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.

We’ve shown you how to save on dining and hotels, and now let’s break down the nightlife scene into a few categories to make things clear — and affordable!

Nighttime transportation

Metro: No matter what you do at night, know that Paris is more difficult to navigate once the Metro closes around 1 am (2 am on weekends). Never head to a station just before it closes expecting to catch a train, since the last one may have already passed.

Bus: Fear not, the night bus, called the Noctilien, fills in the gaps until the Metro opens up again in the morning. While not a fantastic option, it’s useful if you’ve mapped out your route home in advance and know where the nearest stop is.

Taxis and Uber: If all else fails, and you can dip into some international cellphone data, the Uber app will always help you get home, especially as taxis will become notoriously difficult to find later in the night. Whatever happens, as in any city, do not enter any unmarked cabs.

Walking: And then again, consider walking – it doesn’t get any cheaper!

Drinking for less at cafes and bars

Bars and cafes: Parisians are no stranger to spirits, and most locals “having a night out” will head to a café or bar until 1 or 2 am, and usually catch the last Metro home. Sip on affordable carafes of wine late into the evening at any neighborhood café – don’t feel the need to get fancy with a bottle of something nice.

Cocktails: For those looking to check out the cocktail scene in Paris, prices start to rise considerably. At the café, enjoy €3 glasses of wine. At a cocktail bar, prices can climb to €12, €15, even €20 for a drink! Some are super posh, but not all of them are, with some lower key bars like “aveK” providing quality, but still affordable mixed drinks.

Drinking al fresco: Hands down, the cheapest option if the weather is nice is to grab a few French beers or a bottle from the closest shop and ask someone for an opener along the Seine or the Canal – it’s what those of us who live here actually do.

Related: 5 Bars perfect for a Cheapo night out

Catch a show at Sunside and Sunset Jazz club in Paris. Photo: Luc Legacy

Late night clubs for live music and dancing

Clubs: The Paris club scene is, well, fine. Those looking for parties and dancing will certainly find it in here, but it’s not always cheap or glamorous. You can pay a hefty cover for venues like Bus Palladium or Favela Chic, but if you’re into the “scene,” then by all means enjoy. Just don’t expect to find too many locals hitting up the clubs of the Champs-Elysées with you.

Dancing on the Seine: Do you like to show off your moves but the club scene isn’t your thing? Instead, consider heading to the outdoor salsa and tango classes along the Seine during warmer months, just east of the Institut du Monde Arabe.

Gay and lesbian: A lot of the gay bars and lesbian clubs and bars have no cover charges, although they may be difficult about letting too many ladies in at one time at the gay bars.

Live music: Music fans might want to check out the jazz clubs like Sunside and Sunset in Les Halles. Shows cost around €20, but check the schedule for free events as well. There’s also the occasional free soirées at the Alimentation Générale for enthusiasts, as well.

Nights at the museum

If drinking and partying isn’t your thing, or you just don’t want to be a night owl, there are some notable cultural offerings at night. While you may be sacrificing prime dining time, you’ll also be avoiding the crowds and tour groups that plague these museums during the days. In fact, you can visit a museum every night of the week.

Every day: The Palais de Tokyo is open until midnight (yes, 12 am!) every day (closed on Tuesday).

Monday: The Musée du Luxembourg is open until 10 pm.

Tuesday: The Fondation Cartier until 10 pm.

Wednesday: The Louvre is open until 9:45 pm.  Rodin Museum until 8:45 pm.

Thursday: The Musée d’Orsay stays open until 9:45 pm. The Centre Pompidou until 11 pm.

Friday: The Louvre is open until 9:45 pm. The Institut du Monde Arabe until 9:30 pm.

Saturday: The Quai Branly until 10 pm.

Related: A list of free and discounted museums in Paris

And that’s not even all of them! Check the museum’s hours before going to see if they have an evening opening.

Studio 28 is a classic movie theatre founded in 1928. Photo: sonofgroucho

Saving on theater and film

For something more lively, but still cultural, consider taking in a show!

Opera and ballet: You can always try for cheap tickets to the Opera by going the day of the show and taking any unclaimed or unsold tickets for as little as €5-10. Last-minute cheap tickets for the Palais Garnier go on sale at 11:30 am, while the Opera Bastille requires you to be at the ticket window an hour and a half before show time.

Cinema: If you’re a movie buff, Paris is filled with excellent cinemas like La Pagone, Le Gran Rex and Studio 28. Tickets are usually affordable, but there are also many ways to get discount tickets and movie passes.

French theater: For the dozens of other shows in Paris, you’ll need to brush up on your French a bit. If there is a deal to be had, you’ll find it on the website BilletReduc. Catch a French musical at the Mogador Theatre, or maybe some other dance or opera performance, just don’t pay full price. I want to be a good patron of the arts, but I need to pay rent, too.

Affordable late-night dining

After all of those glasses of wine, it’ll be time to soak it up before hitting the hay. Few places in Paris serve late night food, but there are a few go-to’s that I recommend beyond the typical greasy kebab (we’ve all been there).

Falafel: If it’s not too late, head to L’As du Fallafel for the city’s best falafel sandwich in the Marais. Sunday through Thursday they are typically open until midnight. On Friday and Saturday, their competitors are also open just across the street — the line’s shorter, but let’s face it, it’s just not as good.

Gelato: Afterwards, also in the Marais, head to Pozetto for the city’s best gelato, open until midnight as well.

Classic French dishes: For real late night eats, there are few places to grab anything resembling a late night slice in New York. Instead, grab a seat at Au Pied do Cochon in Les Halles, a restaurant that used to feed the hungry market workers a century ago. They have French classics like onion soup well into the wee hours of the morning. Down the street, La Poule au Pot is also open from 7 pm – 5 am, Tuesday through Sunday.

Grocery store: Also, note that Monoprix on the Champs-Elysées stays open until midnight, just in case you want to prepare a last minute late-night picnic.

Paris is very much alive at night, just don’t expect to stumble upon the party. Once you know where to look, however, you’ll be golden.

Have fun!

The post Paris Nightlife: How to save on bars, clubs and culture appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.