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At the rate its been dropping, that will happen very soon. In fact, they're already trying to introduce a faster/easier airport travel with "trusted traveler" p

At the rate its been dropping, that will happen very soon. In fact, they're already trying to introduce a faster/easier airport travel with "trusted traveler" programs (leave it to the USA to make money out of something that used to be free :-)). Also, I'm surprised France is the most visited country - what do they have besides the Eiffel tower and bad roads :-)?

zem 14y ago
they have a "romantic, quintessentially old/new world in juxtaposition western european destination" mystique that has been built up over decades.
- excuse-me 14y ago
  They also manage to have more than one kind of bread, many cheeses which don't come in an aerosol can and food which takes more time to cook than it does to eat And, outside Paris, some very pleasant people.
  - zem 14y ago
    true, but belgium for instance has all that too, and you don't see it getting that sort of must-see tourist aura
    - excuse-me 14y ago
      Then it obviously needs a tower. Do you have the number for the Belgian tourist office - I have one that French want to sell! Luxembourg is also rather overlooked as a tourist destination, very nice walking countryside and you are never very far from somewhere to eat/drink/sleep.
    - jakeonthemove 14y ago
      Funny that you mention Belgium - I am in Blankenberge right now (on business) - it's a nice little town, but it's nothing special. No offense to the locals, but I can't wait to get out of here - the weather is pretty bad, most residents are old, everyone is slooow (even in the rain :-), shops close at 6pm, banks close at 3pm and Everything's closed all day on Sunday, HSPA 3G here means 1 Mbit on a good day (usually ~500-700 kbit - oh, and you pay $20 for 1 GB), 4 Mbit DSL actually means 1.5 Mbit, and you pay $700 for a teeny-tiny 1 bedroom apartment (then again, it is a resort city). I nicknamed it Lazy Town :-). The only saving grace is the port nearby (~6km in Zeebrugge) - there's a bustling shipping and logistics industry here, and there's plenty of work and opportunities. Overall, for a first-timer in Belgium, I'd recommend going to Brussels or Antwerp - bigger cities, more active, although still very laid back compared to even Paris...

zem 14y ago

they have a "romantic, quintessentially old/new world in juxtaposition western european destination" mystique that has been built up over decades.

excuse-me 14y ago
They also manage to have more than one kind of bread, many cheeses which don't come in an aerosol can and food which takes more time to cook than it does to eat And, outside Paris, some very pleasant people.
- zem 14y ago
  true, but belgium for instance has all that too, and you don't see it getting that sort of must-see tourist aura
  - excuse-me 14y ago
    Then it obviously needs a tower. Do you have the number for the Belgian tourist office - I have one that French want to sell! Luxembourg is also rather overlooked as a tourist destination, very nice walking countryside and you are never very far from somewhere to eat/drink/sleep.
  - jakeonthemove 14y ago
    Funny that you mention Belgium - I am in Blankenberge right now (on business) - it's a nice little town, but it's nothing special. No offense to the locals, but I can't wait to get out of here - the weather is pretty bad, most residents are old, everyone is slooow (even in the rain :-), shops close at 6pm, banks close at 3pm and Everything's closed all day on Sunday, HSPA 3G here means 1 Mbit on a good day (usually ~500-700 kbit - oh, and you pay $20 for 1 GB), 4 Mbit DSL actually means 1.5 Mbit, and you pay $700 for a teeny-tiny 1 bedroom apartment (then again, it is a resort city). I nicknamed it Lazy Town :-). The only saving grace is the port nearby (~6km in Zeebrugge) - there's a bustling shipping and logistics industry here, and there's plenty of work and opportunities. Overall, for a first-timer in Belgium, I'd recommend going to Brussels or Antwerp - bigger cities, more active, although still very laid back compared to even Paris...