Our guide to saving in Paris

• All Paris articles
• Saving on Paris transportation
• Best budget hotels in Paris
• 10 Costly mistakes that tourists make in Paris

1. Buy Métro tickets in bulk

We’ve covered this before (including in our post on 50 Do’s & Don’ts in Paris that will improve your trip), but it’s worth repeating. If you’re relying on the Métro, bus, or tram for transportation, think ahead and buy those tickets in bulk. Single ride tickets in Paris, known as “t+” tickets, cost €1.90 and can be used for one ride on any bus, tram, Métro, or express train (RER) within the city limits. You can transfer between metro lines with one ticket but you can’t transfer between different buses with one ticket.

However, it is definitely better to buy a bundle of 10 single ride tickets, known as a carnet (“carn-nay”), rather than buying them one at a time. Carnets, which are priced at €14.90 each, resulting in a 21% savings off the single ride price.

Note that paper tickets are slowly being phased out by 2021, but you will still be able to buy the 10-ride carnet with the new Navigo Easy card.

Read more tips about riding the Métro like a local.

With unlimited rides, a Navigo pass can be very helpful for a longer trip to Paris. Photo Emily J.

2. Consider a Navigo Pass if you plan to ride a lot

If you’re staying in Paris for at least a week and plan to use the Parisian transportation system extensively, the unlimited weekly pass, called the “Navigo Pass”, could make your trip more budget friendly. It costs €22.80 and can be purchased at any Metro station window. However, you must also purchase the physical card itself, which costs €5 and is reusable.

The Navigo is an electronic chip card that you swipe on a turnstile, and it provides weekly or monthly unlimited rides on all Paris transportation options — everything from the Métro to the bus to the RER commuter rails. But while it’s a deal for some, this card could be more of a hassle than a convenience for others.

Read more about the pros and cons of Navigo and how to buy one.

3. Staying in the suburbs? The Navigo Pass probably makes sense

If you’re staying outside of the Paris center, you’ll likely save a bundle on your hotel costs (for example, at these 14 hotels in the nearby suburbs), but with prices that range from €2.75 to €8 for a one-way ticket to central Paris from the suburbs, the RER commuter rail can get pricey if you buy single ride tickets.

However, things are much cheaper when you use a Navigo pass, which offers travelers commuting to Paris savings from a few cents to a few euros depending on their location. This is because in 2015 the city of Paris decided to charge a flat fee for Navigo passes across all five Métro zones. So no matter how far from the center you are, you’re always charged the same rate of €22.80 per week.

Staying outside the city center but not sure what train zone you’re in? Find the nearest RER stop on this Paris zone map.

A map of the RER system in Paris.

4. Don’t judge distances by the Metro map

The Paris Métro map can be deceptive. Distances between stations all look relatively uniform on the map, but vary greatly on the ground. In fact, there are a lot of stops that are only a two- to four-minute walk from each other — which means in some cases you could get to your destination quicker (and cheaper!) on your own two feet.

Save on unnecessary trips by looking at a non-Metro map. For example, keep a copy of this modified Métro map on your smartphone or in your pocket. It indicates how long it takes to walk to each Métro station. This map, created by professional transport planner Guillaume Martinetti, shows the real distance of how close (or far) Metro stops are from each other.

Riding a Velib’ bike through Paris. Photo Kim

5. Hop on a bike

Renting a bike is as cheap as the Métro in Paris, €1 for 30 minutes (and cheaper for a day- and week-long passes), thanks to a bike share program called Velib’. In addition to being dirt cheap, biking around the city allows you to get to where you want to go while sightseeing and exercising at the same time. Gazing at famous streets, buildings, and parks is easy and fun while you’re pedaling along.

You can rent a regular bike for €1 for 30 minutes or an electric bike for €2 for 30 minutes. It costs the same price to top up for another 30 minutes for each type of bike. If you’re under 27 years old, the first 30 minutes ride with a mechanical bike is free and it’s €1 with an electric bike.

Keep in mind, however, that although there are some nice bike routes, there are also some streets without designated bike lanes. To check and see if riding a bike is a safe option, take a look at where you’re staying and where you’d like to go on this Velib’ map. Bike-only lanes are featured in turquoise while lanes shared by both bikes and buses are in pink.

6. If you’re under 26, save with the “Ticket Jeune Weekend”

When it comes to getting discounts, young people visiting Paris have it pretty good. Not only can you receive discounts on museum admission, but also on transportation. The Ticket Jeune, which can be bought at any Métro, bus, or tram station ticket window, allows anyone under the age of 26 daily unlimited rides on the Parisian transport network over the weekend. This includes rides on the Métro, on the bus, on trams, and on the RER, the commuter express train network.

For zones 1 to 3, which covers the metropolitan area and a bit of the suburbs, you’ll pay €3.85 per day. That’s a little more than two single ride tickets, so it’s definitely worth it if you know you’ll be using the transportation system more than twice in a day, or if you’re staying outside the city center in zone 3, where single ride prices are €2.75 each. But keep in mind that this discount is only available on Saturday, Sunday and during bank holidays.

7. Hail a taxi during the weekday

While public transportation in Paris is much cheaper than hopping in a cab, there will be times when you need to get home from an out of the way location or late at night. Another scenario? You need to haul yourself, two kids, and luggage to the airport in time for your flight. Sometimes taking a car in Paris is just worth it.

For daytime travel within Paris between the hours of 10 am and 5 pm, Monday through Saturday, a taxi (at €1.07 per kilometer) is usually cheaper than an Uber ride. For nighttime travel within Paris between 5 pm and 10 am, Monday through Saturday, a taxi will cost €1.29 per kilometer. On Sundays, taxis taken between midnight at 7 am will cost €1.56 per kilometer. However, keep in mind that there’s a minimum charge of €5.60 for any taxi ride, and €1 is added to your charge for every item over 5 kg you bring with you in the car.

Read more on cost saving tips on taking taxis in Paris, and take a look at EuroCheapo’s primer on taxis in the central Paris area.

8. …Or order an Uber at other times

If you take a taxi at other times (nighttime, early morning and Sundays) and/or you’re planning to travel outside the central Paris area, you can be charged up to €1.56 per kilometer (see the taxi section for more details). In this case, Uber Paris presents a few options that might be slightly cheaper. Uber options are as follows:

• The UberX service is €1.05 per kilometer with a €6 minimum ride. UberX cars are usually mid-range vehicles that are advertised as no-frills rides.
• Uber Berline, at €1.55 per kilometer and a €15 minimum charge, is more typical of an airport limousine service and uses high-end cars.
• There’s also the way roomier UberVan service, featuring — you guessed it, vans — at €1.55 per kilometer and a €15 minimum charge.
• Finally, and most cheaply, consider taking advantage of the UberPool program, which can knock the typical price of a journey down by €10 to €20  as long as you’re willing to share the car with another passenger or two.

While UberX and UberPool are a little less expensive than the traditional taxi, it can be hard to order an Uber without a smartphone. If you run into data issues and either didn’t bring or can’t use your smartphone, then a traditional taxi makes the most sense.

For more Uber tips, check out our guide: How to find the cheapest rides using Uber in Paris

Bonus Tip: Try the Paris Visite Pass

For the ultimate tourist transportation, you might consider getting the Paris Visite travel pass. It allows you to use all the public transportation networks in Paris without any limitation. You can purchase a 1 day, 2-day, 3-day, or 5 consecutive day pass.

There are two zone divisions: Paris (zone 1-3), which costs €38.35 for the 5-day pass for an adult, or you can purchase the Greater Paris Area (zone 1-5) for €65.80 for a 5-day pass for an adult. The zone 1-5 pass could end up saving you money in the long run because it includes the cost of traveling to both Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports, Disneyland, and Versailles without paying extra. It costs €7.10 for a roundtrip ticket from Paris to Versailles, it costs €15.10 for a roundtrip ticket from Paris to Disneyland, and €10.30 for a one way trip from Paris to Charles de Gaulle airport. All this would be included in the Paris Visite.

The pass can be bought at the metro station counter or the metro station ticket machines. Find out more about the Paris Visite pass here.

Your tips

Have more suggestions about ways to save on getting around Paris? Share with us below!

The post Paris Transit Tips: 8 ways to save on the Metro, buses & taxis appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Like most major cities, Paris can be quite pricey, especially for first-time visitors who don’t know the little “tricks of the Cheapo trade.”  Fortunately, a little bit of planning before you land can help you save some serious euros while still experiencing the best the city has to offer.

More tips for Paris:

• 50 Ways to save on your vacation in Paris
• The 15 Best cheap hotels in Paris
• 25 Free attractions and things to do in Paris

10 Budget tips for Paris first-time visitors

Here’s a quick “Top 10” list of ways to save for first-timers in Paris:

1. Restaurants: Feast away… at lunch.

Paris and food go hand in hand. While yummy baguette sandwiches and pastries are everywhere – and they’re cheap – you’ll want to sit down at a restaurant eventually. You can do some research on Yelp or ParisbyMouth.com and find a nice restaurant for lunch instead of dinner to save some euros. Fixed lunch menus are usually cheaper, and you won’t usually need a reservation for popular places, plus you’ll get to sit for a while and enjoy your meal. Here are 5 set lunch menus we like under €12.

Related: Read more topics about saving on food in Paris.

2. Affordable lodging: Think central.

Pick a central hotel to avoid constantly taking the Metro. While the Metro is inexpensive and efficient, the costs can add up, in both euros and time. Often it’s better to book a central hotel that’s €20-30 more expensive to avoid buying an extra few “carnets” of Metro tickets. You’ll also save your feet the extra miles of walking.

Check out our cheapo guide to saving on hotels in Paris, and this smaller list of budget hotels with great, central locations and 8 favorites under €80.

3. Metro: “Un carnet, s’il vous plait.”

So when you do take the Metro inside Paris (not to the airport or to Versailles), make sure you buy a “carnet” of tickets (unless you decide to get a Mobilis pass). This set of 10 tickets will save you about 20% per ticket instead of buying them individually. But use up those paper tickets soon because they will expire in 2021. The city is moving to a new system, Navigo Easy, to replace the paper tickets. Good news though, you’ll still be able to get the 10-ride discount!

Related: 10 Tips for riding the Paris Metro like a local

4. Nightlife: Plan ahead.

Do some nightlife research and take advantage of happy hour(s). While Paris may not be a party town like Berlin or New York, there are still plenty of things to do at night. The challenge is to find them. Happy hour specials abound, sometimes until 11 pm, when drinks are significantly cheaper.

But if you want to hear jazz, go dancing, or experience other nightlife, it’s best to know where you’re heading ahead of time; otherwise, you might find yourself on the Champs-Elysées paying a €30 cover charge for a tacky club.

Read more about saving on Paris’s nightlife at bars and clubs and entertainment.

5. Museums: Should you “pass”?

Plan your museum trips ahead of time if you are planning to purchase a museum pass. It’s best to know how many museums you’ll actually be able to see during the few days that your pass will be valid. Otherwise, if you are buying tickets for each museum, visit the Louvre and the Orsay during their night openings (Louvre: Wednesday and Friday, Orsay: Thursday) in order to save on cheaper tickets and deal with smaller crowds.

Don’t forget the litany of free museums that may not hold any Mona Lisa’s but are just as memorable. The Carnavalet, the Pavillon de l’Arsenal, and the Victor Hugo museum are all favorites in the Marais that are worth a visit. (Read more tips for sightseeing in Paris.)

Related: 7 Tips for surviving the Louvre

6. Fixed costs: No getting around ’em.

Plan fixed costs ahead of time. The Eiffel Tower and a tour of the Opera, for example, offer no shortcuts or reduced fees (aside from booking your Eiffel Tower tickets in advance to save time), so you’ll have to pay full price.

And fixed costs don’t stop with sightseeing: Train tickets to the airport on the RER B, a ticket to Versailles, and a day trip to Giverny are all non-negotiable. While none of these will break the bank, they do add up, so it’s best to know which experiences you’ll be paying full-price for.

7. Fast food: Enjoy it, French-style.

Don’t shy away from fast food – falafels and baguette sandwiches, for example – just because you might have heard that Parisians don’t eat fast food. That’s a lie. Getting a falafel (€6) on rue des Rosiers and heading to the Place des Vosges or taking a baguette sandwich (less than €5) and fruit from the market to a picnic in a garden are all perfectly acceptable and encouraged.

8. Touring: Take a freebie

Take a free tour — like these — to get introduced to the city. If you’re a first-timer, a tour will be a perfect way to break you in and familiarize yourself with the city’s layout and history. Sure, it’ll be more information than you’ll be able to retain, but you’ll meet new people and your guide, most likely a local, will have insider information to share with you — if they’re good!

If you have a few extra euros to spend, here are 11 specialty tours worth splurging on.

9. Hydrate: Drink the free stuff.

Water is one of the few truly free things in Paris – like, really free. If you go to a café and ask for a glass of water, the waiter must give you one. Never hesitate to ask for a “carafe d’eau” while at a café or restaurant, even if you just have coffee. They’re legally required to give it to you.

Also, the famous Wallace fountains keep fresh drinking water running through Paris all spring and summer long (they’re shut off in the winter to avoid freezing). If you want a bottle of Evian, head to the grocery store to browse the Mecca of water brands available for as little as 15 centimes a bottle – but be warned, cold water can cost up to €2 for a small bottle at any other bodega or snack shop.

10. Timing: What’s your style?

We’ve talked about when is the best time to visit Paris before. But we’ll stress it again: Pick your period wisely – Christmas and summer tend to be expensive, but have their own perks, so weigh your values and pros/cons. Do you want to picnic? Spend time lounging in the gardens? Fight impossible crowds at Notre Dame and the Louvre? Sounds like late spring and summer.

Or do you want to come in April or October with some warmer clothes and an umbrella and relax a bit more with fewer tourists around? If you want to cut down on hotel rates and airfare, look to the low season, just be prepared for all weather conditions.

Your first-time tips?

Have a tip for a first-timer in Paris to add to our list? Share with us in the comments section below!

The post Paris: 10 money-saving tips for Paris first-time visitors appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.