The pretty European city that’s the ‘most stressful’ to drive in – check out the full list

The pretty European city that’s the ‘most stressful’ to drive in has been revealed – alongside the full list of the top nine.

DiscoverCars.com studied which cities cause drivers the most stress, asking drivers in different European cities to track their heart rates on a 30-minute drive.

Oslo, the capital of Norway, ranked as the most stressful city to drive in, with a Stress Rating of 37.5.

Dr Adedeji Saheed, who supported the study, found that the drivers’ resting heart rate hit 99 bpm at times, which is on the higher end of the normal range, and could be indicative of stress, anxiety, a medical condition or recent caffeine intake. 

Oslo is known to have some narrow roads which can make navigating the city difficult or slow which could have influenced the driver’s level of stress.

Lisbon in Portugal came in second with a stress score of 36. The driver’s heart rate reached 122 bpm, which is above the expected range. Lisbon is also well known for having some narrow and twisty roads which could cause drivers stress.

Milan in Italy came in third with a stress rating of 30. This driver’s heart rates were within normal range but their highest heart rate was 99 bpm while driving –  over 20 bpm faster than their slowest heart rate while driving, suggesting stress.

In fourth was London, which got a stress rating of 29.5. Almost exactly in the middle of the ranking, the driver’s heart rate readings were all within the expected range. This city’s roads can become very congested, with many locals and visitors choosing to travel by the Underground instead.

The top nine “most stressful” European cities to drive in – stress rating

1. Oslo, Norway – 37.5

2. Lisbon, Portugal – 36

3. Milan, Italy – 30

4. London, UK – 29.5

5. Budapest, Hungary – 25.5

6. Munich, Germany – 21.5

7. Prague, Czech Republic – 20

8. Barcelona, Spain – 16

9. Krakow, Poland – 9.5