Experts have deemed one popular holiday destination the best city to wake up in across all of Europe, based on air quality and average annual hours of sunshine
A new study has officially named the best city in all of Europe to wake up in and it happens to be a favourite destination of British travellers. MattressOnline analysed the Air Quality Index (AQI), average number of sunshine hours per year and social media engagement through Instagram posts and Google searches related to sunrises in the 40 most-visited cities in 2024 to determine its ranking of the best cities to wake up in.
Lisbon was the only European city to crack the top 10, with an AQI of 24 and an average of 2,806 hours of sunshine per year. Additionally, Lisbon scored an 8.23/10 on the study’s Scenic Sunrise rating.
The rankings in full
Based on the study, the best 10 cities to wake up in are as follows
1) Sydney
2) Melbourne
3) Miami (tied with Toronto)
5) San Francisco
6) Dubai
7) Las Vegas
8) Los Angeles
9) Lisbon
10) Singapore
While Lisbon topped the ranking for Europe, another EU city scored dead last on the list of 40: Frankfurt, Germany. The city scored a low Scenic Sunrise score and had a high AQI of 69, indicating that pollution often clouds the morning sky. Frankfurt also averages a dismal 1,662 hours of sunshine each year. Even London ranked higher than Frankfurt on the list, coming in at 17th place, despite having an even worse AQI of 93. But when the sun does shine in London, it delivers. The capital had more than 50k searches for sunrise-related terms.
While the UK didn’t pose much competition, it’s still no surprise that Lisbon managed to secure the top spot among European cities. Offering copious sunshine and great food, drinks and a hilly landscape to soak it all in, Lisbon is certainly an exciting destination to wake up in and explore at any time of year.
A trendy and vibrant city, Lisbon’s walkable cobblestone paths are ideal for exploring the centuries-old architecture and culinary cornerstones to get an authentic understanding of the city. Salted cod and charcoal-roasted chicken piri-piri are just a few of the delectable scents you are sure to encounter if you visit the city’s historic Mercado de Ribeira (now the Time Out Market).
Travellers interested in a more active holiday can climb the medieval streets of the city’s ancient neighbourhood of Alfama to reach the Castelo São Jorge. Alternatively, visit the district of Belém to see the landmark Belém Tower and the 16th-century monastery.
British Airways, easyJet and TAP Air Portugal—the flag carrier of Portugal—all offer regular flights from the UK to Lisbon, for as little as £67. Flights from London and Manchester are typically under 3hours long. The convenient flight connection makes waking up in Lisbon all the easier.
