. There needs to be an element of trust in the universe giving them what they attract.

As we created my abundance board, which Tansy describes as being like a "personal algorithm", she told me to select images and words from heaps of magazines that called to me intuitively.

As you can see from the picture below, mine calls for being "financially fabulous", travelling, getting engaged (coughs loudly in earshot of boyfriend) and living stress-free.

And while I'd love a big cash injection, Tansy explained to me that money is "only a stepping stone to a feeling" and, ultimately, I'm aiming to create an emotion with it.

Manifesters more likely to go bankrupt

While all the manifestation believers I spoke to said there was no downside to the practice, a researcher has been looking into whether it really does pay off.

Based in Australia, Dr Lucas Dixon (who specialises in consumer psychology) created a scale from one to seven to rank a person's strength of belief and found those who practice it are more likely to have been victims of fraud and declared bankruptcy.

He said there was a "danger" that manifesting could become harmful if taken to an extreme level.

He found those who believe in manifesting tend to think more positively and have a confident attitude when it comes to success, and while that can be helpful in business, it can also cause them to take unnecessary risks.

"They weren't more objectively successful in terms of having higher income or higher education attainment," he said.

"We also found that they are more likely to believe in get-rich-quick schemes, more likely to take higher risks... to have risky financial investments and more likely to have investments in cryptocurrency rather than traditional stock."

Using the scale he created, Dr Dixon found those who have "very strong beliefs", ranking at a seven, were 40% more likely to have gone bankrupt.

"The danger comes in a couple of different forms," he said, explaining that a "worst case scenario" could see people getting into financial difficulty by being encouraged to "just look at the positives".

"Someone might say it's not harmful because it is really just thinking positively but I think even that can be harmful because of what you might call an opportunity cost," he said.

"You're spending time, energy and money doing something that doesn't have a lot of evidence behind it. We found it does make you feel good but you don't need to pay thousands to do it."

Okay, so back to me...

I did my manifestation course about a month ago, and I have done as I was instructed - my abundance board is up in sight inside the flat, and I often have a cup of coffee in front of it.

But, so far I'm still using a credit card, the most travelling I've done has been to work and back and there is still no rock on my finger. I have been given an annual pay rise, though, and would say I am less stressed.

Perhaps believing that I'm just doing my best and there's a chance that I'll be rewarded for that one day, eventually, in the future, maybe, is making me feel better... who knows?

Each week, Money blog readers share their thoughts on the subjects we've been covering, and over the last seven days your correspondence has been dominated by these topics...

• Iceland's new slogan
• Rising mortgage rates
• Giving kids cash for grades

Iceland's new catchphrase

We learnt on Monday that Iceland had dropped its tagline "That's why mums go to Iceland", replacing it with "That's why we go to Iceland".

The move was made to reflect the store is for everybody, said brand ambassador Josie Gibson. Readers were split - with some feeling so strongly that they're prepared, they suggest, to sacrifice those frozen Greggs steak bakes forever...

I previously contacted Iceland about their slogan because I didn't think it did single dads justice, as dads can go to Iceland too. Their response was that people understood that it's not just mums that go to Iceland. It's about time they changed the message. Dave T  

Neither I, my wife or my children will shop in Iceland again due to this stupidness and woke attitude. To hell with you [Iceland boss] Richard Walker. John  

Banks hike mortgage rates

This week we reported that high street lenders such as Halifax, TSB, NatWest, Barclays, Leeds Building Society, HSBC and Coventry had all hiked mortgage rates (see 7.33 post for details). 

You said...

With house prices at already extortionate levels, now mortgage rates rising again, is there any hope for first-time buyers? Honestly, the situation is so bleak, people may need to consider other countries. GenZ 

Why would this happen? So many young couples struggling to get on the property ladder. I live in Dorset - a one-bedroom flat costs from £230,000. In Scotland, one can get a beautiful two-bed house for that price. Feel sorry for all couples living down in the South. Need huge deposits. Barbs

Why are they called high-street banks? Most banks in my town have closed. Martin J

Parents offering cash for good grades

A lot of views came in after our feature exploring the positives and negatives of parents incentivising good school grades with cash...

We had scores of comments on this - with a fairly even split...

We did it for our son at GCSE time. We think it made a difference of about a grade on most subjects. Got a two-grade lift on maths. Cost us £350. Thought it was good value as it has taught him how things work in the world. Andy

The whole world is built on a reward system which symbolises access to money commensurate with effort and excellence. The Nobel prize goes with a cash reward! Tom Deggs

Employees are offered incentives for achieving targets, so why not offer kids incentives for better grades? Claire228 

But others had concerns...

I think it puts too much pressure on kids who are under enough pressure at exam time. Parents should encourage their kids to do the best they can, not add to their stress levels. Emma

Children should value their education without it being monetised. My parents expected my brother and I to have the motivation, maturity and self-discipline to work hard for our GCSEs. We both achieved all As and A*s. Eliza 

When I was at school, from 1964-83, my parents never gave me money for good exam results, because "I should want to do well for myself". No matter what my grades were, they said that they would be proud of me if I had tried my best. Cash kills self-motivation. Nicola B 

National insurance was cut this month, for the second time this year, from 10% to 8% on employee earnings between £12,570 and £50,270.

The change, announced by the chancellor in his March budget, impacts around 27 million payroll employees across the UK - starting this pay day.

The cut is worth almost £250 to someone earning £25,000 a year and almost £750 for those earning £50,000

Use our tool below for a rough guide to what tax changes can be expected for most people, as there are other variables not included which might affect how much tax you pay including being in receipt of the blind person's allowance or the marriage allowance. It also assumes you are not self-employed and are under pension age...

There are also national insurance cuts for the self-employed. This includes the scrapping of Class 2 contributions, as well as a reduction of the rate of Class 4 contributions from 9% to 6% for the £12,570 to £50,270 earnings bracket.

These will impact nearly two million self-employed people, according to the Treasury.

While many campaigners welcomed the national insurance announcement last month, they pointed out that the tax burden remains at record high levels for Britons - thanks in part to the threshold at which people start paying income tax being frozen, rather than rising with inflation.

The money story of the week has been mortgage rates - with a host of major lenders announcing hikes amid fears the Bank of England may delay interest rate cuts.

Swap rates - which dictate how much it costs to lend money - have risen on the back of higher than expected US inflation data, and concerns this could delay interest rate cuts there. 

US trends often materialise elsewhere - though many economists are still expecting a base rate cut from 5.25% to 5% in the UK in June.

The reliable Bloomberg reported this week: "Still, while some economists have since scaled back their predictions for BOE cuts, most haven't changed expectations for a summer move.

"Analysts at Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Group, Capital Economics and Bloomberg Economics are all among those still anticipating a shift toward easing in June."

The publication also quoted Sanjay Raja, chief UK economist at Deutsche Bank, as saying: "Markets have superimposed the US cycle on the UK, but the US and UK are on very different tracks.

"The UK is coming out of technical recession. Inflation is falling more convincingly. Pay settlements are following inflation expectations. And crucially, real policy rates in the UK will be higher than in the US."

None of this reassurance changes the fact that financial markets, which dictate swap rates, are pricing in delays.

This week's hikes came from Halifax, BM Solutions, TSB, NatWest, Virgin, Barclays, Accord, Leeds Building Society, HSBC and Coventry.

This is what average mortgage rates looked like as of Thursday...

The next Bank of England decision on rates comes on 9 May - and pretty much no one is expecting a cut from the 16-year high of 5.25% at that stage.

The Money blog is your place for consumer news, economic analysis and everything you need to know about the cost of living - bookmark news.sky.com/money.

It runs with live updates every weekday - while on Saturdays we scale back and offer you a selection of weekend reads.

Check them out this morning and we'll be back on Monday with rolling news and features.

The Money team is Emily Mee, Bhvishya Patel, Jess Sharp, Katie Williams, Brad Young and Ollie Cooper, with sub-editing by Isobel Souster. The blog is edited by Jimmy Rice.

The family home where Captain Sir Tom Moore walked 100 laps to raise nearly £40m for the NHS during the first COVID lockdown is up for sale for £2.25m.

The Grade II-listed Old Rectory is described as a "magnificent seven-bedroom property" by estate agents Fine & Country.

In a video tour of the house, a sculpture of Captain Tom with his walking frame can be seen in the hallway, while a photo of the fundraising hero being knighted by the Queen is on a wall in the separate coach house building.

Introducing the property, an estate agent says in the tour video: "I'm sure you'll recognise this iconic and very famous driveway behind me as it was home to the late Captain Sir Tom Moore who walked 100 laps of his garden, raising over £37m for NHS charities."

It comes less than three months after the demolition of an unauthorised spa pool block in the grounds of the property in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire.

Speaking at an appeal hearing over that spa, Scott Stemp, representing Captain Tom's daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband, said the foundation named after the fundraising hero "is to be closed down" following a Charity Commission probe launched amid concerns about its management.

For the full story, click here ...

"Status symbol" pets are being given up by owners who get scared as they grow up, an animal charity has said, with the cost of living possibly paying a part in a rise in separations.

The Exotic Pet Refuge, which homes parrots, monkeys, snakes and alligators among others, says it receives referrals across the country, including from zoos and the RSPCA.

"They're a status symbol. People will say, 'OK, I'll have an alligator or a 10ft boa constrictor'," co-owner Pam Mansfield told the BBC.

"But when the animal gets big, they will get too frightened to handle them, and then the pet has to go."

She added people who want to get rid of the pets sometimes call zoos for help, which then call on her charity.

In some cases, owners don't have licences to own dangerous animals, she says, blaming a "lack of understanding" for what she says is a rise in the number of exotic animals needing to be rehomed.

She says people "just don't have the space" for some snakes, for example, with some growing to as much as 12ft and needing their own room.

The cost of living crisis has also forced owners to give their pets away, she says.

Her charity has also been affected by those increased costs, with the electricity bill rising to £10,000 a month at their highest, to fund things like heated pools for alligators.

Private car parks are accused of "confusing drivers" after introducing a new code of conduct - despite "doing all they can" to prevent an official government version.

The code of practice launched by two industry bodies - British Parking Association and the International Parking Community - includes a ten-minute grace period for motorists to leave a car park after the parking period they paid for ends.

It also features requirements for consistent signage, a single set of rules for operators on private land and an "appeals charter".

Private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signs, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.

That comes after a government-backed code of conduct was withdrawn in June 2022, after a legal challenges by parking companies.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "We're flabbergasted that the BPA and the IPC have suddenly announced plans to introduce their own private parking code after doing all they can over the last five years to prevent the official government code created by an act of Parliament coming into force.

"While there are clearly some positive elements to what the private parking industry is proposing, it conveniently avoids some of the biggest issues around caps on penalty charges and debt recovery fees which badly need to be addressed to prevent drivers being taken advantage of."

BPA chief executive Andrew Pester said: "This is a crucial milestone as we work closely with government, consumer bodies and others to deliver fairer and more consistent parking standards for motorists."

IPC chief executive Will Hurley said: "The single code will benefit all compliant motorists and will present clear consequences for those who decide to break the rules."

Sky News has learnt the owner of Superdry's flagship store is weighing up a legal challenge to a rescue plan launched by the struggling fashion retailer.

M&G, the London-listed asset manager, has engaged lawyers from Hogan Lovells to scrutinise the restructuring plan.

The move by M&G, which owns the fashion retailer's 32,000 square foot Oxford Street store, will not necessarily result in a formal legal challenge - but sources say it's possible.

Read City editor Mark Kleinman 's story here...

NatWest says its mortgage lending nearly halved at the start of the year as it retreated from parts of the market when competition among lenders stepped up.

New mortgage lending totalled £5.2bn in the first three months of 2024, the banking group has revealed, down from £9.9bn the previous year.

The group, which includes Royal Bank of Scotland and Coutts, also reported an operating pre-tax profit of £1.3bn for the first quarter, down 27% from £1.8bn the previous year.

An unexplained flow of British luxury cars into states neighbouring Russia continued into February, new data shows.

About £26m worth of British cars were exported to Azerbaijan, making the former Soviet country the 17th biggest destination for UK cars - bigger than long-established export markets such as Ireland, Portugal and Qatar.

Azerbaijan's ascent has coincided almost to the month with the imposition of sanctions on the export of cars to Russia.

Read the rest of economics and data editor Ed Conway 's analysis here...

Rishi Sunak has hailed the arrival of pay day with a reminder his government's additional National Insurance tax cut kicks in this month for the first time.

At last month's budget, the chancellor announced NI will be cut by a further 2p - so some workers will pay 8% of their earnings instead of the 12% if was before autumn.

The prime minister has repeated his claim this will be worth £900 for someone on the average UK salary.

While this additional cut - on top of the previous 2p cut in January - does equate to £900 for those on average full-time earnings of £35,000, there are two key issues with Mr Sunak's claim:

• Once the effect of all income tax changes since 2021 are taken into account, the Institute for Fiscal Studies reports an average earner will benefit from a tax cut of £340 - far less than £900;
• Moreover, anyone earning less than £26,000 or between £55,000-£131,000 will ultimately be worse off.

In short, this is because NI cuts are more than offset by other tax rises.

We explain below how this is the case...

Tax thresholds

This is partly down to tax thresholds - the amount you are allowed to earn before you start paying tax (and national insurance) and before you start paying the higher rate of tax - will remain frozen. 

This means people end up paying more tax than they otherwise would, when their pay rises with inflation but the thresholds don't keep up. 

This phenomenon is known as "fiscal drag" and it's often called a stealth tax because it's not as noticeable immediately in your pay packet.

That low threshold of £12,570 has been in place since April 2021. 

The Office for Budget Responsibility says if it had increased with inflation it would be set at £15,220 for 2024/25.

If that were the case, workers could earn an extra £2,650 tax-free each year.

Less give, more take

Sky News analysis shows someone on £16,000 a year will pay £607 more in total - equivalent to more than three months of average household spending on food. 

Their income level means national insurance savings are limited but they are paying 20% in income tax on an additional £2,650 of earnings.

In its analysis , the IFS states: "In aggregate the NICs cuts just serve to give back a portion of the money that is being taken away through other income tax and NICs changes - in particular, multi-year freezes to tax thresholds at a time of high inflation."

Overall, according to the institute, for every £1 given back to workers by the National Insurance cuts, £1.30 will have been taken away due to threshold changes between 2021 and 2024.

This rises to £1.90 in 2027.

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