Which is better: London or New York? It's the kind of debate that can run forever over a pint or a slice. The travel site The Points Guy decided to put it to a test with a twist — two staff members, one devoted to each city, swapped places for 48 hours and built each other's itineraries from scratch. The Londoner flew to the Big Apple; the New York superfan crossed the Atlantic in the other direction. Neither knew exactly what they were in for.
The setup made for a fun experiment in how locals actually experience their own cities through a visitor's eyes. Both travellers checked into hotels chosen by their counterpart — places you can book with points, so there's a practical angle if you're planning a similar city break on a rewards budget. The picks were in neighbourhoods loaded with things to do, making the most of a tight two-day window.
Food was, unsurprisingly, a headline act. The menus covered the classics on both sides: fish and chips and housemade pasta in London, proper New York pizza, plus London's so-called unofficial national dish — the chicken tikka masala — for good measure. Nightlife got its share of attention too, with a 1940s-themed speakeasy and a mystery comedy venue in London where you never know which act will take the stage. It's a reminder that the best finds are often the ones a local hands you, not the ones topping a search result.
At the end of the whirlwind, the pair scored each city across six categories: transportation, lodging, neighbourhoods, dining, nightlife and activities. We won't spoil the winner here — the full verdict is in the video — but the exercise itself is the useful part. Two days is enough to get a real feel for either city if your itinerary is clustered by neighbourhood, your hotel is well located, and you let someone with local knowledge do the planning.
Who is this for? Anyone torn between the two cities for a long weekend, and anyone sitting on a pile of points wondering where to spend them. Both cities work brilliantly for a short, high-energy trip: dense walkable cores, strong transit, and hotel scenes where award redemptions can genuinely stretch your budget. The swap format also works as a template — hand your itinerary to a friend who lives where you're going, and you'll likely end up in speakeasies and comedy basements instead of the same old checklist spots.
The site itself admits the obvious caveat: nobody can cover a city the size of London or New York in two days. Consider this a starting point rather than a final word — then go settle the debate for yourself.
Story via The Points Guy.
