Paris for Less: How to Visit the City of Light on a Tight Budget

Paris on a shoestring? Really?

Yep, it can be done.

Sure, the city is known for luxury hotels and fine dining, but if you know where to look, Paris is surprisingly friendly to the budget traveler, and even the ultra-budget traveler can survive (even thrive!) in Paris.

I’ve done it myself plenty of times, and I’m here to tell you: you don’t have to drop hundreds a night to sleep well, eat well, and still soak up the beauty of the city.

There are plenty of fantastic ways to experience Paris without spending much, and honestly, some of the best Parisian moments come without a huge price tag.

These are all my best money-saving hacks for traveling to Paris.

1. Accommodations

Besides the flight, accommodations are usually the biggest line item in anyone’s travel budget. So finding ways to save on hotels will be a big part of saving money on your trip.

Of course, everyone has a different number in mind for what is considered “budget” accommodations, so I’m going to give a range of suggestions here.

For the Ultra-Shoestring Budget

If you’re on a crazy tight budget, I recommend looking at the Ibis and F1 hotel brands.

F1 Hotels

F1 hotels can be even cheaper than hostels (in Paris, at least), and are designed to be the most basic, bare bones hotel rooms around.

I’ve actually stayed in quite a few F1 hotels around France, and despite the fact that they are *super* bare bones, the rooms have always been clean and tidy – perfectly acceptable if you just need a place to crash.

The standard rooms don’t have a bathroom (there are hall baths and showers), so I think it’s worth the ~€5/night upgrade to get the Cabrio room with an ensuite bathroom and shower. Do note, there is no AC in the F1s.

F1 hotels are always on the outskirts of the city near a highway, and Paris is no exception: all three are located along the Boulevard Periphérique (the “perimeter” of Paris). You’ll have to take a longer metro ride in every day, but still, most sites should only be 30-45 minutes away.

Of the 3 locations in Paris, I would only recommend the Porte de Châtillon location, as it’s in the nicest neighborhood. Prices fluctuate quite a bit depending on the day, but you can get a room for anywhere from $40-90/night.

Ibis

Ibis hotels are more standard hotels, but again, are very basic rooms. I’ve stayed in many Ibis rooms and had a perfectly fine experience. There are several Ibis in Paris, I’d recommend looking at these 3:

Ibis Paris Bercy: Lowest overall prices, in the residential 12th arrondissement

Ibis Tour Eiffel Cambronne: Prices fluctuate, but it’s not far from the Eiffel Tower

Ibis Gare de Lyon Bastille: Not far from the trendy Marais neighborhood

Usually these hotels have great deals in the low $100s, but there are some nights when the prices can be higher $100s or even low $200s, making it less of a steal. Still, when I’ve been on a budget, this is a brand I’ve always checked.

Other Budget Hotel Options

Budget-Friendly Neighborhoods

If you don’t love the idea of a chain hotel in Paris but still want something affordable, the 11th and 12th arrondissements are great areas to look.

They’re safe, more residential, and are packed with restaurants and bars. They are a bit farther out from most attractions, but still close to well-connected metro lines, and you’ll find plenty of solid budget-friendly options here.

And while many of the more outlying neighborhoods (14th, 15th, 19th, etc) are more affordable, overall, I think the 11th and 12th give you the most bang for your buck.

A few examples of very budget-friendly spots in the 11th and 12th:

Budget-Friendly and Central

Let’s wrap up this section by discussing some options for hotels if you’re on a budget (but not a shoestring budget) and would love to stay somewhere a little more central.

These are some hotels in nice locations that usually have prices between $150-250:

Jeff Hotel (9th arrondissement, north of the Louvre)
Hotel Mimosa Paris (10th arrondissement, north of the Louvre)
Hotel Beauvoir (Latin Quarter – 5th arrondissement)
Hotel Orphée (Latin Quarter – 5th arrondissement)
Hotel Phenix (Near the Arc de Triomphe)
Timhotel Montmartre (In Montmartre)

(Learn more about Paris’ arrondissement system)

2. Time of Year

The month you visit Paris will greatly influence how expensive your trip is. Here are some things to consider:

May, June, September and October are the most expensive months for hotels in Paris, followed by July and August. January and February are the least expensive months, with the others falling somewhere in the middle.

Unsurprisingly, summertime is when prices are highest for airfare, and the cheapest prices come in winter. But I’ve found fantastic deals in spring and fall for airfare to Europe (from the US), it just takes a little bit more patience and “stalking” prices to nab the good deals.

Visiting Paris in April means you get to see the trees blossoming

So, if you’re on a tight budget, January, February, and March are absolutely the best times to travel for low flight and hotel prices. However, it does come with a bit of a tradeoff.

Winter is quite chilly in Paris, and while snow is rare, it can often be overcast and drizzly.

And of course, in winter, the trees are dormant and the parks and gardens are brown – an obvious fact, but worth mentioning because it does give the city a different vibe.

These things may or may not be a big deal to you, and a visit to Paris is still wonderful in winter, but it’s good to have realistic expectations before you book your trip. You can get a deeper breakdown of what Paris is like in winter here.

3. Free Activities in Paris

While there are many attractions in Paris with paid admission, there are so many amazing, free things to do in the city. Here are a few ideas:

Gardens

Jardin de Tuileries: Iconic garden and right by the Louvre and the Seine

Jardin de Luxembourg: A serene and beautiful escape in the 5th arrondissement

Parc Monceau: Upscale but laidback park popular with locals

Palais Royale: Lovely garden and the iconic Buren Columns square

Place des Vosges: Small greenspace in a public square in the Marais

Want more ideas? Check out my dedicated post of 15 beautiful parks and gardens to visit in Paris

Churches

Notre Dame: A Gothic masterpiece and one of France’s most iconic attractions

Sacré Coeur: The stunningly white basilica on the hill in Montmartre

Saint-Germain-dès-Pres: A colorful painted church in the 6th arrondissement

La Madeleine: A gorgeous Neoclassical building next to Place de la Concorde

Museums

Petit Palais: Full of sculptures and paintings, with a charming courtyard garden

Musee Carnavalet: Fascinating exhibits about the history of Paris

National Archives: Housed in a former mansion with important French documents on display

Want more ideas? Check out my dedicated post about 7 phenomenal free museums in Paris

Other Free Things to Do in Paris

Galeries Lafayette: An upscale department store with a stunning Art Nouveau rotunda and free panoramic rooftop terrace

Montmartre neighborhood: Tons of vibes and charming corners to explore

Walk along the Seine: An activity I never skip in Paris

Admire the Eiffel Tower: From any of these 24 amazing viewpoints

Watch the Eiffel Tower lights sparkle: Every night after dark for five minutes at the top of the hour

Walk Paris’ prettiest streets: Because Paris’ streets are like an open-air museum

Pere Lachaise Cemetery: Paris’s biggest cemetery, filled with ornate tombs and famous people

4. Paris Museum Pass

Of course, if you’re going to Paris, even on a budget, you’ll probably still want to visit at least some of the paid attractions. Depending on how much time you have and where your interests lie, the Paris Museum Pass can also save you a chunk of money.

The pass is offered in 2, 4, and 6 day increments, and gives you free admission to a long list of museums and monuments around the city. A few examples include the Louvre, Versailles, Arc de Triomphe, Rodin Museum, l’Orangerie, Musée d’Orsay, Sainte Chapelle, and the Pantheon.

As you can see, the pass includes tons of the biggest attractions in Paris!

While you can add up the cost of the museums you are most interested in and compare it to the cost of the pass, generally speaking, you save money with the pass if you visit 4 museums for the 2-day pass, 5 museums for the 4-day pass, and 6 museums for the 6-day pass.

Check out my detailed guide about the Paris Museum Pass here.

5. Children Are Free

If you’re on a budget and traveling with children, you’ll be happy to know that children under 18 get free entrance to almost every museum and most monuments. If they don’t get free admission outright, they almost always get significantly reduced admission (at least half).

This also applies to public transportation–children under 10 get a 50% discount on metro tickets, and children under 4 travel free.

Note that for locations that require a timed ticket reservation (e.g. the Louvre, Versailles), even though children under 18 are free, they still need to have a timed reservation.

6. Use the Metro

Using the metro is essential if you want to save money in Paris, as taxis and Ubers can quickly add up.

For example, a taxi from the airport to central Paris can easily set you back €50-100, whereas a metro ticket to/from the airport costs €13.

Ubers and taxis around Paris are usually anywhere from €15-30, depending on how far your trip is, whereas a metro ticket in the city center is €2.50.

There are also a few different metro passes that can save you quite a bit of money on public transport, depending on your travel plans.

There’s the Paris Navigo One Day Travel Card, which costs €12 and gets you unlimited rides on any type of public transportation in Paris (excluding access to the airports). This pass saves you money if you do more than 4 rides/day.

Then there’s the Weekly Navigo Pass, which is a great option overall. For €31.60, you can get unlimited rides on all public transportation in the Ile-de-France (greater Paris region) INCLUDING to both CDG and Orly airports (just make sure you buy the Zone 5 pass).

Considering that round-trip to the airport is almost €26 on its own, this is a fantastic deal.

Just note that this pass is for a calendar week, meaning it goes from Monday to Sunday. If you arrive on a Friday and leave on Tuesday, this pass probably will not make as much sense for you, as you would need two of them.

But if you are spending most of your time in Paris during a single calendar week, this is almost certainly going to be a great cost-saving.

All metro tickets can be bought and used on the Île-de-France Mobilités or Bonjour RATP apps.

7. Food, Meals, and Eating Out

Eating out can be another huge expense when traveling. Here are some ideas to minimize your costs while still getting to enjoy French cuisine:

Breakfast

Skip the hotel breakfasts – they’re usually really expensive (usually anywhere from €15-30 per person per night). Instead, you can get a simple breakfast at a nearby café for €5-10, or for even more cost savings, pick up a coffee and pastry to go at a nearby boulangerie.

Bonus! This gives you a chance to sample all of France’s delicious breakfast pastries (known as viennoiseries).

Picnics

One of my favorite things to do in Paris is stop at a market, boulangerie, or corner grocery store and pick up the fixings for a picnic, and then find a spot at a park or along the Seine to sit and eat lunch or dinner.

French people do this all the time, so not only will you be saving money, you’ll be having a local experience. Plus, baguettes are generally the star of French picnics, and I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that French baguettes are incredibly delicious.

I have tons of ideas and suggestions for how to create a fantastic French picnic here.

Restaurants

Bouillons: One of the best spots for an inexpensive but good meal are in the “bouillons” of Paris. Bouillons are old-school Parisian restaurants that were created to serve cheap, hearty meals to workers, and that vibe still holds today.

You can get classic French dishes like boeuf bourguignon or chocolate mousse for just a few euros in a historic, bustling setting. Check out:

Bouillon Pigalle
Bouillon Chartier
Bouillon République
Bouillon Julien

Galettes: Or you could go for galettes (savory buckwheat crepes from the Bretagne region of France) at Breizh Café or Creperie Brocaliende, which can be quite an affordable meal.

While there are plenty of fine dining establishments in Paris, there are also plenty of high-quality, budget-friendly cafes and bistros where you can get a meal for under €20.

Formule: Look for the “formule de midi” – this “lunch combo” is often displayed on a chalkboard outside and features some combination of main dish + starter/dessert/drink, usually for between €15-20.

Tipping: Another good thing to know is that in France, tax and tips are included in the posted menu price, no need to tip extra. Considering that in the US, tax + tip can add an extra 30% to the bill, the posted prices instantly feel a lot more affordable if you’re American.

8. A Few Other Money-Saving Tips

Make Sure Your Credit Card Has No Foreign Fees

Almost all the places you’ll visit in Paris will accept credit cards, so it’s good to double-check that the credit card you’ll be using doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.

Decline Conversions at ATMs

That being said, it’s good to have a little bit of cash on hand. You might need cash or small change for paying for toilets, or buying anything at a market or from a street vendor. Also, sometimes it seems silly to run my credit card if I’m just buying a €1 baguette.

All that to say, I always pull some cash out of the ATM when I arrive in a new country. When you do this, make sure you decline the Dynamic Currency Conversion, aka running the transaction in your home currency versus the local currency.

You’ll always get a better rate paying in euros (instead of dollars, or whatever your home currency is). This applies to ATMs, but also can come up when doing a credit card transaction.

Always choose "Decline Conversion" on the ATM. — **Always choose Decline Conversion**

Use an E-Sim for Data

Skip the expensive international data plans offered by your cell phone carrier and get an eSIM card. These don’t require you to buy or switch out a physical card, and you can download and activate the eSIM within minutes. I can usually get enough data for a 1-week trip for around $12.

I recommend Airalo for eSIMs!

The Wrap Up

I love visiting Paris–it’s really the most fantastic city no matter your budget. I hope this guide gave you some good ideas for how to make Paris more affordable!