Woman Talks Travel Safety on 170-Mile Solo Hike in Europe: 'Not Something I Would Ever Do' in U.S. (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Bailey Dean during her 170-mile walk alone from Portugal to Spain on the Camino.Photo:Courtesy of Bailey Dean

Courtesy of Bailey Dean

The biggest difference? While on the Camino, Dean finally felt free to “clear [her] head” and enjoy the solitude of the tree-lined walk, as she explainedin a TikTok recorded mid-trek. All things considered, the 24-year-old said she felt relatively safe enough to stop purchasing international cell phone service as a precaution.

Since graduating college in 2022, the travel influencer has visited enough places alone to know when it’s okay to let down your guard. In addition to her Europe trips, Dean tells PEOPLE she’s spent time on her own in South Africa, Costa Rica and Guatemala. This fall, she plans to take her solo act to Southeast Asia.

In her video reflecting on the safety of the Camino, Dean shared one of her reassuring observations about the trail. “I would say that honestly about 50% of people are alone, and a lot of those people that are alone are women,” she said before continuing on to compare her European mindset to that which she feels at home in the United States.

“This is not something that I would ever do in the U.S.,” Dean noted. “If I was home I would be so paranoid.”

Speaking to PEOPLE, however, Dean clarifies that she doesnotintend to dissuade women from hiking alone in the States when weighing her own experiences on either side of the Atlantic.

“I will say that I had a greater peace of mind on the Camino as a solo female traveler than I have in the U.S.,” she says. “I do think you have to take further precautions in the U.S., such as carrying a weapon or mace.”

Dean continues, “I am not naive enough to think I am completely safe when traveling solo in Europe. However, there are fewer threats you have to think about.”

Bailey Dean during her solo trip to Europe to walk the Camino 170 miles from Portugal to Spain.Courtesy of Bailey Dean

In her TikTok, Dean recommended that her viewers make the “pretty straightforward” trip alone if they’re considering it. “Honestly I can’t imagine doing this trek with anyone else,” she added, bolstering the suggestion.

And when speaking to PEOPLE, Dean highlights the social possibilities that the Camino offers solo strollers. Between the people she met while staying in hostels and those she encountered on the trail, the hiker remained in good company during her breaks from solitude.

“Everyone calls it your ‘Camino family.’ When you start walking you are generally moving at a similar pace to everyone around you, so you are constantly running into people you’ve previously met,” she recalls. “You run into people from all walks of life and get to have incredibly deep conversations that can be so moving and inspiring.”

Bailey Dean during her 170-mile walk alone from Portugal to Spain on the Camino.Courtesy of Bailey Dean

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When Dean crossed the border into Spain, she joined a group of women moving at her same speed, which she tells PEOPLE was roughly about 14 miles per day, leading her to complete the walk in 13 days.

“We were all solo travelers in our 20s from all over: U.S., Scotland, Netherlands and Germany,” says Dean. “We all finished the hike in Santiago together and it was incredible to witness after two weeks of hiking.”

“Sometimes I get so busy in real life that I feel so disconnected with my own thoughts,” she shares. “The Camino was the perfect way to hike for hours alone without interruption.”

source: people.com