They are two of Europe’s finest cities but both metropolises have, for centuries, battled it out to be top dog. Each wants to be crowned Europe’s best city. Both have their merits that help them stand out from the crowd, be it London’s historical charm or Paris’ stylish etiquette. But which comes out on top, Clarendon Serviced Apartments pits them against each other:
1. Transport
It might sound like a boring place to start but a great city can house all the wonders of the world but if it’s too difficult to get around to see them then what’s the point? It’s a close race between London and Paris with the french capital boasting 300 Metro stations compared to London’s 270 Underground stops. Yet when you can’t get a tube you can always hop in a cab in London with over 6,000 operating around the city, far more than Paris. London also comes out on top when it comes to buses with over 75,000 milling along the city’s streets. Paris, by comparison has just 4,490. Leave the road and take to the skies though and it’s a different story. Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport has four runways compared with Heathrow’s two. There are talks to extend Heathrow, of course, plus there are three other airports in London including Stansted, Gatwick and Luton. London is also heavily investing in cross-capital routes and improving connectivity with the rest of the UK with CrossRail and HS2.
Winner – Tie (being bias we would say London edges it!)
2. Cuisine
Are we even asking this question? Of course it’s Paris. In France there are 101 Michelin starred restaurants and just 66 McDonald’s. In London there are 69 Michelin starred restaurants and 190 Maccies. Some of the world’s best restaurants are located in the shadow of the Champs-Elysees including Laurent, Mini Palais and Pierre Gagnaire. The french are, quite simple, masters of gastronomy. From fine pastries to frog’s legs they are the kings. Plus, their wine isn’t half bad. London is no slouch in the food department, admittedly, and the capital’s diverse and multicultural makeup is reflected in its food. There is everything from Asian to south American, Japanese to good old fashioned English pub grub. There are, shock horror, more restaurants in London compared to Paris, 11,925 versus 9665. And while Paris has fine wine, London has microbreweries.
Winner – Paris
3. Attractions
If it’s all about size then the gong has to go to Paris; the Eiffel tower alone is 1,063 feet compared with the Shard which is 1,017ft. Look at visitor figures, however and it starts to look a little different. In 2013 there were 16 million visitors to London compared with 14 million to Paris. Overall there’s more to see in London with four UNESCO world heritage sites; Maritime Greenwich, the Royal; Botanical Gardens at Kew, Tower of London and Westminster compared to Paris’ one; the banks of the Seine. London is more of a cultural hotspot with over 240 museums while Paris has 153. But Paris does have Disneyland.
Winner – London
Stay tuned for Part 2 of London or Paris. If you want to visit London and see everything the capital has to offer then explore Clarendon’s range of London serviced apartments. Tell us what you think makes London or Paris better on our Twitter page – use the hashtag London or Paris @clarendonapts and we’ll tweet the best ones.