Tourism

The 10 European holiday destinations named as the safest for a visit

June 27, 2022

Millions of people are heading to the airport and jet-setting abroad this year. After all, most people have barely left their homes during the last two years of the pandemic.

But now that the world is re-opening, and restrictions are slowly easing around the world, where should you travel to? Where is safest, and in the event something goes wrong, where has good healthcare?

According to The Mirror, British tourists rank safety as the number one factor when they consider where to book. And a new study has found that Switzerland is the least dangerous of the bunch.

READ MORE: Fresh travel warning for summer holidaymakers as British Airways workers vote to strike

While the UK is among the most dangerous places to take a trip in Europe, research claims. A Forbes Advisor study looked at the level of healthcare, rate of thefts and murders in Europe, among other things, to come to their findings.

Switzerland came out on top, with the best healthcare, sixth-best bathing water quality and came 10th in the air quality category. Home to stunning natural scenery, including the famed Lake Geneva and Matterhorn mountain, Geneva and Switzerland are also popular city breaks.

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The UK sits at the other end of the list. Just 60 per cent of bathing water is rated excellent and there is a high rate of theft and pollution compared to other parts of Europe.

Second on the list of safest tourist spots in Slovenia, which has one of the world’s lowest homicide rates, at just 4.8 per million residents. The small nation is home to some stunning views including Lake Bled and more than 85 per cent of the bathing water is rated as excellent.

Capital Ljubljana offers the perfect city break, with historic architecture and riverside bars. Healthcare in Slovenia also ranks highly.

Brit-favourite Portugal, home to The Algarve’s beaches, Lisbon and Porto, comes third, with an impressive 95 per cent score in the bathing water category and the fourth-best air quality. Austria was fourth and almost all its bathing water is ranked as excellent.

Safest countries