Beating the Euro in Paris (and the rest of France)

Outside of Paris, food and lodging are cheaper. A lot of the entertainment is open-air and free: historic area walking tours, public gardens, markets, strolls in the woods, watching small-town soccer aka football games.

In September, there's the weekend of the Journees de Patrimoine when lots of interesting sites are open free or at a reduced price. Some of these places are rarely open to the public.

B&Bs are cheaper than hotels and you can have great conversations at the breakfast table.

The Bib Gourmand selections from Michelin are their idea of good value. Not as cheap as a baguette and cheese, but wonderful food for less than the cost of a one-star meal.

I'lll have to give this more thought and try to be more specific.

Rent a gite in a centrally located and interesting place. Outside of peak season, these can be remarkably inexpensive.

You can eat in (this saves a ton of money) without actually doing a lot of cooking by shopping at local markets, charcuteries etc. for prepared foods that can be eaten cold or just warmed up.

We have found that a rental car (Nova in northern Ireland is our favorite because of its great prices and good service) frequently turns out to be cheaper for two people than taking the train. If you drive, be sure to get a really good Michelin map for the area.

France has lots of fascinating areas that aren't typically on the Ameerican tourist radar. Hachette Vacances is a French guidebook series that has guidebook specifically targeted towards smaller areas of France. But some more specialized guidebooks like these, and you will find lots of ideas.

I agree with staying in B&B's. You can often find them from 50 Euros or less in rual areas. If you're staying longer than 17 days, lease a new car, it's usually cheaper than a rental. We did 7 weeks in Europe, France included, in the spring of 2006, the off season, for around $150 a day, not including the car lease and air fare. Granted it would cost more now, but we're planning on doing it again in the spring of '09 and expect to spent around $200 a day. You can read about how we did it here in our trip report. Lots of links on the last page.

http://www.slowtrav.com/tr/tripreport.asp?tripid=1259

Chose small French Hotels rather than Branded hotels. The prices are normally more sensible. Equally avoid hiring Gites through the big sites (eg Gites de France) as these are focused at the international market. Get to understand the Department system in France and then google for the offical Department tourist office web site which will house all the local hotels and gites.

For a family, or friends traveling together, a week at a gite might be cheaper than a B&B. But for two people, the B&B is a better deal. We know a lovely 45 Euro B&B, which includes breakfast. A gite would have to be less than 315 Euros to beat that, even cheaper if you have to provide your own breakfast. Last year we averaged 50 Euros per night at B&Bs.

It's cheaper to buy gas at supermarket gas pumps than elsewhere.

Back roads are toll-free and more scenic than the autoroutes.

Something as simple as carrying purchased small bottles of soda or water from the Franprix or Huit a 8 stores found in most large cities in France will save euros while you are day tripping.

Planning far enough ahead to purchase the lowest price train tickets.

Watch for new train routes opening up from Paris and plan a trip around "introductory" prices for the new routes. Trains can be a low cost and comfortable means of point to point travel in France.

Deborah

If you want to take gifts back for friends, shop at the big chain stores--E. Leclerc, Super Champion, etc. Just be sure the gift isn't made in China. Chocolate bars, savon de Marseilles, books in French, canned pates, are possibilities.

A restaurant lunch is cheaper than a restaurant dinner. One day we'll eat a restaurant lunch followed by a bread-cheese-pasry dinner; the next day we'll have the bread-cheese lunch followed at dinner by salad and something to heat up from Leclerc.

This is a great thread and I'm learning from everybody who posts something here.

Hello fellow travelers, I'm the Paris editor I'd like to thank everyone for their tips so far. I'm always looking for ways to save a few euros in Paris so that I can visit as many of the city's wonderful restaurants as possible.

It's true, restaurant lunches, rather than pricey dinners are a great way to save. And an inexpensive picnic lunch in one of Paris's many parks, or by the Seine, is also a good way to save a few euros that you can spend later.

I also try to save money by skipping hotel breakfasts, if possible, and just have my morning coffee in a cafe, rather than spending large sums on huge in-house petit dejeuner. It's not always an option though.

This is a great thread, and thanks to the OP, and the responders!!

Tagging this one for excellent content...well done !

I sympathize with people who are addicted to Pepsi or Coke, but when I read about the price in restaurants, it's always a shocker. Instead of ordering soft drinks in restaurants, buy them in supermarkets, especially if you have access to a fridge where you're staying.

On the other hand, I want to make this point. Don't stint on what you really enjoy. To save money you might just want to do/eat/drink less of it. You can find somewhere to cut costs that doesn't affect your overall enjoyment.

On a Sunday morning take the métro to the Place des Fêtes, pick up picnic items at the market on the square, walk down to the top of the Parc des Buttes Chaumont and join the Parisians on the grass who are also having a picnic.

Caoroline T wrote: "I also try to save money by skipping hotel breakfasts, if possible, and just have my morning coffee in a cafe, rather than spending large sums on huge in-house petit dejeuner."

One of the worst deals in Paris (or anywhere) is the typical French breakfast in a hotel. But if you have the capacity, a full buffet breakfast can be one of the best deals. I often have a large breakfast followed by no lunch or a little snack, and get through to dinnertime. So, when booking hotels, I look out for packages that include a buffet breakfast.

And while we are discussing tips for making money go further in Paris, should we not mention tips, and the fact that they are not necessary in France? And if one suffers from an irresistible urge to tip, that one should do so at a much more modest rate than in the US? As a denizen if Euroland, I don't face the concerns that Americans do, and still I don't feel obliged to tip for normal service.

There is value in treating Paris as a destination, rather than as a place which contains a number of destinations. By that, I mean that time spent wandering in the city can be every bit as enjoyable as visiting great museums and galleries. I don't mean skip the Louvre, but don't spend all your time visiting things for which an entrance fee is charged. Why has French given us such words as boulevardier and flaneur if strolling in Paris is not a pleasure?

If you are staying in self-catering accommodation in Paris, don't shop for groceries in Monoprix - it's expensive. Instead find your local Franprix or Leaderprice, or hunt down a branch of ED l'Epicier (less common in central Paris than in the outer arrondissements) for super-cheap (non-branded) foodstuffs.

Both these chains are less common outside the Ile de France region (instead you'll see Petit Casino grocery stores, which can be quite expensive). On the other hand, if you are staying in province you are more likely to be within reach of the large hypermarkets like Carrefour, Auchan and Leclerc.

People will get much more for their money by staying away from the exact center of the city. It is all very well to want to see the Eiffel Tower from your hotel window or to be a 5-minute walk from the Louvre or Notre Dame, but that adds a lot of money to the travel expenses. European tourists learned this long ago, which is why the 9th and 10th arrondissements are the ones with the most tourists and the most hotels. Even more money can be saved by staying in some of the ordinary pleasant neighborhoods of the outer arrondissements, where people can discover that the very same rotisserie chicken that they thought was a bargain on rue Cler at 10€ or more is actually "2 for 10€" in the 18th arrondissement.

It goes without saying that the metro and bus systems of Paris are very efficient and get anyone to the center of the city quickly -- with the added attraction for bus users of seeing all of the sights along the way.

Basically, people who stay farther from the center are not only spending much less money, but they are seeing a lot more of the city. People in "outer" Paris will always go into the center to see the usual tourist attractions, but a lot of the people who are already staying in the center will not necessarily venture to outer neighborhoods to see different aspects of Paris.

In restaurants order "robinet" not "d'eau". You will end up with tap water which is free.

Une carafe d'eau, c'est de l'eau du robinet.

If using a car, the cheapest fuel rates are at the supermarchés. Usually located at the edge of town.

There are usually large billboards advertising the location.

Make sure to fill the tank on Saturday.

They usually do not have staffed fuel stops on Sunday and your credit card won't work in the automatic machines.

A croissant and a cuppa is cheaper standing at the bar than sitting at a table, especially an outside table.

If you park in a parking lot, you will take a ticket when you enter.

Pay the fee at one of the pay machines before you exit. It will stamp your ticket, which you insert at the exit gate.

If you do not do this, you will incur the wrath of everyone in line behind you.

I had a slightly different take from julies on gite vs. B&B but now I've thought of a point in the gite's favor. If your gite is in the right location and you are happy there, you'll be driving less and saving on gas money. The cost of gas in France is a major shock, even now that it's $3.29 here, so any savings is not to be sneezed at.

The term "French bargain" need not be an oxymoron, does it? Well, thanks to all these great tips posted here, France can turn into a cost-cutter's delight. But what about museum passes, counter vs. table service (anyone know the French terms for these?), "peek season" times to go for bargains, and ways to sight-see, not "sight-spend"? And I'm not talking about landing "dans le chocolate"---that is, Paris! What about the rural regions of France, from the Loire to Provence? Can't wait to get some great tips to put in our new photo-rich Fodor's France guide! Merci mille fois!

Well a lot of the Americans have been chatting about bad Franlish such as "Prefix Menu". well in France there is the concept of Table d'hote (Table of the host) this can just be the evening meal in a B&B or a grand chanteau can advertise this in the evenings in holiday areas.

No choice of what you eat (ok often a vegitarian special) , everyone eats together and chats away. Prices very good.

The other eating sign ot look out for is Les Routiers. This is the traditional sign for lorry drivers but of course being French this is a sign of large amounts of local food at very low prices. Normally starts at 12:00 (say until 12:15) wine included and again no menu just eat what is put in front of you.

We use this when taking bike holidays in france because you need all the energy you can get, around 12 in any town, look for the workers heading towards very simple looking restaurants and prepared to enjoy.

Finally if you are in a wine region and have had a little degustation in the morning ask madam where to eat. I've never been disappointed

Tagging for the great tips.
Thank you all for sharing

julies, are you there? Here's another point in your (gite) favor. If a gite has a washer, that's a money- and time-saver.

http://www.meetingthefrench.com/
Some great 2 hour (or less) meetings with the working Parisiens for under 10 Euros.

And, why buy water when you can refill the bottle from your hotel tap?

I have stopped buying gifts for those at home - the memories are mine and the trinkets really don't usually mean anything to those who weren't with you. (This does not apply to grandkids' gifts.)

And, unless you are willing to pay for shipping, remember you have to pack anything you buy, some of which you can find at home. For example, buying Sephora USA will be in dollars not the Euros you would spend in the store on the Champs.

Eat from the local food shops and/or markets. Buy your pastries the night before and only pay for coffee at the hotel (if there's room service; I wouldn't take my own food to the breakfast room obviously).

And walking, people watching and window licking is free.

Where would you send a friend/(me! ) who wanted to spend between 1-3 days outside of Paris---and not spend a ton? I won't be too specific in a budget...but what would you say is a "great value" when it comes to one of these side trips?

What would you suggest?

The very first thing that I would suggest is to know how to shop for "Prem's" train tickets on the www.voyages-sncf.com official French railways site, and NOT be suckered into booking tickets on RailEurope.

This is discussed quite often on the branch.

Some great tips here! I would second the suggestion to "reste au comptoir" in a cafe, vs. sitting at a table. You will save a few coins, and it's a great experience.

--Outside of Paris, if you're driving around, look for wine cooperatives where you can buy wine "en vrac." Bring your own liter bottle and they will fill it for you.

--Many (but not all) bakeries sell sandwiches, which are great for an inexpensive lunch.

--In Paris, try ethnic cuisines -- it's not French food but the cultures do have colonial connections! Vietnamese food, couscous, falafel are all delicious and unique in Paris.

A three day trip outside Paris.

City of Bordeaux
City of St Malo
City of Le Mans
Chablis/Auxerre etc
Nimes/Avignon/Arles
Bescancon/Colmar/Strasbourg
Take a B&B barge at the start/end of season to keep costs down

Get there by train, stay in a Logis-de-france.fr type hotel, take local trains, buses walk eat, paint, museum visit, chat to shop keepers

kerouac made a great suggestion - Morgan B's guide helped us save quite a bit of money on our train tickets!

An obvious (?) solution to the price concerns is to have more money to spend. Cut expenses at home. Retrench! Americans drive 12,000 miles per year. At 12mpg and $3.50 per gallon that bill is $3,500.00. At 24mpg and $3.50 per gallon the bill is $1,750. Comments?

Hi

>What about the rural regions of France, from the Loire to Provence?

That doesn't take in much territory, as the Loire starts only a few hundred km from Aix-en-Provence.

For "France Profond", I recommend Logis de France
(www.logis-de-france.fr/uk/recherch/index-ca.htm) for the best value.

We select 2* properties with at least 2 chimneys.

>times to go for bargains,

The dead of winter.

I think that mid-April/mid-May and mid-Sept/mid-Oct are the best times of year.

>tips to put in our new photo-rich Fodor's France guide!

Alsace
Dordogne
Gorges du Tarn
Lot and Célé river valleys
(Read "Three Rivers of France"

See my trip reports
Ira Does France (Bordeaux, Dordogne, Paris)
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=34676645

Photos at http://tinyurl.com/sjch4
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=11knfe8e.3h8eqq8y&x=0&y=-pla2au

Ira Visits Europe – May, 2007 (Salzburg, Fuessen, Bodensee, Burgundy, Alsace)
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=35014078

Better yet, see Stu Dudley's trip reports.
................................
Hi K,

>Where would you send a friend who wanted to spend between 1-3 days outside of Paris.

Beaune/Dijon
(See www.myhomeindijon.com, www.hotel-grillon.fr)

Auxerre
Strasbourg
Troyes

Deauville, Rouen, Honfleur.. all are accessible by train. From Deauville you can go to D-Day cemeteries. May need a car or you can try to catch a tour. All are great trips

"An obvious (?) solution to the price concerns is to have more money to spend. Cut expenses at home. Retrench! Americans drive 12,000 miles per year. At 12mpg and $3.50 per gallon that bill is $3,500.00. At 24mpg and $3.50 per gallon the bill is $1,750. Comments?"

What kind of cars do you think all Americans drive? HUMMERS! We both drive gas saver vehicles. 2006 Ford Focus 30+MPG- 2006 Ford Ranger 24+ MPG.
Gas here in Arkansas is $3.10 a gallon. You assume to much.

Thanks Katie!

I haven't read all the posts yet, but I will be in France in Sept/Oct for 3 weeks and can't wait to read the tips here on this thread!

Merci!

For a 1-3 day trip from Paris I would suggest the lovely town of Metz in the Lorraine area. The TGV train takes 1 1/2 hours for 35 euros each way 1st class premium tickets.

An easy walk from the train station is the 2* Cecil Hotel, which does offer specials in the offseason. Our twin room was 63 euros per night with breakfast free on the weekend (special); weekday the breakfast was 7.70 euros per person.

One of the Fleurie cities in France Metz was also awarded the Illuminiated City prize for its night-time street, square and monument illuminations.

With a lake/river and lots of footpaths, medieval streets, one of the most beautiful concert halls in Europe as well as top quality sports facilities, we found Metz a gem even in February Deborah

Great thread!

Hi K,

Forgot Nancy.

After having mentioned RailEurope (and the concept of avoiding it), I am thinking that maybe it has commercial ties with Fodor's (perhaps as an advertiser?) and that my suggestion cannot possibly be retained.

Q: We will be visiting Paris on Sept10-12. Will arrive by train at Gare de Lyon Sta. Sounds like it is worthwhile to take a local train to the outskirts to save$$ on a B&B. Just need a place to kick back after walking around the city/sites. Any suggestions out there?? Also we can improvise on the food [we like the open air mkts for veggies etc] Sidewalk cafes seem interesting too. Thanxz Dave.

Great suggestions---

Including yours kerouac.. a good tip is a good tip- thanks for posting it. I believe there's a master thread related to Prems---I'll try to find it.

I went ahead and created a quick google map of all of the cities everyone mentioned for the day trips. I was curious if the majority of the destinations mentioned fell within a specific region. Looking on google maps, I found myself drawn personally to all of the spots located close to water---they look so pretty and peaceful in Google maps.

Here's the map if you want to check it out and recommend others:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/2vh8ps

I'm just back from a week in Paris. My new favorite thing to do in Paris is to attend courses at the College de France. They are excellent courses taught by leading scholars, with no registration or fee. The lectures can be attended one at a time, no need to go to a whole course, so it works for a short term visit. The three I heard were held in a large, comfortable modern lecture hall in the historic building near the Sorbonne, and were extremely well attended by French people, many of whom were over 40. The schedule can be found at http://www.college-de-france.fr/default/EN/all/act_agenda/index.jsp. This does require a fairly good knowledge of French. If you want to see if you would understand and enjoy these lectures, you can listen to podcasts available at http://www.college-de-france.fr/default/EN/all/pub_pod/index.htm.

In the same neighborhood, the Musee National du Moyen Age (Cluny Museum) is now open free of charge. On many Fridays at 12:30 and Saturdays at 4:00, there is a concert of early music on original instruments at the museum for a cost of six euros per ticket. The group, Ultreia, is in residence at the museum and is wonderful, energetic, and entertaining. Schedules can be found at http://www.musee-moyenage.fr/ang/homes/home_id20721_u1l2.htm; click on events and then on l'heure musicale.

bookmark

reconsider the season you visit. this may sound totally counter-intuitive, but we went to paris this January, and in order to stay warm, we wound up spending probably more money to go indoors at cafes to get espresso, chocolat chaud, food, etc., and to stores and museums, than had we gone in a warmer month where we could have enjoyed simply sitting outdoors on a bench, along the seine, in a park, etc.

i wound up getting quite ill with a bronchial infection, and spent more money on cough medicines and french cough drops than on souvenirs for myself!

so though we got a tiny apartment in the 3rd arrondisement for only 55 euro/night, i think had we gone in a warmer month and perhaps spent more on lodging, we may have actually saved in the long run (our trip also included london and rome, and we felt the same about those cities as well).

For really cheap rail fares book early on-line - 90-92 days before travel. Great if you're sure of your travel dates. Includes journeys to Italy & probably other nearby countries. I got Nice-Paris €25 (TGV) single 92 days before traveling - they soon went to €45, then €60. Avoid hotels- get a night train with couchette for under €50. Wake up in a new city. I got €35 Paris-Venice. voyages-sncf.com. Try the idTGV link to book some tickets 5 months early

I have not used these services, but found a tip for:

FREE WALKING TOURS IN PARIS

Paris Greeters:

http://www.parisgreeter.org/home/

and

http://newparistours.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=27

Don’t bother with the famous (and expensive) Parisian cabarets like Bobino – you’ll find cruise-ship entertainment, bad food and French “humour” all hard to digest. You’ll soon realise why the service at your table is so poor: the waiters and waitresses also turn out to be the performers, deserting you just as you are about to order coffee to take their places on the stage. If they were mega-talented, you’d just about excuse it, but I don’t think Simon Cowell will be beating a path to their door anytime soon. If I’d wanted endless costume changes, poor dancing and lip-synching, I’d have gone to a Spice Girls concert. Save your money and find a great restaurant with a live pianist like Le Music Hall (63 avenue Franklin Roosevelt 75008 Tel: +33 1 45 61 03 63).

You might try eating at the various culinary schools in Paris. Some do require reservations but the food is top notch and good value for the price

Ecole Gregoire Ferrandi
28 rue de l’Abbe-Gregorie
Menu 18, 22, Thus evening only also 35 Euro


Institut Vatel

122 rue Nollet 75017
01 42 26 26 60
Mn-Fri Lunch and dinner
26 ,30,33 euro menu


Ecole de Paris des Metiers de la Table, du Tourisme et de l’hotellerie

12 rue Jacque-Ibert 75017
Lunch Mon-Fri 12:30-2:30 Menu 10 and 13 Euro


La Table d’Albert
3 rue Pierre Leroux
01 43 06 33 09
Lunch and dinner Tues-Thus

Ceproc ( Centre de Formation des Professionnels de la Charcuterie
19 rue Goubert 75019
Lunch Mon-Fri 25 Euro includes wine and coffee

Katie, I don't know if it's too late to respond to this thread, but I will enter my two cents. We are visiting Arcachon next May to meet some distant relatives. I was researching where to stay and found a two bedroom apartment, comprising of the entire top floor of the building, surrounded by balconies for $700 per week. We are traveling with another couple, which means our accomodations will only be $350 each. It is owned by a professional American woman, a Francophile, who has already given us lots of money-saving tips. For instance, just down the street is her friend, a local oyster purveyor. Obviously we will save lots of money on food by cooking in much of the time. I love shopping at markets because it enriches the local economy. And, if I do say so myself, often it ensures a better meal. (Although I'm not sure I can say that about France. I've some of the best meals of my life there.)
Maggi

Bookmarking.

BTW, Katie, that Google Map thing is a winner. I've got to learn how to make one for myself for my next trip.

Two more suggestions to add to the great ones about Paris already on this thread:

If you are traveling with a companion or family member who is amenable to the idea, sharing a plate of cheese or charcuterie at a wine bar or a salade compose at a cafe or a savory tart and dessert at a tea room, along with your drinks, can save on meal costs, especially if you do not stick too rigidly to eating at the usual lunch and dinner times. Wine bars and cafes have wonderfully quirky hours, in particular, the less-celebrated ones patronized by locals.

My favorite day trip outside Paris, traveling by train, was to Laon. It had everything; charming access to the town by funicular, a very fine cathedral, and not many tourists.

train tickets-the eason rail euopre and dER rail tickets are so much more expenive than buying locally/in country is that the prices are negotiated a yar in advance.

local cheese: be careful eating unpastueurized cheese-in Barcelona e wound up with e coli and a bad night dealing with our urchase at a local pleina ir market.

The Sunday brunch, all you can eat, in the Musée des Arts et Métiers is hard to beat--assuming that I did not fall into a onetime thing. I think that it was 15€, excluding wine but including juice.

As for leasing versus renting, a comparison is always necessary. If the traveler is willing to go with the smallest standard shift car available, it usually will take a lease 45 days to break even (but the lease car will be larger).

Hello everyone, As I used more than once fodors site, I would also like to add a tip for families in this great thread.

We stayed in a camping in France and had a very great experience. Many of them are really inexpensive as compared to hotel or BB family rooms, plus you have your own kitchen, space to seat outside and access to a pool or complex, and other entertainment. Some are also located a very walkable distance to the town or city (it was 800 meters in our case), where you can have your meal at a restaurant. You basically don't need to pay for intown parking. Many also offer pizza, roast chicken, bread that you can order and have delivered to you for low price, and even a restaurant or a cafeteria when you can get your snak.Plus they often have deals on canoe or bicycle rentals, so you save there too.
This is my trip report: http://www.slowtrav.com/tr/tripreport.asp?tripid=1839
We usually rent apartments too for long stays, but a camping is a good saver too, so you can rent a car and visit surroundings.
I have several trip reports published on that site and they have links to our photo album too.

I agree that it is a great idea for families who are afraid that France (or other European countries) are too expensive. There is also an excellent and friendly mix of people from all over the continent, and lasting friendships are often made, just by sharing a few drinks at sunset or having a barbecue together.