When choosing a destination to travel to, it’s important to keep the social environment in mind. If your ideal locale is full of rude people, it might kill the vibe of your vacation. To help avoid such unpleasant travel experiences, Preply, an online language learning marketplace, created a Community Spirit Index to determine which cities are the friendliest for visitors (and which are the least friendly). The index factors in six different metrics, including acceptance of diversity, visitor return rate, and the overall happiness of the city’s inhabitants.
Cheapism used budgetyourtrip.com to determine the average cost of a standard double-occupancy room in each city to provide additional insight as to what a trip to these friendly locations might cost.
1. Toronto, Canada
Best time to visit: Late April to May or September to October
Average hotel room cost: $149
Regarded for its high happiness and LGBTQ+ acceptance scores, Toronto is a great place to visit just before summer when peak tourist season. Later, in early autumn, visitors can enjoy extended warmer weather, more affordable prices, and access to fun festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival.
2. Sydney, Australia
Best time to visit: September to November or February to May
Average hotel room cost: $207
If you want to skirt Sydney’s busiest seasons, you’ll want to visit during fall or early spring. The city, equipped with a high happiness score and impressive levels of community respect, offers much more than the famous Sydney Opera House. Visitors can visit the botanic gardens, enjoy waterside activities, and more.
Related: These Are the Most Popular Film Locations for Travelers Right Now
3. Edinburgh, Scotland
Best time to visit: June to August
Average hotel room cost: $186
You’ll find some of the friendliest staff in Scotland’s compact capital city. Unique architecture abounds in Edinburg, with a combination of medieval old town structures and neoclassical buildings. Edinburg Castle is a must-visit destination for visitors, along with a variety of other monuments.
4. Manchester, United Kingdom
Best time to visit: March to August or December
Average hotel room cost: $84
Manchester boasts the friendliest staff of all the cities on this round-up, and with an assortment of museums, restaurants, and galleries to visit, visitors are sure to appreciate such forthcoming employees wherever they venture.
Related: Cool Under-the-Radar Destinations for Art Lovers
5. New York, United States
Best time to visit: Late May to early September or November to December
Average hotel room cost: $175
With so many people flocking the city blocks of the Big Apple, visitors are destined to encounter plenty of friendly folks as they visit the Empire State Building, Central Park, Statue of Liberty, and more.
Related: 43 Free or Cheap Things to Do in New York City
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6. Montreal, Canada
Best time to visit: April to May or September to November
Average hotel room cost: $144
Touted for high levels of community respect, Montreal teems with culture, offering visitors gems like the Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal, Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, and the city’s botanical garden.
Related: A Bit Provincial: 17 Canadian Tourist Traps to Avoid
7. Melbourne, Australia
Best time to visit: March to May or September to November
Average hotel room cost: $111
With so much to see and do in Melbourne (from the Queen Victoria Market to the Melbourne Zoo), it’s not surprising that happiness is the biggest contributor to the overall friendliness of Australia’s coastal city.
8. San Francisco, United States
Best time to visit: September to November
Average hotel room cost: $154
Known for its acceptance to diversity, San Fran offers a variety of tours and opportunities to take in its unique sites.
Related: When Not to Visit These 22 Popular Cities — and When to Go Instead
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9. Dublin, Ireland
Best time to visit: June to August
Average hotel room cost: $131
When we close our eyes and picture Irish pubs in Dublin, we see plenty of smiling faces within, so we aren’t shocked that Dublin would crack (or should we say, craic, which means a good time in Gaelic) the top ten for friendliest cities. If you visit, be sure to check out Dublin Castle and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Related: 30 Free Things to Do in Ireland
10. Copenhagen, Denmark
Best time to visit: March to May or June to August
Average hotel room cost: $101
Denmark’s capital city has high levels of diversity acceptance, and visitors of the friendly city can check out the Tivoli Gardens and Rosenborg Castle to make the most of their Danish trip.
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11. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Best time to visit: June to September
Average hotel room cost: $131
There’s something that feels inherent about Amsterdam being one of the friendliest cities in the world. Between peaceful canals, a healthy bicycle culture, and other, ahem, relaxing pastimes the city is quite … laid back, after all.
12. Auckland, New Zealand
Best time to visit: January to April
Average hotel room cost: $92
Visitors of Auckland often refer to the destination as one with friendly residents, whom they might encounter on land or water as the city has a lot to offer on either landscape.
13. Lisbon, Portugal
Best time to visit: March to May or September to October
Average hotel room cost: $109
Compared to the other cities on this round-up, Lisbon has quite the positive reputation when it comes to reviews that mention the word “friendly.” With such a colorful, cultural, and eclectic city, we imagine the friendly feelings just come natural.
14. Paris, France
Best time to visit: March to May or September to October
Average hotel room cost: $126
Under the Eiffel Tower, you’ll find plenty of smiling faces. Among all of the attractions throughout the City of Lights, tourists can expect to find friendly staff around every Parisian corner.
15. Berlin, Germany
Best time to visit: May to September
Average hotel room cost: $82
Although it isn’t touted for friendly staff, Berlin does have good happiness and community respect scores. Visitors can take in a variety of historical sites through different tours.
