Top European cities for singles

People say that money is what makes the world go round. While it may not be completely wrong, love is what truly makes it go around. That’s why being single can sometimes be tough. Especially after moving to a new country. It doesn’t mean you can’t be single and happy, life is just a bit better when you have that ‘special someone, right? So, since you are thinking about moving to Europe with Transparent International, you may want to move somewhere where you’ll have good chances of meeting the love of your life! That’s why the topic for today is the top European cities for singles! Let’s see what cities can be great places to meet your ideal match.

1. Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona will be the first place on our list of top European cities for singles. If you are looking for love, there is no better place to move to than Barcelona. Why is that so? The Spanish are lovely so they will make the whole ‘meeting new people thing a lot easier. Something you should know when moving from USA to Spain is that they are very passionate and are not afraid to show their feelings! Do you know how people usually hide their feelings until they are sure the other person feels the same? Not in Barcelona. They are pretty straightforward and you’ll very soon after meeting someone whether they are interested in you or not. Since we mentioned that they love to show affection, try to do that yourself! Their openness will surely encourage you to be more open yourself. 

Just like in any other culture, stereotypes about its people will always exist and Spain is no exception. However, it’s important that you know what’s actually true and what is just a myth. That’s why we want to present to you some common characteristics of dating in Barcelona. Bear in mind that these don’t apply to everyone, but it’s good to have at least some picture of what to expect after your international relocation.

• They put a lot of effort into how they dress 
• Marriage is something that usually comes in mid-thirties
• They are not very punctual and like to make last-minute plans
• It doesn’t matter who makes the first move
• Not everyone is looking for something serious, you can find casual dates as well if it’s your thing

How can you meet other singles in Barcelona?

The only question that is left here is – how and where can you meet other singles in Barcelona? The easiest way to do that is dating apps. You can choose an app depending on what kind of date you’re looking for. 

Tinder, Bumble, and Badoo are apps where people are looking for more casual dating.

If you’re looking for something more serious, apps like Meetic.es and Parship.es are for you. 

2. Oslo, Norway is also one of the top European cities for singles

Unlike people in Spain, Norwegian people are known to be more reserved. What’s more, the ‘casual dating’ thing has been stigmatized for a very long time. Although things have changed a lot, Oslo is among the great European cities for singles who are looking for something more serious. However, it doesn’t mean they are not using any dating apps. You might be surprised to hear that Oslo is among the top users of dating apps in Europe.

The most important thing when moving to Norway from USA, is to know that blond, ideal-looking men and women are not something you’ll get to see every day in every place possible. This doesn’t mean people in Norway aren’t good-looking, but having unrealistic expectations might lead to disappointment when there is actually nothing to be disappointed about. 

What are Norwegian men and women like?

First tip we want to give you about dating Norwegians in Oslo is related to Norwegian men. Something you will need the most is patience which truly pays off later. The reason we are mentioning this is that understanding the mentality of people who come from different dating cultures is very important. As we’ve previously mentioned, Norwegians are pretty reserved, especially men. If you don’t know this about them, you might think they are not interested in you and that you are wasting your time. They are not really the type that will help you with moving furniture overseas, right?

But what is actually going on? The majority of Norwegian men let women approach them first. And no, it’s not a matter of pride or anything like that. The thing is, most of them don’t want to come off as creepy and make women uncomfortable by approaching them. If you are using dating apps, it may take a while before you guys go on a first date. 

Another thing is that Norwegians value the art of eye contact. If someone is interested in you, they’ll make as much eye contact as possible while trying not to seem like a creep. So, if you see a man showing these signs, don’t be afraid to take action. This is also a note to men looking to date Norwegian women, you can either be patient and wait for a lady to come up to you to be sure she likes you, or you can surprise them by approaching them yourself (with absolute respect, of course).

3. London, United Kingdom

Next on our list of top European cities for singles is London! Out of 8.9 million people currently living in London, about 44% of them are single. When you do the math, that’s about 3.9 million singles in one city. With so many of those who are single and ready to mingle in London, you are sure to find ‘the one’ after moving to the UK from USA. While singles might not be around every corner, finding someone to date is not that hard either, you only need to know how. 

Speed dating

This is one of the most popular ways of finding love in London. In case you don’t know, speed dating is an organized social activity in which people seeking romantic relationships have a series of short conversations with potential partners in order to determine whether there is mutual interest.

Speed dating is not for everyone because some people find blind dates with only one person hard and exhausting, let alone meeting 20 people in a span of 90 minutes. However, if you are someone who has no problem going through something like this – you can get all the advantages out of it. Meeting so many people means that there is a higher chance of meeting someone you’ll like. It also saves you from those long talking stages over text that result in you being disappointed because the person you’ve been talking to all that time is completely different in real life. 

Single events

If you don’t want to go through a hectic experience of speed dating and still want to meet a lot of new people in London – here is a less stressful way of meeting your potential soulmate. With so many singles in town, it’s only natural that there will be a lot of bars and clubs hosting single events. Unlike in speed dating, there is no ‘interview atmosphere’ and you are free to talk to whoever you like. If you are shy, it’s always a good idea to take a friend or two with you to feel more relaxed. Events like these can also help you build confidence and become more outgoing. 

4. Luxembourg, Luxembourg is among the best European cities for singles

There are 600,000 people residing in Luxembourg, but every day, around 200,000 people from France, Belgium, and Germany travel across the border to work there. The high standard of living and presence of famous global corporations in the country attracts people from all over the world  After all, it is among the richest countries in the world and ranks second in terms of GDP per person. In addition, it offers a wide range of recreational activities, stunning countryside, and fantastic museums.

When it comes to the city of Luxembourg, just like in Oslo, finding love may not be as easy as in Spain, for example. So again, people who are looking for more serious relationships should pay attention to this one. Just because people in Luxembourg are more reserved and like to take their time with getting to know someone – it doesn’t mean they don’t know how to have fun. There are many fun things to do in Luxembourg with your date after moving to Luxembourg from US.

Meeting people in Luxembourg, one of the best European cities for singles

The most common way of finding love in Luxembourg is going to a bar. Just like we said, just because they are more work-oriented and reserved, it doesn’t mean they don’t like to go out. While you are having fun at a bar or a club, it’s very likely that you will catch someone’s eye, or someone will catch yours. It’s the easiest way of meeting different kinds of people, after all.

As for dating apps, as an expat you might face challenges such as language barriers and people on the apps not being strictly from Luxembourg. Another thing is that people here don’t use dating apps much out of fear of matching with someone they already know. However, as an expat, you don’t have to worry about this – so take it to your advantage. You can use the app freely without such concern. 

5. Copenhagen, Denmark

Another Scandinavian country on our list. What kind of people are people in Copenhagen? The most distinguishing characteristics of Danish etiquette are honesty and politeness. You’ll get a lot of questions, so don’t be shocked! Both men and women shake hands and formally introduce themselves when they first meet. So you can use this point to your advantage by shaking a stern Danish hand – it will present you as an understanding and accepting individual.

After moving to Denmark from US, it’s good to know a thing or two about the Danes. Personal lives, occupations, earnings, religion, and previous relationships are not subjects they enjoy discussing. Ideal topics for small talk and conversations are hobbies, interests, culture, and travel. One more thing you need to know when looking for love in Copenhagen is that Danish people like to use sarcasm and joke around a lot. This is important to know so you don’t take some things too seriously and see them as an insult. 

Unlike their Norwegian neighbors, the Danes don’t like gender roles. It doesn’t really matter who is going to make the first move as long as a connection is made. Therefore, they are very direct and don’t like to play any kinds of games like playing hard to get. They prefer going on spontaneous dates than the ones that are organized in advance. Last but not least, the process of getting to know someone may take a while. This is exactly because of the fact that they are more reserved when it comes to dating. Nothing will happen unless they get to know you and decide that you might be the one for them.

6. Paris, France is one of the best European cities for singles

The national average of single people in the cities of France is about 33%. According to a recent study that was run by the French Institute of Public Opinion, about 43% people in Paris are single, which is quite higher than the national average.

However, getting a date in Paris might not be as easy as it’s shown in the movies. Therefore, if you want to find your perfect match, you need to know a thing or two about dating in Paris after moving to France from USA, and you’ll see why it’s such a  great city for singles. 

We’ve mentioned Tinder a few times in this guide on European cities for singles. That was because of its worldwide popularity. But the reason we want to mention it here is that people in Paris tend to approach the app a bit differently than the rest of the world. The French are one of the most open-minded people in the world when it comes to meeting new people, most of them will swipe right on almost any profile they come across. So there will be no doubt that you’ll get a match.  If this approach is too much for you, we recommend using apps like Once and Happn. Don’t worry, dating apps are not the only way of meeting singles in Paris. For those of you who want to do it the old-fashioned way, we want to recommend a few nice bars like Les Petits Crus, Hoppy Corner, and Dessirier.