5 Tricks of the Trade for Paris

No one can deny that Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is however, a very expensive city and can leave your pockets feeling considerably lighter than when you arrived. This blog will help you and your visiting friends and family to save a little money, that you can of course, subsequently spend on buying more croissants.

Buy a Ticket Jeune 

If you have a friend visiting the city and they are under 26 (or could easily pass for being under the age of 26) you should buy this ticket. It’s valid ALL day (until midnight) and allows you to travel an unlimited amount (1 ticket is valid for 1 day only). You can get the tickets for Saturday’s, Sunday’s and on bank holidays. You can also choose between which zones you would like to have: 1-3, 1-5 or 3-5. In general you will only need 1-3 as that includes the whole of Paris! And it is SO much cheaper than buying 1 ticket at a time! Don’t forget to write your name, first name and the date you’re using it on the ticket, it’s important if you get stopped by the controllers.

The prices are as follows:

• Zones 1-3: €3.85
• Zones 1-5 : €8.35
• Zones 3-5 : €4.90

Buy a Navigo Decouvert

If you live in Paris you will most probably already have a navigo and charge it monthly so that you can travel anywhere within zones 1-5.  But what about tourists? Should they get a navigo?

Well actually, yes. Sometimes it can be very beneficial and can save your guest a huge amount of money! I figured out recently that if you have family or friends who visit often it’s worth them buying a navigo decouvert. We’ve all had people come to visit for more than just a few days and buying tickets everyday PLUS the 20 euros return airport fare can make transport costs add up. A navigo decouvert costs 5 euros and can be bought from almost any metro station. Ask your guest to bring a passport photo with them if they happen to have a spare one lying around. If not they can get some done in Paris and it will cost them 5 euros.

To charge the card for one week it only costs €21.25 which is basically the same amount you pay for your return ticket to the airport! You only need to buy the card once and then every time you come back to Paris you can charge it up. It works out so much cheaper for your guest if they are over 26 and/or visiting for more than a weekend! My sister came for 5 days in October and spent just over 20 euros on transport during her entire trip! And don’t forget the navigo also works for the bus so you are free to use the trains, metros AND the bus with the card. You can’t even imagine how much you’ll save if you’re a regular visitor to Paris!

Take a FREE tour of Notre Dame (Notre Dame is currently closed due to the fire in 2019, but theses tours should be available when it reopens)

Every day of the year the CASA association organises free tours of the cath
edral. According to their website: “These tours present the spiritual message of this great Christian site, through its History, its architecture, its sculptures, its windows, and more.” The tours are available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese AND Chinese!

For more information on these tours click here

Breathe in Paris at a 360 degree angle

The Terrasses du Printemps is open Monday to Saturday from 9.35 am to 8 pm and is exceptionally open on Sunday’s from 11 am to 7 pm from the 22nd of November until the 27th of December. The terrace offers a stunning, 360 degree view of the city including a view of the Eiffel Tower and Sacre Cœur. The terrace is free of charge but food and drink are available!

Free entry to Museums 

As most people already know, if you are under 26 and a member of the European Union you can get into most of Paris’ museums for free. However, for those of us who find ourselves outside of the EU or a little older than 26, what do we get? Well, every first Sunday of the month museums in Paris offer free entry to everyone. Yes that’s right, everyone. Even people approaching 27 years of age, cough, cough.

So there you have it, my top tips: straight from the faux Parisian’s mouth. Enjoy!