How To Save Money In Paris

As mentioned in A Guide To Paris, we spent £1,100 in Paris. For a 5-day trip, that's £110 per person per day for everything, which considering we went between Christmas and New Year's, isn't THAT bad.

Still it would have been even more if I hadn't tightened the purse strings. Here's my 7 money saving tips when in Paris, because after all, it is bloody expensive.

• Book a 'secret' hotel package- This just means you don't know what hotel you are staying in until you've paid. We booked with lastminute.com and our flight and hotel came only to £420 for the 5-days. You know the rating of the hotel and area it is in- that's it. For us, we got lucky and loved our hotel, but beware, you might end up less than satisfied.

• Buy a 'carnet' of tickets- I would say that the best way to see Paris is by foot, so apart from getting into the centre, you don't need to use that much transport. A carnet is a book of 10 single tickets and costs around €13. We only needed 2 carnets because as mentioned we walked a lot. Depending on your itinerary you may need up to 3 each a day, but I would say that's the max. 

• Choose the set menu- There's nearly always a set menu in most restaurants which offer a starter, main and dessert for a lower cost than buying them separately. The price varies depending on what kind of restaurant you go to, but the average one along the street (bar Champs-Elyees) would set you back around €25. Drinks are really what eat up your budget, so when eating out, drink as little as possible. 

• Buy breakfast from local shops around your hotel- We bought brioche and croissants every morning from a shop next to our hotel. It was cheap, it was French, it was delicious. 

• Skip the Eiffel Tower- Whilst it isn't THAT expensive (around €12 each to go up to the 2nd floor) it isn't that amazing either. As mentioned in A Guide to Paris, the Sacré Coeur is the highest point in Paris and has the best views, so apart from taking a picture next to it, skip the Eiffel.

• Most museums and attractions are free to those under 26- If you're a student (or a young buck), milk it. You're not paying 9 grand a year for no privilages. You need to bring your passport and still wait in line to get a ticket, but most lines move quickly and IT'S FREE! Need I say more?

• Look around for deals- Everyone who knows me, knows how organised I am and how obsessed I am with planning, so I do a lot of research before going away. I came across ComeToParis and fell in love with their deals. I bought our cruise from here and our Cabaret at the Lido. If we had more money and time, we definitely would have done more.

And that's it! Feel free to share your tips below with other readers!