New York 'is 3 times more popular than Paris'

Heading to another city on a Christmas shopping trip is a great way to combine a holiday with the countdown to Christmas - and it seems people are willing to travel further than ever to do so.

Take, for example, the new statistics released by Cater Allen Private Bank, which show that there will be around three times as many shoppers heading to New York than there will to Paris this winter.

Paris - one of the world's most beautiful and fashionable cities - is easier to reach than ever with the opening of the Eurostar station at Kings Cross St Pancras and the continuing boom in low-fare flying. But it seems that the draw of the weak dollar is persuading a greater number of people to take a bite out of the Big Apple.

"Clearly the strong pound is having a real impact on shoppers and many are heading abroad to find a bargain this Christmas and take advantage of the favourable exchange rate with the US dollar in particular," commented the bank's head of marketing Sally Ann Watts.

"If you witnessed the scenes on Oxford Street last weekend, you'll also understand why more and more people are opting to head overseas to do their shopping this year."

According to airport operator BAA, New York is the most popular holiday destination for Christmas travellers this year.