The best European cities: Rome and Milan lose positions, Venice rises. The primacy remains with London

The podium remains unchanged: the three best European cities are still London, Paris and Berlin. On the other hand, five of the seven major Italian cities lost ground: Rome dropped one place from last year (from fourth to fifth place), Milan fell back to 15th place (from tenth), Florence fell to 38th place (minus three), Naples fell to 79th place (-53) and Turin dropped out of the top 100. On the other hand, Venice (38th, +19) and Bologna (78th, +21) go up. This is what is in store for 2025 in "Europe's Best Cities", the annual report on metropolitan areas (population over 500,000) drawn up by Resonance combining official statistics and user ratings on Google, Tripadvisor and Instagram.

"An eclectic mix ranging from the number of Fortune 500 companies and ease of airport connectivity to nightlife" via mentions on Instagram. In this year's edition, the three categories 'livability', 'friendliness' and 'prosperity' used by the consultancy are supplemented with a survey by market research agency Ipsos in which respondents were asked which cities they would like to live in, the places they would like to visit and the best job opportunities.

For the third year running, it is London the 'queen of European cities': an achievement, the report explains, achieved by ranking first in almost half of the sub-categories (14 out of 30), such as the prosperity index measuring residents' educational attainment and the 'business ecosystem'. "The city's robust post-pandemic recovery is reflected in its strong international traveller spending, which reached almost £16.3 billion in 2024 (up from £12.8 billion in 2023) and secured London's third-highest ranking globally and the top spot in Europe."

In second place is, as in the previous edition, Paris, praised for a plan of 'five years and billions of investments' that have changed the face of the city through 'pedestrianisation, cycling and outdoor living', bringing the percentage of Parisians who do not own a car to 70 per cent. "The biggest investment in city mobility and in getting residents to abandon their cars," the report points out, "is the expansion of the Paris metro, already the envy of the world with its 800 kilometres of network and 16 lines, perfectly integrated into a suburban rail system.

Berlin also confirms its position in third place this year. The German city enjoys "a strong reputation as a party capital and centre of festivals and live music", but the definition of cultural centre does not exhaust its identity because the German capital also proves to be an economic powerhouse, with a strong presence of large companies (seventh in Europe). "In addition to established industry giants such as Deutsche Telekom and Deutsche Bahn, Berlin has established itself as a start-up capital. Affordability, renowned universities and a skilled workforce have attracted some 4,400 start-ups, supported by increasing venture capital investments."