How about these words of great wisdom for one cannot even identify where they are from but obviously of far superior stock.

Surprised you even used "de jour" in your post did you not know its French???
mike
Mike

No superiority vibe intended; I'm simply pointing out some reasons why I think Paris isn't the end-all be-all of creation, as the poster to whom I replied seemed to think.

I might have gone a bit far with the comment on pretension, I admit, though that's how the French attitude toward the US and UK - and often the rest of Europe and the world - has often struck me.

I have absolutely nothing against any individual French citizens I've ever met, btw. Many were quite friendly and helpful in fact, and over the years, I've gone out of my way to return the favor. But that doesn't change the fact that I found Paris to be underwhelming.

No taste for irony, Mike?


[This message has been edited by taucher (edited 12-28-2001).]

I love Paris. Have been 5 times ( all leisure) and hope to go many, many more. It does seem to be more expensive than most other places I have been but absolutely worth it. I have also found the notion that the French are rude to be way off the mark. Once had a French man walk 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile with me to show me where something was, because he couldn't explain it.

Paris is the best city in the world. If you go there and you order a Coke and pay $4, it's still a bargain. I'd rather pay $4 for a coke and be in Paris, than pay 50 cents at the local WalMart.

Why would anyone order a Coke in Paris anyway?

QUOTE]Originally posted by Carioca Canuck:
The complete city is one big tourist trap.

$4.00 US for a Coke....post here for details if interested.[/QUOTE]

polin, you're my kind of guy(?). My attitude in the '80s was that I'd rather get killed by an Algerian bomb in Paris that get hit by a "drive by" shooter in Chicago. I must admit an addiction to Diet Coke (Coca Cola Light in Paris) and my experience is also about 10FF. I don't think, however, that I would determine a place a tourist trap because of the price of a Coke.

To be honest, I think I have lost count of the number of times I've been in Paris (all leisure) and usually end up thinking what a bargain it is. I happen to love London, too, but can there be a more expensive place in Europe?

I even think the people are great. Can you believe, my last trip, in December, I left my keys in the hotel and they tracked me down because somebody described me to the doorman, they remembered me and the cab driver and called the cab driver's cell phone on the way to the airport and talked to me to let me know? And this was at the Hilton!!

I'll always "luv Paris."

------------------
Jeff

[This message has been edited by ILuvParis (edited 01-05-2002).]

Based on what criteria?

Surely you're aware that the wine cellar at Chez McDonald's is not up to par?

http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif

I have been in Paris at least 30 times.
O.K., some restaurants (Michelin ***) are very expensive, however, not in my pricerange.
There are plenty of fine restaurants for lower budget.
"My" hotels are all in St. Germain/Montparnass:
Hotel L'Universitee, 2 Hotel(s) Lenox; St. Germ. is the better one, Hotel Suede.
People on this board say Hotel Boquet is good too.

Coca-Cola Can - Prices in Europe (source bild.de)

1 € (=Euro) = 0.9 US$

Finnland € 1,01
Frankreich € 0,76
Italien € 0,62
Irland € 0,56
Belgien € 0,50
Portugal € 0,44
Österreich € 0,43
Niederlande € 0,42
Griechenland € 0,41
Deutschland € 0,35
Luxemburg € 0,32
Spanien € 0,32

Just got back from a delightful, though too short, trip to Paris. Didn't drink any Coke, though I saw it in restaurants and elsewhere priced well below $4. (We drank mostly mineral water.)

I can imagine a French visitor to any US city (not just very expensive ones such as NYC) looking at the cost of a glass of house wine at any US restaurant ($4 up) and thinking "The complete city is one big tourist trap." That opinion and the one at the top of this thread would be equally unfair.

When my travel companion and I discuss our next trip, one of us always says "yes, but it's not Paris," and the other nods. We'll probably go somewhere else next time - Africa was this morning's topic - but it's not Paris.

Give me that tourist trap any day of the year.

Yesterday at LAX Terminal 1, I bought a can of Naked Juice for $5.37.

Paris is one of the most wonderful cities in the world.

Shopping is great in Paris! Maybe they don't have the continuous sales that we have in the States, but when they have their sales they are fantastic. I try to go every January for the shopping, and everything is on sale. It's also an inexpensive and uncrowded time to fly - - and the hotels are usually a bargain at that time. This past January air and hotel (my half) came to $490 for 4 nights.

To me a "trap" means a place with no other choices available, so you have no choice but to overpay. Paris has many options - there are many neighborhoods, hotels, stores, restaurants, etc. to choose from at ALL price levels. And yes, I have had a Coke in Paris, at various prices from about .75 to $4.00 - - and sometimes the $4.00 is worth it, especially when you can drink it at your leisure and spend a half hour or more relaxing and watching the people go by.

C'est votre choix!

Paris is a great city and I go there whenever I can. Yes its expensive but so are many other large cities (even in the US) and that is often dependent to the exchange rate. However, the cost does not make it a tourist trap.

I came back from Paris almost two weeks and I simply loved it. I found Parisians to be no more friendly or not friendly than most New Yorkers. I prefer the Metro to the NYC subway any day! Paris has so many beautiful churches, wondrous museums, and is a gastronomical dream come true.

That......and there are some wonderful FTers over there! http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

Analise, I totally agree with your statement on the Paris Metro. Comparing NYC subways & their Metro it always amazes me that visitors to NY manage to get around at all. Paris' Metro seems soooooo much more user friendly than our system.
And as far as that $4 coke, one of the first things I do in Paris (or any major city I'm visiting) is find the local Monoprix, or its equivalant and stock up on some basics for my hotel room, which can include inexpensive wine, cheese, crackers, coke etc. And I agree, in every city anywhere you can spend a lot or a little for a meal. I've found there is no real correlation between the quality and price in many instances http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by mauld (edited 03-18-2002).]

Get yourself the book "Cheap Eats In Paris". Find yourself having great meals for 3 people at under $50. and one's a wine drinker. Come to think of it my son was 14 then and I think he did his fair share of wine drinking too. The house wines were so good and so cheap. How could you not love their bargain of a subway system. It's just so darn beautiful, too.