Budget Travel in France: Cheap Eats, Free Museums & How to Spend Less
France on a Tight Budget
France—especially Paris—has a reputation for being expensive. That reputation is earned if you eat at tourist restaurants near the Eiffel Tower and stay in 4-star hotels. It's mostly undeserved if you eat like the French eat.
A day in Paris on €50 is entirely realistic. A picnic by the Seine with great food costs €8. The Louvre is free on the first Sunday of the month. Walking Montmartre costs nothing.
The Boulangerie Strategy
The cheapest and best food in France is at the boulangerie (bakery).
- Baguette: €1.10-1.50 (by law, a traditional baguette cannot be frozen—it's made fresh)
- Croissant: €1.20-1.80
- Pain au chocolat: €1.20-1.80
- Quiche slice: €3-5
- Sandwich (jambon-beurre): €3-5 (ham and butter on a baguette—the most eaten sandwich in France)
- Tarte or pastry: €2-4
The move: Breakfast at a boulangerie (croissant + coffee at the counter) for €3-4. Lunch sandwich from the boulangerie for €4. This alone saves €20-30 vs eating at a sit-down restaurant for every meal.
Picnics: The French Way to Eat Cheap
The French picnic by rivers, in parks, in gardens. It's not a budget compromise—it's how locals spend a good Sunday.
Where to picnic in Paris:
- Along the Seine (Pont des Arts, Île Saint-Louis)
- Jardin du Luxembourg
- Champ de Mars (under the Eiffel Tower)
- Canal Saint-Martin (very local feel)
- Jardin des Tuileries
What to buy:
- Supermarché (Monoprix, Franprix, Carrefour City): good selection, fair prices
- Marché (outdoor market): better quality, slightly more expensive
Picnic for two (~€12-15):
- 1 baguette: €1.50
- 200g cheese (brie or camembert): €3-4
- Charcuterie (ham, saucisson): €3-4
- Tomatoes or fruit: €2
- Bottle of wine: €4-6 (French supermarket wine is excellent at this price)
The Lunch Formule
French restaurants offer a "formule" or "menu du jour" at lunch: a fixed-price set menu that's significantly cheaper than ordering à la carte.
- Typical formule: 2 courses (entrée + plat or plat + dessert): €12-15
- 3-course formule: €15-20
- Same food as dinner, often cheaper
- Only available Monday-Friday lunch, usually 12:00-14:00
The rule: Eat your main meal at lunch, not dinner. Dinner costs the same food for €10-15 more per person.
Free Museums in Paris
Many Paris museums are free or have free days.
Always free:
- Musée Carnavalet (history of Paris)
- Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
- Musée Cognacq-Jay
- Petit Palais
- Maison de Victor Hugo
- Catacombs (exterior areas)
Free on first Sunday of each month:
- Louvre (€22 normal price)
- Musée d'Orsay (€16 normal price)
- Centre Pompidou (€15 normal price)
- Château de Versailles (€20 normal price)
- Rodin Museum (€13 normal price)
Under 26 and EU citizen: Free entry to national museums and monuments always.
Free Things to Do
- Walk across Paris neighborhoods (Marais, Montmartre, Saint-Germain-des-Prés)
- Seine riverbanks (Georges Pompidou Expressway closed on Sunday—pedestrian promenade)
- Sacré-Cœur basilica (free entry, Montmartre view)
- Notre-Dame exterior (undergoing restoration, open again 2024)
- Père Lachaise cemetery (fascinating, free)
- Sunday morning markets
- Window shopping on Rue de Rivoli
- Parks: Luxembourg, Tuileries, Buttes-Chaumont
Budget Accommodation
- Hostels: €25-45/night in a dorm, €60-90 for a private room. Generator Paris, Hôtel du Globe, St. Christopher's Inn are decent options.
- Airbnb: Can be cheaper than hotels for 3+ nights, especially in outer arrondissements (11th, 18th, 19th, 20th)
- Budget hotels: 1-2 star hotels in Paris: €60-100. Outer arrondissements cheaper.
- Tip: Stay just outside central Paris and use the metro. 11th and 20th arrondissements are authentic, safe, and cheaper.
Transport on a Budget
- Navigo weekly pass: €22.80 covers all metro, RER, bus for one week. Best value.
- Walk: Paris is surprisingly walkable. Marais to Notre-Dame to Louvre is 20-30 min on foot.
- Vélib' bikes: €5/day for unlimited 30-min trips.
The €50 Day in Paris
- Hostel dorm: €30
- Boulangerie breakfast: €3.50
- Metro (Navigo daily): €4
- Lunch formule: €13
- Afternoon coffee at a café (au comptoir): €1.80
- Picnic dinner (bread, cheese, wine): €8
- Total: €60.30 (or €50 if you skip the café)
Explore France with Trevurs
Trevurs is free. Audio tours of Paris neighborhoods narrated by locals—no tourist guide fee, no group tour, walk at your own pace. Download before you arrive.