Street Signs in London versus Paris

Last weekend I went to Paris and saw the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, and the Champs-Élysées. It was lots of fun! While I was there I noticed the street signs and decided to compare them to the street signs I have been seeing in London.

This first street sign is from arguably the most famous shopping street in the world: the Champs-Élysées. Although this street is famous and ends at the Arc de Triompe, the sign is nothing too special. It is in need of repair and, in my opinion, should be displayed in a more visible place. The green and blue background contrasts with the white lettering nicely, though, to make the sign very easy to read. Also, the font is sans serif, so it is easily legible for tourists and Parisians alike.

This next sign is from a street very close to where I am living right now: Elvaston Place. This sign is much more simple than the one in Paris, but there is still a good contrast between the white background and black and red lettering. Also, since the red lettering stands out, it is in a smaller font than the black lettering. The font of the street name and postal code is very readable, while the name of the borough is less readable. This makes sense because the street name and postal code are the most important pieces of information on the sign and if people want to know the borough, they will look more closely for it on the sign.

Overall, I have an important question about street signs in Europe: Why are you so hard to find when I need you?