Cities in Iceland, Denmark and Canada were cited as the safest in a travel insurance company’s new survey analyzing the safety of 29 cities worldwide.
Reykjavik, Iceland, is the world’s safest city, and Copenhagen and Montreal are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, according to research and rankings of Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection. The company says its rankings are based on responses from travelers who visited 29 cities popular with business and leisure travelers, the Economist’s Safe Cities index, city ratings of GeoSure Global and the Crime Index of Numbeo.
Reykjavik, Iceland, is the safest city for travelers, according to new research by a travel … [+]
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Honolulu ranks No. 12 — safer than No. 16 Miami, No. 17 Las Vegas, No. 18 New York and No. 25 San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Berkshire Hathaway Vice President Carol Mueller cautions that unexpected problems can arise even in the safest cities.
“While the cities and countries on our list are notable for their safety,” she says, “you never know what will happen when embarking on your travels — from flight mishaps and missing luggage to medical emergencies.”
Berkshire Hathaway also analyzed the safety of traveling in 42 countries. The safest is the Netherlands, followed by Denmark and Iceland. Last year, Iceland ranked No. 1, followed by New Zealand and Canada.
The country deemed the least safe this year is Russia. Brazil and India also have low safety ratings, ranking No. 41 and No. 40, respectively. The USA ranks No. 17.
“These ratings look back to give a picture of what’s happening now,” Berkshire Hathaway advises on its website. “They can’t give you a safety rating into the future but can be your safety compass when planning.”
Berkshire Hathaway’s 15 Safest Countries
1) The Netherlands
2) Denmark
3) Iceland
4) Australia
5) Norway
6) Canada
7) Germany
8) Sweden
9) Switzerland
10) New Zealand
11) Spain
12) Ireland
13) United Arab Emirates
14) United Kingdom
15) Belgium
15 Safest Cities
1) Reykjavik
2) Copenhagen
3) Montreal
4) Amsterdam
5) Seoul
6) Singapore
7) Tokyo
8) Berlin
9) London
10) Sydney
11) Barcelona
12) Honolulu
13) Rome
14) Dubai
15) Paris
