Generally, you can count on Paris to be as expensive as two of the most costly American cities: New York and San Francisco. The raison d'être for our $-A-Day guides is to help you get the most affordable, best vacation for your money. "Affordable" does not mean shabby accommodations, bad food, and the feeling that you're being cheated out of the ehxperience of Paris. Rather, it means seeking out the best value for your dollar and refusing to overpay for mediocrity. Visiting Paris on a budget means you'll be living more like Parisians, who also like to enjoy high standards without emptying their wallets.
Let's deal first with your expectations. Expect simple comforts in your hotel. The room will likely be small but cozy, the towels thinner than you're used to, and the decor basic--but usually very charming. You will probably have a TV that gets a few French channels, a telephone, and a tiny bathroom with shower or antique tub and toilet. You can read our best bets for affordable accommodations by clicking here.
Just because you'll be dining in a city famous for its food, don't expect that you will have to pay a fortune for it. While it is true you would be guaranteed the very best of haute French cuisine at one of the premier restaurants, if you do your homework you can also eat some incredible French meals at restaurants that you can more readily afford. Peruse our listings for affordable eats by clicking here, and remember that a picnic is one of the best and cheapest ways to celebrate excellent French cuisine. You can put a meal together from the patés, cheeses, meats, wine, and fruit available at grocery stores, street markets, boulangeries, and epiceries throughout the city. You'll never be at a loss for a picnic location in Paris!
As for sightseeing, sometimes wandering down the ancient Parisian streets can be the greatest pleasure. The historic monuments commemorating the events that created Paris are free. The many museums offer reduced entrance fees at certain times and are free the first Sunday of every month. The parks, filled with exquisite sculptures and pastimes like puppet shows, are free, and even a simple walk through the streets will expose you to buildings that resonate with literary and historical associations. In the evening Paris opens up, and you can linger in a cafe over a glass of wine (cheaper than a soda or coffee) and people-watch, walk to your heart's content among the floodlit monuments, or stroll the bridges over the Seine. For some additional tips on sightseeing, check out our recently published tips list by clicking here.
Our premise is that two people traveling together can have a good, affordable vacation for $80 a day per person. That amount is meant to cover the per-person price of a double room and three meals a day, with the budget breaking down as follows: $35 for the room, $5 for breakfast, $10 for lunch, $22.50 for dinner, and $7.50 for sightseeing and transportation. This amount gives you more-than-adequate accommodations, a continental breakfast, a picnic or low-cost lunch, and a fine evening meal. To save more and eat better, you can take advantage of the reasonable fixed-price lunches offered throughout Paris and save your light meal for dinner. And you can modify the budget by opting to do it for less or more.
Planning and Transportation
1. Knowledge is power. So read as much as you can about Paris before you go, ask friends who have been there, and secure as much free information as possible from the Internet and tourist office.
2. Plan well in advance. Airlines and even car-rental firms and hotels need to sell their inventory of seats, cars, and rooms, and will reward the advance purchaser with a discount. A 21-day advance-purchase airfare is a lot cheaper than a regular economy ticket. If planning far ahead isn't an option, check for special offers on major airlines' websites, or on travel websites like www.lastminutetravel.com, www.cheaptickets.com, www.11thhourvacations.com and www.smarterliving.com.
3. The most expensive part of any trip often is the airfare, so scour newspapers and the Net for the latest information. Airlines want to fill every flight, so they adjust their pricing frequently. Look for airlines that have just begun flying to Paris--they often launch the route with low fares.
4. Fly during the week rather than on weekends; it's cheaper. Also, you'll save on airfare and dining if you travel during the off-season, approximately October to March.
5. Use ticket consolidators (they're sometimes called "bucket shops") and charters, especially in the high season. They use scheduled airlines and offer great savings. Well-known operators that sell tickets directly to the public are 1-800-FlyEurope (tel. 800/359-3876; www.1800flyeurope.com), New Frontiers (tel. 800/677-0720; www.newfrontiers.com) and STA (tel. 800/329-9537; www.sta.com).
6. Consider going as a courier if you have plenty of time and are not concerned about traveling with a companion. Companies that hire couriers use your luggage allowance for their business baggage, and in return you get a deeply discounted ticket. Now Voyager (tel. 212/431-1616; www.nowvoyagertravel.com) flies from New York. You can also pay an annual fee to become a member of the Courier Travel (tel. 303/570-0282; www.couriertravel.org) or the Air Courier Association (tel. 800/282-1202; www.aircourier.org), which will provide you with a daily list of low-fare courier opportunities.
7. Pack light. You won't need a luggage cart, and you'll be less likely to succumb to the desire for a taxi.
8. Take the cheapest way into the city from the airport. You can save around $30 by taking a train or bus instead of a cab from Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle, and about $15 from Orly. Plus, you can doze on your trip into the city.
9. Enjoy the price tag of a package tour. Sometimes the price of airfare, transfers, and a week or more in a hotel is little more than the cost of traditional airfare. You don't have to sign up for the tour's features or join any planned group activities unless you want to. Some consistent standouts for budget-priced packages to Paris include Go-Today (tel. 425487-9632; www.gotoday.com), OffPeakTraveler.com (www.offpeaktraveler.com) and French Experience (tel. 800/283-7262 www.frenchexperience.com) and France Vacations (tel. 800/332-5332; www.francevacations.net).
Accommodations
10. Book early. The best budget choices fill up fast.
11. What do you really need in your hotel room? Nearly all rooms in Paris have a sink with hot and cold water. If you don't mind sharing the facilities, you can stay in a lower-priced room with a bathroom down the hall.
12. Negotiate the room price, especially in the low season. Ask for a discount if you're a student or over 60; ask for a discount if you stay a certain number of days.
13. Stay at a hotel that doesn't insist you take breakfast, which can add $5 a day to your bill. Make sure you aren't being charged for it.
14. If you're interested in experiencing the life of the country, sign up for a homestay program such as Servas (tel. 212/267-0252; www.servas.org).
15. Consider staying at a youth hostel or similar lodging. You don't necessarily have to bunk in with a bunch of strangers; many hostels offer private or family rooms, and many also serve meals and/or have public kitchens and laundries.
16. A home swap or short-term apartment rental in Paris is a good option if you don't need the services of a hotel. One company that facilitates home swapping is Trading Homes.com (tel. 800-877-TRADE; www.trading-homes.com). You can find reliable apartment rentals through Paris Sejour Reservations (tel. 800/582-7274; www.psryourhomeinparis.com).
17. Don't call home from a hotel phone unless you know that you can dial your "home direct" number to reach your own operator. If you have to make a call, use a public phone booth to avoid hotel surcharges. Another way to save money is to call home and ask the person to call you back; U.S. rates are much lower.
18. Look for télécartes that give you more for your money. You'll be hard-pressed to find a pay phone in France that accepts coins; public phones require that you insert a prepaid télécarte that has a microchip to measure the connection time. Calls to the United States between 8am and 7pm use a unite every 14 seconds; at other times, it's every 17 seconds. You can buy télécartes at any post office or tabac and some newsstands. Cashiers will almost always try to sell you a card from France Télécom, the French phone company, for 7.5€ ($8.06) or 14.85€ ($15.95). What tourists don't know is many tabacs and newsstands sell télécartes issued by companies that have better rates than France Télécom's. Look for tabacs that have advertisements for Delta Multimedia or Kertel, or ask for a télécarte avec un code. The post office sells only France Télécom télécartes.
Dining
19. If you're not opposed to picnicking, patisseries, boulangeries, and street markets are your best bets for quick, cheap dining. Just don't forget a corkscrew (tire-bouchon). Boulangeries sell sandwiches, cold slices of pizza, and individual quiches for about 3.00€ ($3.28).
20. Make lunch your main meal. Many restaurants offer great deals on a fixed-price (prix fixe) lunch. After two or three courses at midday, you'll be happy to eat light at dinner.
21. Seek out crêperies, where you can enjoy meat- or vegetable-filled galettes and dessert crêpes in Brittany-inspired surroundings. There are many off the boulevard du Montparnasse around the Square Delambre.
22. Try ethnic neighborhoods for tasty, inexpensive cuisine. You can get terrific Chinese food in the 13e arrondissement between the place d'Italie and the Porte de Choisy; try the 10e, 18e, and 20e for North African, Turkish, Vietnamese, and Thai.
23. Chain restaurants Batifol, Hippopotamus, Leon de Bruxelles, Flunch and l'Ecluse offer good values. Pommes des Pains and Lina's are popular chains for sandwiches.
24. The plat du jour will usually be the cheapest main dish at a budget restaurant. If that's not enough food, order the formule or prix fixe menus, which usually provide an appetizer and main dish or a main dish and dessert. Three-course menus include a starter, main dish, and dessert. Wine is usually not included, although some menus offer a boisson, which may be a glass (verre du vin) or small jug (pot) of wine. Coffee is almost always extra.
25. Pay attention to the details of the menu. On most menus the cheaper dishes are made of cheaper cuts of meat or organ meats, like brains, tripe, and so on. Andouillette is one such dish. It's not the "little" sausage you might expect, but a delicacy made of hog intestines.
26. Wine is cheaper than soda. Also, some mineral waters are less expensive than others. Unless you can really taste the difference, ask for tap water (une carafe d'eau).
27. Don't eat breakfast at your hotel unless you want to pay 4.60€ to 7.60€ ($4.95 to $8.20) for the privilege. Grab a croissant or pain au chocolat from a boulangerie.
28. Know the tipping rules. Service is usually included at restaurants; however, I still advise leaving a 4% to 7% tip, depending on the bill and quality of service. Most waiters and waitresses do this as a lifelong career; it's nice to show your appreciation.
29. Have drinks or coffee at the bar. You pay twice as much when you're seated at a table.
Sightseeing
30. Use the Métro or walk. Take advantage of passes that lower the cost of a single ticket--from $1.35 to 85¢ if you buy a carnet of 10. If you plan to take more than seven trains in a day, it pays to get a Mobilis day card for 5€ ($5.40). It offers unlimited travel in the city center. If you know you'll be in Paris for up to 5 consecutive days, a Paris Visite pass may be a good idea. Heavily promoted by the RATP, the pass offers unlimited travel in zones 1 to 3 (outside the Paris city limits), plus free or discounted admission to some attractions--but make sure the attractions that interest you are included. There's also a pass that covers unlimited subway and bus travel in zones 1 to 8 (Paris and suburbs, including the airports, Versailles, and Disneyland Paris), but unless you're going to Disneyland, Versailles, or Fontainebleau, you won't need to go outside zone 3. Buy Paris Visite passes at the airports, at any SNCF (major railroad) station, RER stations, and tabacs displaying the RATP logo. Not all Métro stations sell the passes. Fares range from 8.40€ ($9) for 1 day of travel in zones 1 to 3, to 53.35€ ($57) for 5 days' travel in zones 1 to 8. For more information, consult their Web site at www.ratp.fr.
31. Click here to read our calendar of events for. Many festivals and fairs are free and offer an opportunity to participate in a uniquely Parisian event.
32. Instead of paying to look out over the rooftops of Paris, go to places that are free, such as the top floor of the department store La Samaritaine, 19 rue de la Monnaie, 1er (tel. 01-40-41-20-20; Métro: Pont Neuf or Châtelet-Les Halles),.
33. Go to the parks. They're lush, beautiful, and civilized. You can read more about parks and gardens by clicking here.
34. Tour the historic monuments and enjoy public art in the streets and parks. History endures at sights like the place des Vosges and the place de la Concorde. Statues can also give you a quick history course in the great figures and personalities that have shaped Paris, or maybe just afford you a chance to appreciate the male and female nude, such as the Maillol sculptures in the Tuileries.
35. Hang out in the open-air food markets. There's one in each arrondissement; they open at 8am. Some of our favorites: rue Montorgueil, rue Mouffetard, and rue de Buci. Go early.
36. Churches are free. Take the opportunity to sit and contemplate, or to attend a service. Many churches have dramatic interiors and famous artwork--paintings by Delacroix at St-Sulpice, sculptures by Coysevox at St-Roch, and etchings by Rouault at St-Séverin, to name only a few.
37. Consider buying the Carte Musées et Monuments (Museum and Monuments Pass), but only if you'll be visiting two or three museums a day. The pass costs 15€ ($16.15) for 1 day, 30€ ($32.30) for 3 days, and 45€ ($48.40) for 5 days. Admission to the Louvre is 7€ ($7.50), and entrance fees for most other museums are the same or less; you do the math. The card gives you access to 65 museums and monuments, allowing you to proceed directly inside without waiting in line--a distinct benefit at the Louvre, for example. For more information, visit www.intermusees.com.
38. Visit the cemeteries. Apart from their beauty, they're peaceful havens from city noise, and you may learn a little about French--and American--history. Worth exploring are Père-Lachaise, Montmartre, and Montparnasse.
39. Take advantage of the reduced admission fee at museums, which usually applies 2 hours before closing and all day Sunday.
40. If you're age 60 or over, carry identification proving it and ask for discounts at theaters, museums, attractions, and the Métro.
41. If you're an auction buff, pick up a copy of the Gazette de l'Hôtel Drouot, which comes out every Friday, and check for auctions that interest you. The five major auction houses are Drouot Montaigne, Drouot Nord, Drouot Richelieu, the Salle des Ventes Saint Honoré, and the Salle des Ventes du Particulier.
Shopping
42. Paris is expensive, but there are many great buys. Just take your time browsing through the little boutique stores and flea markets and you'll be sure to find that perfect little gift. Things like film and toiletries, including contact lens solution, are much more expensive in Paris than in the United States or the United Kingdom. Bring enough to get you through your trip.
43. You can secure a tax refund (détaxe), but only if you spend 182€ ($196) or more in one store. It's a complicated process, but if you spend that much in one store it's worth applying for the refund, usually 13% to 20%, and usually credited to your charge card or sent to you a few months later. The major department stores have détaxe desks and will help you fill out the paperwork. At the airport, you present the paperwork to a French customs officer who stamps the papers and returns them to you. You then mail the papers from the airport--the stamped envelope is included--and look for the refund, in French francs, in about 3 months. For more information on getting a refund click here.
44. If jewelry is a pet purchase, explore the boutiques on the rue Tiquetonne and in the Passage du Grand Cerf. Also visit Tati Or and, for costume jewelry that looks like the real thing, try Bijoux Burma.
45. Perfume made in France really is different from French perfume made elsewhere. In France, perfume is made with potato alcohol, which increases the scent and lengthens its endurance, making French-made perfume the best there is. Though the U.S. has tons of perfume discounters, they usually carry perfume made outside of France. Hotels, travel agents, and the welcome desks at department stores Au Printemps and Galeries Lafayette offer 10%-off coupons that you can use to buy perfume--if you buy more than 182€ worth, you'll also qualify for the value-added tax (about 13%) refund. If you have time, visit Catherine, 7 rue de Castiglione, 1er, the favorite perfume discounter of Frommer's Born to Shop guru Suzy Gershman. The store will give you a discount and you'll get your value-added tax rebate at the time of purchase.
46. Look for stylish, inexpensive clothes at the stores best described as upscale Targets: Monoprix and Prisunic. For discounts on fashion, try the rue St-Placide.
47. For discounts on china and other table goods, check out the stores on the rue Paradis.
48. Soldes means "sales." The French government allows merchants to put their wares on sale below cost twice a year, in January and July.
49. To sample the contemporary art scene, stroll through the 11e arrondissement around the Bastille or along rue Quincampoix near the Centre Pompidou.
50. Go to outdoor markets. Even if you don't buy anything, the experience is fun. There are flea markets at Porte de Vanves, Porte de Montreuil, and Porte de Clignancourt, a flower market and a bird market on Ile de la Cité, a stamp market at Rond Point Clemenceau, and fresh produce markets everywhere.
51. For antiques browsing, go to one of the centers, like the Louvre des Antiquaires, 2 place du Palais-Royal, 1er; Village St-Paul, between rue St-Paul and rue Charlemagne, 4e; or Le Village Suisse, av. de la Motte-Piquet, 15e. Otherwise, explore the streets in the 6e arrondissement--especially rue Jacob, rue des St-Pères, and the rues de Bac and Beaune, which contain beautiful stores and galleries. If the climate is getting to you, the second floor of the Bon Marché's food store is also an air-conditioned antiques hall.
Paris After Dark
52. Nightlife is expensive. We'll share some tricks, but don't expect to save much money. Allot some of your budget to go out on the town.
53. For half-price theater and other performance tickets, go to one of the kiosks by the Madeleine, on the lower level of Châtelet-Les-Halles Métro interchange, or at the Gare Montparnasse. It's worth the legwork because you can see operas, classical concerts, and ballets in the exquisitely redone Old Opera house and at the new opera house for as little as $22.
54. Low-cost concerts (about $20 per person) are often given in churches. The weekly Pariscope magazine contains complete concert listings and can be found at every newsstand. Parts of Pariscope are in English.
55. At clubs, you can save money by sitting at the bar instead of at a table. Some clubs are cheaper than others, and some are cheaper during the week. Avoid weekends if you want to save money--you'll also meet more Parisians this way.