No amount of gorgeous views or delicious food can make up for being surrounded by people who make you feel uncomfortable. That’s why you might want to plan your next holiday/solo trip/long-term move around where you’ll feel most welcome.
There are friendly people in all corners of the world, and cities are no exception, especially once you venture past the tourist hubs and get to know diverse local communities. As part of our annual survey to discover the world’s best cities, we wanted to find out which of our planet’s urban hubs are the friendliest.
In order to do so, we polled more than 18,500 people across the world and asked them whether they agreed with the statement ‘my city is welcoming and friendly’. According to our survey, nearly half of the world’s friendliest cities are in Europe, with nine out of 20 split across three nations: the UK, Spain, and Portugal.
Porto took the top spot, with 85 percent of locals agreeing that their city is a welcoming place. Lisbon, Portugal’s capital, came eighth in the world – no wonder both cities were recently recognised as the two best city breaks in Europe at the World Travel Awards.
Spain had four entries: Bilbao (which came second overall), Madrid, Valencia, and Seville. That makes it the best-represented country on the entire list, suggesting that being open and warm is at the heart of Spanish culture.
Brighton, Belfast and Glasgow were the three UK cities that made it onto the list, each of which is known for being home to outgoing, chatty people. You can read more about the UK’s entries here.
Our data also revealed the best cities on Earth for green space, food, arts and culture and happiness – and we compiled all the data into one massive list of the best cities in the world.
The friendliest cities in Europe, according to locals
- Porto, Portugal
- Bilbao, Spain
- Brighton, UK
- Madrid, Spain
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Belfast, UK
- Valencia, Spain
- Glasgow, UK
- Seville, Spain
You can have a look at the full list of the world’s friendliest cities here.
These are the best places to travel in 2026, according to Lonely Planet.
Feeling chilly? This is Europe’s best destination for guaranteed winter sun this season.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.