Having just returned from a trip around Europe, I am constantly asked questions about how safe it is. My answer is generally that Europe, on a whole, can be a very safe place to travel. Obviously though, there are some places that are safer than others. So today I have decided to sit down and write this list of the safest cities in Europe to visit right now.
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Now, most of this list is based on my personal experiences. Those that follow my blog or social media will recognize many of the cities on this list. Others, I have added on the advice of those that know them well, live there, or travel there regularly.
Although I mention petty theft and pickpocketing in many of the reviews below, these are not what this article is actually about. Petty theft occurs everywhere. This is about how safe a city is to walk around. Will you get mugged at night? Robbed? Will you be walking the streets constantly looking over your shoulder?
The cities on this list answer no to all of those questions. They are the places that you will feel at home in, safe, and able to enjoy a good time without worry.
So let’s take a look at my list of the safest cities in Europe – in no particular order.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam seems to me to be a funny city to add to a list of safest cities in Europe, but it actually is. So long as you are sensible and use some common sense.
In recent official rankings (some sites do “official” rankings, whether they are or not..) Amsterdam is ranked the 6th safest city in the world, and number 1 in Europe. I’m not sure what the qualifications are for these rankings, but it is still pretty clear on one thing. That Amsterdam is one of the safest cities in Europe.
A couple of things to be aware of though.
First, stay away from the red light districts, especially at night time. These areas are as dodgy as they come, and you might not find much police presence to help you out if you find yourself in trouble.
Second, be alert for bicycles when walking the street. They are everywhere in Amsterdam, and one of the most common injuries in the city is from pedestrians being hit by someone on a bike doing Mach 3 through a heavily congested area. It sounds strange, but it’s true! This has become such an issue that they are even considering banning tourists from riding bicycles.
The third thing about Amsterdam can be said for any major city, and that is to use common sense. Watch your valuables, and be aware of petty crime.
Other than that, Amsterdam is rated one of the safest cities in Europe for a reason. It simply is!
Zurich
Switzerland has always had that “safe” feeling about it. The Swiss are so nice and welcoming, and I think that their place in history has always given the country that feeling of it being a sort of haven away from the rest of the world.
Therefore, it is not a surprise to see the Swiss Capital featuring on this list of safest cities in Europe.
In fact, Zurich was recently rated by official sources as the 10th safest city in the world and the 3rd safest city in Europe.
Although these lists are always different depending upon who puts them together, most agree upon Zurich. It constantly features prominently, as do its Swiss neighbors of Geneva and Lucerne.
This does not mean there is nothing to worry about in Zurich though. Petty Crime still exists, and as the city sees more and more tourists, it naturally rises. As do tourist scams and pick pocketing.
All in all though, Zurich remains a very safe city, and one of the safest cities in Europe to visit.
Vienna
As recently as 2022, the Global Peace Index ranked Austria as the 5th most peaceful country in the world. There is no surprise then that the Capital City of Austria will feature on a list of safest cities in Europe.
Vienna has nearly 2 million occupants now, making it a swiftly growing city. This usually comes with the normal issues for large cities, such as pretty crime. Tourists and visitors should therefore still take precautions.
Violent Crime and the sorts of crime that causes a city to be considered “unsafe” rarely, if ever, is seen in Vienna though. The streets are considered very safe to walk, even at night time. Staying away from dodgy areas is still advisable, but on a whole, most visitors never really see any problems.
This is due to a high police presence in the city due to the large police force they employ. There are regular patrols of all the major areas, and this presence has the dual result of deterring crime, as well as making both locals and visitors feel more at ease.
One thing about Vienna is that when they talk about “rundown” and “dodgy” areas, they really are not quite what you would be expecting. All it really means is that the standard of the neighborhood is not as high as elsewhere, and rarely does it mean that the area is unsafe.
Vienna, especially for solo and female travelers, is one of the safest cities in Europe, and probably the world.
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is one of the smallest capital cities in the world. This sort of makes sense when Slovenia is also one of the smallest countries in Europe as well.
Ljubljana is a beautiful city. It is leafy and green, and has an entire CBD area that is completely closed off to traffic, making it a huge pedestrian only zone. This area is always filled with locals and tourists out enjoying the city, sitting in cafes and simply soaking up the atmosphere.
At night time, bars and cafes are open until well past midnight, and people can be seen wandering back to their homes or hotels without a care in the world. Ljubljana just seems to ooze with self assurance, putting people instantly at ease.
Maybe this is because Slovenia itself was recently ranked in the top 10 safest countries in the world, making the Capital of Ljubljana definitely one of the safest cities in Europe. But then, maybe it is the other way around, and it is the self assurance of the city itself that ensured the top 10 ranking.
We may never know, but rest assured that your holiday to Ljubljana will be a safe one.
Check out my complete guide on Ljubljana at THIS LINK.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is a very safe city with an extremely progressive approach to law enforcement. They adopt a Community Policing aspect that helps to establish trust and cooperation between the local populace and the authorities. Everyone is extremely proud of their beautiful, green, well maintained public areas, and the city itself is impeccable. Add to this a great social welfare system, and everything simply works towards making Copenhagen one of the safest cities in Europe. So much so that it often tops the lists as one of the safest cities in Europe to visit for solo female travelers.
Like most cities though, you have to be careful. Pickpockets are prevalent on the weekends, especially on Friday and Saturday nights when drunk people are heading home from the bar. Danes drink a lot, and a drunk can make for an easy target. Be vigilant in these areas, and make sure to catch a taxi if you are unsure.
All in all, the touristy areas are very safe in Copenhagen. Any “violence” that occurs is well away from the best areas, and like most cities, it is areas that you should not be in if you are just visiting.
Stay safe and use common sense, and you will find that Copenhagen is one of the safest cities in Europe to visit.
Zagreb
Zagreb really took me by surprise when I first visited there. I was really only on a stop over from Bulgaria to Hungary, and didn’t really know what to expect. Imagine my surprise when I had to tear myself away after a few days. I had fallen in love.
Zagreb is a small capital city, and one that many people have never even heard of. It sort of gets lost behind the “larger” tourist centers such as Dubrovnik and Split. Those cities only have a few hundred thousand residents though, unlike Zagreb that has a couple million.
What many don’t realize though, is that Croatia sees around 20 Million tourists every year. More! And now that Croatia has been accepted as a part of Schengen, it will increase rapidly.
Therefore, it is both surprising and not that Zagreb is such a safe city.
Why?
With so much money invested in the tourist dollar, they can’t afford for it NOT to be safe. Indeed, children are sent to school to learn multiple languages because most of them will probably work in the tourism industry. It runs the entire economy, and is their largest source of income.
Zagreb is the main hub for people traveling in and out of Croatia. All the bus lines run to Zagreb, and it has a major international airport. Connecting flights to the smaller cities are forever running, and people are always transiting and spending a night or two in Zagreb.
This makes it vital to keep it safe. Police always patrol, and cctv is everywhere. Basically though, the people are extremely friendly, welcoming, and Zagreb is one of the safest cities in Europe.
Add to that the amazing beauty, green parks, wide leafy boulevards, and cafes and Patisseries around every corner, and Zagreb is a place that will have you coming back for more!
Venice
Safety in Venice really comes from its size. It is so small that you can walk around it in a day. HALF a day, in fact. I have been there several times, and even though I still find little, out of the way places I have never found before, after a couple of hours I have pretty much covered the entire city. It really is THAT small.
Add to the size some really large crowds, and you would expect Venice to be a hive of petty theft and crime. The fact is, that it is totally the opposite. The Venetian people are absolutely amazing people. They are warm and friendly, and incredibly welcoming to the throngs of visitors that swarm down their streets every day. Especially on weekends and holidays when you can hardly move in Venice!
Like most of the safest cities in Europe, there is always a visible police presence in Venice. Especially around places such as the train station, Rialto Bridge and St Mark’s Square. This naturally goes a long way toward making the city safe for both locals and visitors.
I have been to Venice during some of their largest events, and seen how tightly packed the streets can get. What always astounds me though, is that they aren’t teeming with pickpockets and petty theft. There are signs around warning tourists, but personally I have never had a problem, and never known anyone that has.
All I can say is to take precautions, like you should anywhere else when it comes to petty theft. As far as general safety goes though, Venice is doing all the little things right. You can walk around the city feeling safe, even at night time, and for me, that’s a big barometer when measuring how safe a city is.
Personally, I find Venice to be one of the safest cities in Europe.
Budapest
Budapest is a very large city that is quite easy to get lost in. One thing that I found about it though, was how friendly and accommodating the locals are.
You don’t have to go very far in Budapest to understand that the city, and populace, have had an absolutely torrid time throughout history. The city has seen a very rough past, and this has profoundly affected the locals. I firmly believe that it is their own past hardships that make Hungarians some of the most friendly people on the planet.
There is a lot to do in Budapest. I personally spent an entire week walking the city, trying my hardest to see everything that I could, and covered up to 20 KM a day on foot. Never once in all that time did I feel unsafe, even at night time when I would find myself traipsing down a quiet side street in the snow, heading home to my Air BNB.
Being such a large city though, normal precautions should still be taken around some of the larger parks and areas that are away from the public eye. Especially at night time. On a whole though, Budapest can be considered one of the safest cities in Europe.
Istanbul
Many people would raise their eyebrows to a place like Istanbul being put on a list of the safest cities in Europe. I can tell you from personal experience though, that having visited Istanbul on several occasions, I am yet to feel unsafe in the city.
In fact, I have spoken to many travelers from other cities in Europe, that COME to Istanbul because it actually feels safer than their own home towns. Many of these are solo female travelers!
Like all large cities, there will be a petty crime element, and certainly in Istanbul, you should exercise caution around the highly trafficked tourist areas. On a whole though, Istanbul is a very safe place to holiday. Which suits me, as it is also one of the most gorgeous cities in the world, brimming with culture, history, and incredible scenery.
Public transportation is also amazing in Istanbul, which adds to the safety aspect of the city. There will be no waiting around for hours for a bus, ferry or train. Stations and wharves are patrolled at all times, and cctv cameras are everywhere. Tourists can feel safe in Istanbul.
I remember one night I was heading with my partner to the Hagia Sofia to catch it all lit up well after dark. We made a wrong turn out of the Spice Markets and found ourselves in a dark side street, short cutting across the city. Never once did we feel unsafe, and indeed actually came across some other tourists doing the exact same thing as us.
Plovdiv
Plovdiv might be a surprise addition to a list such as this. Not because it isn’t generally considered safe, but simply because not many people would even know where it is!
Plovdiv, Bulgaria, is one of my favorite cities in the world, and a place that really feels like a second home to me. I am currently working with Lonely Planet to create their latest Guide for the area, so I DO consider myself a bit of an expert.
Being the second largest city in Bulgaria is a bit of an anomaly for Plovdiv, as it only boasts just over 300k residents. The city is so small that when standing on a hill in the CBD, you can see the outer rim of the city in every direction. You can’t do that in many cities, in my experience.
The size of the city really gives it a “small town” charm, and walking around the pedestrian only zones throughout the CBD, and into the Old Town district at night time is perfectly safe. In fact, you will always feel safe in Plovdiv, no matter the time of the day or night. The city is intent on keeping it that way too, with a constant police presence nearly everywhere you go.
Plovdiv is build on 7 hills, and at sunset each day, most of them are very popular spots for watching the sunset. Even well after dark, locals can be seen strolling the paths through the parks and up to the peaks of these hills, knowing that they are perfectly safe. As a tourist, it doesn’t take you long to realize that Plovdiv is definitely one of the safest cities in Europe.
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Summary
There are many safe places to visit in Europe. I generally find that nearly every city is “safe” and I have very rarely walked the streets in ANY city feeling completely unsafe. This is due to using a good level of common sense, staying away from areas that look dodgy, and not being out alone late at night. There are many cities on this list of safest cities in Europe that I would consider some of the safest places I have ever visited.
Give them a try on your next trip.
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