Europe’s Best Capital Cities to Be a Tourist in During 2023

Following the end of the Coronavirus, stressful travel rules, numerous testing, vaccines and days of isolation, travellers worldwide have hopped on a new tourism trend that they’re calling “revenge tourism” by making more frequent and longer trips.

A report published last April by the European Travel Commission (ETC) on travel expectations for the summer of 2023 revealed that at the time that 72 per cent of Europeans were planning to make a trip between the months of April and September.

In a later report, the same organisation confirmed that Europe’s tourism recovery is maintaining its momentum despite economic headwinds, reaching 95 per cent of 2019 levels of international tourist arrivals, VisaGuide.World reports.

However, the pandemic has had its effect on travel behaviours, in particular after the world witnessed a series of racism cases against tourists in the first year of the Coronavirus. Travellers now pay more attention to how the country where they are heading to will welcome and treat them instead of only taking into consideration the things worth seeing and doing while there.

VisaGuide.World has conducted a survey with 1200 travellers from 32 different countries regarding the things they value most when travelling to Europe.

The main thing that the majority of these travellers want when travelling to a country is to feel welcomed and safe. 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.

Based on the outcome of this survey, VisaGuide.World has conducted a research, compiling a list of Europe’s capital cities and comparing them in several aspects, including here safety, friendliness, non-native English proficiency, prices, etc.

According to the same, Europe’s best capital cities to visit as a tourist in 2023 and their scores are as follows:

Amsterdam Is Europe’s Best Capital to Be a Tourist in During 2023

Not surprisingly at all, Amsterdam has turned out to be the best capital city in Europe to travel to as a tourist.

One might think that the legalisation of cannabis smoking in the country has something to do with it, but it doesn’t. The city is well known for its many attractions that has to offer to tourists, including here many WW2 memorials, like the house where Anne Frank and her family hid during the war.

The Dutch are also among the world’s most proficient English speakers aside from the native speakers of this language, so tourists have no difficulty getting around in Amsterdam. They are also some of the friendliest Europeans, just behind the Italians and Spaniards, who share the first spot in this regard.

It is also cheaper to visit Amsterdam compared to many other European capitals, with tourists being able to spend a week there with a low budget, between €280 and €350.

In addition to all that, Amsterdam scores as the fifth safest country in Europe, which is evaluated based on crime rates, terrorist activities, internal conflicts, political instability, natural disasters, etc.

With other factors taken into account, Amsterdam is undoubtedly the number one choice for many tourists and a city worth experiencing.

Rome, Zagreb & London Complete the List of Top 4 Best Capital Destinations in Europe for 2023

Second on the list of the best European capitals to be a tourist is Rome, followed by Zagreb in the third position and London in fourth.

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. 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 in London for those who know at least basic English, Italians are also quite familiar with the language too. Italy ranks as the 32nd in the list of world countries regarding English proficiency.

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 budget-friendly trips. The Western Balkan country is amongst the cheapest in Europe, and only recently, it has also joined the Eurozone, which means the official currency there now is the Euro.

Zagreb is known for its rich history, art and architecture, and its home to around a million people. In 2021 alone, the city welcomed 634 million tourists.

Paris Is Safer Than Anywhere Else, Despite Parisians Being Grumpy to Everyone

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.

In spite of ranking as the eighth best European capital to be a tourist in, in 2023, Paris is the safest one. The recent riots might have shaken this position a bit for Paris, but no other city is able to surpass it when it comes to safety.

Parisians know English, though they might choose to respond in French, and at the end of the day, they are still friendlier than the Germans, at least for 0.05 points.

NOTE: The latest ranking for the Best Capitals in Europe to Visit as a Tourist in 2024 is out now.

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