One year ago we released our list of the World’s Safest Cities for travel as a supplement to our annual Safest Places to Travel. A wild, unsettled year has gone by, and we’re back again, with an improved rating process and a brand-new list of the World’s 10 Safest Cities to Travel to in 2022.
We’re going to unveil the list in little more than a paragraph, so if you’d prefer a slower reveal, click here to jump down the page. Otherwise, here we go.
From top to bottom the 10 safest cities are:
1. Montreal
2. Amsterdam
3. Tokyo
4. Singapore
5. Sydney
6. London
7. Barcelona
8. Hong Kong
9. Berlin
10. Rome
Now, let’s talk a little about how we got there.
Photo by Guilherme Stecanella on Unsplash
What You Need To Know About The World’s Safest Cities research
Methodology
We started with readily available lists of the most popular international and domestic cities for travelers, culled from Expedia, American Express and other sources. That gave us a list of 23 cities for survey respondents to rank.
This year, we took the extra step of asking our survey respondents whether they had actually visited any of these cities, and only travelers who had actually been to the cities ranked them on a variety of safety measures, using their first-hand knowledge as a yardstick.
To the survey ratings we added the most recent safe-cities index from The Economist, city ratings from GeoSure Global, and the Current Crime Index from Numbeo, and weighted everything to get a final result.
Caveat
These ratings look back to give a picture of what’s happening now. They can’t give you a safety rating on the future safety of any city throughout the world.
We realize that we live in unpredictable times, but these ratings presume a measure of predictability.
Invitation
Because COVID-related travel restrictions change all the time, visit the State Department’s site for COVID-related travel updates for the latest information on international cities.
Also, The New York Times regularly updates its “I’m A U.S. Citizen. Where In The World Can I Go?” piece. It’s a user-friendly way to navigate the myriad COVID-related travel restrictions.
Let’s learn a little more about the safest cities for travelers.
Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash
The Top 10 Safest Cities in the World
1. Montreal
Survey Score: 80.2
Overall Score: 78.7
Why It’s Ranked Highly
It’s the top-rated city in our survey almost across the board, and GeoSure loves it, too.
Can Americans Travel There?
Yep. American citizens who have proof of full vaccination and citizens who recovered from COVID and can produce a recent molecular test result can enter Canada, at which time their only real choice is to head straight for Montreal.
Top Attractions
Old Montreal is the best of France and Canada, the waterfront is delightful, the neighborhoods are explorable, and Mont-Royal is worth the trek to the top. And the smoked meat is the stuff dreams are made of.
Photo by Azhar J on Unsplash
2. Amsterdam
Survey Score: 76.7
Overall Score: 75.6
Why It’s Ranked Highly
Amsterdam is a favorite of every measurement and measurer, usually just a tick behind Montreal.
Can Americans Travel There?
Yes, if you’re vaccinated and complete the paperwork.
Top Attractions
Amsterdam is super bike-friendly and super people-friendly, with great beer, canals, parks, tulips – all the stuff you hope for with a trip to the Netherlands.
Photo by Jezael Melgoza on Unsplash
3. Tokyo
Survey Score: 68.2
Overall Score: 73.8
Why It’s Ranked Highly
Tokyo’s reputation for cleanliness and safety precedes itself. That’s why the city was our top-rated city last year and was only five points away from the top spot this year.
Can Americans Travel There?
No, unfortunately, and it’s not clear when that answer may change.
Top Attractions
There’s the world-famous Ginza shopping district and the blaze and bustle of one of the world’s most dizzyingly fast-paced cities, but there are also spots of exceptional calm and peace that make you marvel that the two can co-exist.
Photo by Jisun Han on Unsplash
4. Singapore
Survey Score: 71.6
Overall Score: 72.6
Why It’s Ranked Highly
Singapore’s dedication to safety (and rule-following) is well-known. It’s one of the cleanest cities on the planet, and one of the best-policed. That really resonates with our travelers, in addition to GeoSure and Numbeo.
Can Americans Travel There?
According to The New York Times, U.S. travelers with proof of vaccination can enter without having to quarantine, though they have to test negative twice, and are put in isolation until they can produce negative tests.
Top Attractions
Changli Airport is acclaimed as the world’s greatest, and it’s just the start of the architectural marvels to be found in this everchanging city.
Photo by Dan Freeman on Unsplash
5. Sydney
Survey Score: 71.8
Overall Score: 62.1
Why It’s Ranked Highly
People often think of Sydney in terms of postcard shots – the harbor, the opera house, the bridge – but Sydney is really a city of neighborhoods, great restaurants, and beaches that invites exploration. The Sydney Zoo is one of the world’s best, and if you feel like some serious exploration the bush isn’t all that far away.
Can Americans Travel There?
No. To quote our recent Safest Countries post, “Australia has enacted a travel ban on all non-residents and non-Australian citizens entering Australia.”
Top Attractions
The Opera House, the waterfront – Sydney is a non-stop parade of iconic views. Sydney is also a great city for the arts, and the perfect jumping-off spot for the country’s wild interior.
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Photo by Lucas Davies on Unsplash
6. London
Survey Score: 65.2
Overall Score: 65.5
Why It’s Ranked Highly
The fact that the survey score almost matched the overall score hints at the convergence of opinion regarding London. Every score aligns with every other, and every source agrees that this is the appropriate ranking for London.
Can Americans Travel There?
Yes, if you’re not entering the country from a “red-list” country. Also, proof of vaccination is required. Unvaccinated travelers must buy a “travel package” of tests covering an eight-day period.
Top Attractions
London is a walkable, bikeable, and generally easy-to-get-around city. It has no shortage of iconic sites and attractions, from the British Museum to Buckingham Palace – and hey, there are venomous sharks in the Thames! Enjoy that.
Photo by Dimitry Anikin on Unsplash
7. Barcelona
Survey Score: 58.4
Overall Score: 65.5
Why It’s Ranked Highly
GeoSure and The Economist are big fans. Also, it’s hugely popular with higher-income survey respondents.
Can Americans Travel There?
Tourists from the United States must be vaccinated and have a QR code generated through the Spain Travel Health portal.
Top Attractions
One of the world’s greatest cities architecturally, Barcelona combines cutting-edge modernity with Moorish and European influences to create a cityscape unlike any other.
Photo by Nic Low on Unsplash
8. Hong Kong
Survey Score: 52.7
Overall Score: 65.0
Why It’s Ranked Highly
Numbeo considers Hong Kong to be safer than Tokyo and on par, safety-wise, with Reykjavik and Amarillo, Texas (!). Survey results and other measurements disagree.
Can Americans Travel There?
Like anywhere else in China, not yet.
Top Attractions
The glitter and style of China’s chicest city … with a British heritage that still shines through.
Photo by Claudio Schwarz | @purzlbaum on Unsplash
9. Berlin
Survey Score: 55.0
Overall Score: 64.5
Why It’s Ranked Highly
The ranking this time is driven by GeoSure, which considers Berlin to be at least as safe as Tokyo or Amsterdam. Numbeo is less impressed.
Can Americans Travel There?
Germany is open to fully vaccinated tourists or those who were infected with COVID in the previous four weeks to six months.
Top Attractions
Art, architecture, and amazing neighborhoods. The people are friendly and the history is amazing. Berlin gives you a lot to take in and think about, if you’re so inclined.
Photo by Carlos Ibáñez on Unsplash
10. Rome
Survey Score: 69.9
Overall Score: 64.5
Why It’s Ranked Highly
High scores from all the other sources help offset a low Numbeo number.
Can Americans Travel There?
Americans can enter Italy without quarantining if they have a negative test performed within 72 hours before arrival, and have either proof of vaccination or a medical certificate confirming recovery from COVID within the previous six months.
Top Attractions
The Coliseum, Vatican City, St. Peter’s Square, the Forum, the Pantheon … there is so much to do and see in the Eternal City of sun and romance.
Photo by Anthony DELANOIX on Unsplash
Travel Safety Has Multiple Dimensions
Because we had people who had actually visited specific cities doing the rating this year, we felt comfortable asking them about multiple aspects of travel safety, including safety from crime, terrorism, and disease, and safety for vulnerable groups such as travelers of color and LGBTQ+ travelers.
We used an average of the eight sub-category scores for the Safest Cities calculation employed above. Here are the top-10 lists for the sub-categories.
Violent Crime Safety
1. Amsterdam
2. Montreal
3. Rome
4. Sydney
5. Tokyo
6. Singapore
7. London
8. Las Vegas
9. Miami
10. Paris
Not only is it somewhat surprising that two American cities made this list, it’s surprising that the American cities are Miami and Las Vegas – two cities known for high-rolling night life.
Terrorism Safety
1. Montreal
2. Amsterdam
3. Singapore
4. Rome
5. Tokyo
6. Las Vegas
7. London
8. Sydney
9. Bangkok
10. Miami
Based on past events, Las Vegas seems like the outlier here, but surveyed travelers do feel safe.
Transportation Safety
1. Montreal
2. Amsterdam
3. Las Vegas
4. Singapore
5. Rome
6. Tokyo
7. London
8. Sydney
9. Paris
10. Miami
We don’t want to keep picking on Vegas, but the city doesn’t have much in the way of mass transit by comparison, so does this mean people feel safe driving in their cars around Vegas? Evidently.
Photo by Stephen Leonardi on Unsplash
Health Measures
1. Montreal
2. Amsterdam
3. Singapore
4. Rome
5. Tokyo
6. London
7. Las Vegas
8. Sydney
9. Paris
10. Bangkok
As we noted in our piece on travel safety in Thailand, don’t drink the water and be careful with street food. Otherwise, the country has done an admirable job dealing with COVID.
Women's Safety
1. Montreal
2. Amsterdam
3. Singapore
4. Rome
5. Tokyo
6. London
7. Paris
8. Las Vegas
9. Sydney
10. Miami
In terms of the composite score, women give Asian cities high marks. In the specific category of women’s safety, Asian destinations were near the bottom. It doesn’t make sense.
People of Color Safety
1. Montreal
2. Amsterdam
3. Sydney
4. Rome
5. Tokyo
6. Singapore
7. Las Vegas
8. London
9. Paris
10. Bangkok
Not a lot of change. The safest cities for some are the safest for all.
Photo by Miltiadis Fragkidis on Unsplash
LGTQ+ Safety
1. Amsterdam
2. Montreal
3. Singapore
4. Rome
5. Las Vegas
6. Tokyo
7. Paris
8. London
9. Miami
10. New York
Ditto, but New York City cracks the top 10 with this community.
Rankings By Age, Gender, And Income
Unlike past years, survey respondents had wildly different perceptions of the world’s safest countries depending on their age, gender, and income. After we broke apart the responses, here are some of the categories with the biggest deviation from the overall scores:
Millennial Survey Respondents (ages 25-44)
1. Montreal
2. Amsterdam
3. Rome
4. Singapore
5. Tokyo
6. London
7. Bangkok
8. Las Vegas
9. Sydney
10. Paris
As they showed with the safest countries, with the safest cities Millennials tend to eschew domestic destinations in favor of international ones.
Respondents With A Household Income Of More Than $100,000
1. Amsterdam
2. Montreal
3. Rome
4. Singapore
5. Tokyo
6. London
7. Las Vegas
8. Paris
9. Barcelona
10. New York
Higher-income travelers give higher marks to Amsterdam.
Photo by Rodrigo Kugnharski on Unsplash
Female Survey Respondents
1. Tokyo
2. Montreal
3. Amsterdam
4. Singapore
5. Sydney
6. San Juan
7. Rome
8. Seoul
9. Paris
10. Bangkok
San Juan and Seoul? Women definitely have a different idea of what constitutes a safe city.
Male Survey Respondents
1. Montreal
2. Amsterdam
3. Rome
4. Singapore
5. Las Vegas
6. London
7. Paris
8. Tokyo
9. Sydney
10. Miami
The usual suspects, more or less.
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