Maureen Hennessy is the author of How to Go Almost Anywhere for Almost Nothing, a valuable guide for the true budgeteer.
No question about it - Paris is one of the world's most beautiful cities. Whether your taste runs to museum visits, fine restaurants, enjoying fabulous nightlife or just strolling along the Seine, Paris is an easy place to spend money. Never fear - there are ways to enjoy this beautiful city without maxing your credit cards or mortgaging your home. Knowing enough of the language to ask necessary questions and to be polite will make your trip more fun. Go to parlo.com on the web and you can learn Spanish or French for free.
Getting there is the first challenge. The best bargains are courier flights which can be purchased from $99 to $300 round trip. Courier flights originate out of major hub cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Miami, Houston and Chicago, so if you don't live in one of these you must factor in the cost of getting that far. Air Courier Companies are listed in the yellow pages of the telephone books of those cities and if you'll pardon the shameless plug, you can find more information on how to get courier flights and many listings in my book, How to Go Almost Anywhere for Almost Nothing.
If your time schedule is flexible, you can try Air Hitch and pay far less than the lowest published fare. Barring that, watch for fare wars. You can usually go for around $400 if you seize the moment.
Once there you'll need accommodation. There are lots of small hotels where you can get a room for $20-$30 per night. These are very basic and a little scruffy with the bathroom down the hall. A much better bargain can be had in one of the many youth hostels in Paris. Better not just because of the price of $11-15 per night, but because that usually includes more security, breakfast, cooking facilities, Internet access and baggage storage.
I often choose to stay at hostels even though I can well afford hotels. The reasons are many. First, I enjoy the company of young backpackers from all over the world. I've made some wonderful friends that way and learned about places I have yet to visit. Also, the hostel staff can provide excellent information on what to see and what to avoid. This seems to hold true all over the world. Being able to cook is a bonus when you're on a tight budget or the local cuisine doesn't offer something you particularly want.
In Paris I especially liked the Blue Planet Hostel which cost 97 French francs per night (less than $12) and was very clean and modern with a friendly and helpful staff. Most dorm rooms have their own bathrooms so you don't have to go out in the hall. Cooking at the Blue Planet is limited to use of the microwave and none of the electrical plugs in the rooms work. The latter seems to be true of all the hostels in Paris. I was told this was to discourage cooking in the rooms.
Another peculiarity about Paris hostels. When showering you must continually push on the water tap or it shuts off automatically - usually at the worst possible time, like when your hair is all lathered up. I got around this by balancing on one foot and pushing with the other one. You could stick to a tub bath if you are less flexible or unable to balance.
Getting around Paris isn't difficult or particularly expensive. A Metro pass good for one, two, three or five days can be purchased at any station. Five-day Metro passes cost about $16 and good for unlimited use of train or bus transportation. Like most European Metro stations, musicians frequently entertain you in hopes of a tip during the short wait for your train. It's also fun to board any bus and get off when you see something interesting. Alternatively, walking is free, fun and great exercise.
Street markets are scattered throughout Paris, redolent with fresh baked goods, fruits and vegetables and thronged with local shoppers. Some feature leather goods, clothing, books and other wares, usually at good prices. There's even a Marché aux Puces in St-Ouen - a flea market - within walking distance of the Blue Planet Hostel. You'll find everything from fresh produce to objets d'art at bargain prices.
One of the best bargains in Paris is the one, three or five-day museum pass available in all Metro stations and museums. I bought a five day pass, the "Paris Visite" for $21.43, which enabled me to visit any or all sixty-five museums and attractions without additional fees. You could easily pay that much for three or four museum visits.
Check the closing days for the museums you especially want to see and buy the pass with those days in mind. I wanted to visit the magnificent palace of the sun king, Louis XIV and to see the geometric gardens and lavish fountains at Versailles. I didn't go the first day because the weather was iffy, then found the attraction closed on the last two days my pass was valid.
Bear in mind doing all of the Louvre in one day is impossible. It is immense. You'll want to leave at least to eat lunch and without a pass you would have to pay to return. The Louvre is overwhelming. Originally a palace occupied by Napoleon and Josephine, the decor and furnishings are stunning. The museum consists of seven departments: The medieval Louvre with an amazing historical view of Paris, the Decorative arts, the Sculpture, the Paintings and the other departments featuring Egyptian, Oriental, Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities. Of course you'll want to see the Mona Lisa, one of the more publicized paintings on display, although I personally never appreciated the fascination with this work.
That magnificent building across the Rue de Rivoli from the Louvre is the Palais-Royal, built for Cardinal Richelieu in 1639. Today it's a shopping mall - what else?
The Musee d'Orsay is less overwhelming but awesome in its coverage of nineteenth century artists and is my personal favorite Parisian museum. Set in a former train station, the iron and glass ceiling creates a feeling of vast open spaces. A whole floor is devoted to the works of Vincent Van Gogh. Matisse, Rodin, Degas and other artists of the era are well represented throughout the museum.
The Paris Visite also allows entrance to the Arc d'Triomphe and Notre Dame Cathedral from each of which you can see most of Paris. Both are accessed by climbing steep stone stairs, the higher and most challenging being the climb up to Notre Dame's tower.
From one side of the Arc d'Triomphe you can view the wide, cosmopolitan Champs-Elysees boulevard lined with exquisite (and pricey) shops and restaurants. From the other side you look down Avenue Foch to the Bois de Boulogne. At the base of the Arc d'Triomphe is the French version of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and sculptures and other beautiful memorials to France's heroes.
Climbing to the tower of Notre Dame was worth the effort. It was wild and windy, but peering out between the gargoyles decorating the buttresses I could see most of Paris. The view was breathtaking.
Be sure to do some of your sightseeing at night. All of Paris lights up at dusk regardless of the season and the city lives up to its romantic reputation - it positively glows.
One thing to keep in mind while seeing Paris, most businesses do not accept credit cards for payment of amounts less than l00 francs and youth hostels don't accept them at all. This can put a strain on the ready money.
I used to sneer at Americans who patronize McDonalds in foreign countries, saying something like: "You can stay home to eat junk food. Why in the world would anyone not want to sample the local cuisine?" I ate my words in Paris. Towards the end of my stay I was running out of ready cash. Hamburgers were going for less than fifty cents at McD's but as a vegetarian I opted for a salad (about sixty-five cents). I found that McDonalds was one place with good coffee, a cheap meal, clean bathrooms AND they accept credit cards even if all you want is coffee. Now how can you beat that?
Maureen Hennessy is author of How to Go Almost Anywhere for Almost Nothing
SIDEBAR:
Useful Websites:
Learn French or Spanish FREE! www.parlo.com
Hostels and hostel reservations: www.hostels.com
Air Hitch http://www.air-hitch.org
For Tourist Information: www.timeout.com
All kinds of good stuff: www.1france.com/features/index.html www.parisfranceguide.com
For more information write: Maureen Hennessy Gomh@aol.com
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