Outdoor Paris: Budget Travel Guide

We’re already officially a few weeks in, but only now does it truly feel like spring in Paris. The Parisians are back from their Easter vacations and settling into their new routines, delighted by longer days and warmer temperatures. And it’s not just the locals who feeling the season. Visitors to Paris during these warmer » Read more

It’s summer in Paris, and what better way to enjoy the warm breeze than a picnic in the park? When one thinks of parks in Paris, Champ de Mars is often the traveler’s favorite. It’s the long stretch of grass surrounding the Eiffel Tower… you know, the iconic spot that’s probably in your Paris daydreams. » Read more

The banks of the Seine river in Paris are a listed World Heritage site. In June, a month before Paris Plages set up shop in two locations along the river, the city returned a once car-clogged stretch of picturesque Left Bank riverside land to pedestrians. “Les Berges,” the more than three-year, 35 million ($47 million) » Read more

Average temperatures in summertime Paris hover at a reasonable 77 degrees Fahrenheit, which is one of the reasons that air conditioning in the French capital is considered more luxury than necessity. But Paris weather can be as moody and unpredictable as a French man in love. And when temperatures soar, this means that traditional urban » Read more

In the summer of 2002, newly elected socialist Mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë transformed the banks of the Seine into a sandy beach. The philosophy behind this spectacular gesture? To provide an urban oasis and a gathering place for cash-strapped Parisians on a staycation as well as the hordes of tourists who flock to the » Read more

Next month marks my birthday, along with those of two former French queens, so why not celebrate April in Paris with a little regalicious pomp and circumstance at either Catherine de Médici’s Jardin des Tuileries or Marie de Médici’s Jardin du Luxembourg? Suivez-moi, Cheapos! Jardin des Tuileries Métro: Tuileries, Concorde, Palais Royal/Musée du Louvre, Pyramides » Read more

Visiting Paris as a tourist usually means long days of hiking across town, climbing steps, and carrying a backpack. With so much physical activity, you can just forget about the need to hit the gym, right? Well, for us it also means days that begin with a butter croissant (268 calories) and end with a creme caramel (759 » Read more