Paris, France is one of the largest and one of the most expensive cities. It is also a dream destination that you can surprisingly do on a budget! Staying in Paris for cheap may seem impossible, but with the right planning, you can have the full Parisian experience for less than you think! For some, a little extra money in the budget will go a long way. The full Parisian experience can get a little expensive. Lodging could be one of the most expensive components of your trip and can shape your overall experience.
1. Choosing your location
Paris is a much larger city than a lot of people realize. And with a lot of its iconic locations spread around, the city has a lot of interesting choices for places to stay the night.
I wanted to stay in an area near the Arc de Triumph, which is a bit of a walk from the Eiffel Tower. This also proved to be a pretty expensive area to stay in Paris, and we were going to have to be more than flexible than we had planned to stay in this busy area for a few days.
2. Pricing in your chosen location
After looking through many accommodations, by far the cheapest option we found was an Airbnb at just over $40 a night. This was definitely the cheapest option and would free up quite a bit of room in our budget for the evenings in Paris.Â
3. Be flexible
This room ended up proving how flexible one can be for a cheap and convenient place to stay. The room was a brisk 7 floor walk up and lead to a futon bed in a room only slightly bigger than the futon itself. The word room could not have described this little cubby more perfectly. The bathroom was located in the hall and shared with neighbors, although you do have your very own shower at the foot of your bed. In spite of all of this it was still possible to make this tiny room so high up in the middle of Paris cozy. It was just what we needed.
4. Determine what flexible means for you
Choosing the cheapest lodging managed to allow a lot more room in the budget for souvenirs, food, and experiences. You can decide for yourself how much money you would want to save and how to use it. Choosing the cheaper options will save you money but this is not worth your sanity if you can’t stand the thought of a 7-floor walk up or a shared bathroom.
5. Determine the experience you want
Everyone is entitled to their own experience that they can afford to have in any city. When trying to make the most of experiencing a new city, a little bit extra money in the budget may inspire you to go to the Louvre after all, or perhaps another great unplanned adventure in this wonderful city.
