Skip breakfast in the hotel to save a few euros and splurge at some freshly baked carbohydrates instead. Paired with a coffee at a local café (be discreet) or even takeaway while seated in a park (it’s possible), any of these pastries will be a welcomed change from the perfectly delicious but potentially mundane croissant.

Plus, they’re very cheap ranging from €1.80-3 each.

1. Pain au lait (with chocolate!)

If you want something less buttery but just as satisfying, go for one of these little loaves. Baked with a bit of milk and butter, this take on the brioche is best with chocolate chips scattered through it. It’s like a breakfast baguette, perfect for dipping in coffee.

2. Chausson aux pommes

It’s like a croissant but with apple sauce inside. In the US it is known as the apple turnover. You still get the buttery goodness of other pastries but the sweet apple filling makes it feel downright healthy. Look for these alongside the croissants. It counts (probably) as one of your daily fruit requirements.

Related: A quick guide to Paris cafe etiquette

3. Escargot

No, not snails, though these pin-wheel shaped pastries do owe their name to the one of France’s other culinary treasures. These flaky pastries can be rolled up and filled with almost anything, from pink pralines or cinnamon to raisins or — my favorite — chocolate and pistachio. Every bakery that sells them will do them differently, so have fun trying them all.

4. Pain Suisse (or “drops”)

It’s that thing that doesn’t seem like it belongs with the other pastries. Oblong and with gooey yellow pastry cream oozing out of it, I might never have ordered one if it wasn’t studded with bits of chocolate. But I’m glad I did. The brioche holds up well to all of that cream, but it’s definitely not for those who like a light breakfast.

5. Almond croissant

Imagine a croissant filled with almond paste and topped with slivered almonds. Or take a regular croissant from yesterday’s batch and fill it with almond paste and coat it in a sweet syrup before baking it again, giving it a new life. Either way, you get yourself an almond croissant. The reused ones are my favorite, heavy with a frangipane (almond-flavored filling) layer.

6. Mouna

This one’s not French technically but has roots in Algeria. Still, the sweetened bread topped with pearl sugar is an easy fix for someone who wants to keep it simple. Often sold in little domed buns but also in loaf form, the pastry is popular around Easter but can be found all year long in Paris.

The post Paris: 6 breakfast pastries to try that aren’t croissants appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Avoid the English-Speaking French Breakfast

Experienced travelers don’t need to be told to avoid restaurants and cafes in tourist-heavy areas like the street that runs alongside Notre Dame. If you see a sign that says “French Breakfast” in English, you can guarantee that it has been designed and priced for unwitting tourists, and no more authentically French than a French kiss.

B.Y.O.C.

Believe it or not, as long as you order a coffee or something else, it’s socially acceptable in most sidewalk cafés to bring your own croissants. Don’t bother asking first, since the French answer to almost any question is non, just be discreet, and don’t be surprised if the waiter doesn’t care (or even notice).

Go here to read about Paris cafés that offer espresso for a euro.

Boulangerie Breakfast Specials

Some boulangeries have a little counter or a few tables where you can sit down for as long as it takes you to finish off your pain au chocolat or sandwich, but beware of separate café menus and table service where you will pay a hefty price.

Also note that some boulangeries offer breakfast specials where you can get a coffee and a pastry at a discount. The boulangerie at 32 rue Vieille du Temple in the Marais has a handful of tables and stools and offers a coffee and a croissant breakfast special for €1.90, meaning you are paying the regular €1.10 they charge for a decent croissant, plus only 80 cents for a coffee, which is an average of €2.20 elsewhere in the neighborhood, including next door.

Don’t Buy the Milk If You Can Get It For Free

Ever noticed that the price of a two-sip espresso in Paris is often less than half of a coffee with milk? If you want an efficient caffeine hit but need a drop of milk to take the edge off of that bitter espresso, here’s a clever way to get a mini latte for the price of a naked espresso: ask for une noisette. This is simply an espresso with a little added bonus nut of milk, and may be delivered to you already in the coffee, or with a separate pot of milk.

Remember that many Paris cafés serve a little cookie or a caramel or a square of dark chocolate with your coffee, and a glass of water is always free; if they don’t automatically bring it, which they often do, then just ask for un verre d’eau.

The post How to save money on breakfast in Paris appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.