Paris....
 

The complete city is one big tourist trap.

$4.00 US for a Coke....post here for details if interested.

How interesting - I had the *opposite* experience the last time I was there. Opted for a 7 (yes seven)hour "connection" there on the way to IST.
Took the RER train into town, went shopping at FNAC and had a 3 course lunch with 1/2 carafe of wine (2 glasses) for around USD 10 (ten dollars!) including taxes and tip.
One of the best bookings I ever made.

Got to be the most arbitrary statement yet.

Serves you right for going to Paris and ordering coke, bet you could get a glass of a nice Burgundy or Bordeaux for the same price.

Paris is one the most vibrant and wonderful cities in the world, with some of the greatest restaurants on the planet, though I suspect you might be rating them according to the hamburgers or hotdogs they serve.
Mike

30FF for a coke? I don't ever recall seeing a price that high, except for maybe in a hotel minibar. Those don't count though -- because they're high everywhere.

I was in France recently and found the prices to be extremely low compared to other places. 10FF seemed to be the going rate for a 330ml can of Coke.

MIKESILV...

That was exactly what we did as a result...drank lots of fantastic wine instead.

Arbitrary...maybe...but most tourists I think, go someplace once, and then decide based on that one experience whether or not they'd like to go back. I am a little more open minded than that...but nonetheless...it wasn't cheap....I actually kept each receipt for every meal...etc...to show people back home because I didn't think anybody would believe me.

I never went to McDonald's either... http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif

Paris was fantastic....just pricy IMO when it came to the two things a tourist usually does, which are eat and shop. IMO it makes it a trap. Zurich (which I have been to) and London (which I have not) are also reported to be even worse...I know Zurich sure was.

Spuddbrother...

Mini bars were that price...as were some of the restaurants. The cheapest I saw paid 20FF. Then again, staying in St. Germain and not knowing the cities selection of bars/cafes probably didn't help either.



[This message has been edited by Carioca Canuck (edited 10-11-2001).]

My wife and I spent 2 weeks in France last Oct and really enjoyed it. Paris like most big cities can be expensive ( London much more so), but if you stay away from the real touristy areas, I generally found eating and drink cheaper than at home.
Sure you can spend $300.00 on a meal( which we did, only once though)We drink a fair amount of wine under normal conditions and I think we must had an average of three bottles per day.
Outside of Paris meals are even cheaper and found we were spending say 200FF (about $30) for a meal including wine, which we would have spent $70 to $100 or more at home.
If you drink the local wines especially in Bordeaux,the Loire Valley or in Burgundy you could get descent wines for about $5 per bottle. Never forgot seeing bottles of Cote de Rhone in wine shops in Avignon for 10FF = $1.50.
The cost of your coke, I suppose one could it compare to eating at say Disney World, it costs a fortune and some visitors think the, rest of the country is that expensive.
Mike

[This message has been edited by MIKESILV (edited 10-11-2001).]

Trap---Trap---Trap!!! Look at the pigeons they caught here.

I just returned from my 8th trip to Paris (all leisure - yeah, like I will ever have a business trip to Paris). Yeah, Paris is always a good idea.

Every city in the world can be expensive or cheap depending on your preferences.

I've had $35US appetizer of five asparagus spears(yeah, that's how a meal can add up to $100US a person for the food portion) but i've also had awesome 5 course tasting menu for $35US per preson.

And yes - cokes/evian/etc is still 10FF out of a vending machine. And remember, prices at restaurants and cafes include tax and tip. So that's an automatic "discount" relative to US menu prices.

Soft drinks are much more expensive outside of North America... usually more expensive than beer.

NO one should be caught dead drinking Coke anyway! http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

Research from a major U.S. university shows almost conclusively that it's nearly impossible to drink Coke while dead.

I live in New York and Paris is no more expensive than home. I also agree that when in Paris, drink plenty of wine because the quality is excellent even for their lower price wine from the region.

There are many a restaurant which will charge a moderate price for a meal in Paris. The hotels are also more affordable than many other cities such as SF, London, Zurich, etc...

Expensive, Expensive, Expensive...

Enjoyable, worth a trip back, Yes!

Will I consider this and compare other cities and affordability before returning, Yes!

Ah Paree! The capital of the world, not just France. After over 35 visits, I have have never had an unpleasant time or seen a $4 coke, even when the US Dollar bought only 4 3/4 French francs rather than the current 7.3. For those interested, here's a website to acquaint you with details and photos of the new euro. <www.visiteurope.com>
Lou

Perhaps for those who enjoy butter and cheese saturation, can bear more than a ounce of pretension and an atmosphere of anti-Anglo-Saxon paranoia, and don't mind the transport strike du jour, I suppose.

I, however, will pass. In fact, I refuse to fly through CDG or even through French airspace, when possible. After all, you never know when French ATC will get bored and decide to authorize a little extra vacation time for themselves on the spur of the moment.