Does Paris have to be expensive?
 

Good friends of ours go to Paris every Christmas. Since we are considering going to Paris for our 25th anniversary in April, I was asking him about their visit. Where do they stay, what restaurants. We didn't talk a long time, but many of his comments were about how expensive everything is. $6 for bottled water, hundreds of dollars for a meal (he said he doesn't want to know most of the time, what it costs. He can't handle knowing), $500 for a hotel room. He loves the city, but is rather bummed as to how expensive everything has gotten in the last few years.

He isn't cheap, but not extravagent either. They stay in nice hotels and eat well, but not crazy. He loves the ethnic restaurants in the city; Indian food, Iranian, Greek.

Anyway, my question is, does it have to be expensive? We are not worried about how many stars, just some good food, good bistros, cafes, with a glass of wine (ok, a bottle), a loaf of bread, some cheese, some ambiance? We want to go for about five nights, and stay in a central location for walking and sight seeing and just "being" in the city. How much a day would we be talking, if you were to generalize...

A very nice hotel can be had for 150€, and two people can eat sumptuously for 100€ a day (if you don't get crazy about the wine).

Carry water for hydration that you buy in a grocery store for 2.85€ a gallon; drink house wine in restaurants. Eat street food or picnic whilst exploring.

Get a transport pass and a bus map for when B is too far from A to walk conveniently.

'scuse me, but that IS extravagant to me!

We travel at least once a year to Paris, stay for 7-9 nights, and the entire trip for both of us, all costs included, is around $2900-3100 (depending on how many side trips we might take).

We do stay in a rather cheap hotel, so you could add $100/night or so and stay at the nicer, more central hotels everyone talks about in all the posts.

Decent, non-gourmet, meals can be had at cafes, bistros and brasseries for anywhere from $20-40 person, easily.

Your friend has never been to a grocery store in Paris, where water can be bought for under $1./bottle!

Either your friends truly ARE extravagant, or they are very unsavvy travelers.

I got to Paris 2-3 times a year. I stay in either a very nice 2* hotel that costs 72 euros a night for a doube or a very nice 3* hotel that costs about 95 euros a night.

Breakfast at a café (a café crème or a noisette and a tartine) is about 4 euros. Lunch - a salad and soufflé or soup and a sandwich or something equally simple and filling - is about 10 euros. Dinner - 3 courses at a nice bistro or brasserie - is usually 25-35 euros.
I can easily spend a lot less than that by getting take-out from a charcuterie or supermarket. Bottled water is about .50-.80 euros. A decent bottle of wine from a supermarket or wine store can cost less than 10 euros, even less than 5.
I can't imagine how your friend came to have this perspective. I hope he doesn't travel to London very often - now THAT's expensive!

I think your friend is pulling your leg.

I agree with StCirq 100 percent and that matches my own experience. There are times when even a very nice hotel room can be had for under 200 Euros/night and finding something halfway decent for 120 isn't a problem almost any time I've booked. Hundreds of dollars for a meal? Pull-EEEEEZE! Yes, your friend IS extravagent or just not at all tuned in to the options available.

Good heavens, Heavens! No offense, but for what your friends spend in 2 days I can stay in Paris for 2 weeks (of course, I'm budget conscious but I still manage the odd splurge & nice restaurant). But easily, Paris can be done for $200-$250/day.

Monoprix for bottled water is much cheaper (to concur with Robespierre) than buying in the café plus it's fun to see the different grocery & sundry items.

We are not Paris "experts," but have been three times in the last 5 and a half years. One thing that saves us money is having about half of our lunches as very simple picnics, especially in nice weather. There are so many delicious things at buy at charcuteries, boulangeries, pastisseries, and on the street, too.

I think we have been in one taxi. We took the Metro, busses, boats and walked. And we never felt deprived on that score; we find mastering public transport and walking to be way more fun that taxis. Also, traffic is fairly awful, so why be trapped in a taxi.

For meals, I do a lot of research to see which places will give us the best meal for the least money. We have had some really memorable meals and dishes and have never, ever spent 100 E for the two of us.

I actually consider Paris to be a less expensive European vacation. We always seem to be able to find very good air prices, and get nice hotels for less than in other European cities we have visited.

We are planning two weeks in France in 2007, and plan to end the trip with 3 days in Paris.

Here's how we saved money on a hotel. We sneeked into the park behind the Louvre just before the gates closed and slept on the ground. The police gave a wake up call in the morning and we were on our way.

How you can believe them?
Please look in internet for hotels. We stayed at Monpellier near the Louvre for 100 euro per night.
Or look at Price Albert, or look for an apartment near Louvre (also 100 Euro per night).
Mineral water - of course you will buy from a grocery.
We had a very, very good lunch in one of the most beautiful restaurants in Paris - Grand Vefeur for 250 Euro for two. In other days we ate good for 20-30 euro/person.
There are many museums where there is free of charge on Sundays.

It is true that all Europe is more expensive in the last 3 - 4 years than before, but please, do not exageerate!

Well, let's put it this way, I suspect HE is not extravagant, but SHE is and HE is trying to please her. That would make a lot of sense to me. He is more of a practical type, and she wants to impress her friends at the firm by telling them about the name brand places that they stayed. That, I think, is why he complains a bit.

We are much more practical in our travels. I really don't need the "fancy" meal, just something tasty. We would much rather spend our time sipping and people watching at a cafe on the corner, then eating in a stuffy, famous chef named restaurant.

And I am gathering from you all that going that route is not difficult, once you figure it out. Thanks.

I think your friend doesn't know what he's talking about, is lying and/or bragging or showing off, or just is very extravagant. When I say doesn't know what he's talking about, some people don't mean to lie but don't have good memories or don't intuitively understand the different in currencies sometimes. I realize that for very wealthy people, they automatically wouldn't consider dining in a place that cost less than hundreds for a meal or buying bottled water from the bar at the Ritz (or something, who knows where he is paying $6 for it, but even street vendors who mark it up charge only about 2 euro). If he is dining in cheap Indian and Greek restaurants, he is lying when he says he is spending hundreds for a meal.

You can certainly go to Paris and spend a very reasonable amount. However, I don't agree that two people can eat "sumptuously" on 100 euro a day for the two of them. I know that may be sumptuous for some people, but I may spend about 50 euro a day eating--but I don't eat a lot compared to many people (usually only two meals a day), don't snack much, usually buy prix fixe dinners (at moderate places), and don't have expensive wines for dinner, so I wouldn't call that sumptuous. Sumptuous to me is when people spend 75 euro and more per person on a single dinner or lunch and dine in Michelin starred restaurants, or buy lots of expensive snacks (ie, Laduree small macarons at one euro each).

"Laduree small macarons at one euro each"

I sure hope they are super good at that price, but I guess one or two are enough to say you did it.

I would agree with everyone thus far except.. I think you CAN go pretty crazy with the wine, too...for 8 euros you can get a fabulous bordeaux...

Macarons cost 1 euro each? Not bad.

If your friend has been to Paris several times and just now getting frustrated about spending so much money, I may have a good investment idea for him.

Tourist destinations are always geared to make things much more expensive for visitors than for residents (although large cities like Paris are London are not exactly cheap, even for residents). Much money is made from the fact that visitors don't have the time or inclination or resources to do things in the most inexpensive ways. For example, visitors in a hotel typically must eat every meal in a restaurant or something similar, since there are no provisions for preparing meals in the hotel room (this is one reason why staying in an apartment or apartment-hotel can be cheaper, even if the room itself is more expensive).

The cost of drinks varies enormously, for example, depending on whether you buy it from a street vendor or cafe in a touristy area, in which case it might cost you six or eight euro, or whether you buy it from a low-cost supermarket, in which case it might cost fifty cent.

Unfortunately, everything works against the tourist abroad, price-wise. It's actually much cheaper to live in a city than it is to visit the same city.

No, 75€ in a starred restaurant is "extravagant." "Sumptuous" means lots of good food for not much money. 35-40€ for dinner, 5€ for a peripatetic luncheon.

Latin lesson:

<i>i.e.</i> = <i>id est</i> (that is; in other words)
<i>e.g.</i> = <i>exempli gratia</i> (for example)

(The mnemonic is <b>eg</b>zample.)

Heavens...and I do mean &quot;Heavens&quot;! These discussions are both interesting and at the same time laughable. We who are truly &quot;travelers&quot; should be the first to come to grips with the facts:
a.No two budgets have the exact same bottom lines.

b.No two travelers (or even tourists) have the same objectives or bank books.

Go for yourself, using any and all tips you can get on this board, enjoy, live within your budget or go slightly beyond from time to time (occasional splurging is beneficial for the heart)....and at the end of the year it won't make much of a difference in either case.

Personally, among the 50+ countries I have traveled in a fair amount of depth, we have always been able to find lodgings, food, accessories, water, wine, beer, desserts and cokes, pay-sights, etc. that didn't go very far beyond what we had planned to spend...because we simply did the research beforehand. This generous board, Barnes and Noble, and the internet in general, provides all you need to know BEFORE going. We are dong a barge trip this spring in Alsace, and then spending a few weeks in Provence, ending with three days in Paris. I have nailed down most of our lodgings, airfare, car rentals, train prices in advance..all within the pre-determined budget lovely wife and I worked out. I don't have a worry at all at this point....just going over the gigantic map and guidebook library I have accumulated over the years, to refamiliarize ourselves with Provence, Alsace and Paris. ....
Go, for Heavens, sake...stop fretting and tell your friend you're happy for his contributing to Parisienne economy. That makes your quota far less!!!

Stu T.

Heavens, I do think your friends are just bragging (in kind of a backwards way)!

I have only been to Paris once but did not find it expensive at all. We stayed in a nice 3-star hotel in the Latin Quarter on St Mich (100e), we ate out in neighborhood restaurants, ordered pitchers of house wine, did most of our touring on foot, enjoyed time in the beautiful parks, etc.

There's no way ethnic restaurants are going to cost &quot;hundreds of dollars for a meal&quot; that's just crazy (unless you are buying expensive wines). And if he pays $6 for a bottle of water... well hasn't he ever heard of a grocery store?
;-)

Heavens, I think your friends have more problems than what they spend in Paris.

As already shown above, you can easily make Paris affordable with a little knowledge and research. Plan for your Anniversary and have a wonderful time.

Why buy bottled water in Paris? The water is not poisoned!!

It is no more dangerous than water in New York or London for that matter.

Yes, you can eat at reasonable prices.
For lunch, visit a bakery and buy sandwiches, or visit La Brioche Doree (a chain) for pastries and sandwiches.

For breakfast, a bakery to the rescue.
Yogurt, pastries, etc. are available.

A superior double room at the Aiglon, just off Boulevard Montparnasse at Raspail, is 153&euro; nightly. It is a good room with a/c and a large bathroom.

Depending on when you go, you might get a better price from a promotion.


I think somebody is trying to impress you with his or her bank account. Snobbery to say the least.

I think your friend has been buying Coca Colas in the touristy areas...now <i>that's</i> expensive!

In other words, do NOT order coke with a meal unless you've got some euros you want to burn. Other than that, as others have said above, you can eat, drink, and sleep very reasonably in Paris. Just peruse these boards and you'll find all kinds of hotel/restaurant suggestions.

&quot;Why buy bottled water in Paris? The water is not poisoned!!&quot;

dear bob_brown.. so, i can order a glasss of water (verre d'eau)in a nice bistro and they wil not sell me a 3-6 euro bottle of mineral water like they do in most european restaurants?

obviously you can eat cheaply anywhere.. from stands, shops and bakeries.. but at least this man is not far off on his water prices at most restaurants.

i don't drink alcohol, and it is amzaing what a rip off water is everywhere. but MANY places ignore my requests for tap water. believe me..

in fact, i asked for a pitcher of water with a little ice in hungary. and got it. I thought.. &quot;finally.. just what i ordered!!&quot;.

i believe it was 6 euros on the bill! They claimed they had filled it with mineral water.

(this happened at famous GUNDEL restaurant).

so, i never cease to be amazed at the water rip off across the globe.

Hungary is not Paris. Throughout France you can ask for &quot;un pichet d'eau,&quot; and you will get tap water.

I am sorry if I confused some of you. HE prefers the more reasonable ethnic restaurants in Paris. The expensive meals are going to the three, four, five star places that others recommend. Those are the ones he doesn't want to see the total of the bill. My friend is a bit of a wiseguy, so some of this is to be funny, I am sure. But I would bet it is the wife who wants the more extravegant side of Paris while visiting. He is a fairly simple guy.

Please, please, forgive my ignorance. Have not been overseas in thirteen years. How much in dollars would 100 euros be? Don't laugh, OK?

The last quote for 100&euro; at xe.com was $121.47.

For Heavens sake. :) Order the carafe of house wine.It's usually very good.

&quot;Does it have to be expensive?&quot;

Yes. No. Maybe. Where do you live and what do you do? &quot;Tower&quot; is right, it is all relative. You can likely get a entire entree in Paris for the price of a bag of potato chips at McMurdo research station at the south pole. But if you're a researcher at aforesaid station, and you really, really have a case of the munchies, you might just be willing to pay that much for a bag of chips - would that be extravagant in your view? By good food, do you mean nutritious food or food you have a yen for?

You say you don't care about the number of [hotel] stars. You should, because otherwise the amounts you'll get quoted will be meaningless. As indeed your friend's entire diatribe was meaningless. Six bucks for bottled water might be cheap if it was icy cold, the day blistering hot, and you had a train to catch.

Well, in French restaurants I think it is customary to pay for what you drink.
I thought the reference was to general consumption daily.

If the consumption is only in a restaurant, then there is something to be said for renting the table space for a long break during the day.

I usually order a bottle of something in a Paris restaurant. I take a couple of medicines that contra indicate alcohol, so it is a way of having something potable without offending the local constabulary.

I may have paid that much for cold mineral water in a restaurant. I don't recall. As for the hotel room, I don't hesitate to drink the normal water from the faucet.

The euro price cited above is close to the closing bank wholesale rate on Friday of $121.48 per euro. You will usually pay at least 1% to take out money at an ATM. Exchange rates fluctuate continually during the trading day.

I started taking European vacations in the winter a few years ago when I realized it was less expensive than going to Florida. It has gotten a little more expensive since then because of the declining dollar, but I think Paris is still a bargain. I have sat in many restaurants in Paris and thought that if there even were restaurants as good near my home, they would cost twice as much.

I found Rome, Venice and especially London to be more expensive than Paris.

I think you should not rely on your friend for any travel advice. Paris is a city and cities tend to be more expensive than the country or small towns.
If you want to spend alot of money visiting a city you can do that in any city. Now if your idea of traveling is staying at the Four Seasons (George V)
and eating dinner at Michelin 3 star restaurants (the Michelin restaurant ratings only go up to 3 stars) every night you easily spend a fortune on your visit to Paris. You can instead stay a nice 3 star or less hotel (different star ratings for hotel than restaurants) in the center of Paris for less than $150 and easily have nice meals for $50/couple.
There are many ways to trim your costs while visiting Paris and although I do not think it is an inexpensive destination it probably is not out of line with some US cities like San Francisco, Chicago, Boston or NYC.

Pardon me, but my wife and I find many of the posts on this web site too ridiculous to take with a straight face. The posing of wannabees who judge all things by how much money they can waste gives us the hee-haws.

Paris, for example. Two costs to be controlled are key. 1. Housing. 2. Food.

We spent 15 days in Paris last fall and can only recommend the following for those who wish to travel economically. Note: I did not say cheaply; just economically.

Check out VRBO - Vacation Rentals By Owners. We found a 700-sq. ft. apartment about a mile from the Eiffel Tower, immaculate, modern, completely furnished for less than $100 a day. That's dollars -- not Euros.

Shop like the locals do, eat out one meal per day. Find the nearest Monoprix or its equivalent. Costs more than in the U. S. but it's a lot less costly than eating out all the time. Eat your breakfast and dinner in your apartment. Eat out at lunch. Eat where working people eat. Ask around; the locals know where quality and thrift can be combined.

After that, there are many, many other ways to see wonderful Paris and not go broke. We know. We did it.

i agree that the costs in paris are not out of line with boston, ny or other large US cities. i just visited boston (from london which is more expensive than paris) and i did not find it cheap as compared to home. sure, some clothes shopping was considerably cheaper but the normal tourist expenses like hotels, eating out, drinking and transport were no cheaper than london -- and in some cases, much more expensive. even food in the grocery store was not much cheaper-if at all.

i definitely noticed that prices are higher in boston as compared to a few years ago when i last visited. example:

-$21 for a cab ride that was just a few miles (airport to sheraton in revere - after our flight was cancelled).

-$13 with minimum tip for 2 beers at pizzaria uno in revere (don't laugh...near hotel when flight was cancelled) - hardly a luxury place and not in a desirable location. would have cost the equivalent of $8 in central london.

-dinner at a nothing special indian restaurant in harvard sq -for 4 --$150 or &pound;90. this would have cost no more than &pound;80 in an even nicer curry house in central london.

-dinner for 4 at a fairly casual suburban boston restaurant (chosen by locals so no tourist rip-off)-$170 or &pound;100...in a modest suburb not very close to the city. this would have been the same or perhaps no more than &pound;10 more in central london.

-ticket to boston and back from the suburbs -over $10 (not including use of the T). in london suburban travel cards with unlimited use of underground and buses costs on average about &pound;8 or $13 (just to london without tube or bus=&pound;5.50 average or under $10).

I live there and walkaround is right. We don't eat out much except for special occasions. We find excellant dining a bargain when we are in Provence. Plus it's usually much prettier than where we live. :)

What is a Monoprix? A grocery store?

Thanks for all you say here. It is very very helpful. Now just have to cross fingers that we can go...

I'll be back with more questions. You guys are great.

Monoprix is a chain of department stores and many of them also have a grocery section. Another frequently seen grocer is Franprix.

Monoprix is kind of a French K-Mart but a bit more upscale. The true treasure is that they have wonderful grocery items (wine, cheese, fruit, chocolates) at reasonable prices. I've furnished many a wonderful picnic from there. I find Monoprix very useful when in Paris. I've bought a bed pillow (and even managed to get it home), underwear, a nightgown, purses, cosmetics and tons of wonderful chocolate candies there.

not sure if this is always true... but the Monoprix we used in the Latin Quarter was a department store upstairs, with the grocery section downstairs (point being from the outside it appeared more a clothes store than a grocery store).

heavens, you can type 'currency conversion' or similar words into a google search and find websites that calculate the exchanges rates of major world currencies (or use xe.com as robespierre mentioned)

No, it doesn't have to be expensive! Any trip can be done inexpensively, I'm sure of it. My husband and I are in our early 20s and recently married (read: not much money!) but find a way to travel.

It all depends on what you're willing to spend money on and what you want to save. For example, we know that in a city like Paris we'll be in our hotel room only to sleep- therefore, someplace clean and in a safe and convenient location is all that matters to us.

Also, it is our personal style to grab some bread, cheese, and wine from a local market and sit in a park people-watching for lunch. We enjoyed a very nice picnic this way outside the Notre Dame for just a few dollars each.

Don't let money be the reason you turn down going to Paris! Or any destination, for that matter. Unless part of the experience for YOU is going to the best restaurants and staying in luxury hotels (which is absolutely fine if that's your preference), you can find a way to have a memorable trip on a budget.

Enjoy, and happy anniversary! :)