London, Paris, Madrid: These European cities have been named some of the best in the world

London has been crowned the best city in the world for 2026 by the World’s Best Cities 2026 ranking for the 11th consecutive year.

The index from real estate advisor Resonance Consultancy includes a survey of more than 21,000 respondents across 30 countries, along with global user-generated data. The ranking highlights the top 100 cities shaping the earth’s future, especially amid increasing global urbanisation and geopolitical turmoil.

Other European cities featuring in the top 10 include Paris, Madrid, Rome, Berlin and Barcelona.

“When we look at tourism globally, 45 per cent of all international travellers come to Europe. So Europe is really the centre of the tourism sector,” Chris Fair, president and CEO of Resonance Consultancy, told Euronews at World Travel Market in London.

“Cities throughout Europe have activities, culture and entertainment that caters to visitors, but also to residents. So I think a lot of it is the strength of the visitor economy in this part of the world.”

The ranking takes into account metrics such as livability, including nature, walkability, public transit and air quality, and lovability, which looks at nightlife, culture, attractions, dining and more. Another metric is prosperity, which includes economic strength, education, labour force participation and connectivity.

“This year we also added in partnership with AlphaGeo, a climate risk score, so it’s starting to take into account climate change,” Fair pointed out.

“Not just looking at the weather, but what does the future look like as it relates to resilience in the face of changing weather. So that really reflects what it’s like to live in one particular city.”

The 2026 index also takes into account current global circumstances such as new mobility patterns and how global perception is driving investment and travel shifts. The leading cities also focused much more on enhancing cultural districts.

The country with the most cities featured was the US, followed by Germany with eight and China with seven.

Why did London bag the top spot?

London has successfully held the top spot for the 11th year running, ranking third for livability, second for lovability and first for prosperity.

“I think obviously the history of London as a global capital, that’s probably one of the cities that people are most familiar with as it relates to popular entertainment, movies, culture, history, so that seems to resonate well,” Fair noted.

The city has recovered robustly post-pandemic, drawing in a significant stream of international tourists, especially from the US.

Visitors can spend a couple of days taking in iconic sights such as the Tower of London, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, the British Museum and Westminster Abbey, before relishing some of the world’s best food at a range of fine and casual dining options.

Catch a West End show or Shakespeare’s Globe performance for a cultural touch, or head over to Sky Garden for a more unique experience. Bargain hunters can head to Portobello Road Market or Camden Market for steals.

Smaller UK cities, however, struggle to gain quite as much attention.

“There are a number of smaller cities in the UK, so London ranking number one is great, but it actually has a bit of a negative impact on the rest of the cities in Great Britain because it consumes so much attention,” Fair noted.

“So we see other cities like Sheffield, for example, that qualitatively from a performance perspective score quite well, but lag in perception.”

European cities lead the way

Six European cities ranked in the top ten, which is more than any other region in the world, according to Fair.

Paris came in third in the index, mainly because of its blend of future-focused urban innovation along with ancient history and culture.

“Few cities coax global attention from so many. From entrepreneurs to tastemakers to bucket-listers, Paris blows minds. Paris is still the most compelling urban symphony on the planet – at once historic and progressive, elegant and gritty, intimate and global,” the World’s Best Cities 2026 report said.

Paris has reinvented itself as a walkable city, offering excellent opportunities for biking as well, all while remaining resilient and learning from the past.

“Paris is the number one city that people want to visit,” Fair said.

Visit iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Louvre Museum, or choose a relaxing Seine River cruise before heading to interesting culture-rich neighbourhoods such as the Latin Quarter, Montmartre and Le Marais.

A rising wave of experiential travel, with travellers wanting to visit certain cities and destinations for unique passions or interests, has also supported tourism in Paris and across the rest of Europe.

People are “not necessarily choosing Paris, but choosing art, or not necessarily choosing Italy, but using food and finding those experiences in more off-the-beaten-track locations, smaller cities,” Fair notes.

Madrid ranked in fifth place in the World’s Best Cities 2026 index.

“This summer, as Spain’s capital baked under record temperatures, the city’s ambitious green transformation offered both respite and hope,” the report highlighted.

“The Bosque Metropolitano, Madrid’s audacious attempt to create Europe’s largest metropolitan forest, continues its steady advance around the city’s perimeter, promising a 47-mile (75.6kms) ring of trees that will reshape both climate and character.”

Madrid has also invested significantly in its sustainable public transport, with the city offering a booming cultural and hospitality scene, too.

Explore historical sites such as Puerta del Sol, the Royal Palace and Plaza Mayor. Art lovers can head to the Reina Sofia Museum or the Prado Museum. Travellers can tuck into a range of mouthwatering tapas at Mercado San Miguel, or take a peaceful stroll through Retiro Park.

Rome came in seventh place in the index, buoyed by a surge of pilgrims and tourists for the 2025 Jubilee.

“The Eternal City has always been coveted. These days, the bounty is an immersive step back in time in a city investing in ambitious upgrades for both residents and visitors, kicked off by the millions of pilgrims who descended here for the 2025 Jubilee,” the report said.

Travellers can visit ancient historical icons like the Roman Forum, the Colosseum and the Pantheon, as well as the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums.

Explore neighbourhoods full of character like Trastevere, or relax in one of the many piazzas dotted around the city with an espresso and gelato. For a bit of nature, head to the Villa Borghese public park for a stroll.

However, though Western European cities are well-represented in the ranking, Eastern European cities continue to lag behind in perception, despite performing fairly well in the index.

“A lot less representation of cities in Eastern Europe, as you would expect, and higher representation of London, cities in the Nordics, France, Spain, Italy, kind of the traditional markets,” Fair noted.

“So there’s still some work to be done there to educate people on the breadth and variety of European destinations if we want to try and spread tourism more evenly through the continent.”