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Paris on a budget

Hi All

I am off to Paris in June for 3 nights (first visit). I'm on a pretty tight budget and staying out by the Bastille with access to the metro.

Any suggestion on what to see/do/where to eat that is inexpensive but nice?

The totally free Carnalvalet Museum is close by... I got lost for most of a day there... WONDERFUL history museum, art, furniture, theater...

Fairly near your hotel:

The Ravigote, 41 rue de Montreuil, Metro Faidehere-Chailigny, charming, quirky bistro with a three-course, 19.50-euro dinner menu.

Jacques Melac, 42 rue Leon Frot, Metro Chyaronne, a down-home wine bar, with specialties from the Auvergne and wine from the owner's own vineyard, if you like. One of the best wine bars in Paris. Two-course lunch menu, 14.50 euros. Two-course dinner with wine about 32 euros, but you can have just a main course if you want.

Read that Metro Faidherbe-Chailigny,

Both sound great - thank you!

Go to this journal and scroll down for ideas on "seeing Paris for free":

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/2298c/

The Carnavalet is indeed wonderful. On Wednesday and Friday evenings the Louvre is open until 21:30 and charges only 6E for a visit if you come after 18:00. The Maison Européenne de la Photographie, http://www.mep-fr.org/default_test_ok.htm is free every Wednesday between 17:00-20:00, I was there last September and saw some beautiful exhibitions.
Not far from the Bastille, above Avenue Daumesnil begins the Promenade Plantée, where you can have a great walk amongst trees and flowers and eventually reach the Vincennes wood (you don't have to go all the way there, it's a pretty long walk).
There's also the Jardin des Plantes, a good place to walk and rest, with a small zoo as well. A great affordable Italian meal can be had across the street in Angelo, at 3 rue Buffon.
I had a great lunch, for 17E, at Le Bistrot d'Opio in the 6th, 9 rue Guisadrde, http://www.bistrot-opio.com/
You don't have to eat breakfast at your hotel. I never do in Paris, I'm always so eager to check out different boulangeries and patisseries for amazing pastries, cookies and what not.
One great (and beautiful looking) boulangerie not far from the Bastille is to be found on the corner of rue Charenton and rue Emilio Castelar, next to the Aligre market. I had fantastic bread and a divine chocolate eclair from them. Ahhh...
I find Parisian markets are a must, wandering around the stalls, smelling and looking is a great experience in itself, I try to do it every morning I'm there - other than the Aligre that I mentioned earlier, the Bastille market is huge and takes place, I think, every Thursday and Sunday. Another market that isn't too far away is the Popincourt, on the northern edge of Boulevard Richard Lenoir, active each Friday and Tuesday, from which you can find your way to the Canal St. Martin and have an interesting walk.
Enjoy your trip. Paris is my favourite place on earth. And I'm visiting again next month. :)

The parks in Paris are wonderful (Luxenbourg Gardens and the Tuilleries were favorites) and are well used by Parisians as well as tourists. Grab a sandwich from one of the bakeries and have a picnic.

To me walking is the highlight of that city, and you can see any of the great sites for free (well from the outside anyway) Louvre, Notre Dame, Eiffle Tower, Arc, etc. Get a map, plan your route, and start walking.

as far as food goes, if you don't mind the casualness of it, the street food is amazing in Paris. We had incredible sandwiches, crepes and gyros all from 2e - 4e each. We stayed in the St.Michel area where the more touristy and less expensive places were. I enjoyed the strret food more than I enjoyed the restaurants in that area.

Paris is wonderful ... and can be economical as well! Find yourself an open air market (they're everywhere!) and buy a picnic lunch (fruit, cheese and of course un baguette!) then find a park (not hard) or "cop a squat" along the Seine. Many of the "sights" are free if you don't opt for a formal tour. Street food is fabulous and we usually opt to pick up this and that to bring back to the hotel for a late dinner (not wishing to spend a lot of time in restaurants ... although we live in Chicago and have access to wonderful restaurants anytime). At any rate, Paris is one of those cities where simply walking the streets is amazing!
Have Fun!

I agree with the suggestions to visit parks. My favorite is the Jardin des Plantes which easily accessed by the Gare d'Austerlitz station. My 14 yr old and I loved walking in the park which dates to the 1600s when Louis XIII's physician asked permission to begin growing specimens on the site.

The zoo on the premises charges admission but is well worth the price for both the animals and the architecture. I believe the zoo dates from the 1790s. We saw animals we've never seen before and loved the housing for the animals.

For a tasty and inexpensive lunch near the Carnalvalet Museum, have a falafel at L'As du Falafel, 34 rue de Rosiers. It is open Sunday through Friday, from lunch time until late night. Try the Special falafel, which is only 4 EUR at the takeaway counter.

Woody

I am seeing some great suggestions here. I will add this to my favorites! Glitterball when will you be in Paris. My hsusband and I are going on May29-June 3.