jelane

I have been thinking of renting an apartment in some city. I have always done the villages in the country. Do you have any suggestions as to what city? I am leaning toward Paris but friend suggested Barcelona.

francophiletasmania

I'm prejudiced but Paris is a wonderful city to spend time in and while you still need to be careful with your wallet etc, Paris has nothing like the street crime of Barcelona. There are wonderful museums and galleries, you can eat well on a small or large budget, the shopping is incomparable and the city itself is alive with history. The metro and bus systems are excellent but just walking around Paris is the best way of all to get its feel. Paris is a living city with its residents shopping for their fresh food at markets close to their apartments and small supermarkets. Easy for you too! The guidebooks usually list reputable agents for letting apartments. We have done this many times and would recommend the 4th or 5th arrondisements particularly. Good Luck.

valtor

I do not think that somebody can give you a good advice without knowing what you like. You should make sure that you have enough points of interest in this city and around it for two weeks.

I think that for Barcelona two weeks is a too, too long time.
For Paris, even one month is a short time. We stayed this May for 16 nights in Paris (and this was not our first trip there) and we are ready to return there !

So, my advice is to think about what you want to visit, how you want to spend there the time and then you will can decide easier.

bettyk

I'd have to throw London into the mix. There is so much to do in the city (restaurants, theater, museums, shopping, parks, etc.) and yet the transportation options are great for exploring in any direction outside the city.

Dukey

It would be helpful to know if you have spent any time in these places in the past IMO and what your interests are/why you are inclined toward Paris.

I could very easily spend two weeks in either city just hanging out.

travel_buzzing

>think that for Barcelona two weeks is a too, too long time.>

I would have to agree that it does depend on what you like. if all you'd be interested in is being a tourist, snapping photos, hard-line itinerary for must-sees and museums, "best place for tapas" then sadly, you could probably do that in a week in barcelona.
if you'd like a more natural and actual experience of the city including contact with the locals, wandering and discovering and taking your time to enjoy, looking around you as well as finding the classics, then two weeks is a drop in the ocean. Here is an area guide for Barcelona to give you a better idea: http://www.way2stay.com/area-info-Barcelona-en-52.htm

Lawchick

Lisbon

Ackislander

1. Paris, 3eme Arrondisement
2. Paris, 6eme Arrondisement
3. London, Islington

Carrybean

London

kaneda

Malaga in October. Nice weather, few tourists about and lots to see along the coast and inland.

sjj

Rome has great art, much of it in beautiful churches. It has an amazing past, much of it still preserved in its monuments and museums. It has wonderful city scenes. Its food, even simple things like bread, is tremendous. To untold millions, it's the center of Christianity. My wife and I have been there three times, and we're seriously considering going there again.

SuzieCII

Both! Double the experience, double the fun.

victoria_reynolds

We've done this as a family in the Kensington area of London for 2 weeks. Very expensive, but lots more to do than we could fit in within 2 weeks. We also did a few easy day trips: Hampton Court, Bath, a minivan tour to the Cotswolds, Oxford, and Stratford on Avon.

We also spent a week in Rome which was much too short. We'll return for 5 more days on our next trip to Italy which will also include Tuscany and the Lakes area.

I haven't been to Paris but I'd pick that over Barcelona. Most of the people that I've know who have gone there have mainly been interested in partying (not my thing).

bardo1

Rome (you still won't see everything you want) or Paris (just because its so nice to be there you'll never want to leave).

tcreath

Rome, but its hard to give advice if we don't know what you are looking for. Have you been to Europe before? What are your interests?

Tracy

Nikki

If you are leaning toward Paris, then go to Paris. But if you also want to consider Barcelona, that is a great city.

I have never spent two weeks in any European city, but I have rented apartments for a week at a time in Paris on three occasions and in Barcelona once. Well past the partying age, but I found Barcelona to be a wonderful, cosmopolitan city with a wide variety of options. This is the trip report I wrote about my week there in February with my husband:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34955177

nanabee

Two weeks can be a long time to be in just one city. But, then again some cities take years to see everything.

I would pick a country that I like then pick the major city and use it as a base to see other parts of the country as well.

tomassocroccante

For housing stock, Paris and Rome are both great = a large number of attractive properties in various neighborhoods. I also like the cultural flavor (not to mention cuisine) of both places. My French is poor - would this be an opportunity to improve it, or should I go improve my Italian, which is much better?! On the other hand, I speak Spanish and have never been to Spain (I'm suspicious that my American Spanish is going to seem like another language altogether ...)

I expect to be in an apartment in Rome for a week or more in the next year or two, so if this is a surprise trip I get to take this year, I choose Paris. (Or Madrid.)

rileypenny

We loved walking around the 6th Arr. in Paris last month. Close to everything but a wonderful neighborhood feel, many restaurants, shops, galleries. If I could stay in a European city for two weeks it would be there first.

Zermatt2

I agree with much of the above, that it depends on what you like, and what your budget might be. I would highly suggest Prague or Munich. Prague is a very beautiful city, and it may be less expensive than the other big ones mentioned. Munich also is quite nice. The thing about Munich is that there are a lot of very nice day trips you can make easily from the main train station. Then, again, Rome, Paris, and Barcelona also are very nice....watch out for pickpockets anywhere you go, but especially Barcelona. Having been to Europe many times (and living in Holland for 4 years), I would almost certainly pick either Prague or Munich.