Safety in travel is, obviously, hugely important. Sure, a place might be naturally spectacular and culturally fascinating, but if it’s unsafe, dirty and ridden with crime? Well, loads of people simply won’t bother.
But which countries are the absolute safest? A new study from travel insurance comparison site Forbes Advisor reckons it has worked out which European nations are your best bet for a safe trip in 2022. By analysing things like crime rates, healthcare quality, pollution levels and even the standard of natural bathing sites, Forbes Advisor gave countries a ‘safe score’ out of 100.
And top of the rankings for 2022 was… Switzerland! Awarded a score of 88.3, the Swiss apparently enjoy Europe’s best healthcare system, the continent’s sixth-best bathing waters and among its lowest pollution levels. Combine that with Switzerland’s famously wondrous natural beauty, its fab food and vibrant local cultures, and, well, we can’t imagine why on Earth you wouldn’t want to book a trip.
Next on the list is Slovenia with a score of 82.3, largely because of its low murder rate and nice bathing spots, followed by Portugal, which earns a score of 82.1 thanks to its low levels of pollution, high water quality and decent level of healthcare.
Forbes Advisor’s ranking only goes up to seven, so below is the full list, along with their ‘safe score’.
1. Switzerland, 88.3
2. Slovenia, 82.3
3. Portugal, 82.1
4. Austria, 81.4
5. Germany, 81.2
6. Spain, 78.8
7. Czech Republic, 76.6
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