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Paris bashing has always been many people's hobby every time they get a chance. I simply don't understand the reason behind it. It is as if these people are upset by the fact that millions of people around the world love the city so they take every chance to make it sound a horrible place - Paris is full of dog poop, rude Parisians and north African thieves! And what's worth, tourists, you know those kind of money spending people every city and every country is so worried about and does everything to prevent from coming!
Despite Paris' plethora of problems, I will choose to visit/live in it over cities with great reputation such as Bern, or Copenhagen, or Munich, or Helsinki or Amsterdam any day of the year. Madrid is a great city too, but I am sorry, it is no Paris. And not every city has to have hundreds of bars opening until 3am for the drunkards to "have night life". Night life is over rated.
Living there is very different from being a tourist who only walked through the banks of the Seine for three days.
That's absurd, and pretty much emblematic of this thread.
I assume this thread consists of a bunch of angry, unemployed Spaniards living in their economic depression and jealous of their much wealthier, more cosmopolitan, more popular neighbor to the north.
Why do you hate Southern Europeans so much? BTW, France's economy is not much better than it Southern European neigh bours.
Do research please.
There are many stores in Madrid that close its doors at 8:30 PM, even earlier. Thus, try moving away to the core tourist centre, and then you will see how most stores remain closed on Sundays, except the small supermarkets ruled by Chinese people.
Can anyone who has visited both Paris and Madrid *please* compare them on vibrancy and vibrancy only?
Could anyone who has visited (preferably spent at least a few weeks in) both Paris and Madrid compare the two on vibrancy and scope and intensity of pedestrian volumes? Compare Paris to just the inner core of Madrid (inner 100 sq km). Please do not take into account racial preferences or any political factors that are likely to spur an emotionally charged discussion.
Both are big cities (Paris metro almost double in population than Madrid metro) and both are vibrant and cosmopolitan capitals with some Imperialistic look attached to them (especially in city centers). I would say, due to its size, Paris has more things happening in different places, and more people here and there. However nightlife (especially after 3am, when Paris kind of shuts down) is much more vibrant in Madrid.
As for temperatures...
Paris and Madrid temperatures are kind of similar. It is a bit colder (5 degrees or so) in Madrid in winter and a bit hotter (5 degrees or so) in Madrid in summer. Humidity is higher in Paris. Madrid is very dry because it's at 600m height (highest capital in Europe) in a plateau.
Shops schedules are more or less the same, 10am to 9pm. However in Madrid some shops close for midday hours (from 2pm to 5pm or so) while in Paris some shops close at 6pm or 6:30pm. There are more shops open on bank holidays and Sundays in Madrid than in Paris.
In general Madrid looks more modern than Paris. Paris is an old city with 2000+ years of history. Madrid is a relatively new city who became important only 500 years ago. Most emblematic avenues, parks, monuments of MAdrid date from the 17th or 18th century, while in Paris you get many older things. Also, Madrid boomed economically in the last 15-20 years, with big works on new metro lines, new highways and ringroads, buildings, major architectural developments, etc, so most things looks newer and more modern than in Paris.
There are many stores in Madrid that close its doors at 8:30 PM, even earlier. Thus, try moving away to the core tourist centre, and then you will see how most stores remain closed on Sundays, except the small supermarkets ruled by Chinese people.
France's economy is light years ahead of the economies of its southern neighbors
Unbelievable! did you do some research ? did you know that the ratio debt/GDP in France right now is close to 100 ? do you have a slight understanding of the consequences for the economy ? speaking of "light years ahead" is not even an overstatement, it is lie pure and simple.
However in Madrid some shops close for midday hours (from 2pm to 5pm or so) while in Paris some shops close at 6pm or 6:30pm.
I have never seen any shop closing at 6pm or 6:30pm, the earliest in Paris, earliest close at 7pm.
At this time, many workers have not left work yet.
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Can anyone who has visited both Paris and Madrid *please* compare them on vibrancy and vibrancy only?
