How To Have A Champagne Holiday In Paris On A Beer Budget

Paris has become one of my favourite cities, and having spent a few weekends there recently I’ve learnt some useful tips on keeping your costs down while not sacrificing on the true Parisian experience. While the city can be pricey if you demand 5 star luxury, there are many ways you can ensure you stick to your budget. Costs can quickly add up if you’re eating out every meal and visiting all the main attractions, but with some savvy planning I’ve learnt Paris doesn’t need to cost the earth. Here’s some of the ways I keep my spending down while visiting the city of love.

Free Museum Days

Most cities in Europe have a ‘free museum day’ and in Paris it’s the first Sunday of every month. As you can imagine most people are on to this budget-savvy tip, so make sure you arrive early to avoid a long queue, especially at the Louvre! Another museum not to be missed includes the Musée d’Orsay which houses the largest collection of impressionist pieces by artists such as Van Gogh and Monet in the world. You can sometimes nab some great deals on Disneyland Paris tickets too – so you can see Mickey and his friends in Europe!

Picnics

One of my favourite Paris memories is having a picnic under the Eiffel tower. We found a neighbourhood patisserie and bought some baguettes and macaroons, meat and cheese from a deli and a chilled bottle of champagne…and all up it cost us less than 20 Euros between us! It was some affordable Parisian luxury that meant a lot more than just heading to another cafe for a meal.

Wander The Parisian Streets

The traffic in Paris is bumper to bumper at the best of times, and this coupled with a running taxi meter does not equal a value for money holiday. For me, Paris is all about the buildings, the people and things going on at street level. Walk wherever you can and take in all that’s around you to get the most from your trip – you will also save yourself some money while you’re at it too. For the longer journeys and when your feet start to hurt, jump on the metro, where a single trip will only set you back one Euro.

Hostel vs. Hotel

Depending on your type of trip, whether it’s a romantic weekend break or as part of a round the world trip, you will probably choose to stay in either a hostel or a guesthouse, as hotels in Paris can be quite expensive (upwards of 200 Euros per night) A decent room in a hostel or cheap hotel will set you back between 20 – 50 Euros per night, and for the best deals check out sites like Hostelbookers who also include cheaper hotels as well as hostels, or if you fancy a true local experience, why not try couchsurfing?!

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