Paris - can you do it on a budget?

zenmaster

• Hitch hiking (may still have to pay your own ferry).
• Camping.
• Take your own sandwiches.
• Walk everywhere.
• Admire the outside of the tourist attractions.

Doable, but not much fun.

BusinessStudent

Mr_Wang wrote: »

Ive been and come back, but you are absolutely right.

Once at the airport I was direct out to the shuttle and had to pay 15 Euros each despite the fact my kids were aged 7 and 4 there was no child price.
It's an absolute rip off by all accounts and the bus is in a poor state of repair. To make matters worse when the bus filled up I was asked by the driver to put my 4 year old on my knee, I said I would if he refunded me the 15 Euro I had paid for his seat and he refused! Making someone else have to find alternate means of travel.
The bus took about an hour and a bit and left us at the far end of Paris and really !!!!ed me off.

Blimey - suprised to hear that you was not aware of the

Travel throughout Paris was cheap, I just bought a Carnet and didnt pay for either of the kids and never once got asked.

On the return I took the train from Gare du Nord to Beauvais (total 13 Euro) and then the bus from the station to the airport (4 Euro)

I strongly advise anyone travelling with children to take this route rather than the shuttle since it is nothing other than a blatant scam run by the airport.
In future I would certainly consider paying more to fly to the much more accessible CDG and not the horrible little porta-cabin that is Beauvais.

Blimey - suprised to hear that you was not aware of the distance between the airport and Paris and the 15 euro fee. Im off to Paris in July on the megabus - just £2 each return. Doing the journey overnight so can sleep on the bus.

Very interested in the Formule 1 hotels in Paris - prices look fab BUT the website says they have a tripple room at the Formule 1 Paris Porte de Chatillon...the problem is that it wont seem to let me book a room for more than 2 adults??

Vikki_74

ttwar wrote: »

HI does anyone know if I purchase a 1-5 zone ticket will this cover the travel from Charles De Gaule airport metro station to the center of Paris. I read somewhere that the zone tickets don't cover the Airport.

It depends which ticket you're looking at.

The zone 1-5 Paris Visite pass (aimed at tourists and generally a bit of a rip off) and weekly Navigo (good value but only if your days work - it has to start on a Monday) both include the trains to and from CDG.

The daily Mobilis passes do not include the airports even if you buy a zone 1-5.

shaunskankdog

I went to Paris Beauvais with Ryanair two years ago, got the coach at 13 Euros or so. Dropped me off at that big building outside of the Arc de Triomphe. I had checked before what I wanted to see. I walked all over never taking transport, popped into bakers and local mini markets to eat and drink....pretty cheap...do as the locals do.

Google maps calculated in two days I walked 18 miles day and night, mainly to see the posh shops YSL, Versace, Cartier and take photos. But, the most amazing sights were the small typical French things and the feel of it.

Booked a hostel in Coulaincourt for 20 Euros. Went under the Eiffel Tower, through Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, outside Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, Pere Lachaisse Cemetery and a heart wrenching plaque dedicated to schoolchildren who were killed by the nazis...Paris is amazing...just look up and turn around and look back to get different views...some people think you have to be right on top of a landmark to see its beauty. Many places...even an expensive jeweller even allowed me to use their toilets. So different when the lights are on at night. Enough waffle lol sorry.

Lady_S

Can't really comment on the hotel and flight, but I think you can spend time in Paris cheaply.

We stayed at a hotel with a roof garden and used to sit up there at night with bread and cheese from the local shop rather than eating out. But really enjoyed it.

mikey72

Vikki_74 wrote: »

It depends which ticket you're looking at.

The zone 1-5 Paris Visite pass (aimed at tourists and generally a bit of a rip off) and weekly Navigo (good value but only if your days work - it has to start on a Monday) both include the trains to and from CDG.

The daily Mobilis passes do not include the airports even if you buy a zone 1-5.

Even if you are only going for a couple of days, the Navigo pass isn't bad, it's not much more then two one day mobilis (33.90 as opposed to 14.20), so if you have the trip to CDG there and back it's good value. The visitie isn't bad, for a day or two either, beyond that the navigo is better value for Monday starts.For cheap hotels, the Ryanairhotels search engine is good. As for cheap food, google supermarkets in Paris, and you can buy enough, and cheap wine, to eat as picnics in the parks, or take back to the room. Always chose a hotel on a metro line, a cheaper one on the edge of paris is better than a central one that you have to walk a distance to the metro from with luggage. We did that with a car, chose a hotel near the edge, parked for the week, and hopped on and off the metro.

Lady_S

We had a Paris Viste pass as we arrived on a thursday and left on the tuesday and it worked out better value for us as it covered the rides to and from CDG airport.

frugle

Lady_S wrote: »

Can't really comment on the hotel and flight, but I think you can spend time in Paris cheaply.

We stayed at a hotel with a roof garden and used to sit up there at night with bread and cheese from the local shop rather than eating out. But really enjoyed it.

Oh your hotel sounds lovely would you mind me asking what it was called and the location?