Which is cheaper to visit now--Paris or London?
 

Forget about the airfare and the lodging. I am only interested in the costs of transportation in the city and for day trips, budget dining, and an itinerary tht isn't totally loaded with admission fees. With the dollar in its current condition, which would you say would is more inexpensive for the above mentioned things for an early spring trip?

In my experience, London has ALWAYS been a lot more expensive than Paris, and continues to be. Even if you just consider hotels and food, Paris IMO is a bargain compared to London.

OK, I keep my journals.

Last year we were in London for 14 days and AVERAGED $ 256.00 per day for the two of us. We were in Paris for 7 days and AVERAGED $ 175.00 per day for the two of us.

These figures do not count lodging. We ate and drank very well. It also includes local transportation, admissions, and all day trips. But I must say the biggest reason for the much higher figure in London was that we do theatre virtually every day, sometimes even twice a day, but almost always on half price tickets. In Paris we don't do theatre.

There's no doubt about it for us -- we always spend a lot less in Paris than in London.

Agreed. Travel on the metro in Paris is cheaper than on the London Underground (although purchasing travelcards makes it closer). Bargain eats can be found in both cities, but fine dining is cheaper in Paris. As far as day trips go, transportation out of Paris (particularly by rail) is cheaper, and France's transportation infrastructure is much better than Britain's.

Paris --- always has been.

I've always thought Paris to be much cheaper than London.

You will never be able to convince me that London is cheaper than Paris which is why this year we are going to London. I know the dollar is never strong against the pound so I don't expect any great bargains. If I went to Paris I would be depressed because I know I've gotten better prices in the past! How's that for logic????I expect to have a wonderful time in London and the countryside and just hope the value of the dollar doesn't sink below .50, then I will be depressed!!!!Deborah

Paris, Paris, Paris, "in the spring time, in the summertime, in the fall, in anytime at all."

DeborahAnn, I've seen people manage to justify almost anything, but your reasoning is amazing. Reminds me of two twin sisters I once knew. They said, "she hates Italy and I hate France, so we're going to Spain, since we both hate it."

I think Paris will be cheaper, but if you are traveling at a low enough budget, there really isn't a huge difference. If someone can get by with $15-20 for food in London (quite possible if supermarkets are utilized), will you really do that much better in Paris? If you can get by with $5-8/day transport on bus and tube in London, how much can you save from that in Paris? Day trips and admission fees are variable and discretionary and you could find examples of free, inexpensive, and expensive options in each city. So start with the assumption that if you really want to make a low budget work you can if you want, and there won't be a huge difference at a low level. As you go up the luxury ladder, I think Paris is likely a better deal.

Thanks Patrick, at times I enjoy being completely illogical. I enjoy your travel advice, please tell me you are illogical sometimes. Deborah

It really surprises me that Paris is considered cheaper. In 1996 when I last visited Paris I recall that it was far more difficult to find a reasonably priced hotel in Paris than in London. Nor will I ever forget having to shell out $4 for a box of tissues! When in London I often eat in a pub or visit Sainsbury's, so I save money there too; money that I'd rather spend on the wonderful London theaters.

In Paris I had the misfortune of dealing with an unpleasant hotel owner who not only double-booked me but informed me that I was not allowed to eat in my room (!). So, there again, I was forced to live more expensively than in London by eating out at every meal. It also surprises me that no one here mentions that most major London museums do not even charge admission fees, which can save you a bundle. As far as I know, this is not true of Paris.

Of course, my Paris trip was almost 8 years ago and maybe things have changed. Hope so! In spite of a few unfortunate experiences, I would love to return to beautiful Paris again.

Some things in London are cheaper - primarily museums which are mostly free and theatre.

Some things are cheaper in Paris - wine, cafes, etc.

The metro/underground are basically a wash if you are talking about weekly passes/carnets.

Comparable hotels will be a little cheaper in Paris -- comparable apartments tend to be cheaper in London.

Most people think London is a lot more expensive - but in my experience the free museums actually make them pretty much equal, with Paris slightly cheaper.

I don't want to offend any great UK cooks out there, but I have always thought that you can eat well very cheaply in Paris (including crepes and gyros from the street, bread and cheese from shops, etc.) but must spend quite a bit of money to get a good meal in London.