If a tranquil rural retreat is more your kind of dream holiday than a robust party getaway in “sin city”, no need to read on. If, however, you are planning a fun-filled break with friends, Benidorm remains one of the most popular hotspots in Europe. And, apparently, one of the safest under the current health-conscious circumstances.
According to research by a team at SlotsUp, Benidorm not only ranks top in Europe with the most amusement parks and nightclubs available but, with a population of 67,000 people, it has been crowned “the perfect place for a socially distanced getaway”.
While noting that there had been a 400 per cent booking increase for European travel since the UK government relaxed its testing rules, SlotsUp stressed that tourists were still cautious and wanted to find a safe balance.
“We are all ready for a wild weekend away with friends where we can let our hair down but, for those who want to have a fun time and still maintain their own space, crowded party cities can be a challenge.”
The team analysed 12 of Europe’s most popular party cities to determine the “overall wildest cities, best cities for wild per square mile, and best cities for wild per capita (aka more wild to go around per person)”.
Benidorm led the way in the “Europe’s Party Cities: Wild Per Capita” category over second-placed Lisbon and third-placed Prague. “Don’t like long waiting queues or crowds of people?” asked SlotsUp. “Then these are the cities in Europe with the most ‘wild’ on offer per person. You could probably have a wild time in these top cities whilst still socially distancing.”
Benidorm was ranked third for “Europe’s Party Cities: Wild Per Square Mile” (after Paris and Barcelona). “It may not have scored highly in the overall ranking (at 12th, following a top three, in order, of London, Paris and Prague), but Benidorm is much smaller than London. Their fun-time amenities are just condensed into smaller parameters, which some partiers may prefer. Less to spend on taxis!”
Further up the Mediterranean coast in Spain, Barcelona came fifth overall “but our study found it is the number one party destination in Europe for outdoorsy types who want to experience a wild time in the great outdoors”.