Paris- Is it too expensive?
 

I've been planning my August honeymoon in Paris and have been so excited for the past few months. Unfortunately, in the past week, I've had several people tell me that I'm crazy to go to Paris now because its too expensive.

Am I crazy to want to spend my honeymoon in Paris? Any tips that folks would like to share?

Thanks so much.

Well, I don't believe London or New York are any cheaper... Besides, it is your honeymoon (the first one?). You might as well enjoy it and Paris is a marvelous, fantastic, specially romantic place.

But you can keep costs low. Plan on doing a lot of walking and avoid the expensive eating places: you really do not have to spend a lot of money to eat well in Paris.

It all depends on your budget andwhaat you consider expensive. We just returned from Paris and even with the weak dollar, found it less expensive that many US cities such as New York. For example, you can find a nice hotel in Paris at a price that would buy a flea bag in NY. An apartment would be even less if you will be there for 4 days or more. Food was not overpriced for what we got and you can eat well for under 15 euro per person at lunch or dinner. Ttransportation is less expensive than many US cities - certainly less than where I am living now near DC. Nearly a week in Paris cost us about the same as a few days in NYC.

I posted this earlier. Check out the Paris transit. Too bad the buses aren't included. You can see alot of the city riding them.
There are so many markets, cheese, wine shops that beg for you to have picnics in so many great locations.
Have a lovely honeymoon. You are not crazy. Paris is for lovers.

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I'm not a true "foodie", so it was easy for me and my friend to eat quite inexpensively the last time I was in Paris. The euro was better, at about 1.35-1.37, but I still could do it.

Some of it depends on what and how you like to eat. I never eat three meals a day when I'm home so I didn't do it in Paris. We happened to have breakfast included with our room. It wasn't that great but we ate it. You can also get a coffee or tea and a pastry very inexpensively at many patisseries or cafes.

Our breakfast tided us over until afternoon and we would have a late lunch at two or three in the afternoon in a cafe or brasserie. I would have a good meal like roast chicken or steak..things like that. We were in our room fairly early in the evening and would stop at the neighborhood patisserie and get a snack for later on our way back to our hotel. I also had some cheese and yogurt that I got at a Monoprix, close to our hotel. Consequently, I didn't spend a lot on food.

We also ran into a couple of street markets and purchased snacks for the room there. It was very inexpensive.

If restaurants and food are really important to you, then cut back on your hotel or cut down on shopping if you need to save. There is ALWAYS a way to make it work.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.
Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain)

Best wishes that your marriage last forever.

You don't have to spend a lot of money to be romantic in Paris! Just walking around is romantic.

Have lots of picnics - you can take a picnic to the banks of the Seine, some cheese, bread and a bottle of wine (or two) and that will cost very little...

Congratulations and have fun!

Paris is such a romantic city. What a wonderful place for a honeymoon. There are restaurants in all price ranges; just read the menus carefully for choosing one. And there are hotels in a wide range of prices. Don't let people talk you out of your dream. This is very doable. The airfare might be the expensive part depending on your originating city.

Where are "they" suggesting you go instead?

Paris is no more expensive then any other popular honeymoon destination I would think( as mentioned, London, New York, and Hawaii and Tahiti for example)
I mean, come on, Hawaii sells 10 dollar pina coladas ,, and honey mooners flock there.
Paris is actually a much nicer place then many to "go mega budget" and still be romantic( and not " cheap " feeling.
A baguette with ham and cheese and some wine from the corner store, enjoyed out of plastic glasses, while sitting on a bench in Luxembourg park, or along the side of the Seine, is way more romantic to me then the same in most North American destinations( plus the big no no of public drinking in US and Canada)

I doubt many could ever look back with regret on a honeymoon in Paris. And frankly the amount many young couples waste on a one day party ( the wedding) could easily finace a six month holiday in Europe. The wedding is one day, ditch the orchids and stay in a nicer hotel longer in Paris. Twenty years from now you will remember Paris and forget about missing the orchids, LOL

Crazy is what brides overspend on the wedding! Cut out the Viennese
table or something else if you are feeling fiscally-strapped. A Honeymoon in Paris, however, is a treasure!

Best wishes on your nuptials.

Can we help you w/any of your arrangements?

Thank you all, I feel so much better. One detail I didn't add is that we're actually New Yorkers. It sounds like the prices we'll find in Paris might not be as shocking to us as what everyone (non-New Yorkers) had described.
We're definately trying to conserve on the wedding in order to have more for Paris. All of your other tips sound great and definately our speed. We are not people who need to eat out in fancy places and are very comfortable using public transportation.
We've planned to spend 6 nights in Paris and 2 in Amboise. Those are the extent of our plans for now but I think we'll take people's advice on previous threads and plan as we go.
Regards to all of you. I'll be sure to post a trip report when we return.

Chawkins - best wishes on your upcoming marriage. I neglected to mention in my above post that this recent trip to Paris was a nostalgic anniversary return to where we began our own honeymoon 40 years ago. Did our marriage last 40 years because we honeymooned in Paris? Not really, but it did make for a great start and we certainly both have wonderful memories of this most romantic of cities that we treasure to this day.

Back then, we also questioned if Paris would be too expensive for us, a couple just starting our careers with insignificant salaries to match.

We usually go to "real" restaurants in Paris and linger for hours over dinner. Not expensive necessarily, but not cheap. However, doesn't have to go that way.

On one trip we were with a man I knew would rather eat early and not expensively. We ate at cafes every night, something I had never done. It gave us a lot of flexibility, sometimes eating as early as 6pm. Menus were simple, food and wine were always good. (and incredibly cheap!)

One night we planned to do the Seine sunset boat tour and the cafe sent us off with wine, plastic glasses, and some tiny little pastries---for a very reasonable charge.

Though I still like the restaurant dinners, this was a delightful change of pace---one I would happily do again.

I think you'd be crazy not to go!

Paris is not going to feel any worse than NYC in terms of hotel costs. I think there are more options for pretty neighborhoods to stay in in Paris than in NYC and more moderate but lovely hotels as well. Fodor's can help you find something clean and comfortable and maybe even romantic w/in your budget.

Also, the dining in Paris and NYC is the same in the sense that you can go very high-end or find wonderful picnic foods or anything in between. Do some homework on where you'd like to eat, plan a few splurges and a few picnics and you'll be fine. Some restaurants close down in Paris in August just like in NYC, but you'll find plenty open.

I love Paris, and I think it'll make the perfect honeymoon and who knows when things will be cheaper - by then you may have 5 kids and stretch marks!! Hee, hee... I know that would never happen to you!

Have a wonderful time!

gruezi

I meant to mention two other options.

Pizzarias. I've never had a bad pizza in Paris. And they usually have great big salads, too.

Moules et frites (Mussels and fries).
Though this may not tempt as much in August, it's a traditional, inexpensive way to eat well in Paris.

Strategy: A great honeymoon in Paris! Tactics: Determine budget. Acquire funds. Advice: (that few seem to follow) Don't try to finance your trip out of monthly income, save now! You can probably pay for the trip by eliminating the wedding video and pictures. Read Paris guides...

No Paris is not "too expensive". Or at least it doesn't have to be. Especially since your plane ticket is only from NY.

I would not listen to "several people" unless they travel in a way similar to your own and have recently been in Paris themselves.

As long as you're willing to be somewhat modest in your spending, it won't be hard to meet or come in less than a week out & about in NYC.

It depends very much on your budget and your expectations. The dollar is now so low that NYC is in fact cheaper then europe. (Unlike the rest of the US our real estate market is still on the rise, due, at least in part to so many europeans snapping up inexpensive pieds-a-terres here).

So - what is your budget?

And are you willing to travel more simply to do Paris - or, since it's your honeymoon do you still want a certain level of luxury? It's certainly possible to cut corners and save money in order to do your honeymoon in Paris - but i may require compromises you're not prepared to make (staying in a B&B with shared bath, or making/eating sandwiches on a park bench versus restaurant meals).

If you want a luxury honeymoon - definitely do a reality price check now - before making a final decision.

"It depends very much on your budget and your expectations. The dollar is now so low that NYC is in fact cheaper then europe."

Sorry, I don't agree. There are dozens of wonderful small atmospheric hotels in central Paris that you can get for as little as $150 a night (100 euros). Please give us a list of places that compare with them in central Manhattan. Many of us would love to know about them. I'm not talking about the few "flea bags" that you can sometimes get for that price, but really nice small hotels.

In the center of Paris, I have twice rented a wonderful, large apartment with AC, and lots of extras, beautifully furnished with antiques and filled with character and atmosphere for just over $100 a night (now a little closer to $120). Please give me some similar ones in Manhattan -- heck, find me even one that is as nice for DOUBLE that price and I'd be happy.

A romantic honeymoon in Paris? What could be more memorable?

If you are staying for six nights, you should seriously consider renting a small apartment. There are so many wonderfully romantic rentals available, in all areas of the city.

Of course, you will end up with more space, a kitchen for those middle-of-the-night snacks and to-die-for bakery goods for breakfast (mmmm, fresh croissants!) as well as more than likely a lot of extra money to spend because the cost will be less than a high end "honeymoon" hotel. Seriously, just making your own coffee in the mornings could be the difference between a three-star or five-star special dinner out one night.

Not to mention an amazing authentic Parisian experience, and getting to know your own little neighborhood.

Go for it!

agree with NeoP,

You get more for a dollar in Paris than New York.
As much as I love NY ,I find good hotels there way too expensive.

Fellow NYCer here. You'll find Paris to be a bargain. Enjoy, and don't let others spoil your honeymoon. Come here, and we'll revel in your plans!

August is usually a slow month, so you should be able to get great deals.

If you are imagining a luxury honeymoon, it is certainly very easy to find incredibly high prices in Paris.

If just being in Paris is enough and you do not need luxury, Paris is one of the cheapest big cities in all of Europe, with hotels starting at 30-40 euros. Try that in London or New York!

I found Paris to be cheaper than N.Y. but of course you live there and know where the deals are. We had good meals in the Latin Quarter for 11 to 15 euros including a glass of wine and don't forget that when the quoted price of a hotel is $100. or whatever that's the final price and not a whole lot of taxes added on.
A honeymoon in Paris - Bliss!

Good point about the taxes and add-ons, Micheline, and just like you need to add nearly 20% to the quoted price of a New York Hotel before you compare it to a Paris one, you need to add a good 25% to all final restaurant bills in New York.

I just returned from Paris and you do not have to spend all your money!

For breakfast we stopped in a bakery. Even though we were in an apartment, we got coffee at a nearby Starbucks (ok, we are addicted).

We sought markets each day and purchased food that we carried around with us until we were tired. Then we found a bench and had a picnic.

We had a list of recommended restaurants, but we never used it! We "found" places where we "found" ourselves when we were hungry.

One day we realized we never had room for dessert, so that day we had a late afternoon snack of wine, then dessert. Later we got something more substantial at a cafe near our apartment.

Paris is absolutely amazing. You are not crazy to want to go there!

Do not give up your dream of a honeymoon in Paris!

You won't get another chance to take your honeymoon, so don't second guess your dream.

As others have said, charming hotels in Paris can be had for a very reasonable price. And there are good-- and reasonably priced-- restaurants in every single arrondisement.

One I can recommend, on the Ille St. Louis, is Le Caveau de L'Isle. You can google and find their website. It is small, charming, with good service and food. Their fixe prix menu is about 30 EUR apiece.

Bon voyage!

Neo Patrick -

That was exactly my point. You can get small and atmospheric at a reasonable price.

But - for their honeymoons - many people don;t want small and atmospheric - they want luxury. And that in Paris will be harder to get at a "reasonable" price than in NYC.

If they are willing to go for simple they should be fine. Some people don't.

I've been to Paris a bazillion times. In recent years I've had occasion to go to NYC on business about 4-5 times a year (and I know NYC very well from years and years of spending time there, living there one summer, etc). I'm no slouch when it comes to doing research on how to save money on hotels and meals when traveling, but I have never, ever been able to make a trip to NYC anywhere near as cost-effective as I can make a trip to Paris.

Sure, the exchange rate sucks, but Paris, IMO, has always been a city where you can find a great little hotel for a very good price and eat like a king for very little.

Just ask away here on Fodor's and you'll get plenty of good tips.

nytraveler, if you're talking luxury hotels instead of small and atmospheric, what makes you think NYC is cheaper there than Paris either? What did you pay the last time you stayed at the Mandarin Oriental or the Four Seasons? Sorry, I'm not buying your theory -- and I don't think others who travel both to NYC and Paris are buying it either.

Congratulations Chawkins - My DH and I did not start traveling in Europe until we were married about fifteen years, I wish that I had the memories of Paris in the first fifteen that I do in the last. Go to Paris, this time next year you will not be fretting about the expenses but telling stories to old and new friends about how wonderful your honeymoon was. You can cut corners on many things and still have the best of being with someone you love in the most romantic city in the world. Good luck with all your plans. BTW I saw a tv segment on wedding registers the other day and there are sites that people can go to and give you travel vouchers and money cards for your honeymoon, I would rather do that for a love one than give them another toaster.

Paris is much cheaper than London and a bit less than NYC. There are some really fine ** hotels and many Bib Gourmand restaurants. Do your research and you will be fine.

get day/weekend passes to the metro, that makes travel very very inexpensive by any standards, my husband and I just got backfrom paris. Also try lanes that are just off the tourist buzz wherever you go to save loads of euros on food, shopping etc. And dont forget to go to Ponte Bir Hakim for an unforgettable photo of Eiffel in the nite fully lit up for your very own personal moment far from the madding crowd!! :)
All the best for your marriage! Am sure Paris is a wonderful way to begin it!

Also, use the Batobus for a very inexpensive and comfortable hop-on-hop-off boat ride on the Seine to the major tourist sites. Be sure to ride it at night, when the city is all lit up. It's a magical must-do in Paris. Day passes, and multi-day passes, are very inexpensive. Just be aware of its hours, because it stops running at night around 9 or 10, depending on time of year.

Well at this very moment it is a quarter to ten at night in Paris, and it is nowhere near getting dark yet...

I am overwhelmed with gratitude! Thank you all so much for your kind words and best wishes. The panic attack has subsided and I'm looking forward to our trip again. I appreciate all of the tips, I have taken detailed notes and will bring them with us.

Best to all of you,

Chawkins

I just love a happy ending
:-)

Just don't go shopping...

Hotels are cheaper than in Manhattan. Meals are probably similar in price (though NYC has plenty of affordable dining options). BUT, most purchased items will be 25-50% cheaper in New York.

Paris also has many affordable dining options. I can tell you ten places to get a sit down table service restaurant meal for no more than 7 euros just off the top of my head. And of course, there would be no 15% tip on top of that price.

However, it's true that buying "stuff" in NYC is cheaper than Paris, just as buying "stuff" in Florida is cheaper than NYC.

kerouac, would you consider sharing that list?