Paris

[paparazzi mano]

Hi there,

Can anyone tell me when is the cheapest time to be in Paris? I am on a threadbare shoestring budget!

Any recommendations on a hotel would be brill!

Cheers

P

 

[easyrider]

It's been a while since I've been there but I have always found reasonably priced hotels the side of the Arc de Triomphe away from the Champs Elysee -- along Avenue Wagram and some of the smaller streets. You can negotiate the rate in the off season -- outside July and August.

There are also smaller hotels on the left bank as well as inexpensive restaurants.

There are many tourist guides like Lonely Planet, Frommer, Michelin and online info.

Locals may be able to help further. What are you planning to shoot?

 

[Ronny]

Some inspiration from Paris:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronnypersson/

 

[paparazzi mano]

Thanks

Thanks

Thanks for your note.

Nothing special. How about the local market, the cafe during breakfast, the locals going for a piddle, the Moulin Rougue??, the marche?, looking for an old signet ring and etc!

Any suggestions?


Cheers

It's been a while since I've been there but I have always found reasonably priced hotels the side of the Arc de Triomphe away from the Champs Elysee -- along Avenue Wagram and some of the smaller streets. You can negotiate the rate in the off season -- outside July and August.

There are also smaller hotels on the left bank as well as inexpensive restaurants.

There are many tourist guides like Lonely Planet, Frommer, Michelin and online info.

Locals may be able to help further. What are you planning to shoot?

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Thanks for your note.

Nothing special. How about the local market, the cafe during breakfast, the locals going for a piddle, the Moulin Rougue??, the marche?, looking for an old signet ring and etc!

The worst time to be here is between end of Spring through early Fall, as far as tourist cost is concerned.

There is no one local market. There are many; different neighborhoods have local ones at different times. One you may find to your liking is the one near the Montparnasse train station; I can't for the life of me remember the exact Metro station name (not Montparnasse).

There are many many many cafes, many places where the locals hang. If you want to avoid the touristy areas, avoid St. Michel, Montparnasse, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame (which is close to St. Michel) and the Louvre. There are, however, various hidden streets where tourists hardly ever wander around, even at St. Michel and around the Eiffel Tower.

Hotels are expensive (depends on your point of view) no matter where, and what I recommend is that, if you're really traveling frugally, find a youth hostel (the "youth" is more of a traditional term now). You can find some of them and other hotels at ratestogo.com (if you're patient and you can sharpen your search skills, you can find some very good deals; four years ago I stayed at a three-star hotel in the 1er arrondissement for 40 Euros a night), but the deals are usually found "off-season" (meaning, Winter, as long as it's not around Christmas or New Year's Eve).

Where will you be traveling from?

 

[paparazzi mano]

Thanks Gab!

Thanks Gab!

Will be flying in from the Far East.

Thinking about going in April 2012 but need to book the flights soon. But will take suggestions. Don't mind grey. Don't mind rain. As long is it not with the other unwashed hoards! 🙂

Also recommendations on a cheap and good hotel. Just need a comfy bed and bug free room.

Cheers

The worst time to be here is between end of Spring through early Fall, as far as tourist cost is concerned.

There is no one local market. There are many; different neighborhoods have local ones at different times. One you may find to your liking is the one near the Montparnasse train station; I can't for the life of me remember the exact Metro station name (not Montparnasse).

There are many many many cafes, many places where the locals hang. If you want to avoid the touristy areas, avoid St. Michel, Montparnasse, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame (which is close to St. Michel) and the Louvre. There are, however, various hidden streets where tourists hardly ever wander around, even at St. Michel and around the Eiffel Tower.

Hotels are expensive (depends on your point of view) no matter where, and what I recommend is that, if you're really traveling frugally, find a youth hostel (the "youth" is more of a traditional term now). You can find some of them and other hotels at ratestogo.com (if you're patient and you can sharpen your search skills, you can find some very good deals; four years ago I stayed at a three-star hotel in the 1er arrondissement for 40 Euros a night), but the deals are usually found "off-season" (meaning, Winter, as long as it's not around Christmas or New Year's Eve).

Where will you be traveling from?

 

[Peter S]

Hotels in Paris are expensive. One way to go is to stay in the suburbs and take the RER train or metro into town every day and try to find one of the simple cheap chains like Etaphotel or Formule1, Campanile to name a few and find one close to a train station. If you are going with more people and staying a couple of days you could also look at renting an apartment and if you share that cost between a couple of people that might be cheapest. It will also allow you to buy your own food instead of having to rely on expensive hotel breakfasts and eating out all the time.

You will probably have to spend a lot of time on the web, but I am sure there are good " deals" to be found. In my opinion if you are looking for the cheaper options it also becomes less important when you come to Paris as these places tend to have the same low price all year long. That would allow you to come when the weather is better and that opens the door to self bought lunches consumed on the banks of the Seine etc etc. You don't want to get soaked wet and spend a soggy afternoon in small, cheap accommodation wherever in the world. Hotel rooms in Paris are extremely small (even the more expensive ones), but that is ok if the weather allows you to play outside.

How often will you go to Paris in your life ? Better make this trip a good one and as it is in 2012 you hopefully have enough time to find/save some extra money.

Once dates get closer let us know and I am sure many of us will have good tips for a less touristy visit of Paris.