Paris vs. Amsterdam??

Hi there-

My fiance and I fly to Prague every winter to spend Christmas with his parents, but this year, we would like to visit another city before we make it to Prague. Right now, we are vacilating between Paris and Amsterdam because we would be able to get direct flights to both places from San Francisco.

My question is, which should we go to? My fiance used to live in Europe, so he%26#39;s been to both locations numerous times, and I%26#39;ve been to Paris once as a child (so it really doesn%26#39;t count). During December, would one place win out over the other? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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Too easy, Paris in a heartbeat. Amsterdam has its charms but I found myself getting bored of it after 3 days. Maybe if you like to %26quot;party%26quot; there%26#39;s more going on there for you.

I%26#39;ve spent 5 days in Paris and only managed to scratch the surface.

Good luck.

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I just did London/Amsterdam/Paris.

And I loved London and Paris. I personally did not get %26quot;the vibe%26quot; for Amsterdam. I%26#39;m not necessarily %26quot;writing off%26quot; Amsterdam, I%26#39;d give it another try if a friend ever wanted to go. But while I was in Amsterdam I was thinking.. %26quot;I wish I was already in Paris%26quot;.

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I go to Germany every Christmas to visit my family and I%26#39;ve added both Paris and Amsterdam to that trip. I%26#39;d suggest Paris. Around that time of year Amsterdam is really dark and depressing - I think it���s a trip best saved for a warmer time of year. It%26#39;s cold and rainy in Paris too - but it%26#39;s still cheerful and romantic and fabulous. Also the food in Paris is so much better compared to Amsterdam. I%26#39;ve had good luck with the Lonely Planet guide to Paris - never been let down by a recommendation. That and a beat up copy of %26#39;A Moveable Feast%26#39; and you%26#39;re set.

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Paris!

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%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;Right now, we are vacilating between Paris and Amsterdam.....My question is, which should we go to?.... would one place win out over the other?%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

Ah com%26#39;on....you%26#39;re puttin%26#39; us on, right? Let%26#39;s put this in terms that you might understand. If you were making a recommendation to someone trying to decide between San Francisco and Sacramento, which would you recommend? It%26#39;s pretty much the same between Paris and Amsterdam. Paris is PARIS !!! Amsterdam is just a nice Dutch city.

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I am glad to see that I am not the only one who simply did not find Amsterdam as exciting as it%26#39;s reputation. I paired it with London for my first European vacation two years ago. I adored all of the historical sights in London, but I was bored with Amsterdam very quickly. I am sure it has it%26#39;s charms, but I don%26#39;t do special %26quot;cafes%26quot; and as a woman I thought the infamous red light district was depressing. I also found the people much less colorful that French or Italian people.

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It is unfair to ask this question on the Paris forum, as we are all biased over here. Just to be fair, I want to throw in my two dutch cents....

I love, love, love Amsterdam. A romantic stroll along the canals, the local%26#39;s neighborhood of de Pijp, candlelit dinners in every bar/restaurant, some of the most exciting design on the planet, the Jordaan 9, heartstopping Indonesian cuisine, cycling in the northern part of the city along dykes, past windmills, through cow pastures. Heading up there in two weeks for the tulip fields!

That said, I%26#39;d still pick Paris first.

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Phread, As I would imagine, SFBride also asked this question on the Amsterdam board. And the choices there were kinda split... I did find this response rather funny---

%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;Predictably, the answers to this same question on the Paris board all recommend ...Paris!!!

I have an idea...split the difference and go to Brugge!%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;

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No Contest! Been to both Paris and Amsterdam and Paris wins hands down. In Amsterdam, I felt like I had seen it all after just a few days (I could be wrong). Heading back to Paris for the 5th time and I don%26#39;t think we%26#39;ve even scratched the surface. Looks like Paris wins!

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Or how about five days in Paris with a two night trip up to Amsterdam on the Thalys..........