· · · · · · · · · · ·

Europe’s safest holiday destinations for 2025

Looking ahead to 2025, at a time when there is so much political instability, we’ve spoken to the team at Avanti Travel Insurance to hear their views on the safest holiday destinations in Europe. Whether you are looking for peace of mind with healthcare, low crime rates or just a reassuringly peaceful location to visit, safety is invariably a key consideration when it comes to planning a trip. Here are some of the
safest holiday destinations in Europe for 2025.

Switzerland

Consistently ranked as one of the safest countries in the world, it will come as no suprise to find Switzerland occupying the first position on the list. Fancy a city break to Geneva or a ski holiday in the Swiss Alps? Your visit to this land of stunning landscapes and charming villages is complemented by a high standard of living, excellent healthcare, low crime rates and a well-maintained infrastructure that ensures travelers’ safety.

Iceland

It might have grabbed the headlines in recent years for its volcanic activity but this land of incredible landscapes and dramatic natural phenomena (not just volcanoes, but also glaciers, geysers and waterfalls, of course) remains one of the safest countries in Europe. Whether you’re heading there for the Northern Lights or to tour the Golden Circle, you’ll find it enjoys a low crime rate and is an exciting location, perfect for adventurous families in search of a secure environment complemented by warm hospitality.

Portugal

Portugal is one of Europe’s safest destinations, offering a mix of rich history and culture, beautiful coastlines, great food and wine, and hospitable locals. Whether you’re heading to Lisbon or Porto, two of the country’s most popular cities, seeking the sunshine of the Algarve or heading for lesser known towns and villages, you can be assured a warm welcome. The country is well-equipped for tourism, making it a secure and stress-free destination.

Everything you need to plan your trip in 2024

🌟 Luxury hotel deals from Booking
🏡 Vacation rentals from VRBO
✈️ Flights from KIWI
🛫 Private jets from Private Jet Finder
🅿️ Airport parking from ParkVia
🛋️ Airport lounges from Priority Pass
🚖 Airport taxis from Welcome Pickups
🚫 Flight cancellation help from AirHelp
🚗 Car rentals from Discover Cars
🚐 Luxury RV rentals from RVshare
🚴 Two-wheelers from BikesBooking
🚅 Trains from Trainline or Rail Europe
🚢 Cruises from Cruise Direct
⛵ Yacht charters from SeaRadar
🛥️ Ferries from Direct Ferries
🎫 Attractions tickets from Tiqets
🎭 Events tickets from Ticketmaster UK
🏞️ Tours from Viator or GetYourGuide
🌮 Culinary experiences from Eatwith
🏖️ Packages from Expedia US/CA or UK

🛡️ Travel insurance from Safety Wing
🏥 Medical insurance from World Nomads
📸 Vacation photos from Flytographer
🧳 Luggage from Case Luggage
🛅 Luggage storage from Stasher
📚 Travel guides from Lonely Planet
🗺️ Books and maps from Barnes & Noble
📕 eBooks from Kindle Unlimited
🎧 Audiobooks from Audible
🎬 Movies from Prime Video UK
🎵 Music from Amazon Music UK
💶 Travel currency from Wise
📱 SIMs from SimOptions
🌐 VPNs from ExpressVPN or NordVPN
🛂 Visas from iVisa

💸 Earn with Travelpayouts
📨 Seen a broken link? Please contact us!

Norway

Travel to the Norwegian cities of Oslo and Bergen and you’ll be greeted with not only a vibrant cultural scene, but also an environment focussed on safety and cleanliness. This sentiment continues if you visit the majestic fjords where the stunning natural beauty and high quality of life make it a perfect destination for those seeking peace and security. The country’s reputation for political neutrality and high social standards are two further attributes that earn Norway a place as one of Europe’s safest countries.

Luxembourg

It might be small but the often-overlooked nation of Luxembourg offers travellers a safe and charming destination littered with a mix of modern cities, medieval castles and scenic countryside. With one of the lowest crime rates in Europe, Luxembourg provides a peaceful environment for exploration, whether you’re wandering through the capital city or hiking in the Ardennes.

Sweden

Have you ever been to Sweden? This land of pristine nature is home to an estimated 267,570 islands, many of which are uninhabited. Enjoy the solitude of the countryside or head to the city where you’ll feel similarly secure due to low crime rates and a top-tier healthcare system. Explore historic treasures like the Hanseatic town of Visby on Gotland or the ancient rock carvings of Tanum, and much, much more.

Even if you visit safe and familiar destinations such as the ones suggested above, it is important to remember that incidents can happen wherever you go. Our best-laid plans don’t always materialise – flights are delayed, luggage is sometimes lost, and – heaven forbid – you can fall ill or have an accident. That’s why it’s always important to take out travel insurance whenever you take a trip, no matter where you choose to visit.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Avanti Travel Insurance.

Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Telegraph.

Did you enjoy this article?

Receive similar content direct to your inbox.

14 Comments

  1. No real surprises amongst tha list. Would be nice to have a follow-up piece on the rest of the world. Are there any league tables on the safest tourist destinations?

    Though I have a horrible feeling that we’re on the verge of rapid change and turbulent times.

  2. Switzerland always feels reassuringly safe. Whenever I step off the plane in Switzerland I feel that I can relax. There’s a lot I like about the Swiss, especially their cleanliness and punctuality.

  3. This is probably only touching the tip of the iceberg. Avanti’s actuaries will constantly be working away, identifying risks, calculating their value and working on their pricing. In the travel insurance world, the concept of risk is very complex indeed.

  4. These countries are all fairly similar when it comes to safety. How much do people take safety into the reckoning when booking their travels?

    1. Speaking personally, I wouldn’t take much notice of marginal levels of safety between European countries which are relatively safe. What worried me more was a report I read saying that hundreds of flights are having their navigation blocked every day due to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East with the consequence that pilots are having to navigate manually. Generally it’s thought that automated navigation is less vulnerable to error than human navigation. What difference is this making to our travel insurance premiums?

  5. One thing that these countries have in common is the absence of mega cities with all the crime that urban living attracts. How far is France dragged down by Paris and Italy let down by Rome?

  6. A nice piece of marketing from Avanti to remind us that travel has its risks, we ought to have travel insurance and that they are the people to provide it for us.

    Which reminds me that Monday 20th will be Blue Monday, the day when we’re well and truly back at work and when the credit card bills from Christmas are hitting. Another clever piece of marketing created by a travel company to tell us to brighten the months ahead with hope by booking a holiday! There are some shrewd marketing people around.

    1. And I went and checked my travel insurance and found that I didn’t have any. It had already expired and I’ve got Tenerife booked for March. Time I got some quotes.

  7. My policy doesn’t renew until August and I wonder how much my premium will increase by. I’m sorry to say that I can’t see the world getting any safer in the next 6 months.

  8. On the subject of travel insurance I used to be very naive. Or lazy. Whenever I booked a holiday I used to take the tour operator’s insurance when it cropped up on the booking form. Now that we’re empty nesters who have paid off the mortgage we’re onto a couple of big holidays and 2 or 3 long weekends a year. It suddenly occurred to me that we’d be better off with an annual travel insurance policy. Well you live and learn.

  9. Even if Donald doesn’t accept its existence, global warming is making the world a more precarious place.

    Extreme weather is creating more and more problems for travel and invariably that means the insurers will have to be paying out more often and we’ll be paying out higher premiums.

    I’m hopefully flying from Heathrow tomorrow where heavy winds are forecast bringing travel disruption and probably more insurance claims.

  10. I’m not sure how much it matters but the last picture , listed as Sweden, is actually in the sailor’s district of Nyhavn in Copenhagen. There’s even a Danish flag on the ship in the picture.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *