How to Rock Paris on a Budget 2024

A few years ago we took two of our teen girls to Paris for spring break and had an awesome time. We were on a budget, so we researched cheap things to do in Paris and were quite successful.

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Paris on a Budget

When we first decided to go to Paris. I was wondering whether we could do it “on the cheap”. Sharing our discoveries with you, so you too can do Paris on a budget! So many cheap things to do there.

Spring in Paris on the Cheap

Spring in Paris! We enjoyed every single moment, the budding and blooming trees, the birds everywhere, the well-known attractions and lesser known ones.

Frankly, we have been to Paris in different seasons also, so keep an open mind for travel dates. Paris is never boring, always tons of things to do!

Save Money by Using Airbnb

We stayed at an airbnb, which was an apartment close to a metro station, so that it was easy to get around, especially since we got an unlimited ride card for public transportation.

The advantage of an apartment was that we had a kitchen and we could eat in part of the time, saving a lot of money on meals. One night we were eating leftovers, and one of the girls remarked “Yes, I know we are eating a meal with just leftovers, which sounds boring, but when I realize we are eating leftovers in PARIS, I get all excited!”

Eating in… … Paris!!!

An unexpected benefit of having the metro card and the apartment was that there often were people selling fruit at the exit of the metro when we came home at the end of the day. Cheap and flavorful!

Best (mostly) Free Things To Do in Paris

Although I loved all the places we visited, but here are some of my favorites. Most of them are free or worth the cost of admission because of value for money.

The Eiffel Tower

Designed by the same person as our own Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower simply is a must-see. Because our airbnb was close to there, we walked there our first night and relished the thought that we had arrived! Another day, we visited the top of it at night, and loved seeing all the lights around us. It wasn’t easy trying to figure out what was what.

Musee de l’Orangerie on a Budget

We love Monet’s waterlilies. So Musee de l’Orangerie is my favorite Paris museum, even higher on my personal list than the Louvre. It is more intimate and quieter. The children got in for free and if you time your visit right, anyone can.

Boat trip on the Seine

To get a totally different view of Paris, consider taking one of the boat trips on the river Seine. It’s a great way to see many of the famous buildings and get good pictures. Not to mention that you get to sit down and relax for a bit.

Best boat rides in Paris.

Touching the bottom of a bridge

Jardin des Tuileries

Located between between the Place de la Concorde and the Louvre, the Jardin des Tuileries has ‘everything’. An arch, gardens, playgrounds, goats instead of lawn mowers, water, ducks, ravens. Visiting this park will give you a breath of fresh air and time for contemplation in a busy city.


Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris.

Before the fire in 2019, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris was one of the highlights of our Paris visit. Since entrance was free, it was worth waiting in line for the opportunity to experience old Paris history. Back then, you could visit the bell tower for an additional fee, but we just did the main building.

When we would walk in, we felt the drop in temperature and the quiet surrounding us. Easy to imagine all the famous and everyday people who had attended masses here. This cathedral had witnessed so many historic events, from the revolution to the German invasion during the second world war.

In 1991, this cathedral became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Paris, Banks of the Seine”. The site includes bridges, quays and the banks of the River Seine, along the historical part of its course.

In the Notre Dame

After the fire, they are now working on restoring the church. Since for a while you will be limited to exterior, take note of all the gargoyles. When we visited, I had a great time photographing them while we were waiting in line.

Moulin Rouge

Of course, you might wonder why you should visit Moulin Rouge, infamously known as an area for ladies of the night. Well, growing up in the Netherlands, going to the red lights district in Amsterdam was a big tourist attraction. When we visited the Moulin Rouge, we discovered the same kind of vibe. I felt we couldn’t visit Paris without going to the Moulin Rouge 😀

Les Invalides.

At Les Invalides, you can visit Napoleon’s tomb and a military museum. The tomb has lots of pomp and circumstance, the museum is an interesting overview of military history. Because we were late, so got kicked out before we had fully appreciated the place, but enjoyed all that we saw. We will just have to go back some day.

Luxembourg Gardens.

Don’t miss out on the Luxembourg gardens, another amazing park. When we visited we enjoyed seeing all the spring flowers, watching people and we even found a geocache!

Thrift Stores in Paris: Fashion on a Budget

On top of all the other attractions, the girls discovered that Paris has many thrift stores where you can buy amazingly fashionable clothes for almost no money. Once they discovered this, they visited at least one thrift store every day.

Now the public transportation card came in handy to reach their destination. They got lost, they found themselves again. During their shopping expeditions, they got more and more comfortable speaking French and they had a superb time.

Affordable Fine Dining

Sometimes you might want to dine in a Michelin rated restaurant but don’t quite have the money to do so. This is where Michelin “Bib Gourmand” comes in. The Michelin inspectors basically searched for superior food at affordable prices (less than 40 Euros for a full menu) and share their finds with us.

Conclusion: Cheap Things to do in Paris

All in all it was a great vacation, where we enjoyed having our own apartment and discovering Paris in a relaxed and fun way, even on a budget. What are your favorite things to do in Paris? Please share in the comments.


More Paris on a Budget

Other UNESCO World Heritage Sites you should visit

World Heritage Sites in the Americas

World Heritage Sites in Europe

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Comments

18 responses to “How to Rock Paris on a Budget 2024”

  1. Five Senses of Living

    Looks amazing. I need to make it back there soon. Bucket list!

    1. admin

      Five Senses of Living, thank you! Yes, go when you can! Flights to Europe had been really cheap earlier this year and I think they are cheap again if you wait till after the summer season. Once you are in Europe there are so many cheap flights / trains available.

  2. I like your tips. I’m headed to Paris in Oct to celebrate turning 50. We are planning to make it as much of a bargain as possible — husband got his ticket for free using miles, mine was a decent price (for a flight from the Midwest). Going cheap on the hotel and food. Don’t care ’cause it’s Paris! Bread & cheese for every meal! Looks like the Musee d’Orsay is free for the last hour of each day so that’s what we’ll do. I also want to see libraries (free), markets (free), and churches (free).

    1. Thanks jillbert, that sounds like an awesome trip! We ate very cheaply by using bakeries and grocery stores. And there are so many free places to visit! Just walking along the Seine is magic in itself!
      Hope you have a wonderful time!

  3. Springtime in Paris sounds like a dream!! How lucky for you and your girls to have visited. I would love to visit one day and take in all the rich history.

    1. Thank you, Cici! Yes, it was a super vacation, we were very lucky to be able to do that. I hope you get to do the same some day!

  4. […] were happy to discover on our recent visit to Paris, that l’Orangerie and other museums all have free admission on every first Sunday of the […]

  5. […] you finally made it to Paris and naturally you are in a vacation mood. Sadly enough, this makes it very easy for hustlers to […]

  6. […] Spring in Paris on a budget. Tips how to afford a trip to Paris. […]

  7. it looks amazing that your family had a wonderful time. Paris is so beautiful in the spring time. I would have to plan for the near future to take my family.

    1. Thank you, Laura. Yes, I hope you get to take your family there soon!

  8. Retirestyle Travel

    Thanks for this article. Great information that we will use when we go to Paris. We like to save money.

    1. Thank you! Yes, it is possible to be in Paris and not go broke, well, as long as you don’t fall for the shell game, like I did 😀
      Our Airbnb was amazing, happy we were able to find an affordable one at a good location. Now we just need the pandemic to be over and we will be able to travel again! I can’t wait!

  9. […] a favorite hangout of Ernest Hemingway. So we asked him to make a reservation and we spent the day exploring Paris, happily anticipating our […]

  10. I can never imagine Paris on a budget. Like me, for the many, your post is the best guide to enjoy one of the beautiful cities in the world.

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