LONDON - ROBERT Doisneau's iconic image of a couple stealing a kiss on a Paris street immortalised the romantic reputation of France's capital, but a new British survey on Monday revealed it as the bust-up city of the world.

Over a third of Britons - 34 per cent - picked Paris as the city most likely to cause them to argue on a romantic break, with lovers' moods darkened by a 'grey' and 'difficult to navigate' city and surly restaurant service.

Bustling Marrakesh in Morocco came second in the Teletext Holidays commissioned survey, with Amsterdam third as lovers squabbled over the lure of the Dutch city's soft drugs and its red light district.

As many as one in 10 of the 2,310 Britons questioned had ended a relationship with their partner while on holiday, though on a more upbeat note a quarter of respondents had proposed to their loved one on a romantic city break.

Barcelona was rated the top city for romance, followed by Florence, Paris, Prague and Madrid.

'The key to a successful romantic trip is preparation - spend time online researching your trip before you go away,' said managing director of Teletext Holidays Matt Cheevers.

'Speak to friends and colleagues about their experiences to ensure that you make the best of your destination and hopefully keep any arguments to a minimum.' -- REUTERS