Five destinations in Europe are among the top ten sustainable places to travel to in 2024, according to Lonely Planet.
20.12.2023 - 11:05 / forbes.com
Moving abroad can be one of the most exciting and rewarding steps in life, but it also comes with plenty of worries. If you’re dreaming of relocating to Europe, you might be struggling to decide what country or city would suit you best.
Here’s where a new survey by expat insurance experts William Russell might come in handy. The study ranks countries and cities around the world in terms of stress by looking at factors such as cleanliness, quality of green spaces and LGBTQ+ safety. Here are the least stressful countries and cities in Europe in 2023.
Rising from second place last year, Vienna is the world’s least stressed city according to William Russell’s research. In the Austrian capital, none of the population lives on less than $6.50 a day, down from just 1% last year.
Alongside the non-existent poverty rate, the cost of living in Vienna is more affordable than most. A single person would spend $1070 per month on living costs without rent. That said, this is still a 27% increase since last year.
Vienna’s LGBTQ+ safety rating is 309, higher than most cities on the list and up nine points from 2022. It also has the second-highest cleanliness rating of any city at 83.75.
Alongside Vienna, European cities dominate the world rankings for least stressful destinations for expats. Taking second place this year, Munich has one of the lowest poverty rates, with none of its residents living on less than $6.50 a day. The cost of living in the Bavarian capital is $1,150 per month for a single person, rising from $955 in 2022.
Munich is the second-best city for the quality of green areas and parks, dropping from the top spot last year. It has a green area quality rating of 84.96. The cleanliness rating of Munich shows that it’s the fourth-cleanest city on the list.
A new entry in the rankings, Edinburgh takes its place as the third least stressed city. Ranking highly across the board, the Scottish capital scores higher than most for its LGBTQ+ safety, with a score of 342. The quality of its green spaces is also highly regarded, ranking fifth in this category worldwide.
Portugal claims the title of the least stressed country in 2023, according to William Russell. The country ranks highly for LGBTQ+ safety, scoring 358. Residents aren’t stressed when it comes to their finances either, as living costs average $685.
Nordic countries often rank as some of the least stressed in the world, and Sweden is no exception, retaining its place as the second least stressed country. Sweden ranks among the best five countries for air pollution and as the second safest OECD country (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) for the LGBTQ+ community—same-sex marriage has been legal since 2009 and lesbian couples have
Five destinations in Europe are among the top ten sustainable places to travel to in 2024, according to Lonely Planet.
During her time as host of "Samantha Brown's Places to Love," Emmy-winning travel host Samantha Brown has sampled cheese and chocolate in Vienna, visited a turtle hospital in the Florida Keys and played rugby in Auckland, New Zealand, with a professional women's rugby team.
Shanghai Municipal People’s Government launched the beta version of a new online portal (english.shanghai.gov.cn) for expat services on Jan 1.
Paris to Venice. Barcelona to Amsterdam. Brussels to Bratislava, Slovakia. European cities could see a flurry of new rail connections in the next few years, as governments and private investors respond to climate concerns and strive to keep up with strong demand for cross-border passenger rail traffic.
AirlineRatings.com Names Air New Zealand As Its Safest Airline For 2024
Germany is celebrating the 250th birthday of one of its best-loved painters, the Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840). His work features mountains, ruins and stormy seas, often with human figures, such as Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog. There are exhibitions in Hamburg (until 1 April), Berlin (19 April to 4 August) and Dresden (24 August to 5 January 2025), where Friedrich lived for 40 years; he is buried in the city’s Trinitatis Cemetery. His birthplace, Greifswald, has a festival (31 August-1 September) and three exhibitions at the Pomeranian State Museum (from 28 April). Visitors can also follow in the artist’s footsteps – literally, as he preferred to travel on foot, sketchbook in hand – to locations in his paintings, such as Rügen Island or the Saxon Switzerland national park.germany.travel
The survey compared hotel rates across 40 European destinations for December 31, with prices at all hotels with a central location and rated three stars or more in each destination recorded.
Poland has announced plans to build a new high-speed rail line linking some of its major cities.
Safety is top of mind for many travelers as they plan out their trips for 2024 and beyond. But for those in the LGBTQ community, and their allies, knowing which countries are welcoming towards gay travelers is an important consideration. Part of measuring that sentiment is knowing where residents stand on rights, including same-sex marriage. The Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about issues and attitudes shaping the world, released a new study showing which country’s residents support same-sex marriage the most, and which countries have the lowest level of support.
Spain now has the world’s most powerful passport, according to a new index.
Anyone looking for the best train trips in Europe to rival flying was given a boost by the reopening of the Paris-Berlin night train this month. Likewise, it's good news for travelers passing under the English Channel, as many new train startups are throwing their hat in the ring to operate this route.
Call it “Viking swimming,” “freezing plunges,” "polar plunge," “ice swimming” or “bear plunges,” among other names. It can be done in groups or by yourself, naked, in swimsuits or in costume and generally wearing a warm hat since, after all, it is a winter activity and very popular at this time of the year. Even a Santa hat seems appropriate.