Cheap or free things to do in Paris

JIreland

Hi Everyone,
We've managed to get a short break in Paris booked for November. Thankfully it's only costing £62 return from home to the centre of the city thanks to some cheap offers on Eurostar and booking well in advance with National Express. With it out of season, we've got a good deal on a studio apartment as well.
So with keeping moneysaving in mind, does anyone have suggestions of things vwe can do in Paris that are cheap or free please. Thank you

DigForVictory

Blimey - plenty to go at!
here's a page of free museums & monuments in Paris

here's a map similar

Free walking tour [but ah, tip only...] (stout footwear, or cunning insoles, always a bonus)

and Paris' own tourist site on free walking tours & other ways to get around & gawk happily.

(Me, I'd go for the bus, hopping on & off for photo opportunities but I'm idle & short so the bus height gives me an extra edge!)

There's very little wrong with taking your own food - the drink is the heaviest bit so you need to decide whether to take your own or try the local stuff, and have contingencies in case (a) someone hates it &/or (b) it would be cheaper to drink absinthe... However, Les Routiers are essentially transport caffs, so shouldn't be quite as Tourist Priced, and eating strange foodstuffs is Part of the Experience.

Definitely buy fresh bread & try chocolate sandwiches as 'gouter'.

Coffee & hot chocolate from bowls is another strange and interesting way of approaching breakfast.

Beenie

The Paris supermarkets are good for sandwiches, cake, fruit, drinks etc. From memory, there's a Prisunic or a Monoprix on the Champs Elysee. Get your picnic sorted and then go find a nice garden to sit in whilst you eat. Sitting by the Seine is nice too.

Just seeing the sights for free (Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysee, a walk round the cemetery of Pere Lachaise (where all the novelists and arty people seem to be buried) is great fun.

Eating and drinking at the establishments anywhere near the tourists spots is v. expensive. We paid about £11 for two small beers at a bar opposite the Arc de T. We weren't bothered as we were saving money by staying with a friend, but a few stops like that can break the budget if you're not prepared for it.

JIreland

Thanks both,
Beenie, I think we'll be ok for food, neither of us eat much, although we know of a number of little restaurants in the Latin quarter that do a 3 course meal for E12. If you like cheese you're sorted I didn't realise that there was a supermarket on champs elysee, that'll be ideal for when we finish in the Louvre on the Sunday

DFV, that map is brilliant. THank you. We will definately be printing that off to take; especially as we'll be there the first Sunday in November

James_Thomson

Unfortunately the museums arn't free like they are here in London. On the bright side, Paris is so beautiful this time of year, walking around the city often feels like a special kind of museum.

I would recommend going Montmartre and Notre Dame, but I'm sure those are both on your list already. Enjoy!

martindow

James_Thomson wrote: »

Unfortunately the museums arn't free like they are here in London.

Some are and most have free entry on the first Sunday of each month if that coincides with OP's visit

http://en.parisinfo.com/discovering-paris/themed-guides/paris-for-free/free-cultural-outings-in-paris/free-admission-and-good-deals-in-museums-and-monuments-in-paris

pompeyrich

There's a McDonalds on the Champs Elysees, with outside seating if you need a cheap drink or coffee. I know it might not be quite the cuisine you are looking for in Paris but for the location, very close to the Arc De Triomphe, it's ok for a quick pit-stop at a reasonable price, the salads are good and they sell beer too.

McDonalds Paris

markandkate

A daily museum card is not free but will get you in to see some of the famous sights such as the Mona Lisa without having to feel like you have to "do" the whole museum. It will also get you in to the Musee D'Orsay, Rodin's museum to see the thinker or to visit Napoleons Tomb It is valid all day so you go up to the top of the Arc de Triomphe at night

slinga

We like churches and museums but found Notre Dame very dull.
Also the crush to see the Mona Lisa was nearly impenetrable.

View of the Eifel Tower from the Trocadero is great.
Bateau Mouche are good value.

Dunno if you can still walk up to the top of the Sacre-Cœur but the view from there is excellent.

Haven't tried the Free Walking tours in Paris but everywhere else we've tried them they are excellent.
We give tips between Euro 10 and 20 per person. We've seen some people give nothing or one euro though which we can't understand.

ronmiel

I don't know when in November you are going, but if it is towards the end of the month the Christmas lights will be on. Last year it was about the 18th I am not sure this year. They are a magical free sight, but well worth an evening bus tour to see them all.
The Champs Elysees is a fantastic sight, also the large stores such as Galeries Lafayette which will have wonderful window displays and a huge lit Christmas tree inside.

martindow

ronmiel wrote: »

The Champs Elysees is a fantastic sight, also the large stores such as Galeries Lafayette which will have wonderful window displays and a huge lit Christmas tree inside.

Galeries Lafayette is an impressive building in its own right. Lovely art deco features and a beautiful glazed dome

https://www.luxurydaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/galeries-lafayette-4.png