For a three-day tour, you’ll have even more liberty to wander a bit and take your time, and we’ve come up with a plan on how to spend three days in Paris.

And once you book your Paris hotel, you can focus on the fun.

More Paris tips
• When is the best time to visit Paris?
• Paris: 50 Ways to save time and money on your trip
• 10 Costly mistakes that tourists make when they visit Paris

The glowing Pyramids of the Louvre. Boris Doesborg

How to spend three days in Paris

You could spend a whole lifetime in Paris and not see it all, but three days is a good amount of time to cover a lot of ground. Here’s our suggested schedule to help you get the most out of your 72 hours in the City of Light.

Day 1: Right Bank

Get your walking shoes on, because day one is all about strolling around to see the major sights on the central Right Bank such as the Louvre, Notre Dame and Marais.

The big ones: the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Pompidou & Notre Dame

Spend the first morning in the Louvre or the Musée d’Orsay. After your visit, head north up rue du Louvre through the Les Halles quarter toward St-Eustache church. Enjoy lunch on rue Montorgueil, either stopping in a café or grabbing a sandwich and pastry to go.

Afterwards, walk down rue Montorgueil and turn left at the bottom, past the underground mall called Les Halles, and meander towards the Pompidou Center. Turn right on rue Renard (or rue Beaubourg depending on where you reach it). Head towards City Hall (Hotel de Ville), and cross the river towards Notre Dame.

Free culture, vintage shopping and tasty falafel in the Marais

After a quick visit to the church, head back to the Right Bank and wander the Marais. The old Jewish neighborhood also houses some of the city’s best free museums like the Victor Hugo House and the Cognac-Jay Museum. Be sure to check out the stellar Musée Carnavalet (currently under renovation) and the stunningly beautiful Place des Vosges, designed to be the royal palace under Henry IV.

The Marais is also the place to try your hand at vintage shopping, so don’t be afraid to rummage through some of the piles of scarves to find the one that matches your taste. Once you’ve had enough of exploring, grab a falafel at night on rue des Rosiers followed by ice cream for dessert at Amorino or Pozetto.

Evening options

During the evening, either head to the Eiffel Tower or take a boat cruise starting at Pont Neuf. Depending on the evening, the Louvre or the Musée d’Orsay are also options.

Bustling rue Mouffetard in the Latin Quarter lined with cafes, crepe stands and food shops. Photo: Wally Gobetz

Day 2: Left Bank

On the second day, you’ll spend most of your time on the Left Bank, taking more time to explore than in the 2-day itinerary.

Sights and crepes in the Latin Quarter

Start at St-Michel and the fountain of the archangel slaying Lucifer. Walk south to Luxembourg Gardens via Boulevard St-Michel. After a stroll through the gardens, head up rue Soufflot towards the domed Panthéon. The jewel-box church, St-Etienne du Mont, just behind Panthéon, is worth a quick visit.

Then head over to rue Mouffetard for several lunch options. Consider a takeaway crepe with ham and cheese (a classic!). Be sure to check out the old Roman ruins at the Arènes de Lutèce, and maybe grab a quick €2 mint tea at the Mosque just down the street.

Boutique shops, macarons and historic churches in St-Germain

Afterwards, digest on a stroll west along Boulevard St-Germain or along the cobblestone banks of the Seine (or a Metro ride to be quick—line 10). Back towards St-Michel, take rue Saint-André des Arts and explore the boutiques and shops in this well-traveled part of St-Germain. Head up rue de Seine towards the St-Sulpice church—also worth a quick visit for some beautiful Delacroix paintings—and splurge on macarons on rue Bonaparte (Pierre Hermé or farther north at Ladurée). Regardless of which macarons you try, visit the St-Germain church, one of the city’s oldest.

Napoléon’s tomb and ancient military artifacts

If you’re not too tired, head down the street to Les Invalides and check out the old 17^th-century military hospital that today houses Napoléon’s tomb and a great collection of wartime artifacts from the Middle Ages to World War II. The big draw is that even non-history buffs can appreciate the museum because everything’s translated into English (€8 entry, free to walk through the main courtyard).

Evening options

Head back to St-Germain for dinner or take this time to head up the Eiffel Tower while everyone else is enjoying their steak-frites. Back-ups for the evening are the boat cruises along the Seine, the Louvre (Wed, Fri) or the Musée d’Orsay (Thurs).

An iconic view of Sacre Couer from the Eiffel Tower. Photo: Steve Wilde

Day 3: Montmartre and Grands Boulevards

Your final day can be used for any shopping or dining spots you haven’t touched upon yet, or museums you still wanted to fit in. If you’ve planned nothing, take a leisurely stroll around Montmartre and the iconic boulevards.

Opera with a view

Start around the Opéra area and, if you have some spare cash, take a visit of the gorgeous interior (€9). Afterwards, just around the back of the Opéra, take the escalator to the top of Galeries Lafayette for a panoramic (and free) view of the city.

Explore and shop amid beautiful passages and arcades

Resist shopping and walk east along Boulevard Haussmann to the regal covered passages to explore before or after lunch. Walk south through Passage des Panoramas to get a sense of what these 19^th-century shopping malls looked like.

Once you arrive at the other end, exit, turn right and then take the first left onto rue Vivienne. Walk a few blocks and turn left into the Galerie Vivienne (near restaurant le Grand Colbert). Soak it up and browse some of the old books and be sure to look up and down at the gorgeous ceilings and the mosaic floors. Continue south from the exit of the galleries through the Jardin du Palais Royal and its designer-filled arcades.

Related: Shopping Tips for Paris: How to save on a fun shopping spree

Grab an affordable Japanese lunch

Once hunger hits, explore rue Saint-Anne for lunch. The neighborhood is known for its cheap Japanese food (just in case you were sick of duck and cheese). After a quick bite, take nearby Metro line 14 at Pyramides to Madeline, switch to line 12, and head up to the stop called Abbesses to explore Montmartre.

Say goodbye with fondue and a stunning vista from Sacre Couer

Explore some of the best bakeries in Paris on rue des Abbesses while following in Van Gogh’s footsteps towards his residence at number 54 rue Lépic. Wander the picturesque streets up towards the Sacre Coeur Basilica for a visit to one of Paris’ newer, but iconic churches.

Finish the evening with a glass of wine at a café and/or dinner at nearby Relais de Gascogne or fondue at Refuge des Fondus

Depending on the time, watch the lights of the city come alive as the sun sets over the city while seated on the stairs in front of the Sacre Coeur. It’s the perfect way to say “au revoir” to the City of Light.

Your Paris tips

How would you spend three days in Paris? Share your tips in the comments below!

The post How to spend three days in Paris appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

(By the way, if you haven’t already, check out Bryan’s fantastic Paris gift-giving guide!)

1. Café de la Mairie
8 Place Saint-Sulpice, 6th arrondissement (Metro: Saint Sulpice or Rennes)

Located next to Église Saint-Sulpice, the Café de la Mairie is where I catch my breath during my bargain shopping sprees on rue de Rennes or in Saint-Germain-des-Près. Here the historic joint rocks a New York coffee shop or Baltimore diner vibe. Dogs, kiddies and chit-chat abound! It smells great, too, like my grandmother’s Butcher’s Hill row house during holiday meal preparations.

I recommend ordering Cantal jeune cheese (which can be difficult to find back in the States!) with a baguette. This substantial sandwich costs €4, and is large enough for two. The bottled soda pops are served up all old-school with ice, a spoon and a slice of lemon. Service is consistently friendly and swift.

Tips: Ask to sit in Jeff’s section. He’s a charmer. The terrace has a catbird’s view of the famous church just across the square.

Who else has found inspirational bliss here? Literary greats like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Albert Camus, that’s who, along with Henry Miller, Anaïs Nin, and Saul Bellow—just to name a few!

Also, if time permits, pop by Saint-Sulpice, and hang with its Delacroix inside. For the love of Dan Brown, DaVinci-Coders, don’t leave without walking the famous Rose Line (which cuts right through the altar).

2. Triadou Haussmann
80 Boulevard Haussmann, 8th arrondissement (Metro: Saint-Lazare)

Nestled in between Gare Saint-Lazare and Printemps Homme, I recently discovered the historic Triadou, after attending the launches of the holiday window spectaculars at the grand magasins along the hustling, bustling Boulevard Haussmann. Open since 1935, the family-run café is now my new favorite post-shopping stop. Its handsome terrace with its iconic cane chairs, neon lights, and outdoor heaters is also a prime people-watching spot.

So what’s on the menu? I recommend going with the baguette jambon beurre Gruyère (ham, butter and Gruyère cheese). Recognize a running theme in this post? Yes, I am hooked on baguette sandwiches! The bowl-sized café latte is consistently rich and piping hot, topped with a thick layer of foamy cream and served with a chunk of dark chocolate. Making hot chocolate just got easier, and I just can’t get enough.

3. Chocolates and Macarons by Christophe Roussel
5 rue Tardieu, 18th arrondissement (Metro: Abbesses or Anvers)

Is it possible to have too many addictions? I don’t think so. This week, I am happy to shout out that there is a new macaron in Montmartre, and it’s dipped in dark chocolate. Created by charismatic Christophe Roussel and Julie Haumont, the shop’s Calder-like macaron mobiles in the window caught my eye and tempted my tongue. So I ventured inside.

The shop’s interior is bright and trippy, boasting a tie-dyed, psychedelic color scheme in pink, green, purple and orange. Here I definitely felt a “Groovitational” pull and—in a fit of rave—I purchased one too many macaroons to count. Soon I was I feeling the sugar rush, and singing Simon and Garfunkel’s “Feeling Groovy,” as I kicked down the cobblestones to the “I love you” wall in the square behind the Hector Guimard entrance to Metro Abbesses. Ba-da-da-da, all is groovy!

Here’s another loving spoonful. In 2010 Christophe and Julie received Paris’s “Salon du Chocolat Prix Spécial Innovation.” His chocolate bar (yes, you heard me right—it’s a bar that serves chocolate) is located at the Hôtel du Cadran at 10 Champs de Mars in the 7th arrondissement. Don’t leave without tasting Roussel’s signature scrumptious (and Man Ray/Lee Miller-inspired) chocolate lips, or his new chocolate-coated lollipop macarons. Oh, la la.

4. Au Levain d’Antan
6 rue des Abbesses, 18th arrondissement (Métro: Abbesses or Pigalle)

Extra! Extra! Read all about it here. This year, boulanger Pascal Barillon of Au Levain d’Antan won the “Grand Prix de la Baguette de Tradition Française de la Ville de Paris.” Located in Abbesses, Au Levain d’Antan is where I buy most of my croissants and pain au chocolat pastries. (By the way, in the past five years, four boulangeries in Montmartre have won the coveted award. Could it be that there’s something special about the old hill’s own local earth, wind and fire?)

Fast forward, the amiable Pascal Barillon scored a shiny medal, cash, and the honor of baking bread for President Nicolas Sarkozy and First Lady Carla Bruno-Sarkozy at the Palais de l’Elysées (the French presidential palace) for one year! The annual award is based on aroma, texture, crust, and size. And yes, Virginia, size DOES matter, at least when it comes to bread—this year 32 of the 175 competing baguettes got eliminated because, well, they came up a tad on the short side.

Cheapos, here’s what else is short—life! So find your happy place. Bon Appétit!

Your favorite hangouts?

Do you have a favorite cafe, restaurant or bakery to add to our list? Tell us about your favorite Parisian hangout in our comments section.

Also in our guide: Heading to Paris anytime soon? We’ve got favorite hotel hangouts, too! Read our editors’ reviews of their favorite hotels, all located in central Paris and all visited, inspected and photographed by us. Read more in our Paris guide.

The post Paris: Favorite cafe, chocolate shop, and boulangerie “hangouts” appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

So I did. Pastry chef, blogger, and author David Lebovitz just launched a new iPhone application last week called “Paris Pastry Shops” that includes 300 of his hand-picked favorite places in Paris to indulge in sweets.

Lebovitz, a favorite resource among expats, tourists and locals, took a few minutes to discuss how to find the right pastries at the right price in the City of Light.

If you found a €2 coin and had a sweet craving, where would you go?

I would probably go to a really good bakery and get a croissant such as the ones listed in the app, like Blé Sucré (Square Trousseau 7, rue Antoine Vollon). Generally you can get one for €1.05, and that’s a really good deal.

What’s the worst way to waste money on pastries or chocolate?

I think people shouldn’t necessarily assume price goes with quality. There are a lot of neighborhood bakeries that make very good pastries but that are not famous and are not Ladurée or Pierre Hermé (which are good, but you can do very well in neighborhood bakeries spending a fraction of the money for exceptional quality).

In the app we tried to include things that were not necessarily well known but were places for people who are a little more adventurous and looking for bargains.

Why an app for the iPhone?

I started a guidebook several years ago and I spoke with several of my publishers who said guidebooks are going out of favor. I figured a lot of people come to France for pastries and chocolates and ice cream, so this was a natural fit.

When smart phones became more prolific, it seemed like the perfect format for this sort of application. It can be updated and readers can add their own favorites and share things. The price of the app is also lower. Plus you can include hundreds and hundreds of photos, so even if you’re not going to Paris you can still enjoy the pastries.

Are there any sweets you don’t like?

I don’t like desserts that are heavily sweetened. I like caramel that’s slightly burnt, lemony things, bitter chocolates. I search for things that are more balanced, things that have a sweet edge.

What’s your favorite splurge?

I would go to Fouquet and get a big box of the chocolate covered spice wafers called “croquantes.” They are addictive and exceptional. I’d get a big tin of those and eat them all by myself.

Favorite neighborhood for sweets?

There’s a high concentration of very good places in the 6th because there are lots of tourists and lots of money there. But I think if you explore the 11th there are lots of good places, like Blé Sucré. I think that this part of Paris is a lot more interesting.

Farthest you’ll travel for a sweet?

I won’t take three Metro lines. Generally two is my maximum. If I have to change more than two Metros I won’t bother.

Do you ever get sick of pastries or chocolate?

Not really. I actually like to taste a lot of things. It’s hard for me to eat a whole pastry. It’s more interesting to try bites of different things. I like bite-sized pastries. I kind of graze, so I’ll sit around and eat little bits and bites of things, instead of an entire cake, which is good for my waistline.

For more information on his new app, check out David’s blog at www.davidlebovitz.com

The post Paris: David Lebovitz reviews Paris’ best pastry shops appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

So this week I’ve taken it to the table, by conducting an impromptu taste testing with three of my favorite food snobs. Scientist Jean-François, filmmaker Peter and writer Véronique all agreed to lend a helping hand, while sipping crisp white wine.

But first things first, Cheapos, let’s meet our contestants!

Ladurée
€15 (per half dozen macarons)
Time spent waiting in line: one hour

Since 1862 Ladurée has been donning pastels like no other. Their shops are sprinkled about the city, including Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 2.

Tip: Every year Ladurée rolls out a “flavor of the year,” along with a matching set of gift boxes. More tidbits: Belle Époch poster artist Jules Chéret designed their Saint-Germain tea salon and shop at 21 Rue Bonaparte. Sex and the City fans, Carrie Bradshaw “ate here” during the season six finale. Also, Ladurée’s pastel colors inspired the color schemes in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette.

Gérard Mulot
€9 (per half dozen macarons)
Time spent waiting in line: 15 minutes

On the flip side, sparky new kid on the block Gérard Mulot has been pouring on the pizazz with a vibrant palette since 1975. From the day-glo-get-go, Mulot’s shops, macaroons, and gift boxes have been bursting with his trademark set of fluorescent colors.

His shops are located in Saint-Germain des Prés and the Marais, but the main bakery and flagship shop are located at 93 Rue Glacière in the 13th arrondissement.

Tip: Tours of the workshop are offered. Just contact the Glacière shop prior to your visit.

The taste testing

Round one: First impressions

The first round was all about looks, see. Tucked away in Véro’s kitchen, I hid the telltale signs of boxes and bags, and quickly quartered six macarons (three from each contestant). Acting as the impartial moderator, I then presented the samples (organized by flavor) on a white dish (pictured, top), and asked the judges for feedback on the macaron colors. Gut reactions were immediate and judgment was swift.

In living color

“So French, more natural and very chic,” said Véro, describing Ladurée’s soft pastel hues. “Classical,” said Jean-François before he continued. “Those bright ones are tacky and look artificial.” Peter concurred with a filmmaker’s snapshot. “While the vibrant macarons are photogenic, they’re too gaudy-looking.”

And just like that (in no more than two minutes), Ladurée won the first round in the looks-alone department. Ring-a-ding-ding!

Round two: Sweet is the lore

Then, with eyes shut, phase two of the testing got underway. My judges blind-taste-tested each sample, starting with the citron.

“I like this one because it reminds me of my mother’s lemon pie,” said Véro, gesturing toward the Mulot product without knowing which one it was. Both guys concurred, giving the Mulots high marks for their “natural zest.” With his eyes closed, Jean-François couldn’t place the taste of the Ladurée citron sample, while Peter found the same pastel morsels “too sweet and artificial tasting.”

So you can’t judge a book by its cover

After they sampled four more macarons, I revealed the results, which were surprisingly consistent and unanimous.

Here the tables turned, Cheapos. The judges found the Mulot macarons “natural tasting,” “authentic,” and “recognizable,” despite their artificial colors, while they found the Ladurée samples “saccharine” and “artificial,” even though visually they seemed more appealing.

After Mulot was declared the winner of round two, post-game contemplation continued throughout the night with more wine. But of course!

My recommendation?

Try both and be your own judge. To make the game even more interesting, add other famous makers like Arnaud Larher or Pierre Hermé to the mix!

Cheapos, who makes your favorite macaron in Paris?

Have a favorite macaron? Tell us about it in the comments section.

A big thank you goes out to Véronique, Peter and Jean-François! Cheapos, I sprung the taste testing on them at a recent dinner party. They took it seriously and elevated it to another level. Merci!

The post Paris Macaron Taste Test: Ladurée vs Gérard Mulot appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Your fan,
Earl, New York, New York

DEAR Earl: As a lover of sweets, I don’t just nibble and tell, Sweet-tooth, I nibble and yell! So this week, let’s chat about JUST desserts. Here’s a Theadelectable list of my favorite pâtisseries and boulangeries in the City of de-Lights, created to set your taste buds and the (late) summer sun on fire!

Bow Wow Wow, Cheapos, who wants candy?

You better shop around

You’ll find pâtisseries on practically every block in the city, so keep your head and be selective. Feeling all Nancy Drew? I recommend starting your gastronomical quest with window shopping (or lèche-vitrine, “window licking”) because sometimes it is possible to judge a place er, window display. The goods are usually clearly marked with descriptions and prices. Have a question? Just ask. Also, keep your eyes peeled for a line snaking out the door. That’s always a good sign!

Try a little tenderness

Let them eat cake at Le Coquelicot

Receive service without a smile? It happens (though rarely), but don’t take it personally. Rude customer service is hardly limited to France. So if you run into it, either make your purchase anyway or just move on to the next shop. Sometimes, Cheapos, they’re not out to get you, they’re just not into you.

More often than not a wink, smile and a “bonjour” will break the ice. And please note: The places listed below have treated me like a queen for years. Kindness always wins my loyalty and hard-earned euros.

It’s no accident that macarons pop up a lot in this list—after all they’ve been a dessert staple in old Parigi ever since Catherine de Medici introduced them from Italy in the 16th century. Long live the queen!

Gérard Mulot
76 rue de la Seine, 5th Arrond. (Métro: Odéon)
Tel.: + 33 (0)1 43 29 92 83
Web site
5 stars on the Theadelectable scale

Don’t miss the macarons, the petits fours and bright orange boxes Mulot packs them in! I have my friend Sandrine to thank for introducing me to this place. (Sandrine, by the way, taught Kirsten Dunst how to play the harp for the title role in Sofia Coppola’s film, “Marie Antoinette.” But I digress, royally …)

Macarons at Ladurée

Pâtisserie Arnaud Larher
53 Rue Caulaincourt, 18th Arrond. (Métro: Lamark-Caulaincourt)
Tel.: +33 (0)1 42 57 68 08
Web site
5 stars on the Theadelectable scale

Get your zoo on here with their fantastic animal-shaped chocolate sculptures (and the striped brown boxes they come in, recalling the bars of menagerie cages).

Ladurée
21 Rue Bonaparte, 6th Arrond. (Métro: St Germain-des-Prés)
Tel.: + 33 (0)1 44 07 64 87
Web site
Encore, 5 stars!

Ladurée’s pastel-colored macarons (in beautifully illustrated boxes, this time) inspired the color scheme of the set in Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette.” These little cookies make cameo appearances throughout the movie.

Le Coquelicot (“The Poppy”)
24 rue des Abbesses, 18th Arrond. (Métro: Abbesses)
Tel.: + 33 (0)1 46 06 18 77
Web site
Simply Theadelectable!

They raise the bar—with their lemon bars and other Antoinette-worthy petit fours! Champagne, anyone?

Léonidas Chocolatier
65 rue de Rennes, 6th Arrond. (Métro: Saint-Sulpice)
Tel.: +33 (0)1 42 22 00 52

18 rue Lepic, 18th Arrond. (Métro Pigalle)
Tel.: + 33 (0)1 53 28 48 31
Web site
Five-o-rama!

More than famous for their sparkling (and tasty) Eiffel Tower sculptures, royal cameo candies and metallic covered chocolate hearts!

The post Paris: 5 pâtisseries to satisfy your sweet tooth appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Visiting one of the finest food capitals of the world, a place chock-full of bountiful “Bon Produits” (specialty shops), all managed by certified gastronomical experts who are more than willing to share their vast wealth of knowledge, is abso-fruga-lute-ly not the time to shop at a chain grocery store in order to save a few centimes.

Splurge on a café.

So take in all those wonderful boulangeries, pâtisseries, chocolatiers, confiseries, glaciers, éspiceries, fromageries, charcuteries, poissonneries, caves, and cafés with a clear conscience. And don’t be shy. Ask for recommendations! Ask questions, and in the process you’ll take home more than the receipt.

Here’s my personal sampling of things to not miss while in France. Cheapos, splurge on!

1. Crème brûlée

Before cracking open this classic beauty, lift the ramekin to your ear, and lightly tap on its hard, caramelized topping with your spoon. Breathe in. Savor the moment.

2. Pain au chocolat

The proper way to eat it is to pinch off teeny morsels with your fingertips to make it last as long as possible. However, I usually peel the individual layers off slowly, thoroughly enjoying each melted chocolate nugget I encounter.

3. Fromage

Big wheels do keep on turning. Like skirts, cheese is seasonal, and the variety is endless. So pace yourself! Start off with the “Cantal jeune.” Named after the volcanic peaks of the Cantal mountain range, it’s hard to find this one-month-old taste sensation outside of France. Why, even the Sun King gave it his Good Palace-Keeping seal of approval. Also, don’t hesitate to ask the fromager for a cheese recommendation based on the wine you just bought down the street. They’ll gladly help you out.

Baguettes from Gérard Mulot.

4. Baguette

If it’s still warm from the oven, do as the locals do and rip a chunk off and pop it in your mouth as soon as you step out of the bakery. I’ve noticed that males tend to carry their baguettes like caveman clubs, while women usually cradle their bread.

5. Macarons and meringues

The ultimate instant sugar rush—but what-the-hey? You only live once, right? That’s what she said. Catherine de Medici’s Italian pastry chefs introduced the macaron to France, and Ladurée is credited with its stream-lined modern sandwich-look.

6. Wines

It’s perfectly normal to say, “I’m looking for something around five euros to go with [fill in the blank].” Trust me, everyone else is asking the same question. Tip: Caviste Pascal Fauvel at La Cave de Abbesses at 43 rue des Abbesses clearly marks his recommendations with heart-shaped signs that read, “Coup de coeur maison.” Others follow suit.

7. French onion soup

Yummy escargot

Day or night, it’s a hot and hearty Cheapo happy meal (sans prizes).

8. Escargots

If you end up loving them (and most people do) then you’ve made a culinary discovery, and if not, at least you’ve got a funny story to tell, and everyone will admire your bravery. I usually order my snails bathed in garlic, butter, and herbs in their little spiral shells. Yum!

9. Crêpes

“Je voudrais une banane-chocolat crêpe, s’il vous plaît,” is another one of my tickets to paradise.

Tartes at Les Petits Mitrons.

10. Tarte

Any ole tarte will do as long as it comes from Les Petits Mitrons at 26 rue Lepic in Abbesses, just up the street from the Moulin Rouge, and kitty-corner from the café featured in the film “Amélie.” You can also buy your pie by the slice!

11. A drink in Parisian café

If you visit Paris and miss out on this experience, Cheapos, we are no longer friends. Yes! Your alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks will cost a little more than in a grocery store, but the upside is that you’ll be given courtside seats to people watching, and you can stay as long as you like.

12. At least one article of clothing

For the simple love of bragging rights, do pick up a scarf, shirt, or slacks. Then, for years to come you’ll be able to say, “Oh, this old thing? I picked it up in Paris years ago!”

Cheapos, do you have a favorite French treat? Do tell!

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