You’re off to Paris, City of Lights – and romance – but you’re not made of money! It’s all good – our 13 ways to save money in Paris will ensure you have a cracking time without going over budget.
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1. Get a Eurostar deal
If you live in London or the South East, or you’re happy to depart from this area, then visiting Paris means you have the choice of whether to fly or take the train. The good news is there are often Eurostar deals which means you can bag a trip for less.
I love going to Paris on the Eurostar, it’s SO convenient to set off from St Pancras rather than trek to Luton or Stansted. And when I arrive at Gare du Nord I’m in the heart of Paris already! Plus, a Eurostar ticket can work out cheaper than a flight once you’ve factored in the cost of travelling to and from the airport as well.
Eurostar flash sales typically offer fares to Paris from £39 one way, or at 20% off. We keep an eye on when these sales have run in the past to give you an idea of when the next one is.
And there are a few other ways to cut the price of your journey – if you can be flexible, then try Eurostar Snap . Eurostar Snap gets you a whopping 50% off your fare if you don’t mind exactly which train you take on your departure day. You find out 24h beforehand – so it’s not gonna be a good deal for everyone – but it’s a great way to save on a ticket if you can.
You can also bid for upgrades on Eurostar now, so if you fancy a bit of extra room or a more bougie experience, you can consider what you think that’s worth and submit a bid online before you travel.
Check out our Paris hotel recommendations for every budget.
2. Stay on the outskirts
One of my favourite hacks for a cheap stay in Paris is to stay in the areas further out – the outer arrondissements. These are helpfully numbered, so anywhere from the 12th to the 20th is a good bet for a more affordable stay.
Last time I was in Paris I tried out Hotel Scarlett, which I loved. It’s in Belleville, which is in the 20th, and I have to say this area was BUZZIN’. I saw loads of busy pavement cafes where people were just soaking up the vibes. I also love being where the tourists aren’t because everything is more reasonably priced – like cafes and restaurants – plus you generally find better and bigger supermarkets in these areas for those all-important snacks.
You can even stay outside of the main ring road – Boulevard Peripherique – thanks to the city’s metro connections. This is where Mob Hotel is, another of my favourite well-priced Paris hotels!
3. Stay midweek or in shoulder season
As with any destination, a good way to bag a cheaper deal for accommodation is to go during the week (rather than on a weekend), and to visit in shoulder season, which is the period just before or after peak season that can be better priced.
That said, for Paris in particular, you can also find good deals in August, as it can get pretty hot and many locals escape the city. Your only issue could be that some local stores or eateries will be closed, but major tourist attractions will be open.
4. Do a house sit
For the same reason, August is a great time to house sit in Paris and I often see a few come up! In fact, I did it for three weeks one August looking after a cat called Biscotte. I used Nomador – which is formerly a French housesitting app and so you may have more hope there. It’s also cheaper to join than Trusted Housesitters, though that’s a great one to check as well!
What’s great about house sitting is that you really feel at home. In a hotel or apartment it’s easy to feel like you’re just one of many people passing through and they don’t always feel very cosy – but when you’re in someone’s house you get all those creature comforts that make a place feel like a home.
Plus I generally find that the type of people who put their home on these websites are generally happy to connect and engage with fellow travellers and will often share loads of tips and advice with you – and sometimes even do you favours like pick you up when you arrive!
5. Buy a Naivgo pass
If you’re going to be using public transport a lot, it’s worth looking into pay as you go and travelcard options.
I will say that Paris is surprisingly walkable (more on that later). But if you’re trying to pack in your sightseeing and you want to be zipping all over the city pronto, then get your hands on a Navigo Easy Pass.
It used to be difficult for tourists to get hold of this pass, but now you can get it from ticket machines and counters at stations, and some corner shops (look for the ‘tabac’ sign).
Or, scrap the physical card and do it all with an app on your smartphone. Ideally you’ll also have a debit card with zero foreign transaction fees that you can use in your smartphone wallet.
Which Navigo Pass is best for my Paris trip?
Now there are lots of different types of Navigo passes that do different things – some designed more for Paris residents, others are for everyone.
It can get quite confusing, so here’s some intel on the ones I think you’ll find most useful.
Navigo Easy Pass
A Navigo Easy is the standard reloadable pass that you load up with tickets for travel. You can pick up a physical one at ticket offices and machines for €2. Or you can skip the physical pass and just get tickets on your smartphone via the Ile de France transport app or the Bonjour RATP transport app.
Once you have a Navigo Easy, a metro and suburban train ticket costs €2.50 and lasts for 2 hours. Bus and tram tickets cost €2 and are valid for 90 minutes.
Navigo Day Pass
If you’re planning on covering some serious ground, you can get a Navigo Day Pass for all zones (excluding airports) for €12. You can add it onto a physical Navigo Easy Pass or get it digitally in one of the apps.
Navigo Week Pass
You can get a Navigo Week Pass for all zones for €31.60.
Now this pass does include metro journeys to Orly airport and regional train journeys (RER) to Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle Airport (CDG) airport.
A single journey to or from the airports otherwise requires a specific ticket and costs a hefty 13€. So a Navigo Week Pass is a great way to absorb this cost if you’re arriving in Paris by air.
The only thing to watch out for is that the weekly pass is valid specifically from 12.00am Monday to 11.59pm Sunday. So check your travel days to see if it’ll be the best option for you. You can buy it from Friday the previous week up until the Thursday of the current week.
You’ll need to upload a photo of yourself on the app and have a wallet active on your phone.
You can’t put a week pass on a Navigo Easy – you’ll need to get something called a Navigo Discovery Pass (our Paris public transport guide has more info). Or just get it on one of the smartphone apps.
Travelling to and from CDG and Orly airports
A single journey that includes a metro or regional train to CGD or Orly airports costs €13. You need to buy the dedicated Paris Region Airports Ticket on your Navigo Easy – or on one of the apps.
Paris Visite
If you’re activating full tourist mode and doing lots of trips with public transport all over the city, then check whether a Paris Visite travel pass could be worth it. It costs €29. 90 for 1 day, and you can get 1, 2, 3 and 5 day versions.
With this pass you can travel to and from the airports, as well as Disneyland Paris and Versailles. It’s just for transport though – it doesn’t include entry to any attractions.
t+ ticket
If you’re just taking one or two trips and can’t be fussed with an app, you can buy a paper ticket for €2.50 for a single trip on the metro, tram or bus. You can get these from ticket machines and counters at stations. However paper tickets are being phased out during 2025 and from November you won’t be able to buy them. You can use them until June 2026
You can also get bus-only tickets either with cash on the bus or by SMS – our guide below has all the info on those and more.
6. Get a Museum Pass
Paris is bursting at the seams with world class museums and attractions, so if you’ve been drawn to the city by the prospect of all this good stuff, then you could save money with a Museum Pass.
There are a bunch of different ones you can get. PassLib’ is the official city pass and comes in three different versions – 3, 5 or 6 attractions. The 3 attraction one is €59 and includes Seine cruises so depending on which museums and attractions are on your list, it could make sense for you.
There’s also the Paris Museum Pass which comes in 2, 4 and 6 day versions. These are actually measured in hours – i.e. the 2 day pass, which costs 70€, is valid for 48h from first use, which is really handy for eeking out your included visits.
You will need to make reservations for some locations – so do a bit of research before you go.
Attraction | Cost |
|---|---|
Total | €87 |
Musée d’Orsay | €16 |
The Louvre | €22 |
Musée Rodin | €15 |
Sante-Chapelle | €13 |
Palace of Versailles | €21 |
Another option which will probably only suit the most serious sightseers is the Paris Pass Plus which includes a load of attractions as well as the main museums. It starts at €179 / £155 for a 2 day pass – this one is valid for calendar days though, so you’ll need to plan properly.
Basically I always say that a museum pass makes sense if you were going to spend that money anyway – if you’re not that fussed then you’ll probably want to splash that cash somewhere else. And remember a lot of museums in Paris are free the first Sunday of the month, so visit that weekend if free museum entry is top of your list!
7. Explore the city by foot
It sounds obvious but Paris is so much smaller than London – and when I was last there it surprised me so often that lots of my destinations were only a 30 min walk away. So always check walking routes on your maps – Google Maps is of course good for this but I like to check Citymapper as well.
Walking is also a great way to explore your destination and perhaps see some things or discover some places that you wouldn’t have spotted otherwise. Especially somewhere like Paris where it’s so much about the vibe and people-watching.
I really enjoyed exploring the area I just stayed in – Belleville – on foot, that way I found the restaurant where I had my amazing – and bargainous – set lunch for €16, and a load of cute pastry shops and bars as well.
8. Get a set menu lunch deal
I feel like a set lunch menu can be a great shout in loads of major cities if you want to eat well for less, and Paris is no exception. In Paris you can even get amazing set lunch menus at these Michelin-starred spots:
Aldehyde – French and Tunisian flavours, from €35
Ze Kitchen Galerie – Artistic, Asian-inspired cooking, from €43
August – Modern French cuisine, from €47
Pantagruel – Haute cuisine, from €65. They also have a (more affordable) bistro, Panurge
Relais Louis – splurge on 5 courses in a fabulous historic setting, from €85
You don’t have to go all out though. I ate at Paloma in Belleville, a great little restaurant where it was €16 for 3 courses… and it was AMAZING!
9. Order the house wine
Ah France, home to so many delicious wines. I feel like in the UK, the house wine isn’t always trusted, but in France you know it’s gonna be delicious. Of course you can pay more for something special – especially if you’re a wine buff – but if you’re a regular punter who just wants a drop of something flavourful and French, then the house wine is a great shout.
If you want more than a glass but less than a bottle, a lot of places will do carafes, which are great for sharing between two when you want more than one glass but don’t want to overdo it – there’s sightseeing to be done after all!
10. Make your own picnic
The best thing about holidays is the supermarkets right? Especially in Paris – we’re talking a whole rose aisle (at least), gazillions of delicious cheeses and charcuterie, and loads of fresh fruit and veg.
You can actually find both Lidl and Aldi in Paris, but if that feels a bit boring then pop to Carrefour, Franprix or Monoprix to pick up some favourite bits. Then head to the parks to feast on your treats!
If you’re central, head to Jardin du Luxembourg where you can grab a green chair and watch the sail boats on the lake, or the Tuileries which is between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde.
11. Pack a water bottle
There are lots of free fountains all over Paris, so don’t forget your refillable water bottle. They include around 20 fountains like the one in the photo above, which were donated to the city by a rich philanthropist.
If you see a sign saying ‘eau potable’ it means you can drink the water. ‘Eau non potable’ means it isn’t suitable for drinking. And since we’re on the subject, tap water is totally legit in Paris and you can happily order it in a restaurant. Just say ‘un carafe d’eau’ if you want a jug of water.
12. Get a travel card with 0% foreign transaction fee
You can pay on card in most places in Paris. Just make sure you bring one that has a 0% foreign transaction fee. A lot of UK debit cards have % foreign transaction fees – Monzo, Revolut and Chase are good for this.
Or you can get a prepaid travel money card from the Post Office, which is helpful if you want to track exactly what you’re spending.
Now some credit cards don’t have a foreign transaction fee, but many do, so make sure you’re clued up. Barclays and Halifax offer credit cards that have no foreign transaction fees or ATM withdrawal fees – brilliant! Santander and Natwest have credit cards that don’t charge foreign transaction fees, but you will pay a 3% fee if you use it to withdraw cash at an ATM.
If you do need to take out any money, look out for ATMs at French-owned banks which offer fee-free withdrawals – BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole and Société Générale , as well as the Post Office (La Banque Postale).
13. Don’t bother going up the Eiffel Tower
The best thing about the Eiffel tower is… looking at it! And if you head to Rue de l’université , Avenue de Camoens or Rue Saint-Dominique, you can get a great photo without battling the huge crowds at Trocadero.
You can then use the money you save (€35pp!) to do something else instead, like have a nice drink or meal somewhere that overlooks the tower, or maybe an evening boat trip so you can sail past as it sparkles.
If it’s a view out over Paris you want, try these spots…
- The terrace at Galleries Lafayettes Hausmann has killer views, and pop-up restaurants in the summer
- Sorbonne Observatory does evening stargazing, and you’ll see the whole Paris skyline too
- TacTac is a posh rooftop bar at TOO Hotel, perched on top of a skyscraper in the 13th
- Roof Paris is a a sky garden on top of the old Post Office building
Explore Even More of Paris With Our Ways To Save Money on Your Paris Trip
Well that’s it – I hope you’ve found it useful to learn my top tips for saving money on your Paris trip.
Whether you come for the pastries, the culture or the impeccably dressed Parisians, you can definitely enjoy Paris on a budget. Bon voyage!
