Best European Capitals To Visit In 2024

After struggling to reach pre-pandemic levels last year, the travel and tourism industry is likely to fully recover to 2019 levels by 2024. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) estimates that international tourism would increase by two percent this year compared to 2019.

Just as it did in 2023, when it reached 94 percent of pre-2020 levels, Europe will see more increase in the next months, according to data from the European go Commission (ETC), which claims that 75 percent of individuals looking to go internationally intend to visit Europe.

Europe has all four seasons, from milder summers and brutal winters in the north to long, hot summers and short winters in the Mediterranean. Travelers can select between the two or meet in the center.

With its centuries-long past that has left behind innumerable castles, temples, old towns, and markets, to modern Europe, which offers visitors the opportunity to witness sleek skyscrapers and avant-garde cultural institutions, Europe is always an excellent idea for travelers of all types.

However, in a world where travel is no longer a luxury but rather a requirement for one’s personal growth and mental health, travelers are taking increasingly more variables into consideration before choosing a journey to a certain destination, rather than only its beauty and uniqueness.

VisaGuide performed a report last year.The World had shed light on what passengers value most when visiting Europe, establishing a list of the continent’s greatest capital cities to visit as a tourist.

VisaGuide.World updated the list due to developments that transpired over the last year, resulting in an unexpected ranking. According to the same, Europe’s best top ten capital cities to visit as a tourist in 2024, along with their scores, are:

Lisbon Is Europe’s Best Capital City to Be a Tourist This Year

For a long time, Lisbon has been a goal for well-traveled people, and not without reason. The city is well-known for its colorful buildings, picturesque scenery, and pleasant climate. However, for travel enthusiasts, especially in the aftermath of the epidemic and global inflation, Lisbon offers far more than that.

Placed top in VisaGuide.According to the World’s ranking of Europe’s finest capital cities to visit in 2024, Lisbon is one of the most affordable destinations, with an estimated average of €385 required to spend a week in the city. However, these prices will undoubtedly rise next year owing to inflation. In addition, tourists staying in Lisbon will soon be required to pay a €4 fee per night.

Furthermore, its residents are among the nicest, trailing only Spaniards and Italians, and second only to the Dutch in terms of English knowledge. Britons are excluded.

According to data from Portugal’s National Institute of Statistics (INE), the city’s total revenues increased by 40.2 percent in 2023, while accommodation income increased by 43 percent compared to 2019.

Even in 2023, Spain remains the top supplier of tourists to Lisbon, followed by France and the United Kingdom. Outside of Europe, Brazil leads the list, followed by the United States.

Amsterdam Is Now the 2nd Best Capital to Be a Tourist in, Followed by Prague, Warsaw & Madrid

Listed first last year, Amsterdam has dropped in the second position as the best capital city to visit in Europe in 2024, a change that has happened due to an increase in the average amount travelers need to have in order to be able to manage visiting the city for a week, from €315 to €465.

Yet, the capital is far from being the most expensive, as capital cities like Bern, Paris, London, and Rome top the table in this regard.

Amongst the reasons that make Amsterdam the second-best capital city to visit in Europe are its friendliness score, as well as the English proficiency of its residents, which makes it easier for tourists to feel at home and navigate around.

The city is, however, struggling to deal with the large number of tourists, in particular of unruly ones. In a bid to drive tourists away, Amsterdam has decided to establish a multi-story complex called an “Erotic Centre” outside the city center and relocate its Red-Light District there. The city has also banned new hotels from being built.

Southern & Central European Capitals Take the Spotlight

Prague, which was ranked seventh last year, is now the third greatest capital city to visit, thanks to its low cost and people’ English fluency.

The city, on the other hand, is the least safe of all, and it also ranks at the bottom of the list in terms of friendliness, with its residents being the least friendliest of the top ten. The average expenditure for visiting this country has also grown to €365, up from €275 last year.

In 2023, Prague experienced a considerable increase in tourism, with 5.45 million tourists in the first three quarters of the year, a 28% increase over the same time in 2022.

Warsaw, which was not in the list last year, is now the fourth best, with tourists able to stay a week in the city for only 395. The city is also the third most unsafe on this list, and, like Prague, it ranks low in terms of friendliness.

Zagreb, London, & Rome Kicked From the Top 5 List, But Remain in the Top 10

Zagreb, which was ranked third last year, remains one of Europe’s top capital cities for tourists, but now ranked sixth. The city remains a “next to visit” choice for many, however its friendliness score has declined, and travelers now need €425 to spend a week there, up from €285.

London and Rome have also been dropped from the top five, placing seventh and eighth, respectively. The citizens of these two cities are less friendlier now than they were in last year’s rankings, which may have resulted in a lower safety score for the two, with Rome being the least safe of Europe’s top ten greatest capital cities for tourists.

Both cities are becoming more pricey. According to VisaGuide.World, aside from inflation, Rome’s city tax rate climbed at the end of the summer last year and currently ranges from €4 to €10 per night, depending on the hotel’s star level.

In London, however, even tourist attractions have become more pricey, with St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, which were once free, now costing £25 and £29, respectively. As a result, the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (Alva) forecasts that the number of visitors to the country’s top attractions would drop by 11% in 2023.

The UK had also scrapped tax-free shopping for tourists in 2020, making London less appealing to many, particularly shopping tourists.

Paris Is Now the 10th Best & Has Become Less Safe

Last year, Paris’ safety ranking decreased, placing the French capital among the least safe capital cities on this list, trailing only Prague, Rome, and Warsaw.

The causes for such a reduction could possibly be a rise in petty theft, particularly in popular tourist destinations, despite government data showing that violent thefts improved by 25% in 2023 due to greater police presence.

Visiting Paris in 2024 requires travelers to have approximately €150 more per week than last year, as the average weekly budget for this year is estimated to be around €640, up from €490 in 2023.

Statista data reveal that Paris will receive 21.6 million tourists in 2023, which is still 4.3 million less than in 2019. However, Paris is bracing for a surge in tourists this year, thanks to the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, which will take place throughout the summer, with an estimated 15.3 million people expected to visit the city.

Berlin & Vienna Out, Warsaw & Bern In

Berlin and Vienna have been eliminated from the list of the greatest European capital cities for tourists, and Bern and Warsaw have taken their place.

While Warsaw is ranked fourth and the third cheapest to visit, following Prague and Lisbon, Bern is ranked ninth and the most costly metropolis in this ranking, with travelers spending an average of $725 to stay in the city for a week. Bern, however, has a high safety ranking when compared to other cities, and its citizens do well in terms of friendliness and English competence.