teacherCanada

Geminican - if you choose to post when you will be in Paris, you might be able to meet up with other Fodorites for a drink or a meal. That is where lots of great information changes hands. There are cautions, of course, meeting people in these circumstances, but if you are comfortable with the process it can be a memorable time meeting others of the same ilk.

tC

kerouac

Tomorrow, I am going to dinner at one of "<i>écoles hôtelières</i>" (but not Ferrandi). It is a way to get a fancy meal for half price or less. Right now it is not too difficult to get reservations because the school year just started, so there is more room for little mistakes.

PatrickLondon

>>My budget is 20-30 euros a meal, less for breakfast which will mosty consist of pastry and coffee, less <<

Then you'd have no problem, IME, provided you stay away from the obvious tourist traps and high-end upmarket or business/expense account places. Many of the kinds of cafés you see on main intersections throughout the city will do a standard coffee/croissant/orange juice breakfast for less than &euro;10, omelette frites or a large salade composée + dessert + drink for well within your limit. Not fancy or imaginative, but more than adequate, and in most areas you'll find a range of places fairly close to each other, so you won't be short of options.

manouche

If you eat breakfast at a cafe you usually have a choice - around 5 EU for a croissant or tartine (half baguette/butter/jam) and regular coffee OR around 10 EU for the same thing with yogurt orange juice and sometimes an omelette. Don't make the mistake of ordering an overpriced cappuccino instead take a cafe creme if you want milk in your coffee. We live in the 4th and pay 4.80 for a double espresso but when we visit friends in the 18th we only pay 2.80 for the same damn thing.

If you want to eat in restaurants or cafes all the time just order the "menu" which is a full meal for around 20 - 25 EU without drinks. Or just order the "plat" for around 15 EU because a main dish is very filling. Wine runs around 5 EU a glass, tap water is free, so is bread. Prices always listed outside so check before you go in. Eating and drinking inside is always cheaper. Don't tip nobody expects you to unless your in TouristLand.

Anybody who lives in Paris knows that the prices drop dramatically when you go to the non-touristy neighborhoods. People who live there can't afford tourist prices so that's where you should go if you're on a tight budget. Only adds maybe 5 - 10 mns travel time to go out of tourist central and so is worth it. Buying food from an ordinary grocery store - stay out of expensive Monoprix - is a lot cheaper than going to traiteurs or butchers or cheese shops but if taste is really important I would avoid eating supermarket crap and just buy less stuff. But supermarket wine is great and we don't pay more than 4 EU for a good bottle. Pastries can be expensive especially in well known shops. There isn't much difference between lemon tartes so why pay 6 EU instead of 2 EU just because somebody famous made it? Just walk around and look at prices and the food instead of going by all those "to die for" recommendations.

There was another article about AirBnB this weekend - several apartments in HLM (rent-controlled by the govt) buildings in the Marais had been sublet year round on AirBnB. Subletting is specifically prohibited in HLMs and in most other residential buildings. The people who held the leases lived elsewhere all year and were turned in by their neighbors who were fed up with the nuisances. In one instance the bailiff came to evict the tenants who were visiting from Australia. They complained to AirBnB saying that the company ruined their trip and did not uphold the feeling of trust and good will that they promoted on their website. Fat lot of good that did them - they had to find another place to stay and they didn't get a refund.

AirBnB is only legal in that it now requires clients to collect hotel tax though they are not responsible for their clients reporting either rental income or tax. This does not mean that AirBnB checks to see if the apartments they list meet the criteria for legal rentals. As this story proves, they do not - and they take no responsibility for what happens to their clients. AirBnB is a website that makes a fortune listing rental property online which is not a crime but condones illegal activity which many would say is immoral.

Gretchen

Glad the budget is finally on the table, and with the rate of exchange now, it is more than what we did on numerous trips to Paris. And you can even eat an occasional meal in the central/touristy part of Paris as we did --LOL.
We ate coffee and roll or croissant (is that a pastry in Paris!!!) at a cafe. Lunch sometimes a picnic sandwich of ham and cheese to eat on a bridge or the Champ de Mars with a bottle of wine (cheap at the Franprix). Dinner as others have described above--the "menu" or the plat, since I rarely even in Paris eat dessert.

kerouac

Croissants, brioches, pains au chocolat, pain aux raisins and all such items are <b>not</b> pastry in Paris or any other part of France. They are mostly breakfast or after school snack foods and carry the name <i>viennoiserie</i> as they are among the items that Marie Antoinette brought from Vienna when she came to France.

The standard saying that a good <i>boulanger</i> is almost never a good <i>patissier</i> (and vice versa) is generally true, but it is a <i>boulanger</i> who is specialized in <i>viennoiserie</i> and not a pastry chef.

GinnyJo

bookmarking

welltraveledbrit

<Point is, you can do Paris and love the heck out of it on any budget.>
I agree, there's so much to see and do that's free too.

I'd have a good look at the list of Paris Municipal Museums which are free including the Musée Carnavalet - Histoire de Paris, the nearby Musée Cognacq-Jay and the Petit Palais - Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris all of which are well worth seeing.

Check out Paris Greeters - you need to make the arrangements before you leave home - a Parisian to show you around Paris for free what more could you ask for?

Here are my recommendations for reasonable meals in the Marais.
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2013/...in-marais.html

welltraveledbrit

For your splurge check out La Fourchette for deals at some good places. It's mentioned in one of the links above.

Paris Walks are still good value and they offer lots of variety, or buy a walking tour book and pick your own destinations. Walk the covered arcades, Pere Lachaise, Promenade des Plantees, St Denis on the metro, a modern architectural walk many of which are covered on the blog.

Have a great time, there's lots to see!

DebitNM

Well traveledbrit - why are the names of restaurants missing?? I can't see any.

DebitNM

And many names/details are missing from Paris Top 10. Would love to read the complete version....

welltraveledbrit

HI DebitNM - this is what happens when you manage your own blog.

Somehow I'd changed the links to white so you couldn't see them. Not what I wanted to do. My husband is a programmer but somehow I was determined to manage the damn thing on my own! Thanks for the heads up. I've made a change and you should be able to see the restaurants, as well as all the links on the "Top Ten" page too.

Enjoy!

DebitNM

Thanks! Heading to Paris next month, always looking for good tips.

I recognized Les Philosphes last night from the picture and description. We have been hit and miss there. When it's on target, great, but when it's off, it's off. We do go every trip, so that says something. Looking forward to trying some of your suggestions on food and things to do.

welltraveledbrit

Enjoy your trip DebitNM, yes I was only recommending Les Philosphes for a simple glass of wine and an inexpensive plat du jour. I wouldn't consider it a "destination" but it does have a certain charm.

geminican

Well in that case my heartfelt thanks to Marie Antoinette as my viennoiserie and I will meet again in a few days! Would it be called viennoiseries if I want to buy more than one? You guys I have a freaking major problem. My VRBO apt host emailed me that the kitchen will be experiencing renovations during my stay for 4 days. They said they tried to postpone it after I leave but cannot anymore and will give me a 10 percent discount if I didn't mind the construction or they will refund no problem. What the heck, I DO mind Here lies the problem with apartments vs hotels. Now I need last minute lodging. OCT 13 for 8 days. I haven't booked my flight from Paris to Madrid yet and my hotel in Madrid is refundable so I could technically stretch my time in Paris to 10 days or keep it the same. Construction during my stay with workers coming in and out with my belongings there doesn't sound peaceful at all. I'll find something but if you could give me some options for 150 euros or less that you have actually stayed in, apt preferred for 8-10 days would be really outstanding. I will stay in any arrondissement that's relatively easy access whether bus or metro. If there's a balcony too I might lose my mind in happiness but running out of time. Thank you so much I read everyone's responses especially the advice on meals, Paris Greeters, restaurant choices and AMEN to resourcefulness! I remember Tony Robbins told Al Gore, I think it was a Ted talk and yes Al was literally in the audience, that he would've won the election had he been as passionate about running for the presidency as he was for Global Warming and had he been resourceful! It's the name of the game. Anyway I want to say thank you everyone for the generous feedback, I am in tune with all your comments, and extra thank you for any apt input. Packing soon and leaving tonight, yay!

Gretchen

I don't think I'd worry so much about your belongings. You won't be in the apartment during work hours in all probability.
You can bring in things to eat.
Why not just stay there and put the 10% to good use.
Did we know about Madrid?

justineparis

four days could easily turn into six days... just saying.. I would be pissed too.

She is worried about her belongings because with construction she will have STRANGERs in and out all day .. I don't blame her at all.

Mathieu

I took a class at Ferrandi - it was wonderful.
And yes, there is a distinct difference between viennoiserie and other baked goods. Just for fun, do yourself an interesting favour and look up and learn the difference, and what's eaten when.

Don't miss out on the simple but delicious (and inexpensive) 'chouquettes' to eat with your morning hot beverage. They look like donut holes (but made of pate a chou) covered with crunchy white sugar. They're also usually available throughout the day as a quick snack.

GinnyJo

In case you decide on a Paris hotel instead, we stayed at the Hotel Clement in the 7th last year and had a wonderful stay. They appear to have availability for your dates at 1,088 Euros for the 8 nights:
https://www.secure-hotel-booking.com...772.1393774412

manouche

I would worry A LOT about being in the apartment during works - we've done it, had stuff broken, gone missing, the place will be filthy - all kinds of hassle that nobody wanted to pay for. Plus the work always goes on longer than expected. Ditch the apartment idea - you're trying to do the impossible during high season. Get a refund and find a hotel fast. You can find one with a balcony if you look for it and you can eat all the pastries or viennoiseries you want in your room. Lots of balconies and pastries in the Latin Quarter.