My wife and I can not decide where to spend our 7 days summer vacation in early july.Paris or Rome/Florence?please give me advantages and disadvantages for both options.thank you!

Hi<BR>I love Paris. More romantic, more beautiful, more elegant.<BR>You can take a car and drive overnight to Mont-St Michelle in Normandy and Giverny (Monet's beautiful house &amp; garden) 0n the way. On the other hand - Rome is nice too &amp; Florence only an hour and a half by train.<BR>Leather goods &amp; nice shoes.<BR>I am for Paris.<BR>Meira

It will be sweltering in Rome most of July, whereas Paris will be more mild. <BR><BR>Most Parisians go on vacation in August (I wouldn't recommend going at that time), so my vote is Paris.<BR><BR>But I do find the cuisine to be better in Italy than Paris (but I'm a sucker for Italian food), and the shopping in Florence is awesome, particularly the leather.

I would also go to Paris. Italy is usually much hotter in July than Paris. I was miserable in Rome last July. I loved Italy but Rome is a gritty, fast paced city and with the heat it made the smells, litter, and pollution more noticable. I'll definitly go back to Rome again to give it another try but it certainly won't be in July. Paris is wonderful any time. There is much to do but if you don't like &quot;doing&quot; things, you can just wander and enjoy the beauty, the sounds, the ambiance. And since you have a whle week I would second the suggestion to rent a car for a couple of days and do Giverny and Mont-St Michele.<BR><BR>You don't say what kind of things you like to do (museums, food, shopping, etc). If you do you'll get more information from people. Also, is this your first trip to Europe. If you are asking which of those two cities it sounds like it is. If that is the case that would be another point in Paris' favor. I felt right at home in Paris after only a day or two ( and have since been back several more times). The metro is so easy to use and walking is delightful.

Another vote for Paris - especially in July. But the next time you can travel in May or September, definitely go to Italy.

Paris, less likely to be sweltering, and Florence is so small that the summer crowds can really be overwhelming

Hi Sakis,<BR> If this is your first trip to Europe, I recommend Paris. <BR> If not, I recommend Paris in July over Rome/Florence for the reasons given above.

Thank you very much for all your answers!I did not mention that I am european (Greek) but I havent visited none of these 3 cities.

Definitely Paris in July. Rome, which I love, can be overwhelming at any time, so the heat and the crowds of other tourists could spoil the whole trip. Paris is beautiful most of the time. My suggestions for a day trip would be Chantilly, Provins, St Germain-en-Laye, Chartres, Versailles. These are all reachable by public transportation. Renting a car would be a hassle because you would be foolish to drive in Paris, so you would have to go to the outskirts to even get started. If Mont St Michele is at the top of your list of places you must see, take advantage of a one-day bus tour. There are several companies in Paris that offer these tours and they pick up at convenient locations around the city. Have fun.

I went to paris on july 4 2001 and it was fantastic. the weather was perfect...sunny and the temperature was just right. Everything was open, and the line ups for the museums etc. were pretty much non-exsitent. I would really recommend Paris. It is also very romantic. Good Luck with your decision.

Steve<BR><BR>Sorry, the food in France is better than Italy. I love both places but you just cant beat the French food. Starting with bread and ending with dessert, the French win-hands down. Service is better in France too. <BR><BR><BR>