I would love to go to all 4 cities next May. However, I am on a tight budget. Which 2 cities would be the least expenisve, London and Paris or Rome and Florence. My husband and I want to go on a 10 day trip, so it would be about 4-5 days in each city.

Hi, pabbles

from what I can gather, they are all pretty pricey for those who are forced to think in U$.

however, IMO Italy is going to be cheaper, in that you wil get nicer accommodation and food for less than you woudl in London and Paris.

for example, on another thread, another poster has found what looks like a very nice B & B in the Piazza navona [the centre of Rome] for E95 per night. you would be very lucky to get anything at all in either london or paris for £95, let alone E95. you should be able to do the same in florence.

this forum is full of people saying how expensive hotels and food are in the UK, especially.

with 4 or 5 days in each place, you could think about renting an apartment, which might cut your costs further.

regards, ann

London is one of the priciest. I also think Rome/FLorence would be a bit more economical.

I just want to add that if the Italy airfare is much higher than the other, cost would probably even out.

Have you looked at airfares?

Airfare is cheaper to London/Paris

Food is generally more expensive in London

museums are free in London

most museums are expensive in Rome/Florence

Hotels are more expensive in London

Apartments tend to be a bit cheaper in London

so figure out which things are most important to you. Many people comment about how much more London hotels are - but if one plans on going to many museums/tours, the cost per day will be about the same.

IMHO it really does about even out in the end.

Wow what a toss up--first off, I think that whichever you choose, you will have a wonderful time!

I've been to all the places you picked and while I agree that it pretty much evens out in the end, I would pick to go to Rome/Florence (and then in the future return to London/Paris) for several reasons that haven't been mentioned above, but worth thinking about...

1. For a couple, I find Italy more romantic--if going with friends I would pick London/Paris first

2. Personally, Italian is my favorite food, but I would consider what type of cuisine you wish to eat for 10 days (while I enjoy everything, I know some people who get sick of Italian/French food very quickly)

3. You are going right before tourist season, which is good, but in my various visits I have always found Italy to be less crowded in May than London or Paris.

4. Gifts for more reasonable prices are easier to find in Italy

Not sure if these factors are important to you, but I thought I'd throw them out there as well! Have fun!

This all depends how you want to do the trip. London hotels are expensive - unless you get a good deal on Priceline, which is frequently possible.

Rome hotels are expensive - but you can stay in a convent or get an apartment.

Paris hotels can be pretty cheap - although maybe not in the very hottest areas.

If I went to London, I'd want to go to theatre, and that is pretty expensive (even though I do everything to make it cheaper). If I went to Rome, I like to take relatively expensive tours. In Paris, I like expensive concerts. With the Roma Pass, I think Rome sights can now be cheaper than they were.

So figure out what you would want to spend money on. I think that the cost of either trip can be set at low, medium, or high - and it's up to you how you set it.

I think your plan of two cities is a good one. If I had to choose, Rome/Florence would win out for me.