A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers London vs. Paris for Attractions, Food, Nightlife, and Music

Europe / Comparisons /
Jump to  down-arrow

Should you visit London or Paris?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between London and Paris can help you decide which place is right for you.

London

London is a historic, diverse, and iconic city. It's an amazing and huge city with tons of activities and things to do. This is also a very beautiful destination which attracts plenty of visitors. Other reasons to visit include shopping, museums, and theater.

Paris

Paris is a iconic, bustling, and energetic city. Visitors will also find so much to do here because it's a large city with many sights and attractions. Many visitors also come here because of it's amazing beauty. It's also popular because of the theater, nightlife, and live music.

How is London different from Paris?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Is London or Paris better for Museums and Historical Sights?

You'll find a number of museums and attractions in both Paris and London.

With plenty of landmarks, attractions, and museums, London has many famous sights for visitors. The city has so many iconic sights that we can't list them all, but some of the most famous include the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the British Museum.

Travelers visit Paris from around the world to see its many world-famous attractions. One of the most world famous landmarks is the Eiffel Tower. The city is also home to the world renowned Louvre, Notre-Dame, and Palais Garnier Opera House.


Is London or Paris better for Theater?

There are theater venues available in both London and Paris.

The theater scene in London is world-class. The West End theater district is where you'll find the most popular musicals. Famous theaters include Apollo Theatre, Palace Theatre, and Piccadilly Theatre.

The theater and performance venues in Paris draw crowds from around the world. There are world class theaters as well as smaller local venues where you can enjoy a show.

Is London or Paris better for Food?

Local dishes are fun to try in both London and Paris.

London has a number of nationally recognized food spots and restaurants. Although food here was once the butt of a number of jokes, the restaurant scene has come a long way, and you can find anything and everything around town.

For foodies, Paris is an obvious choice, as it is one of the food capitals of the world. There are countless local restaurants, markets, and patisseries to explore. Make sure you try the steak tartare, pate, and macarons.

Is London or Paris better for Nightlife?

If the nightlife is your priority, you'll find comparable options between London and Paris.

London is a must-see party destination. Some of the best neighborhoods for nightlife are Camden, Westend, Soho, and Shoreditch.

Paris is a must-see party destination. Head to Pigalle or the Latin Quarter for some of the city's best nightlife. There are all-night parties, cabarets, and exclusive night clubs that you can experience.

Is London or Paris better for Music?

London and Paris are both destinations where visitors can find live music.

London has become a mecca for musicians from around the world. Famous music venues include Dominion Theatre, the Roundhouse, and Dublin Castle.

Paris is known as a music capital around the world. Some of the most famous music venues include Le Pop In, La Mécanique Ondulatoire, and Les Disquaires.


Is London or Paris better for Shopping?

If you're looking to go shopping, London and Paris both offer plenty of spots.

Many people travel to London specifically to go shopping. With so much iconic shopping around town, it's hard to decide where to go. Head to Oxford Street, Regent Street, or Piccadilly Circus for a quintessential British experience.

People travel from around the world to go shopping in Paris. Some of the best areas for shopping are Boulevard Haussmann and the Grands Boulevards, the Marais, and Avenue Montaigne and the Champs-Elysées.

Is London or Paris better for Christmas?

With various activities, both London and Paris are good places to visit during Christmas.

People travel from all around to experience the Christmas season in London. There's Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, outdoor ice skating, and beautiful Christmas lights throughout the city. You can also listen to Christmas Carols in Trafalgar Square or see a classic Christmas show.

With so many activities, Paris is a top place to visit during Christmas. The city of lights really proves itself around the holiday season. In addition to checking out the Christmas lights, it's fun to go window shopping or check out one of the city's Christmas markets.

Is London or Paris better for Families?

You'll find kid-friendly activities in either London or Paris.

London is one of the most popular family destinations. Whether you do a Harry Potter Tour, take a ride on the London Eye, or enjoy afternoon tea, there are plenty of activities for kids around town. There are also many great playgrounds and toy stores to explore.

Paris is a very family-friendly destination. Check out Jardin du Luxembourg, or one of the city's many playgrounds. Also grab a treat at one of the city's many patisseries. And of course, there's Disneyland Paris.

Is London or Paris better for Couples?

Both London and Paris are good destinations to visit as a couple.

For those traveling as a couple, London has plenty to offer. With every type of entertainment that you can imagine, this city is the ultimate couple's getaway.

Paris makes for a terrific place to visit as a couple. A city filled with romance, you really can't find a more ideal destination for a European honeymoon or a couple's getaway.


Is London or Paris better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

For backpackers, both London and Paris are fairly comparable places to visit.

Many backpackers frequent London. Although the city is very expensive, it has tons of hostels, affordable restaurant options, and great public transit.

Paris is a very popular city to visit for backpackers. It's a big city, so it's easy to get lost in the chaos, but there are many hostels and other backpacker hangouts around town.

Is London or Paris better for Students?

For students, both London and Paris are fairly comparable places to visit.

Students come from all over the world to visit London. The city has a number of universities and is a popular study abroad destination. It's also a very diverse city, so international students will feel right at home.

Many students frequent Paris. The city is one of the most popular destinations for international and study abroad students.

Is London or Paris better for Public Transit?

London and Paris both offer public transit to get you around.

The thorough and effecient public transit system of London can take you anywhere. From the iconic double decker buses to the Tube, there are plenty of options throughout the city.

The thorough and effecient public transit system of Paris can take you anywhere. The city's metro system is very comprehensive. There's also a bus system that you can use to get around.

Is London or Paris a more walkable city?

London and Paris are similar when it comes to walkability.

London is a very easy city to get around on foot. With many walkable areas, it is considered to be one of the world's most walkable major cities.

Paris is very walkable. Some streets can feel a bit overwhelming, but there are many parts of the city that are easily explored on foot.


London and Paris: Pros and Cons

London
Pros
  • Popular museums and historical sights
  • Good music scene
  • Family-friendly
  • Good for couples and romance
  • Good for backpackers and budget travelers
  • Big city activities
  • Impressive beauty
Paris
Pros
  • Popular museums and historical sights
  • Good music scene
  • Family-friendly
  • Good for couples and romance
  • Good for backpackers and budget travelers
  • Big city activities
  • Impressive beauty


Should I spend more time in Paris or London?

How long in London or Paris?

Both London and Paris have a number of activities to choose from. You can spend a similar amount of time exploring either.

The ideal length of time for a trip to London is 2-7 days, and the ideal length of time for a trip to Paris is 3-7 days.


  • How many days in London or Paris? Ideal Length of Stay
    London 2-7 
    Paris 3-7

One day in London or Paris?

Each neighborhood in London has its own distinct appeal, so there are pleny of areas to explore. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Since there is so much to do in the area, one day is probably not enough for all of it.

Many travelers enjoy the live music and food when visiting the big city destination of Paris. But since there are so many activities, you'll likely want to spend more than one day exploring.

A weekend in London or Paris?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in London. For many, it makes a great getaway for a weekend. This would be the perfect place to spend a weekend, as it has just the right amount of activities. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision.

Paris is a great place to explore. With so much to do, a weekend is probably not enough time to see everything. Your budget might influence how long you stay.

Five days in London or Paris?

London is a fun place to experience. This would be the perfect place to spend five days, as it has just the right amount of activities.

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Paris. For many, it makes a great getaway for five days. With all of its activities, you can easily fill five days here. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

A week in London or Paris?

Each neighborhood in London has its own distinct appeal, so there are pleny of areas to explore. Plenty of people spend one week here when traveling. Take your pick from the many activities offered around the area. One week is often enough time to spend here.

Many travelers enjoy the museums and theater when visiting the beautiful big city of Paris. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. If you have one week, this is a great place to go. This would be the perfect place to spend one week, as it has just the right amount of activities.

Which city is cheaper, Paris or London?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in London is £145, while the average daily cost in Paris is £157. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for London and Paris in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    London £91
    Paris £103
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    London £182
    Paris £206

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    London £21
    Paris £14
Typical Local Transportation prices in London

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in London:


  • Taxi Ride
    £15
  • Heathrow Express
    £18
  • Luggage Storage
    £8.00
  • London Map
    £1.29
  • Oyster Card
    £36
  • Train to Gatwick Airport (2)
    £22
  • Oyster Card
    £27

Hired Cars and Shuttles in London

Also for London, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • London to Paris private taxi transfers: $1,794
  • Private Chauffeured Luxury Range Rover Transfer to London Bicester Shopping Outlet: $1,229
  • Airport and venues transfer 3: $1,173
  • Bath Day Trip From London With Private Transfer in Range Rover: $1,134
  • Private Round Trip Transfer: London to Brighton: $911
  • Private Transfer Between London and Paris: $748
  • private transfer shopping trip from London to Bicester village wr (8 hours): $745
  • Private Luxury Return Transfers to London Bicester Shopping Outlet: $708
  • Private transfers to/from Portsmouth International Port and London City Airport: $613
  • Private transfers to/from Southampton Cruise Port and London City Airport: $613
  • Private transfers from Southampton cruise terminal to London via Windsor castle: $564
  • Private Transfer from London City to Manchester Airport (MAN): $547

Typical Local Transportation prices in Paris

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Paris are as follows:


  • Metro
    £5.47
  • Train from Airport
    £7.69
  • Metro tickets
    £5.81
  • Train
    £17

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Paris

Also for Paris, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private transfer from Paris to London. Professional drivers, Mercedes cars!: $1,687
  • Transfer from Paris to Geneva or from Geneva to Paris: $1,431
  • Paris To Geneva - Private Vehicule Transfer Express: $1,431
  • Private Transfer from Paris to Bayeux - Up to 7 people: $1,227
  • Private Transfer from Paris to Mont Saint-Michel - Up to 7 people: $1,219
  • Private Transfer from Paris to Caen - Up to 7 people: $1,204
  • Intimate Guided Normandy Tour from Paris with Hotel Transfers: $1,106
  • Private Transfer from Paris to Honfleur - Up to 7 people: $1,025
  • Paris Private Round-trip Transfer: Paris City to Castle Castelnaud-la-Chapelle: $1,023
  • Private transfer Paris to Amsterdam - 1 to 3 people: $877
  • Private Transfer from Paris City Center to Mont-Saint-Michel: $717
  • Private transfer between Paris and London: $710

Is it cheaper to fly into London or Paris?

Prices for flights to both Paris and London change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    London £29
    Paris £27
Typical Food prices in London

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to London:


  • Lunch at Starbucks
    £13
  • Tea
    £6.00
  • Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason
    £39
  • Morning Tea
    £6.35
  • Pastry
    £5.00
  • Sushi Dinner for One
    £18

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in London

For London, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Traveling Spoon Nepalese Momos Private Online Cooking Class: $27
  • Private Cooking Class with a London Cookbook Author: $87
  • BYOB Pizza Workshop Supper Club: $91
  • Private Cooking Class in Central London with a Food Expert: $150
  • South London Food Tour With A Local: Borough Market, Southbank & London Bridge: $150
  • Borough Market Visit & Cooking Class in Central London with a Food Professional: $164
  • 3.5-Hour Shoreditch Street Food Tour: $261
  • Private Food Tour, Cooking Class and Market Visit in London with a Food Expert: $315

Typical Food prices in Paris

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Paris:


  • Ice Cream
    £6.83
  • Breakfast
    £5.98
  • Breakfast for 2
    £25
  • Dinner on River Cruise
    £73
  • Dinner
    £49
  • Cheese
    £11

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Paris

For Paris, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Paris en Scene Boat 3-Course Dinner Cruise: $49
  • Paris River Seine Lunch or Dinner Cruise: $60
  • Italian dinner on the river Seine: $61
  • Seine River Cruise with French Dinner on Champs-Elysees Avenue: $61
  • Seine River Cruise & Dinner on Champs Elysées Avenue: $62
  • Choux cooking class for kids in Paris: $62
  • Capitaine Fracasse Boat 3-Course Dinner Cruise: $67
  • Paris Small-Group Gourmet Food Tour With Optional Lunch and Wine Tasting: $75
  • Bistro Parisien Dinner and Seine River Sightseeing Cruise Combination: $75
  • NO DIET CLUB - Unique Bike and Food tour in Paris !: $75
  • Romantic Cruise with 3-course Dinner on Seine River: $76
  • Fondue Cooking Party - Winter is Coming: $78

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    London £26
    Paris £53
Typical Entertainment prices in London

For London, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Two Tickets to a Concert
    £83
  • London Symphony Orchestra
    £34
  • London Pass
    £47
  • Comedy Show
    £8.00

Tours and Activities in London

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for London.

  • 'Cutty Sark' Entrance Ticket: $21
  • 'The Crown' Film Locations Private Car Tour: $370
  • 007 James Bond's London Private Half Day Tour: $690
  • 007 James Bond's London Private Half Day Tour: $690
  • 1066 Battle of Hastings Private Tour: $435
  • 1066 Battle of Hastings, Birling Gap and Seven Sisters Tour: $2,005
  • 1066 Battle of Hastings, Birling Gap and Seven Sisters Tour: $2,005
  • 12 Angry Guests: The Online Jury Experience: $11
  • 3-Day Devon and Cornwall Small-Group Tour: In Search of King Arthur: $743
  • 3-Day Tour from Stonehenge, Glastonbury, Bath and the South West Coast: $851
  • 3.5-Hour Small-Group Food Tasting Tour of Royal London: $98
  • 4 HR Private Tour Churchill War Rooms and Kensington Palace (Private Guide): $844

Typical Entertainment prices in Paris

For Paris, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Louvre Entry for Two
    £15
  • Admission to Pantheon
    £4.27
  • Catacombs (2)
    £20

Tours and Activities in Paris

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Paris.

  • 1 Day Private Walking Tour Of Montmartre, Latin Quarter, Champs Élysées: $180
  • 1 Day in Eiffel Tower, Cruise, City Tour, and Louvre: $139
  • 1 Hour Real time Virtual Tour in Paris: $150
  • 1 hour Sainte Chapelle- skip the line access - English or Español: $51
  • 14-day Taste of Europe Tour: France, Italy, Monaco,Switzerland,Germany and more.: $1,565
  • 15+ Top Sights Paris Tour with Fun Guide: $52
  • 180° Paris by Night Tour: Exclusively for You & Your Group: $54
  • 1:30 hours tour of Louvre museum: $261
  • 1st Day in Paris Discovery Private Tour: 'How-to' Orientation & Sightseeing Fun!: $63
  • 2 Hours Paris city center walking tour: $16
  • 2 Hours Photoshoot tours at the Eiffel tower, Trocadero, Champs de Mars and more: $423
  • 2-Day Loire Valley Castles Tour from Paris: $521

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    London £12
    Paris £17

Sample the Local Flavors in London

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in London:

  • The Original Shoreditch Pub Crawl: $27
  • Camden Pub Crawl with Drinks: $27
  • Sipsmith Distillery Tour and Complimentary Tasting: $35
  • Private:Brewery, Winery, and Cider & Spirit Tastings Tour in SW Ontario: $101
  • Gin Palace Crawl with Distillery Tour & Tastings: $107
  • English Sparkling Wine Tours from London: $392
  • Private London Pub History and Brewery (Full Day Tour): $621
  • Private visit to Bombay Sapphire Distillery and Stonehenge: $851

Typical Alcohol prices in Paris

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Paris are as follows:


  • Wine
    £12

Sample the Local Flavors in Paris

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Paris:

  • Pub Crawl in Latin Quarter: $37
  • Guided Visit and Wine Tasting in a Royal Wine Cellar in Paris: $40
  • Guided tour and wine tasting in a historic cellar in the center of Paris: $41
  • Cheese and Wine Tasting in the Latin Quarter with Chef Alex: $47
  • Organic wine tasting in Paris: $56
  • Wine Tasting In Paris: $83
  • Paris Art of Pairing Cheese and Wine Tasting in a Cheese Cellar: $87
  • Paris Wine Tasting Session with Expert Sommelier: $89
  • Walk & Wine Tour in the Latin Quarter: $97
  • Paris Wine Tasting plus Cheese & Cured Meat Lunch with an Expert Sommelier Guide: $97
  • Paris Evening Wine Tour and Tasting: $112
  • Montmartre Hill Sweet & Savory French Gourmet Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $112

About these numbers

When comparing the travel costs between London and Paris, we can see that Paris is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

Budget Your Trip

Budget Your Trip has average travel costs for thousands of cities around the world, all provided by other travelers. You can also register to organize your spending by category and location with graphs, maps, charts, and tables.
Sign Up

More City Comparisons
Athens vs. London
Athens vs. Paris
Riga vs. London
Riga vs. Paris
Moscow vs. London
Moscow vs. Paris
Tallinn vs. London
Tallinn vs. Paris
Vilnius vs. London
Vilnius vs. Paris
Minsk vs. London
Minsk vs. Paris
Helsinki vs. London
Helsinki vs. Paris
Bucharest vs. London
Bucharest vs. Paris
Istanbul vs. London
Istanbul vs. Paris
Warsaw vs. London
Warsaw vs. Paris
Lisbon vs. London
Lisbon vs. Paris
Copenhagen vs. London
Copenhagen vs. Paris
London vs. Zurich
London vs. Lucerne
London vs. Interlaken
London vs. Geneva
Share This Page
Pin This Page
London vs. Paris Travel Comparison

Some of the links on this website are sponsored or affiliate links which help to financially support this site. By clicking the link and making a purchase, we may receive a small commission, but this does not affect the price of your purchase.