Generally, life as a student means a fair bit of free
time, and we’re (usually) at the perfect age for some adventure. J1-ing and
interrailing are commonly taken up by students in their second, third and final
years of college, but for some of us, they are just slightly out of our price
range. I am one such student – though I do still manage to travel quite a bit.
I’m recently back from a week in Paris,
which is generally considered to be one of the world’s most expensive cities,
but IS easy enough to do on a budget…provided you accept that you won’t be
eating in too many famous French restaurants!
Accommodation – For
students, hotels in Paris are out of the question. From extensive Googling, I
discovered that it’s impossible to find anything less for about one hundred
euro a night…so what alternatives are there? Paris has a thriving hostel
culture, with many situated right in the heart of the city. These offer dorms
for next to nothing per head, and private rooms (for those on romantic breaks!)
for about thirty five. Not feeling the idea of a hostel? I love Airbnb, a
service which allows homeowners to rent out their spare rooms or apartments to holidaymakers.
The upside of Airbnb is the option to self-cater, and it’s often much cheaper
(and nicer!) than a hostel. Keep an eye on reviews on TripAdvisor, Airbnb
itself and places like hostelbookers.com -- it’s well worth it!
Food –
eating will be the dearest part of the Parisian experience. Go to a supermarket
and stock up, and stick to set menus and early birds if you’re eating out. Many
restaurants in the city are expensive – but lunch is generally reasonable. So
if you want to get a meal out, make it lunch and stick a pot of spaghetti on if
you can at home! If not, go for pizza and pasta places, as many restaurants
expect you to order a three course meal. Coffee, much as it is part of the
French experience, is deathly expensive, especially if you want milk, as I
discovered to my horror…
Sightseeing –
for members of the EU under 26, many of the most interesting Parisian
experiences are free, or heavily discounted. The Louvre, Invalides museum and
Versailles are all free, as well as many other museums around the city. Places
like the catacombs and the Monteparnasse and Eiffel towers are heavily
discounted. So keep your Garda ID or passport on you at all times! In terms of
other discounts, bus tours around the city are very expensive, around 30 euro
for a one day ticket. However, it’s about 35 for a two day one, so if you’re
keen on bus tours, it’s much better value to buy a two day one! For those of
you less enamoured with them but still desirous to see the city, boat tours are
about ten euro for those under 25. You won’t get the same views, but who’s
going to turn down a guided river cruise on the Seine for a tenner?!
Getting
around – Paris relies pretty heavily on the metro, an
underground transport system. It’s pretty good value for money – a single trip
will set you back the princely sum of €1.70. However, for a 3 day pass, it’s
about twenty five euro – perfect if you want to explore the city quickly and
easily. The tickets are consecutive but they’re valid for the first three
Parisian “zones”, where the vast majority of the tourist attractions are.
Definitely worth it, the metro is fast, reliable and goes literally everywhere.
And it’s so much more exotic than the bus!
These are just a few starter ideas for how to do Paris on
a budget. Got any more tips? Give us a shout below!
No comments:
Post a Comment