Generally, you can count on Paris to be as expensive as two of the most costly American cities: New York and San Francisco. Our "$90-a day" premise aims at helping you to have a fun-filled yet affordable vacation in the City of Lights. By "affordable" we don't mean shabby accommodations, bad food, and the feeling that you're being cheated out of the experience of Paris. Rather, it means seeking out the best values and refusing to overpay for mediocrity. The basic premise is that two people traveling together can have an enjoyable, affordable vacation for $90 a day per person. That amount is meant to cover the per-person price of a double room and three meals a day, with the budget breaking down as follows: $50 for the room, $6 for breakfast, $10 for lunch, and $24 for dinner. This amount gives you more-than-adequate accommodations, a continental breakfast, picnic or low-cost lunch, and a fine evening meal. To save more and eat better, you can take advantage of the reasonable prix-fixe lunches offered throughout Paris and save your light meal for dinner. And you can modify the budget by opting to do it for less or more.
Consider the list of our tips below a tool kit to help you plan the most enjoyable and affordable vacation to the Paris. We'll answer the questions you probably have concerning the what, when, where, and how of travel -- from what you can expect to pay for rooms, a meal, a theater ticket to the calendar of special events.
Planning & Transportation
1. Knowledge is power. So read as much as you can about Paris before you go, ask friends who have been there, and get as much free information as possible from the Internet and tourist office.
2. Plan well in advance. Airlines and even car-rental firms and hotels need to sell their inventory of seats, cars, and rooms, and will reward the advance purchaser with a discount. A 21-day advance-purchase airfare is cheaper than a regular economy seat. If planning far ahead isn't an option, check for special offers on major airlines' websites, or on travel websites like www.lastminutetravel.com, www.cheaptickets.com, and www.smarterliving.com.
3. The most expensive part of any trip often is the airfare, so scour newspapers and the Net for the latest information. Airlines want to fill every flight, so they adjust their pricing frequently. Look for airlines that have just begun flying to Paris -- they often launch the route with low fares.
4. Fly during the week rather than on weekends; it's cheaper. Also, you'll save on airfare and dining if you travel during the off season, approximately October to March.
5. Consolidators, also known as bucket shops, are great sources for international tickets. Start by looking in Sunday newspaper travel sections; U.S. travelers should focus on the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and the Miami Herald. Several reliable consolidators are worldwide and available on the Net. STA Travel is now the world's leader in student travel, thanks to its purchase of Council Travel. It also offers good fares for travelers of all ages. Flights.com (tel. 800/TRAV-800; www.flights.com) started in Europe and has excellent fares worldwide, but particularly to that continent. The French operator New Frontiers (tel. 800/677-0720; www.newfrontiers.com) is more than a consolidator, offering a variety of low-cost flights and packages to France, as well as train travel, car rental, and lodging in hotels and apartments in Paris and the French provinces.
6. Consider going as a courier if you have plenty of time and are not traveling with a companion. Companies that hire couriers use your luggage allowance for their business baggage, and in return you get a deeply discounted ticket. You pay an annual fee to become a member of the International Association of Air Travel Couriers (tel. 561/582-8320; www.courier.org) or the Air Courier Association (tel. 800/282-1202; www.aircourier.org), which will provide you with a daily list of low-fare courier opportunities.
7. Pack light. You won't need a luggage cart, and you'll be less likely to succumb to the desire for a taxi.
8. Take the cheapest way into the city from the airport. You can save around $40 by taking a train or bus instead of a cab from Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle, and about $25 from Orly. Plus, you can doze on your trip into the city.
9. Enjoy the price tag of a package tour. Sometimes the price of airfare, transfers, and a week or more in a hotel is little more than the cost of traditional airfare. You don't have to sign up for the tour's features or join the group activities unless you want to.
Accommodations
10. Book early. The best budget choices fill up fast.
11. What do you really need in your hotel room? Nearly all rooms in Paris have a sink with hot and cold water. If you don't mind sharing the facilities, you can stay in a lower-priced room with a bathroom down the hall.
12. Negotiate the room price, especially in the low season. Ask for a discount if you're a student or over 60; ask for a discount if you stay a certain number of days, say, 5 or more.
13. Stay at a hotel that doesn't insist you take breakfast, which can add $6 or more a day to your bill. Make sure you aren't being charged for it.
14. If you're interested in experiencing the life of the country, sign up for a home-stay program such as Servas (tel. 212/267-0252; www.servas-france.org).
15. Consider staying at a youth hostel or similar lodging. You don't necessarily have to bunk in with a bunch of strangers; many hostels offer private or family rooms, and many serve meals and/or have public kitchens and laundries.
16. A home swap or short-term apartment rental in Paris is a good option if you don't need the services of a hotel. One company that facilitates home swapping is Trading Homes International, (www.HomeExchange.com); for apartment rentals -- www.lodgis.fr.
17. Don't call home from a hotel phone unless you know that you can dial your "home direct" number to reach your own operator. If you have to make a call, use a public phone booth to avoid hotel surcharges. Another way to save money is to call home and ask the person to call you back; U.S. rates are much lower.
18. Look for télécartes that give you more for your money. You'll be hard-pressed to find a pay phone in France that accepts coins; public phones require that you insert a prepaid télécarte that has a microchip to measure the connection time. Calls to the United States between 8am and 7pm use a unité every 14 seconds; at other times it's every 17 seconds. You can buy télécartes at any post office or tabac (tobacco shop) and some newsstands. Cashiers will almost always try to sell you a card from France Télécom, the French phone company, for 7.50€ ($8.60) or 15€ ($17). What tourists don't know is that many tabacs and newsstands sell télécartes issued by companies that have better rates than France Télécom's. Look for tabacs that have advertisements for Delta Multimedia or Kertel, or ask for a télécarte avec un code. The post office sells only France Télécom télécartes.
Dining
19. If you're not opposed to picnicking, patisseries, boulangeries, and street markets are your best bets for quick, cheap dining. Don't forget a corkscrew (tire-bouchon)! Boulangeries sell sandwiches, cold slices of pizza, and individual quiches for about 3.50€ ($4).
20. Make lunch your main meal. Many restaurants offer great deals on a fixed-price (prix fixe) lunch. After two or three courses at midday, you'll be happy to eat light at dinner.
21. Seek out crêperies, where you can enjoy meat- or vegetable-filled galettes and dessert crêpes in Brittany-inspired surroundings. There are many off the boulevard du Montparnasse around the Square Delambre.
22. Try ethnic neighborhoods for tasty, inexpensive cuisine. You can get terrific Chinese food in the 13e arrondissement between the place d'Italie and the Porte de Choisy; try the 10e, 18e, and 20e for North African, Turkish, Vietnamese, and Thai.
23. Chain restaurants Hippopotamus, Léon de Bruxelles, and l'Ecluse offer good values. Pommes des Pains and Lina's are popular chains for sandwiches.
24. The plat du jour will usually be the cheapest main dish at a budget restaurant. If that's not enough food, order the formule or prix fixe menus, which usually provide an appetizer and main dish or a main dish and dessert. Three-course menus include a starter, main dish, and dessert. Wine is usually not included, although some menus offer a boisson, which may be a glass (verre du vin) or small jug (pot) of wine. Coffee is almost always extra.
25. Pay attention to the details of the menu. On most menus the cheaper dishes are made of cheaper cuts of meat or organ meats, like brains, tripe, and so on. Andouillette is one such dish. It's not the "little" sausage you might expect, but a delicacy made of hog intestines.
26. Wine is cheaper than soda. Also, some mineral waters are less expensive than others. Unless you can really taste the difference, ask for tap water (une carafe d'eau).
27. Don't eat breakfast at your hotel unless you want to pay 4€ to 8€ ($4.60-$9.20) for the privilege. Grab a croissant or pain au chocolat from a boulangerie and drink your coffee standing up at a cafe counter for about 1.50€ ($1.70).
28. Know the tipping rules. Service is usually included at restaurants; however, we still advise leaving a 4% to 7% tip, depending on the bill and quality of service. Most waiters and waitresses do this as a lifelong career; it's nice to show your appreciation.
29. Have drinks or coffee at the bar. You pay twice as much when you're seated at a table.
Sightseeing
30. Use the Métro or walk. Take advantage of passes that lower the cost of a single ticket-from .95€ to 1.30€ ($1.10-$1.50) if you buy a carnet of 10. If you plan to take more than seven trains in a day, it pays to get a Mobilis day card for 5€ ($5.75). It offers unlimited travel in the city center. If you know you'll be in Paris for up to 5 consecutive days, a Paris Visite pass may be a good idea. Heavily promoted by the RATP, the pass offers unlimited travel in zones 1 to 3 (outside the Paris city limits), plus free or discounted admission to some attractions-but make sure the attractions that interest you are included. There's also a pass that covers unlimited subway and bus travel in zones 1 to 8 (Paris and suburbs, including the airports, Versailles, and Disneyland Paris), but unless you're going to Disneyland, Versailles, or Fontainebleau, you won't need to go outside zone 3. Buy Paris Visite passes at the airports, at any SNCF (major railroad) station, RER stations, and tabacs displaying the RATP logo. Not all Métro stations sell the passes. Fares range from 8.35€ ($9.60) for 1 day of travel in zones 1 to 3, to 53€ ($61) for 5 days' travel in zones 1 to 8.
31. Check the calendar of events. Many festivals and fairs are free and offer an opportunity to participate in a uniquely Parisian event.
32. Instead of paying to look out over the rooftops of Paris, go to places that are free, such as the top floor of the department store La Samaritaine.
33. Go to the parks. They're lush, beautiful, and civilized.
34. Tour the historic monuments and enjoy public art in the streets and parks. History endures at sights like the place des Vosges and place de la Concorde. Statues can also give you a quick history course in the great figures and personalities that have shaped Paris, or maybe just afford you a chance to appreciate the male and female nude, such as the Maillol sculptures in the Tuileries.
35. Hang out in the open-air food markets. There's one in each arrondissement; they open at 8am. Some of our favorites are: rue Montorgeuil, rue Mouffetard, and rue de Buci. Go early, and remember that most markets are closed on Monday.
36. Churches are free. Take the opportunity to sit and contemplate, or attend a service. Many churches have dramatic interiors and famous artwork-paintings by Delacroix at St-Sulpice, sculptures by Coysevox at St-Roch, and etchings by Rouault at St-Séverin, to name only a few.
37. Consider buying the Carte Musées et Monuments (Museum and Monuments Pass), but only if you'll be visiting two or three museums a day. The pass costs 15€ ($17) for 1 day, 30€ ($35) for 3 days, and 45€ ($52) for 5 days. Admission to the Louvre is 7.50€ ($8.60), and entrance fees for most other museums are 6€ ($6.90) to 8€ ($9.20) or less; you do the math. The card gives you access to 65 museums and monuments, allowing you to go directly inside without waiting in line -- a distinct benefit at the Louvre, for example.
38. Visit the cemeteries. Apart from their beauty, they're peaceful havens, and you may learn a little about French -- and American -- history. Worth exploring are Père-Lachaise, Montmartre, and Montparnasse.
39. Take advantage of the reduced admission fee at museums, which usually applies 2 hours before closing and all day Sunday.
40. If you're age 60 or over, carry identification proving it and ask for discounts at theaters, museums, attractions, and the Métro.
41. If you're an auction buff, pick up a copy of the Gazette de l'Hôtel Drouot, which comes out every Friday, and check for auctions that interest you. The five major auction houses are Drouot Montaigne, Drouot Nord, Drouot Richelieu, the Salle des Ventes Saint Honor?and the Salle des Ventes du Particulier.
Shopping
42. Paris is expensive, but there are many bargains. Take your time browsing through the little boutiques and flea markets and you'll be sure to find that perfect gift. Things like film and toiletries, including contact lens solution, are much more expensive in Paris than in the U.S. or the United Kingdom. Bring enough to get you through your trip.
43. You can secure a tax refund (détaxe), but only if you spend 186€ ($214) or more in one store. It's a complicated process, but if you spend that much in one store, it's worth applying for the refund, usually 13% to 20%, and usually credited to your charge card or sent to you a few months later. The major department stores have d?xe desks and will help you fill out the paperwork. At the airport, you present the paperwork to a French Customs officer who stamps the papers and returns them to you. You then mail the papers from the airport -- the stamped envelope is included -- and look for the refund, in euros, in about 3 months.
44. If jewelry is a pet purchase, explore the boutiques on the rue Tiquetonne and in the Passage du Grand Cerf. Also visit Tati Or and, for costume jewelry that looks like the real thing, try Bijoux Burma.
45. Perfume made in France really is different from French perfume made elsewhere. In France, perfume is made with potato alcohol, which increases the scent and lengthens its endurance, making French-made perfume the best there is. Though the U.S. has tons of perfume discounters, they usually carry perfume made outside of France. Hotels, travel agents, and the welcome desks at department stores Au Printemps and Galeries Lafayette offer 10%-off coupons that you can use to buy perfume -- if you buy more than 186€ ($214) worth, you'll also qualify for the value-added tax (about 13%) refund. If you have time, visit Catherine, 7 rue de Castiglione, 1er, the favorite perfume discounter of Frommer's Born to Shop guru Suzy Gershman. The store will give you a discount and you'll get your value-added tax rebate at the time of purchase.
46. Look for stylish, inexpensive clothes at the stores best described as upscale versions of the U.S. chain Target: Monoprix and Prisunic. For discounts on fashion, try the rue St-Placide.
47. For discounts on china and other table goods, check out the stores on the rue Paradis.
48. Soldes means "sales." The French government allows merchants to put their wares on sale below cost twice a year, in January and July.
49. To sample the contemporary art scene, stroll through the 11e arrondissement around the Bastille or along rue Quincampoix near the Centre Pompidou.
50. Go to outdoor markets. Even if you don't buy anything, the experience is fun. There are flea markets at Porte de Vanves, Porte de Montreuil, and Porte de Clignancourt, a flower market and a bird market on Ile de la Cité, a stamp market at Rond Point Clemenceau, and fresh produce markets everywhere.
51. For antiques browsing, go to one of the centers, like the Louvre des Antiquaires, 2 place du Palais-Royal, 1er; Village St-Paul, between rue St-Paul and rue Charlemagne, 4e; or Le Village Suisse, avenue de la Motte-Picquet, 15e. Otherwise, explore the streets in the 6e arrondissement -- especially rue Jacob, rue des St-Pères, and the rues de Bac and Beaune, which contain beautiful stores and galleries. The second floor of the Bon March7eacute;'s food store is also an air-conditioned antiques hall.
Paris After Dark
52. Nightlife is expensive. We'll share some tricks, but don't expect to save much. Allot some of your budget to go out on the town.
53. For half-price theater and other performance tickets, go to one of the kiosks by the Madeleine, on the lower level of Châtelet-Les-Halles M?o interchange or at the Gare Montparnasse. It's worth the legwork because you can see operas, classical concerts, and ballets in both the exquisitely redone Opéra Garnier and at the sparkling Opéra Bastille for as little as $25.
54. Low-cost concerts (about 19€/$22 per person) are often given in churches. The weekly Pariscope magazine contains complete concert listings and can be found at every newsstand. Parts of Pariscope are in English.
55. At clubs you can save money by sitting at the bar instead of at a table. Some clubs are cheaper than others, and some are cheaper during the week. Avoid weekends if you want to save money -- you'll also meet more Parisians this way.
