Top 5 Things To Do In Paris On A Budget
To help you fall back in love with this magical city, here is a list of 5 great things you can do in Paris on a budget.
1.Attend A Fashion Show
Paris is known for its haute couture. If you happen to be vacationing in France during Fashion Week in either the Spring of Fall, you may want to try attending a fashion show. While the tickets for such events are limited to members of the fashion industry, press, etc. there are still a few ways that the average person can score tickets. First, you could volunteer with the event committee in some way. While volunteers are there to work, they also gain access to many of the events and are able to watch parts of the show they are working. Another way to get tickets to one of the many fashion shows during Fashion Week is to put on a your most fashionable outfit and stand outside the venue. Sometimes designers will hand out tickets that weren’t used at the last minute in order to make sure that all of the seats are filled. Even if you don’t get a ticket, watching everyone arrive is a fashion show unto itself! If you aren’t going to be in Paris during Fashion Week, don’t despair; you can still revel in French fashion—for free! From March through December, the department store Galeries Lafayette holds weekly fashion shows on the 7th floor. Each show is 30 minutes long and features a number of models strutting their stuff while wearing the latest trends in fashion. Reservations are required to attend.
2.Shop Till You Drop
You don’t have to limit your retail therapy to window shopping when in Paris. Instead, pick up a map of France, locate the Marals, and head to some of the small second-hand shops found there. Free P Star is one of the most popular, where bargain hunters can score great deals on everything from platform boots to fur coats. One of the biggest draws at this vintage shop is the €3 and €5 bins, where you can piece together an entire outfit for less than 20 US Dollars.
3.Visit The Louvre
No trip to France is complete without seeing masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa at The Louvre. Normally, it costs 15 Euros (approximately 20 US Dollars) for a single person to purchase a combined admission pass to the Louvre; on the first Sunday of every month, however, admission is free! And on Friday nights, visitors under the age of 25 get in free. You will want to allow a little extra time if you plan to visit the Louvre o one of the free days as the lines tend to be longer. This is a great way to save some money if you are on a tight budget. Don’t forget your Map of Paris, the street and subways acan be extremely confusing without one and the closer you get to the eiffel tower the fewer subway stations there are.
4.Trade The Eiffel Tower For the Montparnasse Tower
The Eiffel Tower is the most iconic landmark in all of France; of course you MUST see it. Instead of paying to travel to the top of The Eiffel Tower, however, why not enjoy the view from the bottom instead? During the day you can have a picnic on the lawn beneath the tower. In the evening, you can return to the near vicinity to watch the light show and experience it from a different perspective. This allows you to save your cash for breathtaking views of the city from the Montparnasse Tower, which offers comparable views for less money. To save even more money, skip the tourist lift and make your way to the café on the 56th floor of the Montparnasse Tower instead. There you can savor the sights below while sipping on a cup of gourmet coffee—all for less than 5 US Dollars.
5.Eat A Pastry
When in Paris, eat as the Parisians do! Find a patisserie in a quaint neighborhood and order a Caramel Macaron—one of the most famous pastries in France. The décor in small patisseries or tea rooms is delightful and the menu delectable. If the weather is nice, sit outside to enjoy your sweet treat and immerse yourself in everything the culture has to offer including the architecture and the passersby.