Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands,
Travelers, led largely by Americans and undaunted by heat waves, plagues of over-tourism, anti-tourist protests and high costs, continue arriving eagerly to Europe’s most popular capitals to explore their iconic landmarks.
The latest report on summer 2023 travel by the European Travel Commission (ETC) confirms that Europe’s tourism recovery is maintaining its momentum despite economic troubles and elevated costs, reaching close to 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
With such affluence, the recommendations, listings, polls and advice on where to go and what to see and do also abound, making it difficult at times to decide which guides to follow.
What travelers are looking for now
Based on a survey about the factors that travelers around the world value most when visiting a destination in 2023, VisaGuide.World concluded that travelers now pay more attention to how a destination will welcome and treat them rather than taking into consideration simply the sites worth seeing and activities worth doing during their trip.
Compiling a list of Europe’s capital cities and comparing them on aspects such as safety, hospitality, friendliness, non-native English proficiency and prices, the organization listed the 10 best European capitals to visit.
“The main thing that the majority of travelers want when traveling to a country is to feel welcomed and safe,” the survey explains. “To them, it is of utmost importance to be able to communicate with the locals at hotels, restaurants and other places without having to use translation apps, regardless of the fact that they consider these apps very valuable.”
Dam Square in the historical center of Amsterdam
Amsterdam: best European capital to be a tourist
Amsterdam appears as the top destination that meets travelers’ current expectations, followed by Rome and Croatia’s capital city of Zagreb in the second and third places, with London in fourth position.
As explained by Schengenvisainfo, “the research has called Amsterdam’s positioning in the first place ‘not surprising’, pointing out that the city is widely loved not due to the freedom it offers to weed smokers, but mostly due to its numerous canals, beautiful buildings and streets, WWII memorials, and its rich culture, cuisine and hospitality.”
The Dutch are the world’s most proficient non-native English speakers and the Netherlands is Europe’s third-friendliest nation, just behind Italy and Spain, while Amsterdam appears as the fifth-safest capital in Europe based on crime rates, terrorist activities, internal conflicts, political instability and natural disasters.
Visiting Amsterdam is also cheaper than visiting many other famous European capitals as travelers can spend a week in the city on a budget between €280 and €350.
The Old Town center in Zagreb, Croatia
Rome, Zagreb and London
While Rome and London are amongst the world’s most famous tourist spots, Zagreb has ranked third, mainly due to its affordability and hospitality.
“All these capitals are well known for their tourist hotspots, but they also rank as some of the safest cities to visit in the world,” according to the survey. “While the threat of terror attacks and weather disasters are unlikely to happen, tourists in Italy and London are advised to be careful of pickpockets, in particular during the summer season, when all tourist spots are full of people.”
While the language barrier is non-existent for getting around London for those who know at least basic English, Italians are also well familiar with the language.
Language is not a problem in Zagreb either, as Croatia performs even better in this regard, listed 11th in the world.
In addition, Zagreb beats both Rome and London when it comes to budgets. The western Balkan country is amongst the cheapest in Europe, and only recently has joined the Eurozone, which means the Euro is its official currency.
Zagreb, with a population of one million, is known for its rich history, art and architecture. In 2021, the city welcomed 634,000 tourists.
Crowds of tourists gather at the Esplanade du Trocadero to see the Eiffel Tower. Photo by Matthias … [+]
How about Paris?
The capital of France appears in 8th place on the list and the survey clarifies that “if Parisians are mean to you, that doesn’t mean they have a problem with you. Or anyone else for that matter. It’s the way they are. Of course, they might often be disturbed by the high numbers of tourists, their nuisance, and their carelessness to the city they call home, but Paris still remains one of the safest cities to visit on earth.”
This is the complete list of the top 10 best European capitals to be a tourist:
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Rome, Italy
- Zagreb, Croatia
- London, England
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Madrid, Spain
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Paris, France
- Berlin, Germany
- Vienna, Austria
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