Before online dating, meeting people in Europe while you were in another country was almost impossible. You’d have to rely on mutual connections from friends, family members, or work colleagues to meet someone so far away. And that limited the dating pool immensely.

When dating sites came along, they changed the game forever. Now, you can connect with European singles even before your plane lands on the continent. With so many dating app choices, how can you find the perfect match for you? We have gathered the best dating apps to help you find a romantic vibe and have the best dating experience in Europe.

Category Rating
★★★★★ 4.9/5.0
  • Over 2 million monthly users
  • Premium members receive 20 wildcard matches a day
  • Search features include age, height, education, ethnicity, and lifestyle habits

Although Elite Singles doesn’t cater specifically to international daters, the app attracts upscale international users, with more than 381,000 members joining every month from around the world. If you value career goals and formal education, Elite Singles is the best dating pool for you, as more than 80% of members have at least a bachelor’s degree. 

Whether you’re backpacking across Europe or living your best expat life, Elite Singles will help you find good prospects for serious relationships. The signup process is fast, but after providing your information, you need to wait a short time for approval and verification. Once you’re in, Elite Singles will send curated potential matches directly to you, so you don’t need to play the swiping game.

Category Rating
★★★★★ 4.7/5.0
  • Over 2 million people have found love here
  • Users can filter their match recommendations by age or city
  • Compatibility Quiz identifies common interests, lifestyles, and goals

eharmony is famous for using compatibility and an in-depth personality test to help you find the right long-term partner. With more than 15,000 people joining every day worldwide, this app boosts your chance of finding love even when you’re in Europe. The secret to finding your European date using eharmony is to employ a geographic location filter to find your matches. 

However, to enjoy unlimited access to your match’s profile, you must upgrade to an eharmony premium membership. According to the site’s internal data, over 2 million happy couples have eharmony to thank for their relationship, so the steep price tag should be worth the investment.

Category Rating
★★★★★ 4.5/5.0

Silver Singles is a dating platform for mature singles seeking genuine companionship. Anyone who wants to join Silver Singles must verify that they are over 50. This platform is available in the US, the UK, France, Germany, and many other countries.

You have a fair shot of finding European singles on Silver Singles. Thousands of members visit Silver Singles every month in search of a travel companion, pen pal, or new senior partner. Silver Singles cultivates a mature environment for dating and socializing. The only downside is that unlimited messaging is reserved for paid members. 

4. OurTime

Category Rating
★★★★ 4.4/5.0
  • Open to straight, gay, and lesbian singles over 50
  • Free match recommendations and conversation starters
  • Use Tokens to promote your profile and send virtual gifts

OurTime is another dating app for senior singles who seek international love affairs in Europe. This platform for singles over 50 helps people find love, friendship, and even casual dates. OurTime has become a prominent brand in the senior dating niche, with more than 8.9 million monthly visitors and counting.

From signup to customer service, OurTime keeps everything simple to ensure a fun online dating experience. Additionally, OurTime hosts in-person events around the world. That way, you can socialize while you’re traveling.

5. Badoo

Since its launch in 2006, Badoo has become one of the most popular dating sites in Europe. Badoo’s popularity is well-earned, as it offers many exciting features, from searching for new people in other cities or countries to connecting in real-time via video calls.

Screenshot from Badoo in the Apple App Store
Badoo allows users to search for dates in many European cities and countries.

However, Badoo gets some common complaints, primarily about scammers and fake profiles. Also, users receive notifications for every message and every like, and because Badoo has so many users, the experience can be overwhelming.

6. Happn

As its tagline says, “Find the people you’ve crossed paths with.” Happn helps you find dates next door, at a local bar, or on public transport. The app runs in the background on your phone, allowing you to find dates as you go about your daily activities.

Screenshots from Happn in the Apple App Store
Happn lets daters find potential partners they’ve crossed paths with during their travels.

Whenever you cross paths with another Happn user, the app gathers the data and serves it up in a daily offering of matches. On the downside, people have concerns about safety, user privacy, and potential misuse of location data.

7. Lovoo

Lovoo is an international dating app that allows you to swipe through photos to find interesting individuals. The app uses geo-location data to showcase the profiles of users who are nearby. The platform is available in 15 languages and has 5% of the online dating market in Europe.

Screenshots from Lovoo in the Apple App Store
Lovoo has made more than 35 million matches and is available in 15 languages.

With more than 35 million matches every month, you can find plenty of European dates on this online dating platform.

“For us, feedback is a gift that helps us get better every day. We are self-reflective and lead the way as role models with our thirst for knowledge,” said the LOVOO team in our interview with them. 

8. Tinder

Tinder is the king of casual dating apps, with more than 530 million downloads worldwide, including France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, and the UK. Thanks to Tinder, the swiping game has become a popular way to find dates online around the globe. 

Since its launch in 2012, Tinder has sparked over 75 billion matches around the world, so it shouldn’t be ignored if you’re looking for dates in Europe.

Screenshots from Tinder in the Apple App Store
Tinder is a great platform for users who want to find casual dates anywhere in the world.

You can download Tinder on your phone and browse to find matches for free, and the basic membership is enough to help you find dates. If you travel overseas, Tinder Plus might be an attractive option to find dates as the premium membership package lets you connect with other members before you even arrive in a country. 

FAQs: Is Online Dating Common in Europe?

Following the worldwide online dating trend, finding love has become easier for singles in Europe. Online dating sites make it easy to meet new people who fit your criteria. Most online daters are young people between 25 and 34, followed by those ages 35 to 44. 

Whether you’re looking for a one-night stand while traveling or a serious romance with a European partner, international dating apps are available to help you out in your romantic quest.

Is Match a Good Dating App for European Singles?

Match consistently gets top ratings from online dating experts for a good reason. Match launched in 1995, and has been around longer than any other dating site in the US.

Today, Match is available in 40 countries, including most European countries. It even has country-specific sites in France, the UK, Germany, and other countries. It covers everything you need to find love while traveling or living in Europe. 

Are There Any Legitimate International Dating Sites?

Several online dating platforms have members from around the world, so connecting with new people in Europe is easier than you may think.

Since its launch in 2004, OkCupid has pledged to be a forever-free dating site for people around the world, including Europeans. When it comes to finding international singles, the key benefit is that you can use the search filters to specify a location. That allows you to focus on finding your person in a specific area.

Zoosk took a different approach to online dating when it launched as a social dating site. You can chat and find a match without facing pressure as to what happens next. 

Today, Zoosk has more than 40 million members in 80 countries, which means searching for genuine connections with European singles is easy. Zoosk employs a behavioral matching system, so the more you use the platform, the more accurate your match recommendations become.

Plenty of Fish has been around since 2003 and has served more than 150 million members around the world since its launch. Markus Frind, Founder of POF, claims that this dating site is responsible for more than 1 million babies. You can create an account for free and start chatting with people around the world. With this app, distance is no barrier to finding love in Europe.

Swipe on European Dating Apps to Start Something New

Connecting with new people can be challenging, but online dating offers a shortcut. Dating apps can help single people expand their dating pool to reach European countries, including France, Germany, and the UK. 

Online dating sites open the door for you to start conversations and find dates — or at least new friends — in Europe. You have plenty of choices, so pick a dating platform from this list and start a new journey. Good luck!

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