How To Enjoy 10 Days In Paris For £232 Including Travel & Accommodation

We’ve recently returned from a 10-day trip in Paris for a combined total cost of £232. You’ll probably be surprised to learn that this  included our travel costs & 10 days accommodation whilst we were there. How did we do it? Read on & find out – it may well give you some moneysaving ideas for a trip to Paris.

Eurostar; £39pp each way, (£156)

Eurostar does run some great cheap fares to Paris for those willing to plan ahead. Worth noting that Eurostar release tickets 6-8 months in advance and you’ll often find early bargains if you can book in advance. We found the earlier or later trains offer the best prices so, if you can be flexible with dates & times, there are bargains to be had. Keep an eye out too for Eurostar sales where ticket prices can be substantially discounted.

We managed to pick up Eurostar tickets for just £39pp each way by booking 3 months ahead. We travelled out on a Monday afternoon in February, returning 10 days later on an evening train.

Total Cost; £156 for 2 return tickets from London to Paris.

East Midlands Parkway – London St Pancras, (£75.80)

For those of us living outside of London, you’ll need to factor in transports costs to St Pancras. We strive to head for a station that links directly to St Pancras, in our case we opted for East Midlands Parkway.  UK train tickets are usually released 3 months in advance & often the best prices coincide with ticket release dates.

Having set up email alerts for ticket release dates, we’re then ready to go the moment tickets drop. Using Trainline to identify split fares, we then combined rail savings with our Two Together Railcard to secure an additional 1/3 off standard train fares. A 2-together railcard offers savings for friends, couples or colleagues that travel together, (after 9.30am on peak dates) for an annual cost of around £30.

Total Cost; £75.80 for 2 return tickets from East Midlands Parkway.

Montparnasse Apartment

10 Days Accommodation in Paris; FREE

The best bargain of our trip was our 2 bedroom apartment in Paris that was absolutely free. How did we do it? We’re experienced home exchangers with 30+ successful exchanges under our belt. Think The Holiday but unfortunately without Jude Law knocking at your door. Not only do you exchange your home but there are also options to swap cars, bikes & on one occasion we had use of a boat.

Particularly beneficial for young families, you can make use of highchairs, toys & garden play equipment. With options for pet care, (although you can opt out of this), we’ve looked after cats, fish, hamsters, chickens & even quails in our time. The great advantage with home exchange is that you have a fully-functioning house without the cost of an AirBnB.  So you can cook meal, put a wash on or even do a spot of work, all from a relaxed home environment. Recommendations from your host exchanger about local hidden gems are gold dust too.

We’ve travelled extensively via home exchange taking trips as far away as Canada, Iceland, Norway, Portugal & Spain but also closer to home in Edinburgh & London. On this occasion, we exchanged our home in the country for a 2 bedroom apartment in Paris. Just 2 miles from the city centre, our exchange property was located within the trendy area of Montmartre packed with artesian bakeries & cafes. The apartment had everything we could need for a 10 day break, even a balcony from which to watch the world go by. Your host usually leaves information about the property such as wifi codes, recycling, operating white goods & best places to shop.

Total Cost; initial annual subscription costs of around £100/£200 but then FREE to exchange as may times as you wish, (additional car insurance costs if you opt to swap cars).

Velib Bikes in Paris

Getting Around Paris; Velib Bikes

For those looking to enjoy Paris on a budget then a Velib Bike can offer a simple solution to navigate around the city. Paris remains a compact city, easily navigable by cycle, whether you opt for a classic push bike or upgrade & go electric. There are various short term package available that range from a single one-way trip through to a 3-day pass.

Look out for the FREE minutes available for each journey you take that vary depending upon the package you choose. It’s worth ensuring each journey is limited to your free minutes by pulling into a Velib station to dock, waiting 5 minutes before starting the process again. We used the bikes to move around the city as well as tour Paris at night to see the city lit up.

We opted for four 24-hour passes each that we strategical set apart to maximise our use & kept within our free minutes allowance.

Cost; 5€ for 24-hour Velib Pass per person, (total; around £34)

Musee d’Orsay

Paris On A Budget

There are plenty of ways to enjoy Paris on a budget that won’t cost you a fortune. Whether you are a seasoned visitor or there on your first trip to Paris, there are plenty of easy ways to keep the costs down.

FREE First Sundays; many of the main museums & art galleries in Paris offer FREE entry on the first Sunday of each month. These events are notoriously popular, often requiring you to book in advance. Tickets are normally released 2-4 weeks in advance where spaces fill up quickly.

FREE Entry To Notre Dame; now open after a 700 million refurbishment programme, entry to Notre Dame remains FREE of charge. To bypass the queues that quickly build outside the cathedral, take advantage of advantage of online tickets that are release up to 2 days prior to your visit.

FREE View of the Eiffel Tower; check out the Terrace at Galeries Lafayette that offers you a rooftop experience free of charge & a great chance for a spot of shopping.

FREE Entry To The Louvre; pick up FREE entry to The Louvre on the first Friday of each month after 6pm, (September to June each year). Spaces book up quickly so you’ll need to be quick off the mark for this deal.

Lesser Known Entrance for The Louvre; we’re all used to seeing the crowds building around the glass pyramid for those looking to gain access but did you know there is a hidden entrance to the Louvre that offers faster access for those with pre-purchased tickets.

View from the Eiffel Tower

More Ideas For Paris On A Budget

Musee d’Orsay; opt for discounted late night entry at Musee d’Orsay that hosts the largest collection of Impressionist & post-Impressionist art.  Late night entry runs every Thursday up to 9.45pm, (last entry 9pm). Booking tickets in advance is slightly more expensive but does allow you to guarantee entry for the early evening slots, (12€ each, total £20).

Eiffel Tower; it’s cheaper to climb the stairs up to the second floor than it is to take the lifts.  Not only are tickets discounted but queues are shorter plus it gives a chance to engage with the structure.  Whilst the steps will only take you to the second floor rather than the top, the view remain spectacular, (14.40€ each, total £30).

Garden Du Luxembourg; make use of many of Parisian parks dotted around the city. Our favourite is the Garden Du Luxembourg that offers a range of free leisure pursuits for all ages.

Views of Paris; look out for our budget guide to views of Paris that includes FREE options as well as alternatives that include the Eiffel Tower within your view. More information available within our Budget Guide To Views of Paris. 

Paris Walking Tours; a number of walking tours work on a tips-only basis that help those on lower income pay what they can. Always worth remembering that tour guides do this for a living so please be generous with your tips if you can, (15€ each, £25 total). More information over at SANDEMANS Walking Tour.