Good point - if you are going to go to two cities (only sensible if you fly into one and out of the other) then the Eurostar makes London/Paris the only two major capitals to link in just one week. For the history /art combo they are difficult to beat, although expensive places to visit.
Re Eurostar check out for special deals as late January should have some low season bargains - if you can afford it go first class. Second class looks like a cattle truck right now - pending refurbishment of their rolling stock.
Most of the obvious alternatives have been listed already - but thought about St Petersburg? All the art you could wish for… and very pretty time of year to visit it so long as you dress up warm.
Just a word of warning. If you decide on Paris and visit Notre Dame Cathedral DON’T buy a drink in a bar nearby and then take it outside to admire the cathedral.
Reason? the bartender will come charging out and demand extra cash from you “For the view”
Also DON’T sit outside after buying a drink inside.
Reason? same as above only more cash is required.
Personally I found Paris to be a somewhat dirty city in terms of garbage/litter but some of the sights are really wonderful.
A boat trip along the River Insane is recommended as is a visit to one of the many nightclubs/shows.
It sounds like Spogga’s beef should not be with that particular bar but with continental Europe as a whole. That’s the system throughout France and Italy for two, and Spain and Portugal also I believe. If you order at the bar and drink it there you pay one price, if you want full service you pay another. Sounds fair to me - and better than being ripped by Starbucks for a bucket of piss.
You are short changing yourself by standing at the bar and then taking a table. If you sit down at the best table overlooking the square and wait for the waiter to take your order you will pay the same - and look much classier!!
If you sit down at the best table overlooking the square and wait for the waiter to take your order you will pay the same - and look much classier!!
But you’ll wait forever and then be treated like you just walked off the immigrant boat. Damn, I hate that haughty bistro waiter attitude that most of them have.
** notquitekarpov **
I beg to differ, I have spent holidays in most European countries and France is the only one where waiters have TRIED to charge me extra for sitting outside or inside.
In point of fact in Germany they encourage you to sit outside [weather permitting] as this gives the waiters more time to keep the inside of the premises spotless.
Germany is possibly the cleanest country I have ever visited with Poland running a very close second.
Maybe we will have to agree to differ Spogga. Or maybe I misinterpreted your post?
When you said "Also DON’T sit outside after buying a drink inside I assumed you were comparing prices of buying coffee at the counter with the extra for taking a table afterwards/getting waiter service. If you do the latter, from all my experience, you will get charged extra.
But if you are actually describing a price hike for sitting outside versus sitting **inside ** then I agree, that would be a cheek!!
But this is a side issue and I am beginning to regret my first post.
To add something to the OP, I would warn off any veggies from visiting Paris. I was there with a Buddist friend of mine and despite carrying the “Veggies Guide to Paris” she had a terrible time finding something other than eggs and salads.
I’ve been to France twice and as far as food is concerned IMO the only decent stuff they have is their bread.
The rest of the so called ‘gourmet’ dishes are crap and the portions wouldn’t keep a pigmy shrew alive for more than 15 minutes. The coffee is passable but not as passable as Starbucks, that is shite.
Have we got Starbucks in the UK yet? [hope not]
The price hike was for buying a drink INSIDE and then taking it OUTSIDE to look at the cathedral, I refused to pay.
