Consumers and travelers polled by US News & World Report have voted Paris the world’s top place to visit for 2014.
It may be the second year in a row that the City of Light topped US News & World Report’s annual World’s Best Places to Visit ranking, but the French capital squeaked through by a slim margin.
With a 79 percent approval rating among voters — made up of consumers and travel experts — Paris narrowly beat longtime European rival London, which was given a 78 percent approval rating.
Barcelona rounds out the top three list.
“Containing world-class museums, fashion, cuisine, and an atmosphere all its own, Paris is also a city of ‘many splendors,’ as Ernest Hemingway recalled in his memoirs, ‘A Moveable Feast,'” reads their description.
“Visit the Centre Pompidou, enjoy gourmet pastries, shop couture on the Champs Élysées or boutiques in Les Halles, take in the view atop the Eiffel Tower, or even day trip to Versailles Palace. But don’t miss out on the simple pleasure of meandering the marvelous arrondissements.”
About 300 destinations were considered for the ranking.
The list of top 25 cities and destinations, meanwhile, skews heavily towards North America and Europe, with scant representations from the Caribbean, Latin America and Oceania.
The first Asian city to make the list is Hong Kong, which comes in at No. 25.
Here are the top 10 best places to visit in the world, according to US News & World Report:
1. Paris
2. London
3. Barcelona
4. Maui
5. New York City
6. San Francisco
7. Puerto Rico
8. Sydney
9. Rio de Janeiro
10. Bora Bora
For the full list visit http://travel.usnews.com/Rankings/Worlds_Best_Vacations/.
