Top 10 European Dating Sites to Use When Travelling in 2024

Romantic date in a cafe after meeting on a European dating site

No matter where you go in Europe, there will always be new people to meet and new sights to see. Sounds like a recipe for romance... only if you could find someone to share the experience with. This is where the many European dating sites and apps come in. As a continent with so many different countries and cities, you want to use a dating platform that works in different areas. Whether you're exploring old castles in England, enjoying the sun in Greece, skiing in Norway, or visiting quaint mountain villages in Bulgaria, these are the apps that will help you connect with other singles.

Ready to try online dating in Europe? Don’t waste your time on a dud dating app! Our list of the best Europe dating sites will help you find beautiful women to date with ease.

What Are the Best Dating Sites in Europe?

Below you can find a list of the 10 best European dating sites:

Top 10 Best European Dating Sites & Apps

Read on for a short description of our top 10 Europe dating sites, why we recommend them, and what type of men are most likely to enjoy them.

eHarmony - best for long-term relationships

eHarmony Apple

eHarmony is another old-school dating website, having launched in the early 2000s.

It does things differently from any of the other dating sites in Europe. New users are made to fill out a lengthy personality quiz before completing their registration, and the results of this survey are used to match them with the most compatible singles in their area.

These matches are drip-fed to them, with a handful of new matches being offered every day. The kicker is: eHarmony users can only message those who are selected for them every day.

This might sound like a drag, but it allows users to create deeper meaningful connections with those who are actually suitable for them. Instead of being overwhelmed with messages as they are on most apps, women on EHarmony will have time to read your message and craft a detailed response.

There is plenty of data to back up the claim that EHarmony is the world’s best website for matching couples.

Some 69% of men meet their wives on EHarmony within a year of signing up for a paid account.  The website is responsible for 4% of marriages in the United States. It’s very popular in Europe too.

The monthly subscription is more expensive than the other top European dating websites, but this keeps out the time-wasters only searching for a meaningless fling.

This website is no good if you’re looking for a one-night stand during your lads weekend in Malia, but there’s nothing better if you’re searching for your happily ever after.

Our eHarmony review explains more about how this website works.

AFF - best for quick dirty sexual experiences

AFF on mobile

AFF is one of the oldest dating websites in Europe, but don’t let that distract you.

For well over two decades, it has been the best website for those wanting to arrange a no-strings-attached hook-up with a sexy stranger.

This website doesn’t have the slickest design or the most innovative features. There’s no mobile app for iOS or Android. But, even so, there’s no larger database of horny women looking for hot passionate sex with a beautiful stranger. No other hook-up website comes close - and we’ve reviewed hundreds.

AFF is designed like a social media website. You can post photos, videos, and status updates to your profile for other people to view chronologically. You can follow other users, view the latest updates on the website’s main dashboard and comment on other people’s content. (Many updates will be sexually provocative, so you probably shouldn’t log on at work.)

The real connections are made in the DMs though. You can use AFF’s advanced search feature to find a user with the same sexual tastes as you and send them a message.

There’s no need to beat around the bush and try to ‘get to know each other’ either. It’s made clear that AFF is for people who want quick sex, and many women will respond well if you’re direct about your intentions.

Heart Insider has tested AFF in several countries, and it works very well in Europe. In fact, it would appear to work well everywhere, thanks to the website’s large database of horny women all over the world. If you’re interested to learn more about how Adult Friend Finder works, you can click here to register for a free trial.

Apps promo

Tinder - Best for meeting European women under 30

Wherever you go in Europe, you’ll find plenty of young single women on Tinder.

It’s the most popular dating app among young European women - and it includes plenty of features that are useful for guys who are only in town for a few days.

For example, The Tinder Passport feature lets you change your location, so you can swipe on women in a certain city before you land there. Plus, if you’re in a hurry to land a date, you can invest in Boosts or Super Boosts, which will increase your profile’s reach by up to 100x for a few hours.

Tinder is seen as more of a hook-up app than one for finding a serious relationship. Perhaps that’s why it’s more popular with women in their teens and early twenties. Indeed, this app puts little emphasis on finding someone with a great personality.

The most common criticism of Tinder is that it’s difficult for regular guys to attract any attention. The most attractive 10-20% of men seem to have a monopoly on this app, so you’ll need a profile stacked with great photos if you want to land a date.

With that said, those who do have very attractive profiles will clean up on Tinder. That’s why it has to be included in our list of top European dating sites. See our full Tinder review for more information.

Badoo - best for casual and serious relationships

Badoo has a similar format to Tinder; you’ll swipe right on women you want to meet and left on those you don’t want.

There’s a bigger emphasis on personality though. Badoo includes many prompts for you to tell other users about yourself. It also requires users to verify their profile and prove that they are the person they’re representing. These two features mean Badoo users are typically more committed to finding a serious relationship.

The app is extremely popular in Europe, far more so than in North America. Both younger and older women are drawn to using this app, as it’s seen as suitable for arranging both casual and serious relationships.

The paid version is extremely affordable and includes great features that’ll speed up your search for European women. You’ll be granted unlimited swipes and access to a feature that allows you to hand-pick women to send a message.

On top of that, Badoo is transparent about the fact that paid users are given greater reach. You’ll even be shown a figure, revealing how much more popular your profile will become if you upgrade.

If you like the fast-paced swiping style of dating apps, but you’re not so excited about casual hook-ups or the general superficiality of Tinder, give Badoo a try. Our Badoo review will teach you more about what to expect when using this app.

Apps Dating Experts Recommend to Men in Europe

Whether it's your first real relationship or you have a string in your past there are a few apps that dating experts recommend consistently. These are apps where you can meet great girls who want something long-term as well as those just looking to keep it casual:

Site Our Experience Our Rating Free Trial Link
Best For Casual Fun
Experience Highlights
Experience Highlights
  • The best way to meet women for casual relationships
  • Best results for regular guys
  • Over 60 million active members
  • Not good for long-term relationships
9
Try AFF For Free
Perfect for no-commitment date
Ashley Madison Highlights
Ashley Madison Highlights
  • Huge userbase with more women than men
  • One of the most discreet and secure hookup apps
  • Fantastic free trial
9
Try Ashley Madison
Great If You're Handsome
Tinder Highlights
Tinder Highlights
  • Great if you're pretty good looking
  • Very popular, especially if you're 18-22
  • Really focused on photos
  • Becoming more of a dating than hookup app
8
Try Tinder

Hinge - best for personality-based connections

Hinge is an up-and-coming dating app created by The Match Group, which owns huge websites like Tinder, OKCupid, and Match.com. It’s marketed as the ‘dating app designed to be deleted’.

The main unique selling point is an emphasis on interactive profiles. Hinge encourages users to add specific prompts to their profile to showcase their personality, plus questions so potential lovers can easily share more about themselves. It’s possible to like and comment on specific elements of a user’s profile, and this tends to facilitate deeper conversations on the app.

Users can specify what type of relationship they’re looking for in their profile, eliminating time wasted on conversations with people who don’t want the same thing as them. The majority of users are looking for a serious relationship, although some admit to seeking casual fun only. The app has a profile verification feature, but it’s not compulsory.

Hinge has taken off in the United States and is starting to follow a similar trajectory in Europe. It’s currently available in 13 European countries, but this list is likely to expand soon.

While it’s not yet as popular in Europe as the likes of Tinder or Badoo, that could mean there’s less competition for dates with the women who are using it.

If you’re looking for something serious and consider yourself gifted at crafting witty dating profiles, it’s worth a try. You should be able to land a date with the free edition of the app, although the paid versions will expand your reach significantly. See our Hinge review for more information.

Bumble - best for strong independent women

Bumble is marketed as ”the app” that gives control back to women.

It’s named after bumble bees, a species where the females do all the work to keep their family alive.

No wonder then, it has been nicknamed the “feminist Tinder”.

You’ll swipe on profiles one by one on Bumble, just as you do on Tinder. The difference is: women have to send the first message once a match has been secured. If 24 hours pass without someone sending a message, the match disappears. Supposedly, this helps protect women from unwanted messages on the app.

There are more features for added security, such as the option to verify your profile. There are also Bumble BFF and Bumble Bizz for people seeking platonic or professional relationships. The app is very similar to Tinder aside from these features.

Anyway, this app has become popular with the feminist ‘boss babe’ stereotype of women. There are plenty of these in the United States these days, but feminism is taking over Western Europe too. As such, the app has become popular in the likes of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. It’s not as popular in Eastern Europe, where women tend to be more traditional.

There’s a free edition available on iOS, Android, and desktop. The paid version includes features designed to improve your reach.

If you’re looking for a strong independent woman, Bumble is probably the best place to find one. See our full review to discover more.

Christian Mingle - best for Christian women

Christianity is the dominant religion in Europe. Many devout Christians are only interested in seeking serious relationships with those of the same faith.

If you’re a Christian with the same attitude to dating, Christian Mingle is likely to be the most effective European dating app for you.

You’re permitted to create an account regardless of your religious beliefs, but you will be asked to list your religion in your bio. And most of the women on the website are looking for serious relationships with Christian men.

You’ll be asked to list what type of relationship you’re looking for in your bio too. The options are friend, long-term relationships, marriage or marriage, and kids. There are no casual options available to list here and that tells you a lot about the purpose of this website.

Christian Mingle allows you to look for your ideal partner with its detailed search tool. You can filter your search with parameters such as education level, church attendance, your desire to have kids, and a lot more. The more of this information you include in your profile, the more often you’ll be found in this feature.

A paid membership is required if you want to send messages to other users. It’s on the expensive side compared to other Europe dating sites, but that keeps the time-wasters and casual daters out.

Needless to say, this isn’t an app to find a one-night stand for your bachelor party in Prague. But it’s a good choice for Christian men searching for serious relationships. Our full review reveals more.

Ashley Madison - best for hookups within marriage

Ashley Madison is a website designed for people who want to hook up with married people (whether your spouses know about it or not). It’s disturbingly popular in North America and Europe.

The website includes lots of useful features to keep your privacy while you seek out an affair.

It allows you to easily blur your photos, then unblur them for specific people once you’ve begun to develop a connection. Alternatively, you can keep more revealing photos in a private photo album, which can be unlocked for specific users. The Ashley Madison mobile app has a discreet logo, so snooping spouses don’t get suspicious. Screenshots are disabled on this app.

You don’t have to be married or in a relationship to use Ashley Madison. Some single people are using the app, presumably to try and sleep with other people’s spouses.

However, the added focus on anonymity might annoy singletons eventually, especially if they’re not trying to hide anything themselves. Most profiles have no public photos and users will only reveal themselves once they’ve grown to trust you. The website also runs a credit system, which forces you to pay per message you send.

With that said, during our tests of this website, we found that women were generally willing to respond to our messages and swap contact details quickly.

Luxy - best for high-value singles

Luxy markets itself as an ‘elite dating’ website for ‘high-value’ singles.

In reality, this means wealthy men and beautiful women.

It’s the most expensive service on our list of Europe dating sites. Some 60% of members have a verified salary of over 200,000 euros.

You can use Luxy without signing up for its costly monthly subscriptions, but you’ll have to go through the website’s vouching process. During this 24-hour process, existing members will vote on whether to allow you in or not. You’ll need an approval rate of at least 50% to be granted a free account. That might explain why most of the women using the service are extremely beautiful. The Plain Janes were voted out.

When we tested Luxy, the response rate to our messages was very high. I would imagine that’s because you’re assumed as a high-value man just by getting beyond the paywall.

Luxy has a zero-tolerance policy for sugar dating. And we didn’t encounter any sugar babies throughout our tests of the website.

If you’re a wealthy or successful man looking for a rich or extremely beautiful woman, you’ll enjoy Luxy.

Seeking - best for sugar relationships

Seeking.com has recently re-branded and no longer mentions ‘sugar dating’ in its marketing.

Instead, it focuses on ‘luxury dating’ between successful men and attractive women. It’s supposedly the website for men and women who are “seeking more” from their dating life. Perhaps this is a move to attract a larger user base.

Don’t be fooled though. This website is still packed with sugar babies and sugar daddies.

Women have the ability to include a ‘wish list’ on their profiles, so male users can buy them the gifts they desire. It’s compulsory for men to list their income on their profiles.

Some dating experts claim to have found ways to use seeking.com to land dates without paying through the nose.

But, if you don’t have plans to be a sugar daddy, the masses of superficial women on this website will annoy you.

If sugar dating isn’t taboo for you, Seeking is still the best place to be.

Some Tips for Using Europe Dating Sites & Apps

A date along the Nordic coast

Maximize your success with women on Europe dating sites by following these must-know tips.

Tip 1. Make sure they are real

Most of the Europe dating sites on our list have measures to prevent bots, catfishes, and scammers from doing a number on their users. But the occasional fake profile does slip through the net. So, it’s worth taking the following steps to make sure the woman you’re talking with is real.

  • Check whether their profile has been verified.
  • Swap social media details with them and check their most recent pictures.
  • Arrange a video call before agreeing to a date.

If you’ve built a good rapport with a woman on a European dating app but they refuse to comply with any of these steps, you can take that as a sign that they might be misrepresenting themselves.

Tip 2. Have your priorities straight

It’s important to know what you want from your experience using dating sites in Europe - and to only pursue women who are looking for the same thing.

Are you looking for a one-night fling, a holiday romance, or a serious long-term relationship? You need to decide and choose the best European dating app to achieve that goal. Our list of the top 10 European dating websites above will help you with this.

It might be tempting to continue chatting with women who have different priorities than you, but this is ultimately a waste of your time and theirs.

One or both of you will get frustrated if it turns out your romantic objectives are misaligned. So, you’re best off asking your connections what they’re looking for as soon as possible.

Tip 3. Understand possible cultural differences

If you’re visiting Europe from another continent, it’s helpful to be aware of the cultural differences when trying to connect with women on a European dating app.

For example, while American women tend to respond well to wealth, status, and materialism, that’s not as much the case in Europe. European women tend to appreciate an emotional connection more than American girls, many of whom might drop everything immediately to date a man if he’s “high-value” enough.

This is a huge generalization, especially when you consider that each European country has its own sub-culture. The best strategy to attract young Spanish senoritas will likely be different from what you use when chatting with older German women.

So, it’s worth doing your research on the dating customs of the country you’re visiting. A bit of knowledge of the local culture and a few words of the local language will go a long way.

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