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.
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.
Really enoyed this post, Thanks!
Thanks so much! 🙂
I will actually be traveling to Europe next month on the 28! We are going to Paris Germany and Switzerland! This information helps alot! Thank you
Have so much fun!! I’ve not been to Switzerland yet but I know you’ll have a blast!
Great tips! Thanks for sharing your experience!
I found a cheap hostel through Booking dot com and when I reached the hotel I found that it was quite dirty, especially the washrooms. The hostel was conveniently located with all attractions in walking distance but the shabby rooms made our stay not an enjoyable experience. Thanks for sharing your tips.
Great tips! How did you find costing for other things such as food, activities etc? A good breakdown of your budget in Paris would be really interesting and useful to see for any budget travelers interested in going there 🙂
We always stay at Airbnbs. It is by far a more economical choice for us. We are a family of 6 and we can save money on an expensive hotel by staying at an Airbnb. We are able to prepare our own breakfast and if we want other meals as well, so we save on food. However, with our children it is definitely better for us to stay in a place that has an elevator if we will be on a floor higher up. We have been able to rent a whole house for cheaper than a hotel. Definitely agree with tip no.5 Determine the experience you want. That is so important because then you can arrange your whole trip accordingly. Thank you for your post. Raheela
I’m hoping 1 day to make it there these tips will be so helpful when I do!
Thank you for these tips! Hoping to take my husband to Paris soon, so I’m saving this!