Paris is a city that millions of people dream of visiting. It is surrounded by an aura of love, beauty, and fashion. Couples in love choose Paris to spend the most romantic weekend of their lives. Fashion fans can come here to see the shows of collections of world-famous fashion brands with their own eyes. And the majority of tourists just want to admire one of the most beautiful cities in the world. And… one of the most expensive.
Yes, indeed, the prices in Paris are the most expensive in Europe. Every tourist wants to spend time in Paris as richly as possible, but at the same time not to empty their wallets completely. That is why all travellers are so interested in the question of how they can save their budget in Paris. Of course, without giving up trips to museums, croissants for breakfast, and wine for dinner. Fortunately, there are always ways to cheat and spend much less than planned. So we suggest you use our tips on how to save your budget in Paris.
Navigo
If you plan to travel a lot around Paris and the surrounding area, get a Navigo travel card. With this card, you can use the metro, buses, and RER without restrictions in all five transport zones for 22.8 € from Monday to Sunday. This will allow you to save a lot since the price of one ticket in Paris is 1.9 euros. It is even more profitable to travel with the Navigo pass to the suburbs, such as Versailles and Disneyland.
It is best to arrange a Navigo at the airport on the day of arrival and save on a ticket to the center. Also, a travel card is sold in the information window at any metro station. The minimum period for which you can top up Navigo is a calendar week. In order for Navigo to start operating on the day of purchase, you need to issue it from Monday to Thursday inclusive.
Remember: The card purchased on Friday and later will become valid only on the following Monday.
Accommodation
Many people think that it is better and cheaper to rent an apartment, but this is not so. It is best to book hotels in advance, not in the central part of Paris. Perfect for a living are the 13th, 14th, and 15th arrondissements of Paris. They are located a little away from the center, but there is a metro everywhere (it will take you literally 15-20 minutes to get to the city center). If you want to save money, there are also apartment hotels where a studio is available to you. Unlike the hotel, it is not cleaned every day, but the prices are much cheaper. In addition, there is a kitchen where you can cook yourself. And finally, there is always the option of a hostel.
We recommend looking at hotels, hostels or apartments in the areas of the metro stations Porte d’Orléans, Porte d’Italie or Porte de Vanves. These places are located on the outskirts of Paris, but everything is close to the metro (15 minutes to the center). In addition, the price for a room can be 3-4 times lower than in the city center. And, most importantly, these areas are calm and safe.
Food
French cuisine is one of the best in the world, so many people come to Paris to try it. Onion soup, snails, mussels, oysters, rooster in wine, frog legs, eclairs, creme brulee, chocolate fondue — tourists want everything. Therefore, here are some tips on how to save on food in Paris.
- Do not have breakfast at the hotel if you want to save your budget in Paris. Most likely, it will be just croissants and coffee, but you will pay about 10 euros for this.
- Buy croissants and other fresh pastries, as well as coffee in local bakeries (boulangerie) and make yourself comfortable on benches in numerous parks. A picnic is very French.
- If you eat in Parisian cafes, it is better to take food to go (à emporter). It’s much cheaper that way.
- If you are staying in an apartment or hotel where there is a kitchen, cook yourself. The products in the supermarkets of Paris are really very tasty.
Museums
If you are planning to visit several museums, then think about buying a tourist or museum card. It is often more profitable to buy a card online, and then you can pick it up at the checkout upon arrival in Paris. By the way, these cards will save you from standing in queues.
Check the opening hours of the museums you are interested in advance, since on the first Sunday of each month (from October to March), admission to many museums is free. In addition, there are many free museums in Paris.
Disneyland
Disneyland is one of the most desirable places on earth. Everyone who visits Paris dreams of going there. However, this is not the cheapest pleasure.
It is best to plan a trip to Disneyland in the fall or spring since prices are very high in the summer. We recommend buying a ticket in advance. This way you can not only save money but also avoid long queues. Equally, prices also differ depending on the day of the week. For example, you can buy a ticket cheaper on weekdays. We also do not recommend staying in hotels around Disneyland. Of course, they are closer, but the prices there are far from cheap.
