Paris

Top 5 Ways to Save Money in Paris

Bastille

Paris is an expensive city, but there are ways to avoid paying high prices if you are in the know. Below are my tips for the top 5 ways to save money in Paris:

1. Student / Senior / Child Discounts
Most Paris museums and attractions offer substantial discounts for students (with ID), seniors, and children. Some shops and restaurants also offer discounts, so be sure to ask.

2. Free Sundays at Paris Museums
The following Paris museums are free the first Sunday of every month, all year: the Centre Pompidou, the Musees de l’Assistance publique, the Musees des Arts Asiatiques Guimet, the Musee Delacroix, the Musee Gustave Moreau, the Musee Hebert, the Musee Henner, the Louvre, the Musee du Moyen Age (Thermes de Cluny), the Musee de l’Orangerie, the Musee d’Orsay, the Musee Picasso, the Musee du quai Branly, the Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature, the Musee National Eugene Delacroix, the Cite de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, the Cite nationale de l’histoire de l’immigration, and the Musee Rodin.

3. Free Paris Museums
The following Paris museums are free every day, all year: the Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Maison de Balzac, the Musee Bible et Terre Sainte, the Maison Bourdelle, the Musee Carnavalet, the Musee Cernuschi, the Musee Cognacq-Jay, the Musee du Compagnonnage, the Musee Curie (Institut du radium), the Musee Jean Moulin, the Musee du Parfum-Fragonard, the Theatre musee des Capucines Fragonard, the Petit Palais – Musee des Beaux Arts de la Ville de Paris, the Musee de la Prefecture de Police, the Maison de Victor Hugo, the Musee de la Vie Romantique, the Musee national de la Legion d’honneur et des ordres de chevalerie, the Arenes de Lutece, Le Plateau – Centre d’art contemporain, and the Musee Zadkine.

4. Paris Metro Pass
Paris Metro passes like the Paris Visite Pass and the Navigo can save you time and money during your stay in Paris.

5. Paris Museum Pass
The Paris Museum Pass grants access to over 60 museums and monuments in Paris and surrounding area, and saves you from waiting in long ticket lines. You can purchase the Paris Museum Pass at any metro station.

France Train Guide

Gare de l’Est Train Station

Train transportation in France is efficient and easy to use. Below are some tips for making the most of France’s regular and high-speed TGV trains, as well as Eurostar and Thalys trains.

France Train Guide

– You can check schedules and book tickets online on the SNCF website (you can pick up your ticket in any train station if you have the reservation number and the credit card you used for purchase).

– Discount fares are available for advance bookings, but they sell out quickly. Make sure to purchase tickets as far in advance as possible if you want to get the cheapest train tickets.

– There are many types of trains that travel throughout France and from France to other countries in Europe. When booking, you can see what types of trains are available on your route. Usually tickets for the slower, older trains are less expensive than tickets for the newer, faster ones.

Paris Train Guide

There are six major train stations in Paris, each of which is served by the extensive local public transportation network. These are the Gare du Nord, Gare Montparnasse, Gare de l’Est, Gare de Lyon, Gare d’Austerlitz, and Gare Saint-Lazare. You can use the Paris Metro Guide to learn more about how to get around the city.

Paris Transportation: Metro Guide

Paris Metro

Paris public transportation is efficient and easy to use and offers great value for money in a city where taxis can be expensive. Here are some tips for making the most of the Paris Metro and RER (suburban rail):

Paris Metro Guide
– The Paris metro has 16 lines, numbered 1 to 14, with two sub-lines, the 3bis and 7bis. Each one is color coded so that it’s easy to identify them on a map and on station signs.

– Start and end stations are used to identify which direction a line is going (e.g. “Line 1 to La Defense”)

Paris RER Guide
– The Paris RER has 5 lines, lettered A to E

– The lines connect to metro stops in the city center, and are useful for trips both within the city and farther away (like the Paris airports and Versailles)

– Be careful when boarding a train, as not all trains stop at all stations. Check the signs on the platforms carefully to make sure that your train will stop where you need to get off.

Use the RATP website for:
– Mapping a route to your destination

– Full maps of the Paris metro and RER

– Information on Paris metro ticket prices and passes

If you speak French, the French version of the RATP website has more detailed and extensive information.

Paris Metro and RER Tickets and Passes
Within the city center (Zones 1 & 2), Paris Metro and RER tickets are interchangeable and are valid for unlimited transfers for their duration. Metro and RER tickets for the Paris outskirts and suburbs vary in price by distance.

Single Journey on Paris Metro or RER:

– Purchase ticket at a machine or booth in any Paris metro or RER station.

Multiple Journey on Paris Metro or RER:

– Carnet: A packet of ten single tickets; purchase in any metro station for a discount on the price of buying 10 individual tickets.

– Paris Visite Pass: A card for 1, 2, 3 or 5 consecutive days in zones 1 to 3 or 1 to 5 (each day begins at 5:30am and ends at 5:30am the following morning). You can purchase the pass in any metro station, airport, or participating hotel / tour operator.

– Passe Navigo: Smartcard for the Paris metro. This is a good choice if you are visiting Paris for an extended period of time and plan to use public transportation extensively while you are there.