While subjective, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, Greece, and Italy consistently rank high for friendliness in Europe, with Portugal often topping lists for welcoming visitors, alongside emerging mentions for Estonia, while locals in cities like Porto, Dublin, and Brighton are noted for their welcoming nature, but personal experiences vary, especially in larger cities like Paris or Prague, where kindness often depends on traveller attitude.
Even though many may profoundly disagree, the readers of Condé Nast Traveler, the global travel magazine published in New York, have voted Estonia the friendliest country in Europe.
In a non-European Union context, the term E3 is commonly used to describe the three largest western European economies: France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
The Top 10 Most Welcoming Countries
The friendliest cities in Europe, according to locals
The World's Friendliest Nations, According To Scientific Study
1. Glasgow, Scotland. Scotland's largest city is often overlooked in favour of Edinburgh. And while you could argue that the capital may be grander and more historic, Glasgow has scooped the top spot, yet again, in Condé Nast's annual list of the UK's friendliest cities.
The latest Expat Insider 2025 ranking reveals the world's least friendly countries for foreigners, with Kuwait once again taking the top spot. Expats cite challenges in making local friends, difficulties integrating into the culture, and a generally unwelcoming social environment.
The humble Number One: Finland. We Finns are sometimes accused of being too modest about our achievements, but this article makes a dent in that reputation. Given that most Finns won't blow their own horn – it's culturally de rigueur to downplay personal achievements – we're going to do some serious bragging.
Mexico, Brazil, and the Philippines top the list as the most welcoming countries on Earth. These destinations are celebrated for their people's generosity and friendliness toward visitors, making them standout examples of how kindness shapes global tourism and community spirit.
Presenting... Europe's 'big five'! There are five large carnivore species living across Europe: bear, wolf, lynx, golden jackal and wolverine. Perhaps you have heard about them in stories, fairy tales or lately on the news? Chances are you don't know all there is to them.
Germany has the EU's largest population and France is the largest EU country in terms of area. Malta is the smallest EU country both in terms of inhabitants and surface area.
France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom are considered major European powers and they are the Western European countries individually represented as full members of the G7 and the G20. They have been referred to as the "Big Four of Europe" since the interwar period.
Still, there are areas of Europe that are more dangerous than others. Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus are obvious no-go areas right now, but political instability and the ever-present risk of crime are genuine causes for concern elsewhere.
Overall, Western and Central Europe have remained the world's most peaceful regions, with eight of the top 10 safest countries located there, but Iceland continues to dominate and in 2025 recorded a two percent increase in its overall peacefulness.
Germany Has the Most Immigrants in Europe
With 16.9 million immigrants, Germany alone accounts for one-quarter of all foreign-born residents in the EU.
The friendliest countries in Europe, according to Condé Nast Traveller
In another report, Insider Monkey compiled data on crime and political instability and selected as its most dangerous countries (in descending order) Syria, Libya, Somalia, Venezuela, Honduras, Papua New Guinea, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Central African Republic.
Here below is the list of the friendliest countries in the world.
The Unfriendliest City in the World is in Germany
For Munich in particular, the last place in the 2024 index is “a new low,” as Internations writes. More than two out of five expats find it difficult to adapt to the local culture. They feel neither welcome nor at home.
Top 10 Least Racist Countries
Ranking of the least happy countries worldwide 2024, by score. Afghanistan was ranked the least happy country in the world, according to the World Happiness Report from 2025. The country scored only 1.36 on a scale from 0 to 10.
Cambridge emerges as a beacon of hospitality, boasting the title of the most polite city, alongside its top ranks in safety and cleanliness. Cities like Manchester and London face challenges in these regards.
1. Savannah, GA. The locals in Savannah have been known to be gregarious, charismatic, and fun-loving. What's more, Savannah offers quaint cobblestone streets, chic boutiques, great restaurants, and enough hauntingly beautiful historic homes that you'll feel like you're dreaming.