Europe is home to a variety of cultural treasures. Lonely Planet, the world’s largest travel guide publisher, has offered pairs of cities for culture­hungry but time­poor travelers.

It takes you about two hours to travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, a high­speed railway service. The two capital cities have been competing in fashion, art and nightlife for decades£­but each secretly looks up to the other.

No one can doubt the grand and impressive beauty of Paris' Louvre Museum, but if you want to save money, you cannot skip the British Museum free to visit. Compared with London, Paris has more outdoor attractions such as the beautiful green walkway La Promenade Plantee.