London versus Paris is an eternal battle between two cities separated by 214 miles and the English channel.
After pipping Paris to the title of ‘city with most foreign visitors’, London Mayor Boris Johnson proclaimed London "is without doubt the greatest city on the planet". A war of words had begun and his opposite number’s deputy, Anne Hidalgo, scoffed that London is a "suburb" of Paris and that it’s less attractive for families.
Leaving political wrangling out of it, here are the facts. The tube vs. the metro. The Eiffel Tower vs. The Shard. London vs. Paris.
London
Founded: 43 AD
Area: 607 mi2
Population: 8.6 million
Population per square mile: 14,168 people per sq. mile
Tallest Structure: The Shard 306m
Stock Exchange: London Stock Exchange
Stock Exchange Founded: 1801
Total Market Cap (£B): £4,260 Billion
Hottest month: July 23 °C
Coldest Month: January 2 °C
Wettest Month: November 2.5 in’ of rain
Number of tube stations: 268
Busiest airport: London Heathrow Airport - 73,408,442 passengers in 2014
Average salary: £35,172 (¥6,699,415)
Most valuable sports team: Arsenal - £1.3 billion
Number of serviced apartments on SilverDoor website: 10,233
Paris
Founded: 250 BC
Area: 40.7 sq mi
Population: 2.2 million
Population per square mile: 54,000 people per sq. mile
Tallest Structure: Eiffel Tower 324m
Stock Exchange: Euronext Paris
Stock Exchange Founded: 2000
Total Market Cap: £65 Billion
Hottest month: July 25 °C
Coldest Month: January 2.5 °C
Wettest Month: January 2.5 in’ of rain
Number of tube stations: 303
Busiest airport: Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport – 63,808,796 passengers in 2014
Average salary: €60,372 (£41,990)
Most valuable sports team: Paris Saint-Germain – £406 million
Number of serviced apartments on SilverDoor website: 5,471
