If you’re on a budget, Paris is the city for you. The city has plenty of cheap restaurants, bakeries, and cafes where you can get a meal for just €10 or less.
You don’t need to stay in fancy hotels either there are plenty of affordable options that won’t break the bank. Even if your budget doesn’t allow for splurging at every meal time, there are lots of ways to save money while still enjoying your time in one of the most beautiful cities in Europe:
1. Use trains to get in and out of the city.
If you’re planning on using trains to get in and out of Paris, your best option is the RER (Reseau Express Regional).
The RER is a commuter rail system that connects the city’s main train stations with suburbs around Paris. It’s affordable, convenient, and accessible from most locations in the city center. In fact, most major attractions are within walking distance of an RER stop.
How to use the RER:
- Find your destination on the map below and note which station serves it best; this station should be marked as an SNCF stop on your map if you don’t already know which one it is
- Use Google Maps or another mapping app to find its location within Paris’ public transportation network (this will help you plan out where to get off at each stage)
2. Get a Paris Museum Pass
The Paris Museum Pass is a great way to save money during budget travel. It’s valid for one week and gives you access to over 60 museums, monuments, and attractions in Paris.
The pass is good for 2 adults and 2 kids under 18 years old. All you have to do is choose from one of three packages (Standard, Premium, or Ultimate).
The Standard package includes the most popular attractions like Louvre Museum, Musée d’Orsay, and Versailles Palace, while the Premium package includes these plus additional sites such as Arc de Triomphe or Château de Vincennes – an excellent choice if you want to see everything! And finally, with the Ultimate package, all major sights are included so that no sight will be missed during your stay in Paris!
With this pass, you can visit as many places as possible at your own pace which means no waiting in long lines since admission fees are already paid upfront all you need do is show up at any attraction entrance where they will stamp your card with their unique code which then allows access into all participating locations listed on it no matter how crowded they may be!
3. Spend wisely in the supermarkets
It’s easy to blow your budget on a trip to Paris, but you should be able to save money if you shop smart. It’s possible to buy your food in bulk and avoid overspending at the supermarket.
The first thing you’ll have to do is get used to buying more expensive items in bulk. If you can afford it, it may be worth it for some things (like cheese) since they’ll last longer and make sense for putting in your suitcase anyway.
Next, look for sales on less expensive items so that even if something isn’t as fresh or doesn’t taste as good as what would normally be found at home, it won’t break the bank regardless of how much of it ends up being consumed before expiration date arrives (or whether expiration even occurs).
This can also apply when stocking up on snacks like chips or candy bars that are usually sold in smaller quantities than those found elsewhere around Europe; sometimes stores sell bags containing up to five times more per pound than what might normally be sold by itself here in America!
Finally: don’t buy bottled water! While water out of pipes may smell funny sometimes due to chlorine levels (or whatever else happens), there will always come a point where one needs hydration during travel time, especially when exercising outdoors all day long without access inside buildings with indoor plumbing facilities nearby them too often throughout their entire duration…
4. Find cheap or free things to do during your trip
- Find free museums: There are hundreds of free museums in Paris, and they make a great budget travel activity. Most museums are closed on Mondays.
- Get on a walking tour: You can also find lots of walking tours that don’t cost anything. These tours will be led by someone who knows everything about their city, which is an invaluable resource for budget travelers!
- Go to concerts and shows: While many people think of going to museums or art galleries when they visit Paris, there’s plenty more low-cost entertainment available around town too! Concerts, theater performances (including opera), puppet shows—you name it. You’ll be sure to find something that suits your tastes here!
5. Do a bike tour of Paris
If you’re in Paris and looking for a great way to see the city, a bike tour is definitely for you. Biking around the city at your own pace is a great way to really get to know how Parisians live, and it will give you access to areas that walking can’t always do. If biking isn’t your thing (there’s no shame in that), there are plenty of other options available as well.
6. Walk the city and see the sites for free
The best way to save money in Paris is to walk the city and see the sights for free. Paris has so many beautiful sights, including the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Montmartre.
The best way to see these sights is on foot! You can also walk along the Seine River or along the Champs Elysees between Le Louvre museum and Place de la Concorde.
Another great place to walk around in Canal Saint Martin which starts in Boulevard Richard Lenoir at Bassin de La Villette.
Here you can sit outside at one of many cafés while enjoying some wine or beer while watching boats go by on this peaceful waterway that meanders through northern Parisian neighborhoods like Oberkampf (home base for famous French rappers) Belleville (the site of ancient Roman necropolis) Ménilmontant (where Haitian immigrants settled after being deported from France in 1789).
7. Stay in a hotel outside the city
If you want to save money, the best way is to stay away from the city center. Hotels in Paris are quite expensive, especially if you get a room for two people.
It will cost anywhere from 80 euros per night at an average hotel and more than 100 euros at a luxury hotel. The farther out of town your hotel is, the cheaper it will be (and also very likely less luxurious).
If you’re looking for something reasonable but still not too far out of town (but still outside Paris), try staying near Montmartre or Belleville; both areas are known for their cheap hotels and small restaurants that serve delicious food at affordable prices.
Another option is staying near one of the airports—they’re close enough to be convenient if you plan on using public transportation or taking taxis back into town every day but far enough away that they’ll be inexpensive compared with what’s available closer to the city center attractions like Notre Dame Cathedral and Left Bank area streets full with bars and restaurants along Seine River banks where tourists flock en masse all year round!
8. Buy a Paris Visite Travelcard
For a great way to save money and make the most of your time in Paris, buy a Paris Visite Travelcard.
This can be purchased for 1, 2, or 3 days and offers unlimited travel on buses, trains, and the metro within its designated zone. The zones are indicated on their map and ticket (see below).
If you’re planning on visiting several sites outside of central Paris, however, this may not be enough—you’ll probably want to invest in an additional day pass that covers all zones of transportation.
These tips will help keep your spending low while you’re in Paris!
- Use the Paris Museum Pass
- Stay outside of Paris
- Take a bike tour of the city
- Walk around the city and see the sites for free!
- Buy a Paris Visite Travelcard
Conclusion
If you’re planning a trip to Paris, these tips should help keep your spending low while you’re in the city. The best thing about them is that they don’t require any special equipment or skills—just some imagination and creativity! Now get out there and make your own memories in one of the most beautiful cities on earth.
