Paris is an expensive destination the cost of a vacation there is insane and
if anyone knows it we do we are Chris and Michael and in our last video we broke down
in detail how much we spent on our six-week slow travel trip to Paris
and it didn't come cheap we spent ten thousand us dollars on this trip
but we learned so much on this journey about what to watch out
for and how much to budget we are going to share our top 15 tips here with you
so get out your pen and paper or look for our new itinerary guide in the description
number one set your budget ahead of time Paris is not a cheap place to visit and planning will
likely require some sacrifice you need some planning to know what to keep in your itinerary
and what to cut don't play it by ear instead know ahead of time what you are willing to spend and
then set your itinerary accordingly to stay within your allotted budget the goal here is to prevent
costs from ballooning out of control number two fly in the shoulder or off season peak season
usually means higher prices it's almost always cheaper to go during off or shoulder seasons the
side benefit is that there are fewer tourists and shorter lines also flying during the week rather
than weekends is often cheaper finally search for deals on aggregate sites and then book direct
number three pick the right place to stay for your budget and comfort when traveling on a strict
budget a hostel is an option although it's not for everyone for short-term stays there are hotels
at every price point you may have to stay further from the center in the lower range but you can use
public transportation to get to the main sites for longer stays Airbnbs are a must but be aware it
will be tricky to find an Airbnb with everything that you need for example it might be unlikely to
have air conditioning or an elevator number four go to free museums and pre-book your tickets there
are several free museums that are terrific and you should see them whether on a budget or not
for the paid museums select which are the absolute must for you and buy the tickets ahead
of time direct through the museum websites and not through a third party number five go "green bathing"
Paris gardens are beautiful to wander through and they are absolutely free of charge
some are must-sees like the Tuileries Gardens while others are "hidden gems"
we provide some great suggestions in our sightseeing guide and have a video on the
best "Secret Gardens" number six walk and enjoy the scenery we mostly walked through Paris and it gave
us a greater understanding and appreciation for the city taxis and Ubers are expensive and slow
other than walking taking the metro is your next best option and it's easier than it looks number
seven get the museum audio guides an experience at a museum is so much richer when it is guided
and you have insight into what you are looking at but you don't have to pay for pricey tours
instead opt for the cheaper audio guides they are generally
in multiple languages and give great information
number eight consider a museum pass Paris is known for its museums and there are many to choose
from there are museum passes available that allow entry to several at a set price but be warned you
would have to see a large number of museums in a short time to really maximize the value
number nine have a picnic lunch we often packed a picnic and ate in a park or along a canal
it's a beautiful way to spend some time enjoying the Paris atmosphere
just pick up a low-cost baguette and some cheese and wine at the local shops
number 10 eat like a Parisian enjoy a simple breakfast in your hotel room
or Airbnb like a baguette french butter and some jam a baguette in
your local boulangerie will cost no more than just over a Euro for their
specialty baguette it will fuel you for the morning but it won't break the bank
number 11 eat off the beaten path
don't eat on touristy streets like the Champs Elysée unless you have a specific recommendation
head off onto side streets instead we discovered many smaller restaurants with wonderful and less
expensive food this way number 12 it's okay to go lighter on the tip Americans and Canadians
are used to tipping generously but in France a service charge is already included in the price
French citizens will generally leave no tip or will give a bit of change if the service is great
number 13 ask for the set menu you can order individually off the menu a la
carte or opt for a formula which will save you a few Euros by including an
appetizer with the main course and perhaps a dessert or glass of wine
number 14 pay special attention to where you buy groceries discount grocery stores like
Lytle and ALDI are great options for saving a little extra at the checkout they are spread
throughout Paris while they may not always have everything you need they are heavily discounted
number 15 go light on the alcohol as the expression goes if you want to save money
dining in Paris then "don't drink your budget" we found a bottle of wine to
generally be cheaper than in America but it still significantly increased the cost
but wine is cheaper than soda though so opt for a glass of wine or water instead happy travels
watch this video to see what's next on our adventures and check out our
customizable merchandise store see you soon