- Destinations
- Paris
- On a budget
Visit Paris on a budget
From famous museums with free admission to iconic cheap eats, here’s how to do Paris in style – without going into the red.
How to plan your journey
If you’re planning a budget city trip in Paris, check what’s coming up on the calendar. Events like Fashion Week and the French Open always see a hike in prices, as do school holidays (both local and international). The train from London to Paris only takes 2 hours and 16 minutes. For the best deals, book your train and your hotel together, travel midweek when you can, and – if you’re flexible on dates – use our lowest fare finder. A little strategic planning will also save you money, whether it’s hitting big museums on the days when entry’s free, or booking wallet-friendly restaurants, which are often in huge demand. Not sure how to fit it all in? Consult our itinerary for the ultimate weekend in Paris.
Exploring Paris on a budget
A box at the opera might be out of the question, but plenty of Paris’s attractions and museums won’t cost you a euro. Visit historic cemeteries and churches, stroll the Tuileries’ tree-lined avenues, catch buskers serenading the Sacré-Coeur, or see paintings that changed the course of art.
The best things to do for free
No matter how many times you’ve visited, the city’s set pieces impress. Get your bearings from the ninth-floor terrace at the Institut du Monde Arabe, or spot the Eiffel Tower from the lookout at Parc de Belleville. It doesn’t cost a dime to people-watch on the Champs-Elysées, or to wander the Île de la Cité, below Sainte-Chapelle’s great Gothic pinnacles and the gargoyles of Notre-Dame. Alternatively, let a local be your guide. Various companies offer free walking tours – though you should still factor in a tip. What next? A leisurely walk by the Seine, taking in the views from its bridges, and all the parks and gardens you can manage, starting with the romantic Jardin du Palais Royal.
See masterpieces for free
When it comes to Paris’s cultural giants, timing is everything. Many waive admission on the first Sunday of the month, including the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée Picasso Paris. And the Louvre? Bar July and August, it’s free to visit on the first Friday of the month, after 6pm – just don’t make the rookie mistake of rolling up without a reservation. While you’ll pay to see touring exhibitions at most big museums, several offer free admission to their masterpiece-filled permanent collections. Standouts include the Petit Palais, home to Cézanne’s sun-dappled bathers, along with the thrilling Musée d’Art Moderne (think Picasso, Matisse and more).
Shopping in Paris on a budget
There’s more to this city than the Golden Triangle’s glossy boutiques – though regardless of your credit rating, don’t miss Galeries Lafayette’s futuristic Champs-Elyséesflagship. Elsewhere, find inspiration in the Marais (Merci’s a must for ideas), or check out Canal Saint-Martin’s hip boutiques.
How to shop the sales
For locals and tourists alike, the twice-yearly sales are not to be missed. The winter sales kick off in early January, the summer in late June, with discounts across the board. It’s always worth braving the crowds at the landmark department stores, whether it’s Galeries Lafayette, Printemps or the elegant Bon Marché. Wherever you head, expect further markdowns as time goes on – the flipside, as always, being whether your size is still in stock. Though its two seasonal sales are the main event, Paris has also embraced Black Friday; look out for a rush of reductions as the end of November approaches.
Flea markets and vintage finds
Paris excels when it comes to vintage, from fashion to bric-a-brac. Deep pockets are required for Celine clutches and YSL jumpsuits, but you’ll also find plenty of bargains, from Brut Denim’s stacks of denim to Shoptapépite’s Y2K gems. Make a day of it in the Marais, dotted with vintage stores – including Vintage Désir, with its box of one-euro finds. Along the Seine’s quays, browse the bouquinistes’ stalls, piled with antique books and postcards, or head to the Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen on the city’s northern fringes. Open Saturday to Monday, its series of flea markets are crammed with all kinds of relics, be it coffeepots, costume jewellery or crystal chandeliers.
Greatest cheap eats in Paris
Nowhere else on earth does fine dining quite like Paris – but with a bit of research, eating on a budget can also be a memorable experience. Eat your way around the food markets, canvas locals for recommendations, and if you see a boulangerie with a snaking queue, get in line: it’ll be worth it. For more inspiration check out our where to eat in Paris foodie guide.
Budget-friendly eateries and street food
Even with limited funds you can tick off all kinds of cult eats, from pistachio-chocolate pastries at Du Pain et des Idées to Café du Coin’s pizzettes. At lunchtime, look out for budget-friendly set menus and world-class street food, whether it’s Breizh Café’s buckwheat crêpes, topped with ham and comté, or Miznon’s iconic beef bourguignon pittas. Bouillons, meanwhile, serve old-school French cuisine at equally time-warp prices; what’s not to love about a three-course meal for €20 or less? Hit the thronged Bouillon Pigalle, close to the Moulin Rouge, or the gilded Bouillon Chartier Montparnasse – both serious contenders for the city’s best profiteroles.
The perfect Parisian picnic
Finding picnic provisions is never a problem in Paris, dotted with boulangeries and upscale grocery stores. Raid L’Épicerie Mère Brazier then lunch on the Tuileries’ lawns, or head to the Jardin du Luxembourg with spoils from Marché Raspail (held Tuesday and Friday mornings, with an organic market on Sundays). Other lovely spots include the Jardin des Plantes, dappled with blossom in spring, and the tiny Square du Vert-Galant on the Île de la Cité’s eastern tip – hopelessly romantic at dusk. For something more impromptu, claim a spot by the Canal Saint-Martin and feast on Nonette’s signature bánh mì. For dessert, drop by Mamiche, whose dainty vanilla choux only cost a euro.
Getting around cheaply in Paris
RATP’s network is easy to use and has the city covered, spanning bus services, the metro, RER trains and trams. In the centre, t+ tickets are valid on all public transport, including the Sacré-Coeur’s funicular, though for further-flung destinations like Versailles you’ll need a separate RER ticket.
Using public transport
Install the ‘Bonjour RATP’ app on your phone or buy a Navigo Easy Pass (€2), then top up your account with contactless tickets (€17.35 for 10) on the app or at stations. If you’d rather keep it simple with unlimited daily travel, there are tourist-friendly Paris Visite passes (the five-day pass is the best value, at just under €9 per day). Travelling with kids? Under fours travel free, while under 10s enjoy half-price tickets. Plan your journey on RATP’s website or app, or download Citymapper, which compares transport options and costs to find the best route from A to B. The Métro runs until 1:15am (2:15am on Friday and Saturday); after that, Noctilien night buses take over until morning.
Alternative transport options
To really get to know Paris, walking is often the best plan. Spend a morning wandering hilly Montmartre, stroll the Seine’s broad banks, or follow the leafy Coulée verte René-Dumont from Bastille to the Bois de Vincennes. Hiring a bike is, of course, another option. The Vélib’ scheme has docking stations across the city, with standard and electric bikes to borrow, equipped with baskets, lights and inbuilt locks. You can buy single rides and multi-day passes, or pay as you go with a V-Libre account. If seeing the city from the Seine appeals, consider the Batobus, a hop-on, hop-off fleet of boats that’s relatively inexpensive (adult day passes cost €23, while under-threes go free).
FAQs
Yes, if you book in advance, you can get tickets for London to Paris trains for as little as £39*.
If you can be flexible with your travel times, Eurostar Snap is for you. Book a late deal and get up to 50%** off the price of your tickets.
If you are flexible with your travel dates and can book well in advance, you’ll easily snap up cheap train tickets to Paris. Find out how to book cheap Eurostar train tickets. Set a realistic budget, do your research, and plan a rough itinerary. Reserve tickets for museums’ free-entry days, know which attractions are free, and have a hitlist of cheap eats in neighbourhoods you know you’ll spend time in.
Outside travel and accommodation costs, expect to spend €50 to €80 per day as a budget traveller, on food, transport, admission costs and other incidentals.
Outside the Christmas peak, low season runs from winter to early spring – though if your dates don’t clash with any major events, there are deals to be had year-round, especially if you come mid-week.
While you’ll likely be priced out of the city centre, staying too far out can be a false economy. Up-and-coming Belleville gets the balance right, while the 9th district, stretching from Opéra to Pigalle, is scattered with hip budget hotels.
Where do we start? From strolls by the Seine to Sacré-Coeur sunsets, museums to moonlit picnics, Paris is full of memorable – and free – things to do. Many of the big-ticket museums, meanwhile, offer free entry one day a month.
The best way is to eat like a local. Buy supplies at farmer’s markets, look out for prix-fixe deals, and eat your main meal at lunchtime, when menus tend to be cheaper.
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*Price for tickets in Eurostar Standard class for one way journey. Subject to availability.
**Get up to 50% discount off the public price of a Standard ticket 7 days before departure.