Getting Around Paris: Budget Travel Guide

Riding the Metro is a staple of everyday life for Parisians. But the unwritten code of conduct isn’t something that comes instinctively to the more than 4 million people who hop on board every day. In fact, each year 1.5 billion riders use the Paris Metro — that’s almost on par with New York City! » Read more

Getting around Paris with the Metro is quite easy — and cheap too! However, for those times when you might want to take in the Parisian scenery above ground or just avoid the Metro stairs and crowds, then you might want to use a ridesharing app like Uber. We’ve taken rides with Uber around the » Read more

Everyone wants to feel like a local in Paris, and taking the Metro is one of the best ways to achieve such status. But is it worth taking the plunge and subscribing to a transit pass, called the Navigo? Let’s break it down. The Navigo The Navigo pass is a card that allows you to » Read more

You’ve arrived in Paris! The cafés, the Eiffel Tower, the chic Parisians — well, where are they? Certainly not at the Charles de Gaulle airport. Consistently one of the most complained about airports in the world, there is now a small glimmer of hope for its future. A project is underway to create the CDG » Read more

Everyone knows that taking public transportation to and from the airport is an easy way to keep travel costs down. But then there are those times when you land in Paris on a rainy day after a sleepless night in cramped cattle class and endure an escargot-paced jet-lagged slog through customs at the airport, or » Read more

Most budget-minded travelers operate on the assumption that taxis are a lazy waste of money, and often times this is true. But taking the occasional taxi to get from point A to point B is the sort of small luxury that can make a world of difference when you are tired, traveling with children or » Read more

The Paris Métro is quick and efficient, but when time isn’t an issue, we prefer riding the public bus. Wait times are longer and despite the dedicated bus lanes, traffic can slow you down. But you can step off easily if something catches your eye, and the big picture windows are a perfect way to » Read more

The “bateaux mouches,” Paris’ pleasure boats, are a surefire way to spend an hour or so any evening or night. The Seine is best experienced by night, when monuments are illuminated and feet are generally tired and ready for a break. Originally from Lyon, these boats have been a top attraction for tourist since the » Read more

The Parisian Vélib’ program is still the standard for bike share programs worldwide (or at least we like to think). Fortunately for visitors, the service has become simpler than ever. Those without a puce, or microchip in their card, were once out of luck when trying to take a bike from a stand. But over » Read more

Well, it has finally happened. The SNCF, France’s national railway monopoly, is launching a new low-cost rail service christened “Ouigo” that will begin service on April 2, 2013. Ultra-cheap introductory tickets are now officially available through the Ouigo website. At just €10 (ten, dix, diez, X – just to be clear, it’s not a typo!) » Read more

(Updated June 28, 2011 to reflect new Velib’ policies) Tourists coming to Paris look with desire at Vélib‘, the city’s public bike-share program. Until recently, when tourists asked me how to rent one, I was forced to dash hopes. For, until recently, you couldn’t hop on a bike unless you possessed a European chip-enhanced credit » Read more

Visitors coming to Paris might be at a loss when it comes to the cheapest way to navigate the Metro. It is one of the most convenient modes of transportation in Paris, but there are a few tricks that can help make sure it remains the least expensive as well (unless of course you walk!). » Read more

(Updated June 2011 to reflect new Velib’ policies.) We’ve been fans of Paris’ Vélib’ bike program since it debuted in July 2007. But how’s it faring three years later? In many respects it’s been a big hit with both locals and tourists (at least those lucky enough to have the right type of credit card). » Read more

Everybody loves Paris. The French capital is one of the world’s top travel destinations and a perennial EuroCheapo fave. Getting to the City of Light remains a primary goal for many visitors to Europe, first-time and veteran alike. France has no low-cost airlines of note, but there are several budget airlines that serve Paris. Here » Read more

Gather around, my fellow multitasking “Puces de Paris” junkies. Here’s a twofer for you: a hot “flea market sandwich” with a virtually free bus tour filling in between. Tous à bord! Two flea markets and a Paris city tour My name is Theadora and I am addicted to flea markets in Paris. One is never » Read more

(See bottom of post for summer 2011 update) We were pleased to see that Eric Rayman at the New York Times recently arrived in Paris and immediately hopped on a Vélib’ bike rental. In yesterday’s travel section, Rayman describes the joys of pedaling down the Boulevard St-Germain (and the terrors of biking through Place de » Read more