A new study ranking the world’s safest cities for travel in 2027 has seen Montreal in Canada take the number one spot and nine European destinations included in the top 15.
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Published by insurance company Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, the list was compiled from an initial selection of 38 popular international and domestic cities for US travellers, alongside a survey of more than 1,500 people who were asked which of those cities they had visited.
Travellers who had been to the 38 destinations were then allowed to rank them on a variety of safety measures using their firsthand insights. The survey results were combined with safety indices from Numbeo and The Economist, as well as city ratings from GeoSure Global.
The “caveat”, according to the company, is that the ratings represent safety conditions when the survey was conducted in August 2026. As such, they don’t consider “what’s happening right this minute”.
Montreal was ranked the safest city in the world to travel to in 2027. Climbing up from 16th place last year, it scored 82.18 points and was hailed for its low-crime rate.
So, what do travellers need to worry about if they set off to Montreal? Traffic.
According to Berkshire Hathaway, given that its suburbs occupy both sides of the Saint Lawrence River, “crossing the bridges to the city can be a chore". And "if the roads are under construction, which they almost always are, the complexity of your trip increases fivefold”.
Which are the safest European cities to visit next year?
Europe dominates the top 15 list, with nine cities included. Two European destinations made it to the ranking’s top three – Zürich in Switzerland and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
The Swiss city scored 81.03 and came in second place, which is up from third in the 2026 ranking. According to Berkshire Hathaway, Zürich isn’t much of a tourist hotspot because of its core conservatism alongside high prices – and that’s what keeps it safe. “Add clean and safe mass transit, and Zürich is as secure as a Swiss bank,” the report said.
Rather than safety concerns, the ranking advises to be mindful about currency as the country is out of the Euro zone. "It’s a good idea to get about $75 worth of Swiss francs when you enter Switzerland, even though the country is essentially cashless."
Rounding off the top three is Amsterdam, which scored 80.81 points and is up from fourth place compared to last year. The ranking described the Dutch capital as being “surprisingly” safe, given that travellers mainly go for leisure: walking around the canals, dodging bikes and seeing some Rambrandts.
In fifth place with a score of 78.90 points, Reykjavik ranks highly as it is “small enough to almost not have neighbourhoods”. However, Iceland’s capital and largest city was ranked first place in the 2026 index.
Meanwhile, other European cities to feature on the list included Oslo (sixth), Venice (eighth), Dublin (11th), Copenhagen (12th), Barcelona (13th) and Paris (15th).
The safest cities in the world to visit in 2027
• 1. Montreal, Canada
• 2. Zürich, Switzerland
• 3. Amsterdam, Netherlands
• 4. Tokyo, Japan
• 5. Reykjavik, Iceland
• 6. Oslo, Norway
• 7. Singapore
• 8. Venice, Italy
• 9. Sydney, Australia
• 10. Honolulu, Hawai'i
• 11. Dublin, Ireland
• 12. Copenhagen, Denmark
• 13. Barcelona, Spain
• 14. San Francisco, US
• 15. Paris, France