Paris On a Budget – Things to Do in the City on the Cheap

A few days ago, we went to Paris. Today, we’re going to talk about Paris and budget tips for visiting so how you can get more bang for your euro when you’re here.

1. Enjoy the Free Sights – Paris on a budget

The first thing we need to talk about is the sites. When you come here, you have to realize that you have to save some money. Just walking around Paris, taking in the architecture, and taking in the free sites will save you a ton of money. Maybe you don’t need to go up the Eiffel Tower; just save your money and enjoy the free park right behind there, taking in the view of the Arc de Triomphe.

You can walk underneath and go into it. You can walk around there for free and take that to the tulip gardens and the Luxembourg Gardens. There’s so much beauty that’s for free here that can really help you out, and so once you have those kinds of planned out, I think also.

You can visit more places according to your budget

2. Choose Museums Wisely

It’s important to think about which museums you want to go to because if you’re going to do a lot of museums, it’s going to start adding up, so sometimes it’s good to really focus on what museums you truly want to go see. I really want to go to the Louvre. I really want to go to the Mosaida. Ora says to plan those out if you’re looking for other museums.

Maybe you rank them, and what’s cool is some of the museums, like the first Sunday of the month, sometimes they’re free. Um, some museums actually have a discount. If you come later in the day, some have different discounted days that are out there, so that can be really helpful. If you use your planning correctly, you can get that benefit in your budget.

3. Look for Discounts

Look for discounts if you’re a young European. There’s a lot of discounts for stuff here. If you’re a senior, there are discounts as well, so think about that and use that. Don’t be too proud to say. I’m still a student, or I’m a retiree because there can be discounts for that, but honestly, it’s just walking around going to Sacramento.

It’s free to go to Sakurakula, and the view from there is spectacular. The thing is the view from Sakurakula. You can see the Eiffel Tower, whereas if you’re up the Eiffel Tower, you can’t see the Eiffel Tower. So that can be a bonus there. Now, another thing I think is important to talk about is the Paris pass.

You’ll get a card or actually an app on your phone that basically gives you access to 80 museums around town. There are Eiffel Towers on them. There are some similar boat rides, and a lot of people get that, and it can be very good if you’re going to see a lot of museums but anytime.

 I tell people you’re going to get one of those city passes, so make sure you look and see what is on offer in the Paris pass. Do you want to see those because the museums you really want to see aren’t covered? It might not be worth it. But it is something to think about. All right, so the next thing I want to talk about is how you’re going to get around Paris.

4. Transportation – Traveling in Paris on a Budget

Paris on a budget starts at the Transport. When you’re here, transportation is a big thing. You can get Uber and taxis here; that’s not really a problem. The problem is with your budget; they could be very expensive. If you keep using them and if you’re looking for a little hint, if you’re at a hotel, I would recommend asking your hotel to get you a taxi instead of an Uber.

Taxes actually show up faster than Uber these days. Okay, but in terms of saving money and transportation, your two feet are going to be your cheapest way to get around. You come here to Momart, and then you just walk around and explore. It is about seven or eight miles.

 if you go from Notre Dame to the Louvre to, you know, Archer Triumph to the Eiffel Tower, that’s a lot of walking. But it’s something that has stuff to see all the way there.

Metro

So, you can save money that way, but the true way you’re going to save money and get around quickly in Paris is by using the metro. It is cheap, efficient, and gets you everywhere. You’re always within 500 meters of a stop, so that’s super helpful, and some people get worried about the metro when they’re here. Still, you’re going around; you should be fine. Still, the thing is, the metro is a must if you’re here on a budget.

Okay, another tip I’ll give you if you’re looking for a cheap way to get in from Charles de Gaulle is the verb train that goes from Charles to go into town. I mean, it stops by Notre Dame if you want to get off there, so that can be a cheap way to get in instead of taking a taxi or getting a driver to bring it from the airport into the city.

5. Food – Eating in Paris On A Budget

What’s important to talk about is the food because the food here in Paris is fantastic. You’ll find amazing restaurants everywhere, and there are some things you can do to save money. Street foods are here: You can get lower-priced options like the Kok Monsoon. Get a quick bite there, or grab a crepe while you walk around.

Those are little things you can do to save some money. That way, one of the big things is to look for the menu formula. Basically, it’s a set-price menu—sometimes, it’s called a set price. The menu will have a starter, a main, and a drink or a starter main dessert.

That gives you a chance to have a really great meal at a more affordable price at lunch. Just like everywhere, having your big meal at lunch can be cheaper than having it at dinner, and then you go for the cheaper eats in the evening.

Don’t Pay for Breakfast in Any Hotels

Now, one thing we do is save money within our budget. Here, we only pay for breakfast at our hotels if it’s worth it. when you’re in France, okay, not just Paris but anywhere in France. because you have so many bakeries. You belong to this. Everywhere, you can get fresh croissants, fresh balls, and chocolate, and get your baguette. You can get that for a euro or two instead of spending 10 euros at the hotel for breakfast. So that’s one way you can save money. I know my mom, and I do this every day. it’s one of the best parts of just taking in, you know, sitting at an outdoor cafe, having a croissant and a coffee or a hot chocolate, and just relaxing. It’s really, really nice, and it’s a lot more affordable than another thing.

Don’t Buy Bottle water.

I would say when you’re here, don’t feel you have to buy bottled water; tap water is fine. We actually have a reusable water bottle. We just fill it up and walk around with that during the day. So that could be a way to cut back a little bit here and there, and that’s the thing is just these little things like this.

They can add up because a lot of people come here to Paris not just for a weekend. But they’ll come here for a week or two weeks. I met a couple of them last night. Um, Jim and Janine are super nice people. They’ve been here for about three months, I’m like. I am so jealous, and they’re like, yeah, we’re moving around to do different stuff, and we’re doing different things to save money to make it go farther.

They were so nice, you know, and it was cool to see that because they’ve learned. There are ways that we can save money, too, and still explore because we don’t have to stop eating. When you’re here, you could be smarter about it, like one of the things. I see people do, and I’ve done this before. If you’re going to be eating by any of the major landmarks, realize the flavor level is going to go down, and the price level is going to go up.

So, if you’re eating on the back streets here, like going to drink this bar, actually right here, a chewed fantastic guy runs it. I always have a fun time there getting drinks, and they’re actually affordable drinks for any city around the world. No, it’s not right. Where all the tourists are, but it’s well worth going to so you can have some drinks and save a bit of money.

While you’re doing it, it’s all about getting away from the main sites, and Molag Rouge is about four blocks down that way. So, it would help if you went down there. There’s some tourist traffic, but up here, no, you’re good to go also.

Stand-up Pricing vs Sit Down Pricing

if you ever go to a restaurant, you notice there are two prices for stuff; it could be at one price. If you stand at the bar, there is another price if you sit. That is another thing you should think about. If it’s a cafe kind of thing, maybe I get it to go, or I can stand at the bar and have my coffee instead of sitting down.

6. Accommodation

Accommodation in Paris on a Budget, no matter where you go, is going to be small. You’re going to have small rooms. It’s going to be tight—that’s just the way it is. The city’s fantastic, so you’re going to explore it all day long anyway. So, it’s okay that it’s a little tight in some spots.

Prices

You have to realize what’s not going to be tight, such as the prices. If you’re coming here when there’s a festival going on, or there’s a big match like England versus France, everything. If you can sell out, the prices will go up high, and that’s one of the things you have to realize. You’re going to spend money on your hotels when you’re here. But what’s great is the metro system, the public transportation system goes all over the city.

It’s really easy to connect and get to other parts. You don’t have to stay in a specific neighborhood. You can search for neighborhoods that’ll work better for your budget. Take safety and timing into consideration, but honestly, you can save money by finding different parts of the city to stay in. Now, another thing, and that’s what we usually do.

7. Get an Apartment – Where to Stay in Paris on a Budget

when we have the kids with us here, we’ll get an apartment, and we’ll run an apartment. When we’re here, we can eat breakfast there, and we can have lunch or dinner at the apartment. Then, go out for one of the meals instead of all three so that you can save money as well. What’s cool is you have all these mini markets all over the city. Where you can walk in, you know, get some drinks, get some snacks, get a little bit more than that, so that can be helpful.

8. Souvenirs

The souvenirs—and this is where I see a lot of people—they just kind of throw their money away when they buy souvenirs here. Yes, I understand everybody wants to have their little Eiffel tower. They want to get everybody little Eiffel towers from their hair and like key chains and t-shirts and berets and all kinds of stuff that look Paris.

Really sucks you in with wanting to buy souvenirs that are very Parisian looking, but what you have to realize is that. They don’t want those things, and they’ll throw them away after six weeks or six months. It’ll be gone, and the garbage will be thank you and get it just pitch. It looks like don’t buy cheap souvenirs. If you’re going to get something, spend the money and get a nice painting, get some artwork, or get an outfit, it’s something you’re going to use.

So, they’re going to say I can amateurize the cost of this dress over the long term because I’m going to wear it a lot because it’s my Parisian dress, right? So think about your souvenirs a bit differently when you’re here, and don’t buy throwaway ones. Buying all those one, two, three, four euro souvenirs adds up, and you might as well have gotten something nicer just for yourself.

I mean, buy some stuff when you’re here, but just be smart about budgeting. Because I’ll see people who literally come out with bags full of keychains for people, and I’m like, you just spent 50 bucks on keychains. Why, all right? So those are some budget tips that we have for when you’re coming to Paris.