Tourists’ Mobility Experiences in European Capitals (2022)

The data for this study were collected in the summer of 2022 in ten European capitals: Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, London, Madrid, Paris, Prague, Rome, Stockholm, and Warsaw. The service safari method was used, which involved an immersive experience of urban transport by trained observers. Each participant conducted three separate journeys, using public transport (e.g., metro, tram, bus), motorized individual transport (e.g., taxis, rental cars), and active transport (e.g., walking, cycling, electric scooters). Each journey was thoroughly documented through reports, photographs, and GPS tracking. Observers, who were visiting the cities for the first time, recorded their experiences, paying particular attention to aspects such as the decision-making process for choosing a mode of transport, ease of navigation and ticket purchasing, travel time, comfort, safety, and environmental factors influencing mobility. The collected qualitative data were then organized, coded, and integrated with fuzzy set analysis, allowing for the identification of key factors affecting tourists' satisfaction with urban mobility. By applying this methodology, it was possible to capture both objective infrastructure and transport conditions as well as the subjective experiences of travelers.