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

Bailey Dean reflected on her level of comfort while walking from Portugal to Spain along the famed Camino route

After two years of planning the trip and waiting for the perfect time, Bailey Dean began a 170-mile walk from Portugal to Spain on the famed Camino de Santiago. The Florida native had a fair amount of experience traveling alone prior to her pilgrimage, but this long-awaited hike was unlike any other journey she’d taken by herself.

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 explained in 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.

“I feel so comfortable walking through the woods with literally no one around, not being too worried,” she said, adding that she frequently saw fellow travelers walking in her same direction. “You’re always going to see people. If anything was to happen, someone’s going to walk by in like 20 minutes, at worst an hour.”

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.

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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 does not intend 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.”

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Looking back on her Western European commute by foot, she remembers taking extra precautions when walking before daylight and when she saw less frequent passersby. Luckily, she says the Camino’s specific path largely steers clear of potentially dangerous animals. “You don’t really have to deal with scary wildlife, such as bears, like you do in the U.S.,” says the social media creator.

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.”

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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.”

Still, as special as their group finale was, the TikToker is glad she leaned into the opportunity to spend time alone. After all, Dean says she started down the road “with the intention of having some serious alone time to just think and be surrounded by nature.”

“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.”

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