The U.S. Isn’t On the Safest Places to Travel List in 2026 — Find Out Which Countries Are

This list of the safest countries in the world to travel to in 2026 doesn’t include the U.S.

According to a survey conducted by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, the Netherlands was the destination where travelers felt safest over the last five years.

At no. 2 is Australia, followed by Austria in third. The remaining top 10 in order are: Iceland, Canada, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Japan, and Ireland.

The company then combined “past results with the scores from outside sources,” and calculated a “weighted score that reflects each country’s overall safety.”

For the ranking, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection only lets those who visited countries they consider safe rank them for safety. Additionally, they factored in the Global Peace Index, data from Numbeo (which calculates safety rates), and GeoSure Global‘s scores for major cities.

Travelers who helped pick the Netherlands as the safest place to visit agreed on its health measures, safety for female travelers, and its acceptance of diverse visitors.

However, they also agreed that people traveling to major Dutch cities like Amsterdam should be on the lookout for cyclists.

Australia was also ranked favorably due to its low crime rate, political system, and gun control laws. Travelers should be familiar with what they are and are not allowed to bring into the country. There are also strict quarantine standards for animals coming into Australia that travelers should consider.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.  

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection previously ranked Iceland as the safest place to travel in 2025, followed by Australia, Canada, Ireland, and Switzerland.

In 2025, the Netherlands was ranked as no. 14.