I am trying to save up for a trip to Paris.
I'm new to travelblog so I'm not really sure how this all works but I am trying to save up for a trip to Paris. I was wondering if anyone had any good ideas on where to stay, eat, and what attractions I should make sure and get to. I'm on a budget since I am still a student so if anyone has any advice on how to get the most bang for my buck that would be greatly appreciate. Looking foward to hearing everyones feedback!
Reply to this Hello Andrea 😊
I made a thread for your query in the New to Independent Travel forum.
I recommend that you get a copy of the Lonely Planet Guide for Paris or the one for all of France if you are planning to go to other parts of France. It costs 30 Euros but is worth it in my opinion for the information it gives for backpackers about accomodation, transport, money, safety....
You can stay in hostels quite cheaply. Around 15 to 20 Euros per night. You could also try joining
Couchsurfing and try to find somebody there who lives in Paris to stay with for free.
There are lots of cheap places to eat around Paris that are almost like fastfood places but with a touch of French stylishness about them. And of course you can also buy food in supermarkets to make it even cheaper.
Getting around on the subway is reasonably easy and not expensive.
Mel
Reply to this Thanks for the great tips! I will definitely look into getting a copy for the Lonely Planet Guide for Paris. I like the idea about Couchsurfing.........I am also looking to find some coupons or discounts for restaurants and different exhibits. I know that I will be able to get a student discount at some attractions but I'm looking to get all the extra savings that I can. Anyone else out there have advice for me about how to travel Paris cheap??? Or even Europe for that matter????
Andrea
Reply to this For travelling around Europe cheaply you can get very good special offers on flight and train tickets especially if you are flexible about where you go and book a few months in advance.
For long train journeys take night trains. They are often cheaper than day trains and will save you paying for a nights accomodation.
I also saw some very cheap bus tickets advertised recently.
And in Germany at least there is a service that finds paying passengers for people who are going to drive somewhere. This is generally inexpensive. Maybe other countries have a service like it too.
And of course there are some countries which are less expensive than others in Europe so they might be the places to travel if you want to be careful with your money.
There is also a Lonely Planet guide which covers all of Europe. It may be better to get that than the one for just Paris if you are planning to travel around Europe in the next 5 years.
And if you have a tent you can ask farmers if you can sleep on their land. They are generally willing to allow this in Germany at least.
Reply to this Hey Andrea
I'm actually in Paris right now for a couple months over the summer. My favorite areas are Montmartre, the Marais, and St Germain/Latin Quarter.
St Germain is on the expensive side though. The jardins of Paris are in my opinion the best areas but not sure if you're a park person. The Seine and its ponts are also amazing places to spend time. I haven't searched in depth but it seems really cheap hostels are pretty hard to find here.
Paris in the summer is amazing. They plan all these city events throughout the summer to encourage Parisiens to stay in town (still rare) and also the city is flooded with tourists so they make sure the city shows it's best face. Tons of free concerts, film showings, etc. The first Sunday of every month is free admission to some of the biggest musees in Paris including the Louvre. I think also every Wed and Fri after 6 is free for people under 26.
I think self-catering could be the best way to go if you're on a budget. The markets here stock extremely fresh produce though so no worries there and the markets themselves are one of the best things about Paris. I suppose there are also a lot of crepe and gyro stands around, and a lot of little shops that sell baguette sandwiches but those get old after awhile. Maybe you aren't staying so long though? If not, those are probably your cheapest option, you can get by on perhaps 4 or 5 euro a meal.
Mel is right, the metro is super cheap and goes anywhere you want it to go. I've actually stopped paying to ride it.
Versailles is an easy day trip, tons of nearby castles, etc.
Too much to say about Paris.
Hope you have a good time...
Reply to this I'm really getting excited to plan my trip. I have heard so many great things about Paris but getting your feedback while you're actually still there is even more encouraging. Thanks for the information about visiting the Louvre because that was one of the sites that I wanted to make sure and get to. Have you visited Napoleon's grave? I was wondering if that was worth going to see. I have been looking up hostels on the internet and I was wondering what location is the most convenient to stay in as far as getting to all the attractions. Enjoy the rest of your trip and thanks for taking the time out of your vacation to fill me in...
Reply to this What about visiting Jim Morrisons grave, if you are a Doors fan?
Reply to this Musee D'Orsay is also up there on the museum list, but if you're not a paintings person it may not be for you. It's where you have the famous Monets, Van Goghs, etc although the Mona is at the Louvre. Napoleon's grave no I haven't, I believe he's buried at Invalides though. I haven't done a lot of the touristy things here though I have to admit. Tons of famous people are buried all over this city, it is so bizarre. Jim Morrison I think is at Cimetiere du Pere Laichase, as is Moliere, Chopin, Edith Piaf... I think Marie and Pierre Curie at buried under the Pantheon with of course tons of other famous people. Apparently under the Opera there is an underground lake, one which inspired the Phantom of the Opera, Saint Chapelle is not to be missed on a sunny day, Sacre Coeur and that area Montmartre around is my favorite.
Umm... location to stay. I think everywhere in Paris in the center (1-6e) would be very convenient. The Marais would be a good choice, or the Latin Quarter/St Germain. Marais has turned into quite a little trendy area here. The metro system is super easy to use though, so getting anywhere (if you didn't want to walk around which is probably the better option here in Paris just because it is SO beautiful) is extremely easy. I would probably say Marais because it is a fun area and also close to Bastille which has tons of nightlife. It is also an easy walk to Chatelet-Les Halles which connects to just about every important line in Paris.
Reply to this I love paintings so I am definitlly going to add Musee D'Orsay to my list of things to do in Paris. I found a great little place to stay at right near the Eiffel Tower and it is very reasonably priced especially since I am splitting everything three ways with my other travel partners. In case anyone was interested I recently had to get some new health insurance and with my plan I get some other benefits which include travel discounts. It is going really help me out for my trip..... here is the link if you wanna check it out
http://www.icanbenefit.com/assocBenefits/index.cfm?benefitID=105
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