My sister thinks Paris is expensive; I don't. What do you think?
 

My sister thinks that Paris is the most expensive city in the world. She thinks she can never go there. She is comparing it to New York city.

BUT -- Here's what I think. I think it is much easier to do Paris on a budget that NYC. Paris has lots of decent, small hotels that are reasonably priced, whereas in NYC you're hard-pressed to find a crappy room for $200.

Also, the selection of "take-out" food in Paris is so wonderful and can be eaten fairly inexpensively (crepes, paninis, rotisseried (s?) chickens, cheese, bread, etc). In most of the busy areas on NYC you can get take out - but it's not very good or relatively inexpensive.

Now, clearly, if you want to eat the most expensive meal in the world or stay in the most expensive hotel in the world, Paris might be a good bet. But you can still have a great time in Paris on a budget.

What do you think?

Paris can be very expensive, but it doesn't have to be. I agree w/you whole heartedly.

I agree that hotels can be found less expensively in Paris than in New York, and that in general it is a very good destination in which to find wonderful value at reasonable prices.

On the other hand, except for hotels, I would say the same thing about New York, where there are as many inexpensive ethnic restaurants as one could ever want to find, and as much free and cheap entertainment as any place in the world.

Paris, Texas is maybe cheaper then the French original. Paris still is the capital of all capitals. If you like to be there, you will say, expensive, maybe, but the money spent there (with some common sense used, when doing so) is worth it.

I can easily do NYC and Paris on the "cheap". Both cities can be crazy expensive but both a so many inexpensive and free things to take your time as well. In Paris, there's lots of greap street-food or inexpensive restaurants. I know of great rooms for 150e in the 6th. My husband and I did 5 nights in Paris for $1500. inclu hotel and food. We used some miles and got airfare at a discount.

sorry for the horrible grammar and mispelled words! I didn't proof-read.

Perhaps what your sister really doesn't agree with, or want to agree with, is your very last statement about still having great time on a budget.

It would be nice to hear her side of this..from her!

Yes, I agree, you can have a wonderful time in Paris on a strict budget.

intrepid:
I might think that for most people, but I don't for her. She is fairly broke and doesn't mind traveling and living frugally. They travel to Ireland almost every year (with 3 kids) because her husband is from there. She always wants to go to Paris, but said to me this morning, "We'll never be able to go because it's too expensive." (That after she attempted to book a weekend in NYC for her anniversary and was dismayed at how much hotel rooms have gone up there recently.)

Anyway, I launched into this conversation with her about how Paris can actually be a very affordable place to tour and then I thought - Does anybody else think that too or am I crazy?

There has already been a similar discussion, "Does Paris have to be expensive?"..
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34733142

I also believe that Paris can be done affordably. As noted earlier, I find it cheaper than NYC. You just have to plan properly.

wliwl,

I think our responses should answer that question.

I LIVE IN MANHATTAN.

Your sister is wrong.

Cheaper in Paris:

Hotel
Mass Transit
Attractions &amp; Museums (MOMA is <b>twice</b> as expensive as the Louvre. The Empire State Building is <b>twice</b> as expensive as the Eiffel Tower)
Food at the Supermarket
Bakeries

Cheaper in NYC:

Airfare (from most places)
Restaurants
Shopping

Nine times out of ten I find the people who complain the loudest about how expensive Europe is are the first ones to drop three grand a week at Orlando theme parks or Las Vegas casinos.

The good thing about being a tourist in both of those cities is that you can get package deals and passes that natives may not take advantage of. I spent a weekend in NY and my hotel offered a book of passes that got us into museums and the empire state bldge etc for free. It was wonderful.

Hi W,

This year we are going to New England to take a motor tour through VT, NH and MA for 11 days.

Including air fare, it is about the same price as we usually pay for 11 days in Paris.

It is much more expensive than visiting the Dordogne.

((I))

&lt;&lt;What do you think?&gt;&gt;

I think you are right on all counts.

I spend about the same for a weeks trip to Paris as a weeks trip to NYC. HOWEVER, I take a train to NYC (from DC) which is much less expensive than a flight to Paris. Therefore, Paris is cheaper. Much cheaper.

So... are you planning to print all these responses to show your sister??

You could even rephrase it to:
&quot;A week on holiday anywhere in the US will cost you more than the same week anywhere in France.&quot;

&quot;A week on holiday anywhere in the US will cost you more than the same week anywhere in France.&quot;

How could you say that with a straight face?

It doesn't really matter what we all think if you are trying to get your sister to agree. Even when something is the same price, it may be expensive to me but not in the eyes of someone else. This is just a silly argument, don't you have normal conversations with her? INstead of just debating and arguing about it, why don't you just ask her factually where she got her information from and then show her some other information.

So many people on this forum seem to have these really odd relationships with friends and relatives where they can't discuss things normally. If my sister said such a thing, I would tell her what you can get and pay for things in Paris, and she would probably be glad to hear it because she would want to know more information and would obviously know she she hadn't been to Paris that she might not have the best idea of things.

&gt; She thinks she can never go there.

Am I correct to understand that she has never been to Paris? Then, how can she say the things she says about Paris?

I have always found Paris to be fairly reasonable. Like everyone else has said it can be expensive but so can anyplace you go to.

I have taken several trips in the states that were just as expensive as Paris if not more so and believe me they can't hold a candle to Paris.

I just got back from Delaware. The airline ticket was just about $100 less than had I gone to Paris, depending on the airline. One of the airlines was MORE than a ticket to Paris.

It is half the price to go to the Louvre than it is to ride up to the top in the space needle in Seattle and, sorry, there is no comparision between the two.

Aside from Istanbul, I found Paris to be the most reasonably priced &quot;big city&quot; in the world that I've been to so far.

It sounds to me like your sister is speaking from the vantage point of someone who's mouthing off, but has never been there.

I took my Mom to Paris in September (we have a family member who lives in NYC), and we both agreed it was much cheaper to go to Paris for a week than NY, including airfare.

Hotels are more reasonable, the wine is cheaper, and transportation costs no more. Like any big city, if you know where to eat, that's reasonable too.

Paris is the easiest city to do on a budget that I've found. Now tell her she has to actually go there and prove you wrong!

Jules

If she goes to Ireland every year she can certainly afford Paris. In fact, she'd be pleasantly surprised.

Except for the airfare to get to Paris, we find Paris to be more reasonable than NY. It is almost impossible to find a decent hotel in NY for under $250. Paris has numerous attractive choice for less. I think the food in New York for comparable meals is much more expensive than Paris. The same with the shopping. I agree with you that Paris is much easier to do on a budget than NY but would add that Paris is much easier to do at most every dollar level than NY.

Paris is easy to do on a budget. For all the reasons you mention.

Do you have any idea why your sister thinks it's &quot;the most expensive city in the world&quot;? Has she been there herself? She has friends who travel high-end? What?

I think it's a normal thought for an average American who hasn't yet been to Paris to think that it is an extremely expensive city. Think about the visuals you grew up with, showing this very high-fashion city with glamorous model, rich, opulent hotels and restaurants etc.. Unless you've been there or have truly researched the prices, I think it's a normal opinion...incorrect but normal.

Maybe she means Paris <i>Hilton</i> is expensive.

No, Paris Hilton is cheap. Paris France is inexpensive...

If she thinks Paris is expensive, don't let her even think of going to London O:)