At a Glance

London
Population: 7.5 million
Size: 174 square kilometers
Language: English
People: Anglo-Saxons, Scots, Welsh, Irish, West Indians, Pakistanis, Indians
Religion: Church of England, Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Muslim
Time: Greenwich Mean Time. When it’s noon in New York, it’s 5pm in England. Daylight savings time is from March to October, making it Greenwich Mean Time plus one hour.
Currency: The English pound. Banking hours are generally 9:30am–4:30pm, Monday–Friday.
Electricity: 230 volts. You will need an adapter with a three square-prong attachment and a converter.

Paris
Population: 2.15 million
Size: 105 square kilometers
Language: French
People: French, African, other European countries, Asian
Religion: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish
Time: Greenwich Mean Time plus one hour. When it’s noon in New York, it’s 6pm in France.
Currency: The euro. Banking hours are generally 9:00am–12:00pm and 2:00pm–4:00pm, Monday–Friday. Some banks are closed on Monday, while others are also open on Saturday.
Electricity: 220–230 volts, 2-pin plugs are widely used.