London vs Paris: which city is the best for you?
Unsurprisingly, both London and Paris are constantly locked in a battle for the number one spot on the list of cities that are brilliant for students. Factors such as affordability, employment opportunities, culture and nightlife are all things that are considered when it comes to the battle of the cities. When you look at all of these factors, it’s hard to say exactly which one is best but here are a few things that might help you decide for yourself…
Burgers vs Crepes
If you have the opportunity to decide between London and Paris then you’ll have a choice of some of the most fantastic cuisine in the world, whichever city you go for. Both cities are culturally diverse which means that restaurants are not limited. Paris has quaint cafes everywhere you look where you can have afternoon coffee and a traditional croque-monsieur (it’s like a cheese toasty but way better).
For traditional (and cheap!) French cuisine go to Chartier or for something more glamorous try Macéo where the menu regularly changes based around one single vegetable. In contrast, London has edgy dining experiences like the Michelin-starred Sketch and Dans Le Noir? where your entire meal will take place in darkness.
The London Eye vs la Tour Eiffel
Tourists flock to these cities day in, day out to see some of the world’s most famous landmarks and if you’re lucky enough to live in London or Paris then these will be right on your doorstep. The river Thames overlooks many of London’s top landmarks including Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. In comparison, your stroll along the Seine will give you a sight of Notre Dame and you can see the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night.
Tate Modern vs Le Louvre
The amount of art in these cities will overwhelm you. Whether you’re interested in renaissance art or something a little more modern, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to art galleries and museums in London and Paris. London houses some of the world’s best modern art galleries including the Tate Modern and Barbican, while in Paris you can spend whole afternoons looking at iconic sculptures in the Musée Rodin or post-impressionist masterpieces in the Musée d’Orsay, not forgetting the wonderful Musée du Louvre.
Beer vs Vin
Sometimes being a student is all about the nightlife and what better place to dance the night away than in two of the world’s best cities. Paris nightlife has all of the chic and glamour that you would expect from fancy bars on the Champs-Élysées to cheap happy hours in the hip area of République. It’s not all about wine, though. A popular area for bars is Oberkampf; Le Kitch and l’UFO have great cocktail menus and serve craft beer.
In London, you’ll find nightlife like no other with everything from temporary pop-up parties to clubs that play indie, R&B, house and hip hop all under one roof. You’ll find a lot of locals heading to clubs like Fabric, XOYO and Koko depending on which area you’re in that night.
The Tube vs Le Metro
Paris is a lot smaller than London with 18 arrondissements (or areas) in total, all of which have their own unique charm. This means that getting around Paris is often within walking distance but if you do need to hop on the underground then you’ll find it is easy to navigate and cheap. The latter can also be said for London in terms of transport. The London tube even runs nightly services on certain lines so you don’t have to worry about who’s going to pay for the taxi at the end of the night!
Whether you choose to live in London or Paris, both are fantastic cities to live in while you’re young so it’s entirely up to you. Plus, whichever one you choose, you can always hop on the Eurostar for a few days away exploring the other. So – which will you choose? Hello or Bonjour?
