Zurich named 2nd safest city in the world for travellers in 2027

Zurich is now just one spot away from ranking as the safest city to travel to in the world. According to the latest ranking by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP), Switzerland’s expat hotspot has climbed one place to take 2nd.

How BHTP calculates the rankings

Each year, BHTP reveals the latest ranking of the Safest Cities in the World for Travellers. The organisation starts by compiling a list of the 38 most popular cities for US travellers, then surveys over 1.500 people who are asked their opinion on the cities they have visited. The survey results are then combined with data from Numbeo, The Economist and GeoSure Global and each city is awarded a score.

Montreal impressively climbed from 16th place last year to take the top spot as the safest city to visit in 2027, followed by Zurich in second place and Amsterdam in third.

Why Zurich ranked as one of the world’s safest cities

According to BHTP, Zurich ranked highly due to its “core conservatism”, which “keep[s] the city laid-back and safe.” The city is “as secure as a Swiss bank”, has “no bad neighbourhoods” and is praised for its “clear and safe” public transport.

Zurich well and truly shone when it came to specific sub-categories, ranking number one for safety from violent crime, terrorism, transportation safety and health measures.

However, the city drops to fourth as a safe city for women, the LGBTQIA+ community and people of colour.

Perhaps due to its high prices, Zurich fared better among millennial survey respondents than it did among Gen Z, ranking second and seventh place respectively.

The 15 safest cities for travellers in 2027, according to BHTP

In all, the top 15 safest cities for travellers in 2027, according to BHTP, are:

1. Montreal
2. Zurich
3. Amsterdam
4. Tokyo
5. Reykjavik
6. Oslo
7. Singapore
8. Venice, Italy
9. Sydney
10. Honolulu
11. Dublin
12. Copenhagen
13. Barcelona
14. San Francisco
15. Paris