Hi Otto!, not only I am french from Paris but I also happened to live for several years in Rome. Well, you are talking about two of the most beautifull city in the world. They are extremely different and I think it is impossible to say one is better than the other, it really becomes a matter of each one intimate subjective opinion. Nevertheless, asking my personal opinion, I will have to admit that I prefer...Rome. <BR>

The reasons: Paris is "grandiose", a true representative of what we called in France "la grandeur", it is an imperial capital full of great and immense boulevards and impressives monuments such as l'Arc de triomphe. Yet this somewhat military structure's aspect that was given to the city in the 19th century by a Napoleon III's minister called Haussmann didn't affect its charm. this is what makes unique Paris: it combines an impressive monumental aspect together with poetry and elegance which save it from the vulgar and "fascist" exhibitionistic appearance of other "imperial" cities.<BR>Paris beauty is overwelming. It reaches your eyes instantly. Its beauty is evident...<BR>Rome is exactly the opposite, it is much more jealous of its treasures... <BR>First impact, it looks like a big village... Yes, a colorfull and charming one, but still a village. This can be disapointing initially, where is the Rome I studied at school?, capital of our western civilisation?, the capital of catholicism?, you are full of imperial expectations and there it is...a village, could almost be in Provence. <BR>And then you walk, and you walk and boy you walk, and you discover that the "village" isn't that small after all, it is actually big, very big...And while you walk and you think you are lost in a tiny little narrow street, the Trevi fountain explodes suddenly in front of you, and then it's the Pantheon, followed by the Spanish steps, Piazza Navona, Piazza del Popolo or Piazza Colonna. In every corner a fountain, a statue, an obelisque, a renaissance church that partially hides a medieval church that is built on an anciant roman temple that you can still visit coming down a few steps underground, and here is a Bernini, a Caravaggio, MichelAngelo, Borromini, it never ends!!! Here is the True imperial city, it doesn't need to "show off", it doesn't need to prove anything, it is far too rich, too old and too mature and too wise to deal anymore with "glamour". Besides, the effect of discovering a magnificient piazza coming out from a narrow dark little street is far more impressive than those large enourmous never ending parisian boulevard. <BR>Rome doesn't show you anything (it has so many things it is pointless to point them out...they are too many!) and doesn't ask you anything, Everything is there, yet Rome is like a cat, you will have to approach it, it won't come to you.<BR>

In my personal experience I found that people who visited both cities only once tend to prefer Paris, but the people who went there several times end up prefering Rome and that is because coming back to Paris is of course always a pleasure, but it rarely surprise you anymore, Rome is a continuous discovery each time, maybe because Paris is more homogeneous and Rome is extremely varied and different one area to another. Not only it is one of the oldest city on earth but no other city is so rich in architecture of literally each historical period, ancient to medieval to renaissance to modern.<BR>As for the food, I totally disagree with David, Italian food is superior to the french one. We have great chefs, and the quality of our cuisine and restaurants have always been very high, but the Italian cuisine is way way more varied and richer (that is because each region kept very well its specifities). As for the wine I do agree that when talking about great wines (the expensives one) Bordeaux are unbeatable, but when it comes to everyday wines the italians are very good and cheaper. <BR>Voilˆ! Excuse my very poor English I hope I didn't bore you too much with this long post. Anyway, as a former post said, anychoice you make keep the other city NEXT in your list!<BR>

Jerome, I am in AWE!!! How beautifully said!

Beautifully said, Jerome, I agree with you completely, in all the points you raised.<BR><BR>Initially, I liked Paris over Rome, but the more I know both, the more I like Rome, since it always surprises me, and the more Paris looks "dej&aacute; vu" to me.<BR><BR>Also, the Italian food is so varied and full of different flavors, while French cuisine, regardless the region, doesn't taste really differently. I guess my palate got tired of the mesmerized and ubiquitous"sauces".<BR><BR>However, for a first visit, I still think that Paris stands out, regardless the weather, which will be undoubtedly better in Rome in Easter. Unless, Otto, you're so lucky as I was, since I visited Paris for the first time in March, and the weather was just glorious- sunny and pleasant!<BR><BR>Regards,<BR><BR>S

I haven't spent enough time in either to have reached any kind of clear preference, although I will say that I found negotiating auto and pedestrian traffic to be much more chaotic and distracting in Paris than in Rome, which seemed to me to be almost a peaceful city in comparison. Seeing as you are going for a week or two, I think, you certainly are not going to "lose" anything whichever one you choose. I would say that Paris seems to me to require a little longer to get settled in, so if I had only a week I might pick Rome, but probably most people are able to enjoy themselves and feel they've eaten well in both places, so really I guess it depends on your mood.

Bravo, Jerome! That was eloquently put, and your English is great by the way. I live in New York. I've been to Paris, and LOVE Paris (who couldn't?), and intend to go there again (and again, and again), but I haven't yet been to Rome. I just didn't hear it "calling" me. But nobody has ever described Rome to me in the way you have just done. Thank you! Your characterization of these two cities is so fascinating. If Rome is a cat, what animal is Paris? A proud peacock?

Very well said, Jerome. I've already decided that I will visit Rome again and, when I do, it will be an entirely different trip. There's already so much that I KNOW I didn't see, not to mention the things that you discover from just walking around.<BR><BR>Otto, I also agree with everyone that both cities seem to have a lot to offer and should be visited eventually. I'm sure you will have a wonderful time wherever you decide to go.

I have just returned from Rome and couldn't describe it better than Jerome. Rome is just so full of surprises around the corner - a beautiful piazza, obelisk, amazing ancient ruins. I've been to Paris twice, hope to go next year again - I love the city too, but as Jerome says, there aren't as many surprises as Rome. You really can't go wrong with either choice.

Jerome<BR><BR>Thank you for describing Rome exactly the way I feel about it but was unable to verbalize. It is an amazing city at every turn. The more you walk, the more in awe you are. I didn't find it all that chaotic or dirty - at least not compared to London or NYC - two cities I also love.

I agree with what others said, Jerome...your descriptions were wonderful!<BR><BR>I especially like these sentences: "Paris beauty is overwelming. It reaches your eyes instantly. Its beauty is evident... Rome is exactly the opposite, it is much more jealous of its treasures..."<BR><BR>One of the things I loved about Rome, compared to Paris, was the warm color of many of the buildings; the yellows, oranges, and ochres. <BR><BR>On the other hand, one of the things I love about Paris, compared to Rome, is its river. The Tiber is nice, but nothing at all like the Seine. To me there is nothing in Rome like standing on the Pont des Arts footbridge in Paris, looking either direction, especially east toward the Ile de la Cit&eacute;. I'd read somewhere that when Rome built embankments on the Tiber to control the annual flooding, it essentially "turned its back on the Tiber" whereas, to me, Paris seems to embrace the Seine.

I lived in Rome, so I may be a bit biased, but I'll take Rome over Paris anyday.<BR><BR>In Italy (well, northern and central Italy), you're either a Rome person or a Milan person, and it doesn't necessarily corespond to where you're from. From day one I was a Rome person, for many of the same reasons as Jerome so beautifully and eloquently described. But there are a few more.<BR><BR>In Rome, you feel like anything could happen. It's sort of like playing the lottery every day: the bus may not run because of a strike, the place you're going may be closed for some inexplicable reason, you may not be able to send that package from the post office because you forgot to tie a string around it (???). But just when you think you're beaten, something happens to make you see the beauty in it all. Because the bus isn't running, you end up walking and discovering a hidden pasticceria that sells the best strange little cookies you've ever had, and you sit down to enjoy it on a bench that also seems to be an ancient stone and you are suddenly hit by how old the place is. Because the store closes at noon on Thursdays, again for no reason, you're forced to take a break and have lunch, and on your way to lunch you pass by a hidden villa where you go in and meet the proprietor who hasn't left it in twenty years.<BR><BR>I don't know. Maybe this is the way Europe is for a lot of people, and it's certainly one of the things I like best about it. But to me, it seems like Rome is the perfect jumble of streets, people, water, food, and laughing, and you are forced, almost every day, to take the time to remember why life is good and how the little things together really make the big things important. <BR><BR>I like Paris, and I like it a lot. But to me Rome is dirtier and more magical. That's why I would spend every minute in Rome if I could!!

Thank you so much everybody! You have been very helpfull. <BR>I understand both cities are unavoidable in someone's life.I initially thought of visiting both in the same trip, but on a second thought I finally decided to dedicate a full trip to each one. It seems like almost everybody loves both of those cities even when they have a preference to one in particular. Anyway, I had to make a choice, and that is Rome, only because in their love for a city the Rome fans seem to be a little bit more passionate (Jerome + Emily) than the parisian ones. But Paris is defenitely next on my list. <BR>I'll write a report from my trip and share my personal opinions.

Hi everybody, I'm glad my descriptions met all those approvals!<BR><BR>Capo, I agree with you about the tiber. Ironically when they built the embakments, the "model" was Paris, but what they did is a very poor imitation.<BR><BR>Ess, how lucky you are, together with Paris and Rome, NYC is one of my favourite cities.<BR><BR>Otto, if you need any information on where to stay/eat you should look for a former tread called "Dan'suggestions on Rome" it is pretty accurate,<BR>buon viaggio!

Just to explain my comments to grasshoper( by the way you can eat grasshoper in france), the main point is Paris is more romantic than Rome. Rome is very busy and hectic. If you are going for a museum and church and history tour go to Rome.But you will be too busy for what I consider a relaxing low pressure romantic getaway. I stand by my "opinion" that for moderate priced restaurants after a few days the food in Italy though very good begins to taste the same. French food is more complex. As for the wine, a wine of the house is equally drinkable<BR>in either country. But you can get a great french wine in france for 20 - 30 dollars while a similar wine in italy ie Barolo is 40 -50 dollars. I had a Saint Joseph in France( 1989) for 30 -35 to die for. Try the Saint Francis zinfindel (calif.), it is terrific. <BR>

I just couldn't help put my two-cent vote in for Rome (and all of Italy too if I can). I love Paris, and get anxious every time I get another chance to go on a trip there. But Mama Mia, when I know that I will get the opportunity to travel to Rome and Italy again, I start to get all tingly inside. The sheer thrill and excitement to once again experience the beauty, charm, marvels and wonders of Bella Italia, gets me jumping like a puppy. There is to me no country on the face of the earth that compares with what Italy and its cities like Rome have to offer. If you can appreciate true down-to-earth flavor, tastefully done, then Rome is for you. Paris is sophisticated, and that may be your cup of tea. But somehow for me, I can never get enough of all the different colored buildings and ancient sites on top of each other in Rome. While there, I get caught up in the whole excitement of its piazzas and art and designs that are the essence of the whole Roman experience that I always leave begging for more. <BR><BR>When I leave Paris, it has always given me fond memories to take home. When I leave Rome, the memories from that city bring tears to my eyes.<BR><BR>Joyce

This is the kind of decision you can make based on where you can get a better deal for the time you are traveling! You really cannot make a mistake. And the decision to devote the trip to only one or the other is absolutely the right on. I've been to each city once. This April I get to go back to Paris (after a week in London). Next time we go to Italy we'll spend more time in Rome. I'm a city person and they are both wonderful (but the rest of Italy did modify that sentiment). My initial impression is that the top wines are more affordable in Rome than in Paris (and even better priced outside of Rome). Also that the "house" wines in Rome are generally better (however we usually order from the Wine list). It was nearly impossible to have a bad meal in Italy (we only had one over 3 weeks). But I'll have to keep researching that topic for many years before I'll have a final opinion. And that may never get resolved! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha What a terrible assignment!

If anyone wants to experience the incredible variety of Italian cuisine, seek out a "regional" restaurant in Rome: Sicilian, Pugliese, Napolitan, Roman, Ligurian, Tuscan, Milanese, Torinese, Emilgia-Romagnan. Each region has it's specialties, which differ enormously from each other. You can explore all of Italy using just your taste buds.

We went to Paris and Italy in the same year. Rome was definetly a city with all the makings. If you want to go to Italy go to Florence, rent a car and go around the Tuscana region. You won't regret it. However, Paris stole my heart, for reasons you must find out on your own. We are going to London this spring and I secretly wish we were going back to Paris. GO TO PARIS.

Of course, Budapest is more beautiful then either Paris or Rome. I fell in love with Rome when I was there and doubled my time that I had planned. I totally agree with Jerome's description of Rome. It is just a fantastic city with one surprise after another. The fountains all over the city are great, and I do think that Rome can be a very romantic city.