How to Choose a VPS Location in Europe
Europe looks small on a map, but ping between its cities still ranges from under 10 ms to over 60 ms. We measured ping from 11 cities to 23 of our European VPS locations, so you can pick with real numbers. Then test the route yourself before you buy.
- real ping data
- 23 European locations
- test IP on request
Pick a VPS location in Europe by where your users are
Typical ping to our servers, median of three rounds.
| Most of your users are in | Best location | Typical ping | Also good |
|---|---|---|---|
| London / UK | UK (London) | 3 ms | Belgium, 10 ms; Netherlands, 11 ms |
| Frankfurt / Germany | Germany (Frankfurt) | 1 ms | Switzerland, 6 ms; Netherlands, 7 ms |
| Amsterdam / Benelux | Netherlands (Amsterdam) | 1–18 ms | Belgium, 4–19 ms; UK, 9–16 ms |
| Paris / France | France (Paris) | 1–27 ms, depends on the network | UK, 8 ms; Netherlands, 10 ms |
| Stockholm / Nordics | Sweden (Stockholm) | 1 ms | Latvia, 8 ms; Norway, 8 ms |
| Warsaw / Poland | Poland (Warsaw) | 1 ms | Estonia, 15 ms; Hungary, 18 ms |
| Madrid / Spain | Spain (Seville) | 15 ms | UK, 34 ms; Germany, 36 ms |
| Milan / Italy | Switzerland (Zurich) | 6 ms | Austria, 12 ms; Italy (Milan), under 16 ms |
| Vienna / Austria | Austria (Vienna) | 9–20 ms | Czech Republic, 14 ms; Serbia, 16–41 ms |
| Istanbul / Turkey | Bulgaria (Sofia) | 15 ms | Romania, 19 ms; Austria, 29 ms |
| All over Europe | Netherlands (Amsterdam) | 20 ms on average | Germany, 22 ms; Austria, 24 ms |
| Europe and the US | UK (London) | 77 ms from New York | Netherlands, 78 ms; France, 80 ms |
Median of three ping rounds from public test probes, 28–29 September 2026. “All over Europe” is the average to the ten European cities we tested. A range means the rounds were far apart; plan with the higher number.
Put the server where most of your users are
Inside the same city, ping is usually a few milliseconds, and nothing beats that. From Frankfurt to our Frankfurt server, ping was about 1 ms. From Frankfurt to our Chișinău server, it was about 38 ms.
For users all over Europe, pick the middle
Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Vienna and Zurich all averaged 20 to 25 ms to the ten European cities we tested. The edges of the map, such as Thessaloniki, Seville, Chișinău and Tallinn, averaged 45 to 55 ms. One server in the middle is a good start. When you grow, add a second server near your biggest group of users.
If you also serve the US, go west
London, Amsterdam and Paris were 77 to 80 ms from New York. Chișinău and Sofia were over 115 ms. If your users are split between Europe and North America, London or Amsterdam keeps both sides reasonable.
VPS locations outside the EU
Some projects need a server outside the EU. We have VPS in the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Serbia and Moldova. Switzerland is also one of the fastest choices for Central Europe, at about 6 ms from Frankfurt and Milan. Check the legal side of your data with your own adviser; we can tell you where the server is.
Measured ping to our European locations
Rows are our server locations, sorted by average ping to ten European cities. Columns are where the test ran.
| Server | London | Frankfurt | Amsterdam | Paris | Stockholm | Warsaw | Madrid | Milan | Vienna | Istanbul | New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands (Amsterdam) | 11 | 7 | 1–18 | 10 | 18 | 21 | 42 | 18 | 24–31 | 39–54 | 78 |
| Germany (Frankfurt) | 14 | 1 | 12 | 21 | 23 | 39 | 36 | 10–19 | 19–38 | 34–43 | 93 |
| Austria (Vienna) | 29 | 12 | 17–27 | 28 | 29 | 25–31 | 47 | 12 | 9–20 | 29 | 95 |
| Switzerland (Zurich) | 19–26 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 28 | 28 | 39 | 6 | 28–38 | 36–55 | 101 |
| Belgium (Brussels) | 10 | 14 | 4–19 | 16 | 20 | 30–36 | 40 | 31 | 27–46 | 48 | 84 |
| France (Paris) | 7–41 | 10 | 12–24 | 1–27 | 30 | 38 | 40 | 24 | 27 | 56 | 80 |
| Czech Republic (Prague) | 25 | 13 | 17 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 45 | 29–36 | 14 | 57 | 93 |
| Denmark (Copenhagen) | 20–45 | 14 | 15 | 23 | 11 | 26 | 44–51 | 30–32 | 34–41 | 46 | 91–95 |
| Slovenia (Ljubljana) | 36 | 18 | 23 | 29 | 40 | 20 | 55 | 30 | 14–26 | 35 | 104 |
| UK (London) | 3 | 12–29 | 9–16 | 8 | 25 | 34 | 34 | 23 | 34–54 | 52–115 | 77 |
| Hungary (Budapest) | 34 | 17 | 26 | 27 | 38 | 18 | 57 | 25–33 | 13–31 | 50 | 106 |
| Poland (Warsaw) | 32 | 15–33 | 21–28 | 35 | 33 | 1 | 52 | 33 | 39 | 57 | 102 |
| Italy (Milan) | 23–31 | 18–26 | 31–32 | 44–49 | 45–51 | 43 | 29–40 | under 16 | 27 | 51–57 | 96–97 |
| Norway (Oslo) | 29–36 | 25 | 18–29 | 32 | 8 | 23 | 55 | 42 | 43 | 57 | 99 |
| Sweden (Stockholm) | 30–38 | 23 | 28–34 | 37–48 | 1 | 46 | 58 | 30 | 41–129 | 64–78 | 113 |
| Latvia (Riga) | 35–43 | 31 | 31 | 40 | 8 | 22 | 62 | 45 | 42–69 | 60 | 113 |
| Serbia (Belgrade) | 34 | 20–37 | 26–33 | 35–43 | 42 | 58 | 58 | 36 | 16–41 | 56–69 | 106 |
| Bulgaria (Sofia) | 54 | 31–61 | 34–42 | 34 | 49 | 43 | 52 | 32–42 | 39–52 | 15 | 117 |
| Romania (Bucharest) | 36–53 | 24 | 33 | 44 | 69 | 60 | 63 | 33 | 25 | 19 | 120 |
| Estonia (Tallinn) | 45 | 35–42 | 38 | 41 | 53 | 15 | 61–72 | 44 | 50 | 52–70 | 103 |
| Moldova (Chisinau) | 50 | 38 | 42–50 | 49 | 58 | 56 | 70 | 38–50 | 36 | 33 | 122 |
| Spain (Seville) | 33 | 39 | 37–56 | 61 | 64 | 54–67 | 15 | 41 | 55–157 | 66–78 | 100 |
| Greece (Thessaloniki) | 54–65 | 50 | 47 | 51 | 58 | 47 | 66 | 43 | 67–84 | 59 | 121 |
A range means the three rounds were far apart, which usually means the route changed. Plan with the higher number. Paris to our Paris server was 1 to 27 ms, depending on the Paris network.
Test the route yourself
Our numbers are a guide, not a promise. Open a ticket and ask for a test IP in the location you like. Then run ping or mtr from where your users are, or ask a few users to do it. If the result is not good, try the second choice from the table.
FAQ
Short answers about choosing a location. Billing, delivery and refunds are covered in the Help centre.
Open the Help centreWhat is the best VPS location for all of Europe?
In our tests, Amsterdam had the lowest average ping to ten European cities, at about 20 ms. Frankfurt was close behind at about 22 ms.
Is Frankfurt or Amsterdam better?
Both are strong central choices, and the difference is small. Amsterdam was faster to London, Paris and New York. Frankfurt was faster to Madrid and Vienna.
Which European location is best if I also have US users?
London, at about 77 ms from New York, followed by Amsterdam at 78 ms and Paris at 80 ms.
Can I test a location before I buy?
Yes. Open a ticket and ask for a test IP in that location, then ping it from where your users are. The first invoice also has a 7-day refund.
23 European locations, one account and one invoice.
See all locationsPut your server close to your users.
Pick a location, pick a plan, and your KVM server is ready within 24 hours. Ask for a test IP first if you want to check the route.