A new study reveals that European cities are among the most walkable in the world.
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Why not skip the rental car and explore on foot during your holidays? European cities are some of the most walkable in the world.
A new study finds that nine of the top 10 most walkable cities are in Europe, with Munich topping the list, followed by Milan, Warsaw and Helsinki.
The report, by price comparison website Compare the Market Australia, analysed walking distances, safety scores, public transport costs and other factors to identify the best cities to get around without a car.
Tokyo was the only city outside Europe to make it into the top 10, narrowly beating out Madrid, Oslo, Copenhagen and Amsterdam, all of which scored highly.
European cities came out on top for walking trails, weather and safety.
In some cities, driving is the only way to get around. In others, it’s easier to walk, bike, or use public transport.
To help people find their ideal walkable city, Compare the Market Australia looked at eight separate factors to work out which towns are the best options.
They looked at 53 locations and ranked them based on how good they were as car-free zones.
Each point location was given a score between 0 and 1, and all profiled cities were ordered from highest to lowest score.
Most importantly, we took into account the number of walking trails listed on the AllTrails Hiking Routes app. Amsterdam, Oslo and Helsinki received particularly high scores.
Also taken into account were a city’s level of safety, average monthly rainfall, car-free zones and the proportion of residents living within a one-kilometre walk of health and education facilities.
Focusing on car-free spaces is also part of the study, which also takes into account the availability and cost of public transport and cycle paths.
Ultimately, Munich came out on top thanks to its pedestrian-friendly city center, decorative public buildings and vast parks.
The data shows that Europe is overall very well positioned, taking 20th place out of 53 global cities analysed.
What makes European cities more accessible for pedestrians?
Following Munich is Milan, Italy.
The area has been found to be particularly walkable, with 80% of residents living within one kilometre of health and education services.
Next up is Poland’s biggest city, Warsaw. Despite its 3.1 million inhabitants, the study found that the city center is highly walkable, with plenty of things to see along the way.
Amsterdam may be best known for its bicycle pedestrianisation, but its easy-to-navigate canal-side walkways earned it a place on the list.
With over 500 kilometres of bike paths, it’s a great place to live and visit for those for whom a lack of cars is more important than simple walkability.
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“Looking at transport links and amenities is an important step when evaluating a potential home or holiday destination,” explains Steven Zeller, general manager of money at Compare the Market. “That means looking at public transport connections, checking the distance to the nearest stop, operating hours and frequency, as well as identifying routes that you feel are safe to walk.”
