travelerquestion

I noticed that I can fly to Paris an stay a week at a two star hotel for about $500.00. (www.go-today.com and other providers). This compares nicely with a driving trip to New York City. (Gas, tolls, parking about $100.00 and assuming a $150.00 hotel divided by two, times seven nights = the total cost for a week in New York would be about $600.00)

Who would ever believe that a couple could fly to Paris and stay for a week for the same cost as a short driving trip to New York (from my home town in Virginia).

Anyway, which is a more interesting place for a winter vacation Paris or New York?

Weadles

I'm from New York, and while I love it dearly, I can't think of another place I'd rather leave more in the winter. We've had really freezing winters the last two years, with lots of snow, which makes it a real pain to get around the city.

Is Paris starting to look good??? I think so-- esp at that price!

Have a great time!

Patrick

I think there's even better news. I always spend a whole lot less in Paris than I do in New York. Of course, a lot of that is due to the expensive theatre tickets in New York, but even so. Even the cost of having a pre-theatre drink in New York with tax and tip tends to be triple what I'd pay for a glass of wine at a nice Parisian cafe.

Friends here have long ago learned they can go to Switzerland or Austria for a ski week a whole lot cheaper than going to Colorado or Utah (from Florida, that is).

Christina

Some of those go-today.com prices are amazing, but they aren't quite that good. They leave off about $150 in flight taxes/fees and they aren't for seven nights but only six nights when they talk about a 7 day package (the ones with a base cost of $500 to Paris). Plus, they add on about $80 for departure from Washington vs. NYC. Maybe some of the other places you found $500 is different.

I don't think you can compare, of course, they are both great trips and there's a lot to do and see in both. I go to NY when I want a theater fix.

Flyboy

Even with the rise of the Euro's value compared to the U.S. dollar, Paris is still a great value and the better you know it, the less costly it can be. It's funny how many people will never bat an eye at a trip to a domestic U.S. destination but think that spending time in Europe, Asia or South America is some kind of exotic adventure that is only affordable for well-heeled jet-setters. The truth -- as you have discovered -- is that it can not only be competitive, but considerably less expensive to travel abroad. Paris in the winter is not Paris in the springtime, but it's still Paris. Go for it. As you've already pointed out, you can drive to New York, so it's still going to be there for you if a time comes when you perhaps can't find such a great deal to Paris or you want something closer to home. Seize the moment!

klondike

We have to go from Alaska to New York in January for a wedding and thought it would be fun as long as we were already on the far coast to jet down to someplace warm like the Florida Keys. It was going to cost us more to do this than to fly to Paris!

Not a hard decision for us...we've got the tickets to Paris!

wondering

i think you should decide what you really want to do. in winter it gets dark early both places, so what do you want to do at night in the cold weather? while both cities have ample nightlife, the choices do differ in my opinion.

wondering

oops -pressed the button too soon- anyway, i have been both places as a tourist in winter and both in spring. i actually enjoyed new york better in the winter than paris because of broadway shows at night. we went to paris the nov after 9/11 and people were surly compared to the springtime. i realize it may have been because of circumstances. ah, but paris in the spring is unbeatable! after writing this i do not think i have helped you very much. hope others have more concrete suggestions.

isabel

You can't go wrong in either one but since you mentioned cost in your question I'm assuming that is a concern. Consider that a driving trip to NYC is going to cost essentially the same thing in any season, any time you have a week free in the next year you could go to NYC for the same price. No way could you go to Paris from Virginia for the same price in June. Therefore for this trip I'd choose Paris.

Plus, the cost of other things (besides hotel and getting there) can be less expenisve in Paris. Consider things like Metro tickets, museum entrances, meals.

Nikki

Since you can drive to New York any time, you could always go there for shorter trips, say a long weekend now and then. It's much less likely that you would do that for Paris. In winter the New York sidewalks are frequently icy, slushy, snowy. Less likely in Paris.

Both New York and Paris offer many attractions and restaurants where you can spend lots of money, but both are excellent cities to see on the cheap as well.

Winter is a great time to see Paris without the long lines. Less daylight, but it is wonderful at night.

Bottom line: Paris in a heartbeat.

BTilke

Another vote for Paris. In addition to all the reasons mentioned above (although we haven't found Parisians to be surly in winter), there is also the weather. It will be cold in Paris, of course, and probably rainy for at least part of the trip, but you're not likely to run into one of the periodic bone chilling deep freezes that can hit NYC in winter, when it's all ice and wind and just too cold to think about putting a foot outside.

ira

Paris, Paris, Paris

elaine

I'm a New Yorker too.
For $150 per night, you can get a more charming hotel in a great neighborhood in Paris as opposed to NYC.

Except at Xmastime, NY is kind of miserable during the winter, especially the last year or two. Paris will likely be drizzly and cold, but that's more reason to stop for hot chocolate or coffee and pastry.

Come back to New York another time.
Or fly in and out of NY on your way to Paris, and stay a couple of extra days.

good luck

RJD

Unless you get a good deal, which is possible but not likely, you will not like the hotel room you get in NYC for $150 a night, especially after taxes. Do not trust the rates you see on the web unless they include all taxes. Figure $200 minimum.

mrwunrfl

Good morning. No way that the cost is the same. I see at the site you mentioned that they have a seven night Paris Christmas Special for $499. That is per person, double occupancy so it's $1000 for two. If leaving from Wash. DC would cost $80 more as Christina pointed out. Multiply that by two. We're up to 1160. Plus about $70 for air taxes x2, and we are up to $1300. Taxi fare to and from my place and Dulles is about $60 for two plus say (only) $40 for two from CDG to the Libertel Austerlitz hotel.

Your Paris trip is $1400 for two. It would be $900 going single.

That price is for 6 nights, not 7. Your NY trip would be $100 + 6 * $150 or $1000 for two.

travelerquestion

Here is the total package price I was talking about:

Paris Winter special on go-today.com. $399.00 from Newark, NJ, or $479.00 from Washington Dulles. Add about $100.00 in taxes and misc junk fees for a total cost of about $500.00 from Newark, or $580.00 from Washington Dulles. This is per person double occupancy.

The Christmas option a previous poster had mentioned is more expensive. I am not going at Christmas. I was thinking of March.

The drive to New York, from Virginia, and stay at a 2 star hotel for $150.00 a night for 6 nights vacation option is also about $600.00 a person. So which is a better trip New York or Paris? Costs are ABOUT the same.

Christina

yes, I see, although perhaps in March you could get a better hotel deal in NY on Priceline than $150 for a 2* (that seems rather high to me in March for a really cheap NY hotel; I've spent about that for a 4* in NY off-season). However, there is only one hotel available at that rate on the Paris package and I personally would not stay there (the Timhotel between gares du Nord and Est in the 10th arr). I would not stay in any of the go-today.com hotels until you get into the middle range, so that adds on quite a bit.

My time is very valuable to me because I don't get a lot of vacation. When I spend so much on airfare and everything else, plus take vacation time, I'm not going to affect my vacation enjoyment by staying in the cheapest hotel possible in a bad area, in order to save $25 a day or whatever. I just don't think these are comparable things that you are comparing in terms of hotels and hotel costs, but there really is no one answer to this question -- it depends what you want to do at any particular time. I agree costs are not too far apart, but I would not go for that cheap go-today price, I wouldn't be willing to stay in any of those hotels below the Mercure Ronceray (and that wouldn't be anything I'd really want very much, but it would be acceptable) and that one adds on $160 per person. I would prefer the ones around $600 per person, or $200 more than the lowest rate (Duminy Vendome or Royal Montparnasse would be ok with me).

richardab

Yeah, I am a New Yorker too and I say avoid this place in Winter or Summer. Winter is about as bitter cold as the people who live here. Paris won't be warm but it will not be as cold as New York. I think you will be treated bettter in Paris too...

One word of advice... Airfares and hotels are cheap to Europe in the winter. You might get a better deal and a better hotel by booking it yourself. Sometimes the hotels on Go Today are not too central or good. It's really not that hard and there are a lot of hotels which are central and great values.

Renee

Without a doubt.....PARIS!! No question about it.

Have fun!

WillTravel

How is the location of the Libertel Austerlitz hotel?