Google searches for winter breaks have increased 132 percent in the last three months to 8,100 a month on average. With this in mind, a comprehensive study analyzing a variety of factors that make for a perfect rainy-day vacation has unveiled the top 10 cities worldwide.
The study, conducted by InsureMyTrip, assessed cities based on their cultural attractions, entertainment options, affordability, and dining choices.
Each of these cities offers a unique blend of cultural, entertainment, and culinary experiences that ensure a memorable vacation, regardless of the weather.
London, topping the list, is renowned for its world-class museums, thriving theatre scene, and diverse range of restaurants that cater to every palate.
With an overall score of 7.39, London has more than 200 museums for tourists to visit and 1,000 ‘rainy day’ activities, making it the best for quantity of activities (10). It also scored highly in categories like number of theater shows (9.69), and restaurant ratings (9.4).
Tourists visiting London have the choice of 155 theatre shows throughout the West End, including the longest-running production in the world, Mousetrap, which was first performed in London in November 1952.
Often called the “city that never sleeps,” New York follows in second place, achieving an overall score of 5.93, providing endless options for entertainment, dining, and cultural enrichment.
It scored highly for the number of rainy-day activities (9.19), the number of theater shows (9.25), the number of comedy clubs (9.21), and the average rating of restaurants (9.46).
It missed out on the top spot due to its high costs (6.46), where tourists can expect to pay
$36 for two movie tickets and $114.06 to attend a workshop.
Paris, with its iconic landmarks and world-famous cuisine, offers a romantic and unforgettable experience for travelers. It ranks third in our study with an overall score of 5.63.
Tourists can expect a wide variety of rainy-day activities (10) and high ratings for its restaurants (9.16). Its lack of theatre shows (4.63) and comedy clubs (2.31) contributed to its lower overall score.
Completing the top five cities for a rainy-day vacation are Athens and Los Angeles, achieving an overall score of 5.6 and 5.37 respectively.
At the other end of the spectrum, Copenhagen, Denmark is ranked the least favorable destination for a wet-weather vacation. Achieving a mere 2.69 overall, due to its lack of comedy clubs (0.23), cost of movie tickets (1.94), number of rainy-day activities (2.09), and number of theatre choices (3.5).
However, Copenhagen did score one of the highest marks for its restaurant ratings (4.33), perfect for those wanting to try the local delicacies.
Lyon, France, and Manila, Philippines complete the three cities least favorable for a rainy-day vacation scoring 2.91 and 2.94 respectively. Both scored poorly for number of museums (0.4 & 0.25), as well as the number of hotels less than two miles from the city center (0.82 & 0.97), which contributed to their low rankings.
When traveling costs are an important factor, in most countries, museums or the theater cost money. One of the more cost-effective cities is Delhi India, with an overall cost score of 9.04.
Delhi has some of the least expensive movie tickets, with two costing just $7 on average.
This is a fraction of the cost it would cost in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where two tickets can set you back $43 on average.
Sara Boisvert, Marketing Manager at InsureMyTrip, commented on the findings:
“There is nothing worse than spending the time and money planning a vacation – only to have it rain and ruin your plans. We hope this study will help travelers make the best of a trip – even if the weather doesn’t cooperate.”
To view the full study, visit the blog here
