Ideas for Seeing Paris on a Budget

I helped my parents book their first trip to Paris. They are thrilled to head to the city of love this June for their wedding anniversary for nine days. In this economy, it is possible to get some real bargains. I wanted to share with you ideas and advice that has helped me plan the perfect vacation for them.

We used sidestep.com to track airfares from Philadelphia to Paris, we eventually settled on a non-stop roundtrip flight for a little over $600 a person. Compared to some of the much higher rates we were seeing, we are confident we got a deal on airfire. We compared many sites and waited until we saw the best fare. The airline charges $15 per checked bag, but my parents prefer to carry on so that will be another way they will save money. Because they are light on luggage, they can take public transportation to their hotel from the airport.

As for hotel, we used tripadvisor.com to help us find the perfect budget hotel. My parents main focus was to find a hotel in the heart of the attractions they wanted to see at a budget price. They selected Hotel Price Albert (http://www.hotelprincealbert.com/) which came with a daily breakfast. By saving on the cost of breakfast, they can spend the extra money on nicer lunches and dinners. The cost per night was about $130 US dollars which fit right in with their budget. They feel confident about their choice based on the many positive reviews on tripadvisor. They also selected a hotel close to public transportation so they can avoid a costly taxi ride to and from the airport.

Another way my parents will be saving money on their trip is by purchasing a museum pass. You pay one price for the pass and it gets you into over sixty different museums and attractions. It also allows you to bypass long ticketing lines. You can have your pass mailed or pick it up upon your arrival. You can learn more about the pass here: http://www.museums-in-paris.com/

If you are interested in guidebooks and maps, checkout your local library. Our library had the brand new 2009 Paris guide and we were able to take the out for free. We made notes of the important things. We also have bought some great maps and guidebooks used from Amazon.com. You can even find things like pocket french dictionaries on their site too.

I'm excited to see my parents leave for their budget Paris vacation in June. If you are planning a budget trip to Paris, I hope our advice and experiences will help you!