Europe’s most luxurious shopping cities ranked in new study

Taking a trip not only allows you to unwind and reset from the demands of daily life but also presents the perfect opportunity to splurge and pamper yourself. Interestingly, when on vacation, people tend to spend an average of almost €117.42 more per day compared to their regular routine at home. So, which European city offers the ultimate indulgence in luxury?

To help travellers on the hunt for an up-market getaway, experts at contemporary sports luxe brand, AN-Y1 examined European cities based on opportunities for fine-dining, premium cafe visits and clothes shopping to crown the continent’s most lavish destinations.

Top 10 most luxurious shopping spots in Europe

Paris is Europe’s top spot for shoppers to indulge, AN-Y1 can reveal. Sporting the continent’s highest score at 9.2/10, luxurious landmarks like the Champs-Elysees are responsible for the French capital’s 3,137 clothing shops. That’s the most in all of Europe – and nearly 78% more than London’s shops (1,765). The city of light is also the ultimate destination for indulgent foodies: no other city can top Paris’ 793 fine dining restaurants. 

London is Europe’s second best destination to live large, with a luxury score of 8.9/10. While the city may be in Paris’ shadow for clothes shops and fine dining – ranking second in both categories – its cafes are far and away the best Europe has to offer. With 553 five star cafes in the city, London has at least twice as many top-rated establishments as Paris and Berlin, and three times more than cities like Madrid, Milan and Rome. If nothing comforts you quite like a cosy café, London is a must-visit for your affluent escape.

With a luxury score of 8.7/10, Madrid takes the bronze for Europe’s most luxurious city. Madrid’s main shopping street, the Gran Via, contributes to its 1,052 clothing shops. While this is lower than less lavish hotspots like Berlin (1,500), Vienna (1,154) and Sofia (1,178), Madrid’s frequency of fine dining restaurants (402) elevates it to Europe’s luxury podium. 

Methodology

1. AN-Y1 sought to discover the most luxurious shopping spots in Europe.

2. A seed list of the 18 best European cities for shopping lovers was collated.

3. Following, OpenStreetMap was utilised in order to collect the number of clothes shops per city.

4. Data on the number of five star-rated cafes, the number of fine dining restaurants, as well as the ratings and number of reviews for the main shopping street of each city was then extracted from a leading travel review website.

5. For each of the cities a total score out of 10 was calculated using the PERCENTRANK formula.

6. Finally, all cities were ranked in descending order, based on their score.

7. Data was collected in February 2024 and is subject to change.

Feature Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash